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The battle's intensity had been manageable, but unfortunately, the area lay utterly devastated, scarcely recognizable anymore.
"Someone, procure the Seastone handcuffs!" Murdock exclaimed, his attention never wavering from the pirate standing before him.
Ultimately, the plan to be arrested had now been flawlessly executed by Gojo.
Gojo spat a trickle of blood while cracking a smile, his eyes fixed on the metallic fist hurtling toward him at a considerable velocity. 'I must move.' Yet, before he could attempt to roll away from the assault, metal tendrils erupted from the ground, ensnaring his limbs and preventing any possibility of escape.
'Victory is mine.' A smirk crept across Murdock's face as he drove his devastating punch into Gojo's abdomen, causing blood to erupt from the pirate's mouth before he was finally knocked unconscious.
'Mission accomplished,' Gojo smiled inwardly, just before his vision faded entirely.
'Did he just smile?' Murdock pondered, staring at the unconscious form. "You truly did put up a formidable fight," he muttered, "but without your Devil Fruit, you are as feeble as an ant." He spat contemptuously onto the motionless body.
Boom!
Murdock tilted his head at the distant explosion. "It seems his crewmates are still putting on a paltry show," he mused. "But how long will their resolve last once they realize their captain has been miserably defeated by me?" He grinned, seizing Gojo by the leg and rushing toward the main street to apprehend the duo.
Ryuken hissed through his teeth, observing the Vice Admiral approaching majestically while dragging their captain. "It appears he successfully sold the performance."
"Indeed," his comrade replied. "Consequently, it falls to us to play our roles convincingly and immediately."
The duo exchanged a brief smile before Ryuken charged at full speed toward Iron Jaw Murdock, his sword held high to cleave the Marine apart.
Witnessing the assault, Murdock instantly released Gojo's leg and parried the blow with a metallic gauntlet that materialized around his left fist. "A power user? Damn it!" He hissed, executing a backflip to create a safe distance. "I will rescue you now, Captain!" Ryuken shouted, charging forward once more; he recognized this as the optimal moment to perform his act of being 'defeated' as he swung his sword vertically—a strike easily intercepted by Murdock's metal defense.
Sparks flew into the air from the violent clash of steel against steel as Murdock clenched his fist, commanding the metal to constrict and bind the swordsman's limbs. "How do you intend to save your wretched captain when he himself has already fallen to me?"
In a flash, he subdued the swordsman, then charged at full velocity toward Jake, who was still preoccupied with the marine soldiers. Barely able to evade, Jake was instantly struck by Murdock's punch and sent flying, crashing violently into the nearest tree.
Silence descended upon the atmosphere, heavy and tomb-like, before the observing civilians erupted into ecstatic cheers, emerging from their various homes.
"The Marines have triumphed!"
"They have defeated the Blue-Eyed pirates! Hooray!"
"Vice Admiral Murdock, we adore you!"
The civilians' jubilant cheers proved infectious, and soon the marines joined in the celebration.
"Vice Admiral Iron Jaw Murdock, you have vanquished yet another pirate crew. Congratulations!"
"Honestly, these insignificant punks genuinely believed they could survive?"
"From where did they summon such audacity? Three pitiful pirates, arrogantly thinking they held the advantage. Foolish!"
"To imagine their captain actually sent Vice Admiral Murdock crashing into a building… How on earth did he ever manage such a stunt?"
The Marines murmured amongst themselves, collapsing onto the floor in exhaustion. They laid their rifles and swords down as they gasped for breath, their chests pumping hard from the exertion.
"What the hell do you guys think you're doing?" Murdock snarled. "Get me the transponder snail, right now!" He ordered, his sharp gaze flicking toward the three unconscious pirates.
'Something feels strange,' he thought, a cold sweat trickling down his brow. 'I was definitely being overpowered, and then suddenly—boom! I was able to force Satoru Gojo from offense to defense. Just what kind of Devil Fruit has he consumed?' Aloud, he barked, "Bring the Sea Prism Stones and cuff all three of them immediately! And get the wounded to the base for the medic to attend to them!"
"Yes, sir!"
The marines who were not wounded immediately snapped salutes and rushed toward their headquarters in the center of town to retrieve the restraints they had been ordered to fetch.
"Here are the cuffs you requested, Vice Admiral Murdock!"
"Good! Now cuff all three of them immediately!"
"Understood!"
After securing the trio with the sea stone cuffs, the marine proceeded to join his comrades to rush the wounded soldiers back to the base for urgent medical treatment.
Unfortunately for them, Gojo's plan had been flawlessly conceived and executed. Despite not having eaten any Devil Fruit, he could break free from the sea stones, which were supposed to be the ultimate weakness of any power user.
