At the Marine branch in Flevance, none of the Marines were on duty.
They had all locked themselves in their rooms, the main gate secured with chains.
The training grounds were overgrown with weeds, so desolate that if Jake hadn't used his Observation Haki to sense the presence of people inside, he would have thought it an abandoned base.
Yet, as he took in the bleak sight, Jake couldn't help but feel a pang of helplessness.
Compared to the previous Marine base under the command of Slixus, Jake could understand the plight of the Flevance branch.
After all, this decay was largely the result of the World Government's actions—even Marine Headquarters had little authority to intervene.
In truth, the decline of the Flevance Marine base was inevitable.
If it hadn't withered away, the only other fate awaiting it would have been forced removal.
Yes—forced removal.
To the World Government, Flevance was tied to too many secrets.
If the truth about Amber Lead were to spread, it would deal a massive blow to the World Government's reputation.
The simplest way to prevent that was to let the two remaining official institutions here crumble into ruin.
Before the outbreak of Amber Lead Disease, the Flevance Marine branch had been nothing like this.
On the contrary, it had once been one of the most elite bases in the entire North Blue.
Back then, Flevance was known as the "Miracle Town."
The annual profits from its Amber Lead trade were enough to tempt any underworld boss or Pirate.
Though the World Government had monopolized those profits, for lawless men, rules meant nothing if they remained mere words—without any real enforcement.
Therefore, to ensure that the profits from Flevance would not be seized by any other forces, the World Government and the Marine Headquarters had invested heavily in the local branch here.
Not only was there a Marine Vice Admiral stationed here every year, but they were also equipped with the most elite Marine troops and the latest technologically developed ships and equipment.
Everything was done to protect the wealth Flevance could generate, not its people.
This also explains why, after the outbreak of Amber Lead Disease, the Marine Headquarters immediately used disease inspection as an excuse to withdraw nearly 90% of the soldiers from the base.
Did the soldiers want to leave?
The answer was no.
Just as most pirates were evil and lawless, most Marines had their own sense of justice and passion.
They watched as the civilians they had gotten along with daily fell under gunfire, enemy bullets, and the torment of disease.
None of them wanted to leave.
Jake heard from Sengoku that at the time, hundreds, if not thousands, of petitions against withdrawing from Flevance had been sent from here, along with countless letters warning Marines who had taken unauthorized action against the World Government.
If not for those Marines acting on their own in the first place, the number of survivors in Flevance would likely have been reduced by another 30% or more.
No one knew how those Marines had dared to act without orders, nor why their superiors hadn't stopped or dissuaded them.
But they only knew one thing—on that night of raging flames, those Marines had saved countless lives.
The Vice Admiral stationed at the Marine Headquarters at the time was… Sakazuki!
He said nothing, only sighed softly as he gazed at Flevance burning in the flames and at the soldiers who roared and wept at him.
Then, he stepped forward, knocked out every soldier who refused to leave, tied them to the ships, and forcibly took them away from there.
After that, all the Marines from Flevance were detained at Marine Headquarters for an entire year under various pretexts.
It wasn't until recently that they were released in small batches.
Unsurprisingly, every single one of those released Marines chose to return to guard the Flevance Marine base.
But the pressure from the World Government on Sengoku was immense.
They knew just how much disruption those stubborn, almost sickeningly persistent Marines had caused to their operations during that time.
So the Five Elders personally issued an order, forcing Sengoku to recall those released Marines and only allowing a few elderly and physically weakened soldiers to return to Flevance.
Those few Marines were not only advanced in age but also bore various disabilities.
This was precisely why the Flevance Marine base now appeared so dilapidated.
They couldn't even use the training grounds, nor did they have the energy to clean such vast areas every day.
Even so, they were methodically cleaning every corner of the base, believing that one day, the soldiers who had once stood guard here with them would return—and they couldn't let them come back to filthy quarters.
Though their bodies bore the marks of injury, the moment they saw Jake approach, they immediately stood at attention.
Their eyes, blazing with an almost fiery intensity despite their disabilities, locked onto him as the eldest among them, an old Marine, saluted and called out.
"Reporting, Commodore Jake! Marine First-Class Ole, present and accounted for!"
Jake studied the small group before him—men whose bodies were broken but whose eyes burned with undimmed fervor.
Softly, he said.
"My purpose in coming to Flevance is one: to rescue its people from hell. Nothing more. The road ahead will be arduous. You may have to follow me into places worse than the pits of hell itself. Some of you may not return. Knowing this, are you still willing?"
"Reporting, Commodore Jake! From the day I joined the Marines, I was prepared to lay down my life!"
As Ole's voice rang out, the remaining soldiers echoed his words with identical conviction.
Jake could feel the weight of their emotions, could sense with perfect clarity that every one of them meant what they said—not a single jest among them.
Looking at these soldiers, their eyes glistening with unshed tears, Jake gave a firm nod.
Taking the map in hand, he said quietly.
"Tomorrow, we'll take direct control starting from this street. Your duty is to maintain order. Leave the rest to me. I'll make sure those people know—Flevance is about to change!"
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