Chapter 10
Chapter 10
CAPTAIN BARTOLOMEO
While Bartolomeo was an employee of the World Government, the truth was that he hated the organization with every fibre of his being. He was not an anarchist by nature, and was a firm believer in order and justice.
But as it was currently oriented, there was no justice in this world apart from the whims and directives of the 'Gorosei' and their creator, the person sitting on the throne.
As a Marine captain, he was not supposed to know of things, but he did. He knew of them, and so, he recognised the need for the system to be torn apart, and it was why the thought of becoming a pirate or even a revolutionary had pleased him so much at first.
But in the end, there was simply too much chaos and suffering in both of these choices, the revolutionaries were just getting started and as for being a Pirate, the entire idea was based on plundering and looting, and though he could try to follow in the steps of his little straw hat wearing friend, the naked truth was that doing so would bring no substantial change for the common people of this world.
And these were the people who suffered the most, both because of the government, which saw them as inconsequential in their great game, and the pirates, who mostly plundered their gold and resources, leaving behind nothing but ruin in their wake.
He wanted to help these people, wanted for them to have some semblance of hope. True hope, that there was someone who thought of them.
And so, his plan was to stage a grand coup of sorts, one that would see the Marines separate from the World Government, so that the organization may return to its roots and become the protector it was meant to be rather than the oppressor, and the weapon of choice for greedy, corrupt and heidonistic World Nobles.
But it was all easier said than done, and despite having sunk nearly all of his current life into the project, he was still only partly done with the plan. This was a grand task, one which would require allies and power both within the Marine circles, and one of those prospective allies sat in front of him.
"So, have you given my offer any thought?" he questioned the giant man, blind man sitting in front of him, though in this world, one had little need of eyes to see.
Issho, or Fujitora as he would one day be called, was currently a simple guard in a Kingdom on the Grand Line, but one day he was to be a Marine Admiral. A force of Nature who could bring down entire islands.
"I have," he answered in his greasy voice as he sipped the offered tea, as Bartolomeo sat there patiently waiting for his answer.
"But, I have a question of my own?" and he shrugged, and what they were discussing was treason, this was why he had constructed a barrier around the two of them, a silencing barrier and that was a power he had discovered much later, that he could not simply make barriers, he could also impart certain characteristics onto them if he had a solid enough imagination.
"Ask away?" he began, taking a sip of his own.
"Why? Why do all this?" asked the old man.
"You are, by every metric, a talented and rich individual. You are a famous Marine who has enjoyed enormous power, wealth, and influence in the current system, so why would a man like you try to tear down this system?" and indeed it was a genuine question.
"Because I hate it," he answered truthfully, and it was bit of a risk exposing himself to someone like him, but Issho was strong. Even now, he was no less powerful than a Marine Vice Admiral, and having him on his side would be a great boon.
And most importantly, he shared Bartolomeo's hatred for the current system reigning over the world.
"In this world, rights and laws are a mere farce. We all proudly wear the emblem of justice on our backs. Yet, we have no choice but to watch on helplessly as an entitled, dirtbag World Noble enslaves and abuses others," and he himself had been a witness to their cruelty twice now, and each time it had taken nearly all of his self control to not jut tear them apart as they enslaved and killed people for their measly amusement.
"They destroy lives, decimate entire islands, and take away the basic dignity of people, and the Government does nothing but empower them even more," and he would put a stop to that.
"I see," Issho whispered as he put down the cup.
"And you think you can be a better ruler than them?" he asked, his eyes narrowing, as Bartolomeo shook his head.
"No. I have no desire for power myself. I believe in equality and justice. True justice. I believe that we all are equal in the truest sense, that no one person or a group of families should be heralded like Gods and allowed to enslave, kill, and abuse others," and he had given the man his manifesto.
"Then why not become a Revolutionary?" and his own eyes narrowed at the suggestion, for he had a suspicion that Fujitora was not just an Admiral. Still, a member of the group, yet despite his extensive search into the man, he had found no such connection.
"Because our goals are different," he answered.
"I seek to protect, while the revolutionaries seek change," and the room descended into silence, as Bartolomeo asked the final question.
"So, are you in or are you out?"
"I believe my sitting here is answer enough," the blind man answered resolutely.
"As long as your purpose and aim remain to protect the people, my sword will be yours to command," and that was good.
"Still, I believe the revolutionaries must have reached out to you as well," he asked, leaning back.
"They did," he answered.
"Then why take my offer? Why not become a revolutionary yourself?" and the man was silent, before he gave him a smile as he reached into his pocket and showed him a dice.
"I simply rolled the dice..."
0000
MONKEY D. GARP-THE MARINE HERO
The journey back to the HQ was relatively quick and easy with new technology that allowed Marine ships to bypass the Calm Belt with ease. And the new generation had it much easy, for Garp remembered the old times when they would need to traverse through the treacherous Grand Line for every mission.
But the younglings had their own challenges. Roger's words had set the stage for the Great Pirate Era, and the seas teemed with more Pirates than ever, each of them trying to get their hands on his fabled treasure.
