East Blue, Marine Branch 16.
"Sir! Sir!"
The urgent shouts jolted Major Nezumi awake from his nap.
"Damn it, what's the rush?"
The disheveled, rat-faced major glared furiously at the marine who had burst into his office, his voice a sharp bark.
"Sir, a pirate ship is heading straight for the base!"
The marine, startled by Nezumi's glare, quickly stood at attention and delivered his report.
"What? Wait—a pirate ship?"
That piece of news snapped the drowsiness from Nezumi's eyes. He squinted at the soldier, suspicion etched across his face.
"Yes, sir!"
The marine nodded firmly, insisting his report was correct.
"The base commander isn't back yet?"
Nezumi frowned as he rose to his feet.
"Uh… the commander just left for headquarters to make his report, sir. He only departed a short while ago."
The soldier's reply was careful, cautious.
"Sound the alarm. Prepare for battle!"
With his ratlike whiskers and sly expression, Nezumi ordered curtly. The marine saluted and ran off.
Nezumi grabbed his saber, though doubt still lingered on his face.
"The East Blue doesn't have many notorious pirates… and none would dare charge a Marine base head-on. What's going on here?"
He strode out of his office as alarms rang across the base. Squads of marines poured into formation, and Nezumi led several hundred men toward the harbor.
Residents of the nearby town, watching the sudden mobilization, looked on in bewilderment.
When the marines reached the docks, they saw it: a small pirate ship cutting straight toward the port.
"Prepare for combat!"
Though Nezumi looked slimy and cowardly, he wasn't entirely incompetent. He had clawed his way up from an ordinary sailor to the rank of major.
The marines lined up, weapons at the ready, eyes fixed on the incoming ship.
On the pirate vessel, Don stood at the bow, already spotting the marines waiting onshore.
Behind him, the pirates cowered on the deck, clutching their heads, while only a few tended to the helm and sails.
"Slow down. Dock the ship," Don commanded coolly.
At his words, the ship's speed eased, and moments later, the vessel bumped gently against the pier.
Don stepped off first, eyes falling on the Marine formation before him.
At the head of the line stood a man with twitching whiskers and a sly, ratlike face.
"I am Vice-Commander of the East Blue's Marine Branch 16—Major Nezumi, ID 00733! You pirates dare assault a Marine base?!"
Nezumi pointed his blade squarely at Don.
"I'm no pirate. I'm a bounty hunter. I've come to turn in pirates—and collect their bounties."
Don's tone was calm. He gestured with a thumb at the ship behind him.
Nezumi's face stiffened. He glanced toward the pirate ship—where a row of terrified heads peeked over the gunwale.
"A… bounty hunter?"
Nezumi was stunned. The marines who had braced for battle exchanged bewildered looks.
"Oh, and the treasure on board. Convert it into Berries for me and bring it together with the bounty," Don added lightly as he walked past.
The marines, almost by instinct, parted to open a path.
Nezumi and his men could only gape as Don strolled calmly into town.
When the marines boarded the ship, they were stunned to find the pirates unbound, yet offering no resistance.
Recognizing Dorry—the pirate with a 2.5 million Berry bounty—they promptly arrested him and his crew. A brief interrogation followed.
But Dorry's gang had already given up.
Like most small-time pirates, they bullied the weak and quailed before strength.
Don had shown his power once, and that alone was enough. They had obediently sailed themselves to the Marine base without a shred of defiance.
"Controlling fire? And even a sword slash couldn't hurt him?"
Back at the base, Nezumi muttered to himself, mulling over the interrogation notes about the so-called bounty hunter.
"An ability user? Something fire-related?"
His earlier thought of pocketing the treasure and credit vanished instantly.
The pirates might be clueless, but Nezumi had been in the Marines long enough to know what such abilities meant.
The moment Dorry mentioned fire, only one answer came to mind—an Devil Fruit user.
"Sir?"
A marine's voice snapped him from his thoughts.
"That bounty hunter…"
"Convert the treasure and bounties into Berries. Deliver them to him. And find out at least his name."
Nezumi frowned, weighing his options. Until he knew exactly what kind of ability user he was dealing with, he had no desire to provoke trouble.
As for a Logia… he didn't even dare imagine it.
After all, the three Logia-type vice admirals of the Marines were currently the rising stars of the headquarters, each poised for promotion to admiral.
Candidates for the highest ranks.
At a tavern in town, Don sat at the counter, sipping quietly as chatter filled the room.
Marines had marched through with a whole ship's worth of captured pirates—something rarely seen here.
"I heard a bounty hunter caught them. An entire ship of pirates, all at once."
One patron leaned in, voice hushed with awe.
"That's incredible. To capture so many at once… he must be a real master of the seas."
"No doubt. Dozens of pirates, they say. Only someone truly strong could manage that."
Amused, Don listened silently. This little glimpse into the world he now lived in was oddly entertaining.
The tavern hushed abruptly as marines entered.
"Bounty hunter, sir! This is the payout from the bounties and the treasure, converted to a total of 9.53 million Berries."
The marine saluted sharply, handing over a heavy bag.
All eyes turned toward Don in unison.
"Much obliged."
He accepted the bag without hesitation.
"Sir, to claim bounties, we'll need to register your details."
The marine beckoned, and another approached with pen and paper in hand, staring intently at Don.
"We need to record who collected the bounties, to report it properly."
"My name is Don. Just set out to sea."
Don's eyes swept over the two soldiers as he spoke.
"And?" one pressed.
"That's all."
Don shook his head. The marines exchanged glances before one tried again.
"Then… what are your plans, sir?"
"My plans? To keep hunting pirates, of course. After all—" Don raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I'm a bounty hunter."