"Damn it, it really was that guy!"
Dorot Otto cursed under his breath, recognizing the name Daniel Dana.
As one of the six inspectors of the Cold Storage, Dana worked in a two-man rotation, monitoring the facility every three days. Their primary task was to verify the quantity of medicinal agents "entering" and "exiting" the vault.
When agents were brought in, the inspectors would collect the key from Dr. Dalt and were required to return it within an hour. When agents were moved out, they would collect the key from Otto, with the same strict one-hour return window.
Anyone who violated these protocols was treated as a traitor.
Consequently, Otto had personally dealt with all six inspectors; he knew them all too well.
"If it was Daniel Dana, it makes sense. As a Cold Storage inspector, he had frequent contact with the keys. Taking a mold of the key within an hour under everyone's noses is difficult, but not impossible. Given that he's currently missing, he most likely escaped with the Revolutionary Army," Dr. Dalt remarked thoughtfully.
The various Doctors present still held a decent impression of Daniel Dana. After all, they were Level 1 Scientists, and he was one of the top Level 2 Scientists beneath them.
Dr. Vade, for instance, who had previously overseen the research on the new airships, remembered Dana vividly. Dana had single-handedly completed the research on the aerodynamic systems for the new vessels.
Having deduced the primary intent of the Revolutionary Army, Aeridar asked again: "If the Revolutionaries attacked us to burn bridges and rescue their No. 2, why did the Neo Marines join them? What was their objective in attacking us?"
"That..."
The room went quiet. When it came to the Neo Marines, everyone was at a loss.
The Chris Pirates had no grudge or history with the Neo Marines. Why would they attack out of the blue?
"Could it be that the former Admiral, 'Black Arm' Zephyr, now going by 'Z,' hates pirates so much he just wanted to make an example of us?" Gilbert Arlan suggested hesitantly.
"That doesn't add up," Millie countered, her brow furrowing. "In terms of strength, the Neo Marines only have that old man Zephyr as a top-tier threat. The others are capable, but not a serious concern. They couldn't possibly think they could wipe us out just by hitting Alvis Island, could they?"
"There is an insurmountable gap between the Neo Marines and the Chris Pirates. Zephyr, as a former Admiral, isn't an idiot; he knows this better than anyone," Aeridar said coldly. "If he joined forces with the Revolutionaries to strike us, there must be a deeper reason."
Aeridar glanced at Otto and said directly, "Your arm was shredded by Zephyr, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." Otto's expression darkened as he gritted his teeth. "It was a direct hit from that massive prosthetic on his right arm. Even with Calamodus's hardened physical body, I couldn't withstand the impact of that giant rig."
"The Battle Smasher, a mechanical arm equipped with Seastone. It was a prosthetic built for Zephyr by the scientists of the Marine Scientific Defense Unit, famous for its overwhelming firepower," Aeridar noted indifferently.
"The Neo Marines spearheaded the assault on Alvis Island. That old geezer Zephyr led the charge himself," Otto added gruffly. "The Revolutionaries had plenty of men, but they seemed to be in a support role. I saw Ivankov, but I didn't see Dragon show his face."
"Otto is right. When I brought reinforcements, I only saw 'Black Arm' Zephyr. There was no sign of Dragon," Arlan nodded, confirming the report.
"Hmph. Interesting... letting Zephyr take the lead..." Aeridar let out a soft hum, his expression becoming inscrutable. A moment later, his face turned cold and sharp. "External Affairs! From this moment on, find the location of the Revolutionary Army and the Neo Marines immediately. Internal Affairs, begin a restructuring. We are purging the ranks!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Millie and Mina stood up simultaneously, their faces set in grim masks of duty.
…
An Uninhabited Island, Calm Belt.
On an island where it was perpetually spring, over twenty blue-and-white airships, each sixty to seventy meters long, sat parked on a broad grassy field. Every vessel bore signs of damage—charred streaks and jagged holes.
Surrounding the airships, over a thousand people had set up camp. Nearly half of them were wounded, wrapped in white bandages. Some were severely injured, lying in agony with missing limbs.
"Z-sensei... the losses were catastrophic. Out of everyone, only about fifteen or sixteen hundred made it back alive."
Ain looked over the crowd, her soft, sea-blue wavy hair fluttering in the breeze. Her voice was thick with grief.
Beside her, Zephyr removed his sunglasses and took a deep breath. "I don't know if my decision was right or wrong. Four thousand men went in, and not even half returned. Is Binz alright?"
"He'll be fine. He just needs time to recover," Ain shook her head, the grief on her face replaced by a lingering shock. "I just didn't expect that island to be so dangerous. The mysterious Fifth Commander, 'Orc' Otto, was terrifyingly strong. Binz's vines were torn to shreds instantly."
"And that massive monster was even worse. He took over ten direct hits from your Smasher, Sensei, and he wasn't even critically wounded!"
"Then there was the blue-haired one, Arlan. He nearly killed Binz with a single strike. They're all human monsters!"
"Monster or not, our plan succeeded, Z-sensei!" Shuzo said, his right arm in a sling, a cold glint in his eyes. He gestured happily toward a dozen silver-white metallic crates nearby. "Hundreds of vials of SS-Serum, plus the new drugs developed by the Chris Pirates. They might even be more potent than the SS-Serum. They won't just suppress your illness, Sensei, they might actually heal your old injuries!"
"Hoo... who knows..." Zephyr murmured, his gaze drifting as he caught the breeze.
At that moment, a group of people approached Zephyr's position.
The leader was a man wearing a large black cloak. He had an ordinary face and tanned skin that looked weathered by years of hardship. This was Gappat Sharp, a Revolutionary Army officer and user of the Paramecia-type Key-Key Fruit.
Notably, among this group was a figure in fishnet stockings and a cloak, wearing a skin-tight, low-cut leotard. The individual had a massive head, an enormous purple afro, long thick eyelashes, blue eyeshadow, and purple lipstick. This flamboyant, gender-defying freak was none other than the King of Kamabakka Kingdom, who had escaped from Impel Down, Emporio Ivankov.
And standing beside Ivankov was a lean man in a white lab coat. Crucially, the coat bore the emblem of the Chris Pirates, and a name tag hung from his chest: Daniel Dana.
"Hee-haw! Everyone looks quite spirited!" Ivankov greeted them with a wide, toothy grin as he approached Zephyr.
"Emporio Ivankov, stay away from me, or I'll be forced to blow your head off," Zephyr said coldly, sliding his sunglasses back on. "Once this cooperation is over, we have nothing to do with each other!"
"Hee-haw! So cold! We are comrades-in-arms who fought side-by-side! I really wonder how Dragon managed to convince you!" Ivankov said, shaking his head. However, he did take a few steps back. Even he felt a certain level of trepidation when facing a former Marine Admiral with a short fuse.