But that was something they did not know.
"You could've been a good marine soldier, Satoru Gojo," Murdock declared. "But you chose the wrong path, and now you will face the consequences and live out your life in prison!"
After retrieving his Justice coat, which he had tossed aside earlier, he ordered a squad of marines to drag the prisoners along as they all made their way to the marine base.
He knew he had to file a detailed report about the incident and relay the news to Headquarters via the transponder snail without delay.
He held the small transponder snail in his hand, his body aching with bruises from the damage he had received from Gojo; he was certain that at least a few of his ribs were broken.
"Fuck!" He hissed under his breath, diverting his course to seek out the marine doctor to get treated and bandaged.
The marine base was constructed squarely in the center of the town, its imposing structure a symbol of order. The marine flag flew proudly alongside the flag of the World Government. The building itself was huge and spacious, its interior adorned with gleaming chandeliers and framed portraits of the most revered figures in the marines, such as Garp, the Hero of the Marines, and Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral.
It was a two-story building; Murdock's office was on the second story, which was above the ground level, while the ground floor was filled with various offices, meeting rooms, and other facilities.
The chefs stationed at the base were top-notch culinary experts, brought from the Grand Line to the East Blue and officially sanctioned to serve here as the personal chefs for the marines.
The training room was on the first floor, as was the temporary prison block where they held high-profile captives before transferring them down to the depths of Impel Down.
The marines had just finished transporting the wounded allies to the medic, while some sat on the floor, contemplating the impossible scenario that would have unfolded if the Vice Admiral had lost to a pirate.
Witnessing how Murdock was initially being overpowered had made them grit their teeth in sheer frustration. "We have to get stronger! We can't afford to lose to any pirates!" They vowed, their determination solidified to train and work harder after this harrowing incident.
Securing the prisoners by tossing them into different cells was the most prudent option for the marines, as it prevented any communication amongst them before their departure to Impel Down.
Other prisoners were already held within the brig, predominantly pirates with lower bounties and mountain bandits, with only a few boasting higher bounties worth a hundred million berries.
The existing inmates shook their cell bars violently as they taunted the new arrivals—Gojo and his crew—erupting into chaos by banging loudly and cursing the marines.
"Enjoy your time here," a marine stated, closing the cell door while ensuring the crew remained restrained in seastone cuffs to prevent any possibility of escape.
Retiring to his office, Murdock ordered a subordinate to bring him a bottle of water before collapsing into his chair and leaning his back against the wall.
His desk was inundated with documents, newspapers, and wanted posters of notorious criminals from across the world.
"Another interminable day," he muttered, sipping the water in a single gulp before placing the small transponder snail on his desk, ready to file his reports about the incident to Headquarters.
Sighing and exhaling calmly, he dialed the number on the snail and waited several seconds for the connection to be established.
"Hello. This is Vice Admiral Iron Jaw Murdock from the 74th Marine Base, East Blue," he stated authoritatively.
"Confirmed. What is your report, Vice Admiral Murdock?" A voice inquired from the other end of the line.
"I am calling to file a report concerning the Blue Eyed Pirates!"
"The Blue Eyed Pirates? Hold on a second," the marine on the other end picked up his pen, "you may proceed."
"The pirates invaded my territory, necessitating immediate action," he began, pausing briefly. "The intelligence regarding the captain, Satoru Gojo, having consumed a Devil Fruit is confirmed. I engaged him in combat and, after a protracted struggle, was finally able to subdue him, as he exhibited no discernible weakness throughout the entire battle."
"Continue," the marine replied, now flooded with anxious sweat. "A pirate in the East Blue trading blows with a Vice Admiral?" He swallowed hard, determined not to miss a single detail.
"He is not to be underestimated under any circumstances. I barely managed to defeat him only after catching him off-guard when he realized I am also a power user," Murdock explained, clutching his chest where he felt the acute pain from his broken ribs. "Currently, I have him and his entire crew incarcerated within the cells here at my base."
"Understood, Vice Admiral Murdock! I will contact the higher-ups immediately and arrange for ships to be dispatched from Marineford to transport the prisoners from your base to Impel Down!"
"Understood!"
"The vessels will undoubtedly require a few weeks to arrive! Ensure the prisoners are thoroughly secured with seastone chains!"
"Understood!"
The transponder snail disconnected shortly thereafter, falling asleep upon completing its duty. Murdock let out a weary sigh. "Some weeks, huh?" He picked up his pen and commenced filing his reports without delay.
"Finally, I will be able to rest for a while after transporting them to Impel Down…" He began to laugh, completely unaware that the impossible was on the verge of becoming possible—an event that would shake the very foundations of this world.
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