The next morning at Marine Base 186, a coffin-shaped boat drifted into the harbor on a gentle sea breeze.
As it docked, the marines on the pier tensed up, their breath catching in their throats.
Thud.
A pair of black leather boots stepped off the boat, landing firmly on the wooden planks.
The man was tall, his wine-red cloak fluttering in the wind.
His sharp eyes, capable of piercing through stone, swept across the dock.
One sharp-eyed marine recognized him instantly.
"Hawk-Eyes" Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords and the world's greatest swordsman.
'What's he doing here?' the marine wondered.
'Is he Captain Mike's friend? Rival? Or enemy?'
"Hmph. Where's Mike?" Mihawk asked, his tone flat and indifferent.
His mind drifted back to the first time he'd met the man.
He'd been wandering the East Blue, bored out of his mind after a long nap, when a surge of sword intent had shot into the sky.
It was so powerful that his own Sword 'Yoru', had trembled in response.
He knew at once that he'd found a worthy opponent.
He followed the feeling to its source: a remote Marine base.
There, he found a lazy young captain sunbathing on the deck of his ship.
Their subsequent "duels" had gone something like this:
"A duel? I'm kinda sleepy. Wait 'til I wake up."
"Oh, you waited? About that duel... I'm starving. You eaten yet?"
"Ah, forgot my wallet. Can't take this seriously if I'm worried about the bill."
"Thanks for lunch, Mihawk. You really went all out."
"My treat next time, I swear!"
"A duel? I surrender. You win."
"Sword intent? What's that? Do I look like I know anything about that stuff? If I did, would I be stuck in this backwater base?"
His status as a Warlord was the only thing that had stopped him from cutting the shameless bastard down right then and there.
But the sword intent from that blade—the one marked with the character "Might"—was undeniable.
His own Yoru had hummed in response.
"Uh... the Captain isn't here, sir."
The marine's voice snapped Mihawk back to the present.
He gave a slight nod.
"I'll find him myself."
With that, he strode past them and into the base.
The marines glanced at each other nervously.
"Mihawk is here again!" one whispered.
"Should we tell the Captain?"
"He's on leave today!"
"Where do you think he is? He's probably still asleep…"
.....
Meanwhile, in a cozy, dimly lit room in the red-light district, a sliver of sunlight pierced through the heavy curtains.
Mike rolled over comfortably, the soft mattress making him feel like he was floating on a cloud.
A slender arm draped over his shoulder.
"Mike-sama, are you awake?" a sweet, sleepy voice whispered in his ear.
Mike mumbled, half-asleep, "Could be… could not be…"
She giggled, her voice turning playful.
"Then you're awake! No more sleeping. Get up and start working!"
"Mmmph—"
[Ding!]
[Host remains in a state of sustained pleasure. Happy Points will be tallied once the session concludes.]
.....
Back at the office of Branch 186, a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
The acting chief snatched it up.
"Acting branch chief speaking."
A stern voice crackled from the other end.
As he listened, the acting chief's face grew more and more serious.
"Yes, sir!"
He slammed the receiver down and shot to his feet.
"Quick!" he barked at a nearby soldier.
"The transfer order from Headquarters is here! The Captain is being reassigned! Get to the red-light district and find him now!"
....
Out on the East Blue, a massive warship cut through the waves.
"Report, Admiral Kizaru. We're a few hours from Branch 186."
"Mmm~" Kizaru mumbled from his deck chair, eyes half-closed as if he might doze off at any second.
His mind drifted back to the meeting at Marine Headquarters…
....
One day earlier. Marine Headquarters, the Fleet Admiral's office.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, the "Great Staff Officer," and Admirals "Kizaru" Borsalino and "Akainu" Sakazuki sat around a long table.
The conference room was unusually quiet.
"Take a look at this," Sengoku said, sliding a file across the table.
Everyone took a copy and began to read.
Sengoku cleared his throat.
"This is the file on Captain Mike from the East Blue's 186th Branch."
"Captain Mike fought valiantly in a desperate battle some time ago. When the rescue team found him, he was barely breathing. There wasn't a single part of his body left unharmed. After he recovered, his appearance had changed slightly, but his entire personality was different. The ambitious, idealistic young man who had joined the Marines seemed to have died in that battle. He was replaced by someone… indifferent."
Sengoku paused, letting the words sink in.
"We've been observing him since he took command of his branch. For three years, there hasn't been a single major incident in his jurisdiction, which has saved us a lot of headaches.
"Yes, the number of pirates he's captured is low, and their bounties are nothing special, but that's mostly due to the remote location of Branch 186. We've taken that into account."
"What's most important," he continued, his tone carrying a note of approval, "is the feedback from his own men. In evaluations from marines across the East Blue, Captain Mike's ratings are higher than any other commander's. It shows he has an excellent relationship with his subordinates and has earned their trust. That kind of trust will be crucial for consolidating our strength in the future."
"The Great Pirate Era is upon us. We need to use every asset we have. That is why Marine Headquarters has decided to recall Captain Mike to Marineford."
As soon as Sengoku finished, Akainu snorted.
"Our only priority should be eliminating pirates." he growled.
Kizaru leaned back in his chair, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Oooooh, what a scary decision," he drawled.
"But… doesn't Captain Mike's story sound a little familiar?" His eyes narrowed with amusement.
The room fell silent.
Everyone knew who he was talking about: the absent Admiral, "Aokiji" Kuzan.
He too, had once been a man burning with justice, only to become indifferent and lazy after the Ohara incident.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the high-ranking officers present all understood that Kuzan's change was not without reason, and now Mike seemed to be walking a similar path.
"...This is also one of the reasons headquarters is keeping an eye on Captain Mike."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, seated nearby, spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness and emotion.
"As the battles at sea grow increasingly intense, many are beginning to feel confused and doubtful about the World Government."
"These talented individuals who have become disillusioned and given up on themselves are precisely the ones we are trying to win back."
"With Captain Mike being recalled to headquarters, we need a rear admiral or higher to conduct an evaluation in the East Blue."
"Originally, Garp would have been the most suitable candidate for this task, but he is currently occupied with another mission."
"Do any of you have recommendations?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's gaze slowly swept over those present.
"..."
The meeting room fell into silence for a moment.
Sakazuki snorted disdainfully, crossing his arms in clear disinterest.
Kizaru lazily raised his head, breaking the silence.
"Well, I suppose I could make the trip myself."
He drawled his words, his tone carrying a relaxed nonchalance, though a shrewd glint flashed in his eyes.
This was a rare opportunity.
Being stuck at headquarters handling military affairs day in and day out had truly left him feeling exhausted.
A trip to the East Blue—breezy sea winds, scenic views, delicious food and maybe a bit of slacking off—sounded like pure bliss.
As for the so-called evaluation mission? That was just a side task.
.....
Returning to the present, Kizaru lazily snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Captain Mike, from Smoker's description, seemed to have embraced slacking off even more thoroughly than he had.
"Fellow wage slave, fellow slacker—Mike, my boy!"
"This old man is still the Marine's number one slacker king!"
A faint smirk tugged at Kizaru's lips as he stood up and addressed the busy naval soldiers on the deck.
"Pick up the pace, everyone."
"Yes, sir!"
Before the words had even fully left his mouth, his body had already transformed into a dazzling streak of yellow light, shooting straight into the sky like lightning as he headed towards Branch 186.