Sometimes Garp himself wondered just what he had left there, just what exactly was this One Piece, and how it would change their world.
But the instant that thought sprang in his mind, he put it away, especially now as he found himself in the office of his old pal.
"So, were you able to convince your wayward apprentice?" asked Sengoku, being all high and mighty behind his desk as he munched on his favourite rice crackers, and for all the troubles he caused him, Barto sure knew how to appreciate his old sensei.
"Nah! The boy's mind is made," and Sengoku's eyes twitched as he lashed out.
"You are his teacher! You are supposed to keep him in line!" and Garp laughed.
"Do you really think anyone can keep him in line? That boy is as stubborn as an ox! I tried to make him change his mind, but he wants to be a part of the SWORD," and at least he was still a Marine, though being a part of SWORD did put his life in much more danger.
But if anyone could take that burden, it was he, especially with how grand his dreams were.
"Being a SWORD member is no joke. It puts his life at extreme risk. We cannot lose the future of the Marines because of something so stupid," Sengoku argued, and this he agreed with.
Bartolomeo was the future of the Marines, one of the only bright pieces of hope in this wretched machine that he was loyal to, and unlike the rest of his peers, he was neither blind nor overwhelmed by the rot around him.
He sought to do what Garp had never had the courage to do, what his own son failed to do.
"Well, what can I say? The kid's committed," and not just him, the two younglings he had picked up were quite a pair as well, and though they lacked Bartolomeo's inquisitive and sharp mind, they had a strong will and sense of justice as well.
"Perhaps, you shouldn't have punished him for beating up that scum," Garp retorted, and Sengoku became quiet for a second, knowing that Garp was right.
"I had no choice. As the Fleet Admiral it is my duty to maintain the balance of power on these Seas," and if that meant allying yourself with scum like the warlords then so be it, and it was this reason he preferred being a Vice Admiral because beyond this point, duty turned into a burden.
"Well, his mind is made and there is nothing I can do about it," and he leaned back, finished the entire packet of crackers, and reached for his second.
"And did you push on a Navigator onto his ship?" asked Sengoku, as Garp became still and shook his head.
"The man got lost on the ship again," and he began to laugh, knowing that this was again one of his machinations.
"You cannot be letting him do these things! A Navigator is an essential part of a crew! How the hell is he supposed to navigate through the seas like this?" and Garp scoffed.
"He seems to do that just fine to me," he retorted, as Sengoku swapped the chip packet from his hands.
"HEY!" he screamed as his old pal screamed up.
"He is always late to his assignments! He has a habit of veering of course on a whim and he refused a direct summons from Mary Geoise as he lost his way on the Grand Line!" and Garp laughed.
"HAHAHA! As I said, it seems like he is managing just fine on his own," and Sengoku was done, as his shoulders sagged.
"If it were not for his popularity amongst the Marines and the People, he would have been fired by now," but he was not, and he will not be either. Because as much as he may like to fool around, Bartolomeo knew when to push the limits and knew how to leverage his popularity and fame in his favor.
Half the organization was in love with him because of his businesses, as they enjoyed a hefty discount on his enterprise because of their association with him, and his campaign against the Pirates was rather public, and he was responsible for cleaning up more than a dozen islands all on his own.
"But you cannot fire him, can you?" Garp asked as Sengoku's eyes narrowed, before he answered solemnly.
"You and I both know that firing him is not the only way of getting rid of him," and indeed, he knew that and that was why he hoped to shield him for as long as he could but the more big and prominent he became, the more danger he would land himself in.
Garp could only hope that he was prepared to face the consequences of his actions.
"He will be fine," Garp answered, with a hope and a prayer.
"I do hope so. You did well in sending him to Alabasta," and of course, he did. Garp was no fool.
"The situation there is deteriorating by the day, and no one knows exactly what is going on there," Sengoku sighed.
"Speaking of that, where did you send the other two Captains?" Garp asked, and Sengoku perked up.
"Smoker and Hina?" and Garp nodded, and though they were not his apprentices, he knew that they were friends with his little troublemaker.
"I have sent them to investigate an entirely separate matter in East Blue," and with that, he sifted through the reports on his desk before he picked up a file and passed it to him.
"For the last few months, we have been getting reports that entire islands have been vanishing from East Blue," and Garp read the report, and though it was not concrete, the people seemed convinced that nearly half a dozen islands had simply vanished into thin air.
"Do you think this is real?" he asked, and Sengoku did not answer.
"Because if it is, I can think of but only one Pirate who can pull off such a thing," he added, as Sengoku's expression turned grave.
"But he has been quiet for twenty years? Why would he drum up trouble like this now?" Sengoku gasped, his voice laced with worry as it should be, for if their opponent was indeed that man, they would need to mobilise more than just two young captains.
"Who else but he could do such a thing?" Garp argued, as Sengoku sighed.
"I had really hoped that he had simply died in a ditch somewhere," but that was a naive dream, for people like him rarely died in a ditch.
"The Golden Lion is not the kind of man to die in a ditch somewhere..."
0000
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