Loguetown, the "Town of the Beginning and the End", was bathed in the dim orange light of evening. Inside the Marine headquarters that guarded the East Blue, Vice Admiral Brom, known far and wide as the "East Blue Admiral," sat in silence as furious voices echoed through the war room.
"Vice Admiral, this pirate is too arrogant! The Navy's dignity has been trampled upon!" one officer barked, slamming his hand on the table.
"The Marines of Branch 22 must be punished severely!" another growled. "To kneel before pirates, it's disgraceful!"
Brom raised a hand, silencing them. His expression was calm, yet the weight in his eyes was unmistakable. "Enough. Don't blame them. Three Colonels were defeated before their eyes. What could they have done? Facing a monster like that, resistance would have been suicide."
The officers fell quiet.
"But," Brom continued, leaning forward, "this pirate… this Teach.. he's a problem. He's risen too fast and too high. If he isn't dealt with now, the East Blue will lose all order."
His voice hardened with authority. "The Nightfall Pirates must be destroyed before they reach the Grand Line."
He looked toward the window, where the lights of Loguetown flickered beneath the night sky. He could not leave his post, this town was the final gate between the East Blue and the Grand Line. Countless pirates were already gathering here, each one dreaming of glory beyond the Red Line.
Teach would surely come, too. When he did, Brom intended to end him.
"Report!" a Marine messenger rushed in, saluting sharply. "Vice Admiral! Eighteen Marine branches surrounding the area have united! They're preparing to encircle and annihilate the Nightfall Pirates!"
Brom nodded, his heavy brows furrowing slightly.
A Rear Admiral beside him smirked. "Eighteen branches should be enough. They'll crush them or at least bleed them dry."
"Good," Brom said. "Send word to Marine Headquarters. Raise the Nightfall Pirates' bounty and prepare for follow-up operations."
He said the words with confidence, unaware of the truth that even with twenty branches, the East Blue would not be enough.
....
That night, the banquet in Marlo Town burned bright beneath the stars. The laughter had faded to murmurs; the barrels were nearly empty.
Teach set down his bottle and looked around. Most of his crew were drunk, but not out of control. They knew their captain's temperament well.
"Let's go," Teach said quietly, rising from his seat. "Otherwise, these people will never sleep easy."
The crew nodded, following him out of the Marine branch. All along the streets, the townspeople stirred. Some fought back yawns, others trembled, but none dared to sleep while the pirates still lingered.
As the Nightfall Pirates began their slow march to the port, townsfolk hurried to clear the way, folding tables, dragging chairs aside, bowing as the pirates passed.
The live broadcast followed their every step.
"They're leaving?" someone whispered.
"It looks that way."
"Seems they really don't mean to harm anyone…"
"They're… not like the stories said."
At the port, Marines stood guard beside the Lucky Goddess, the Nightfall Pirates' ship, its sails catching the moonlight. Lieutenant Youngs and his men had been on watch since afternoon, ensuring no one approached the ship or dared to provoke its crew.
When Teach stopped before boarding, the air seemed to freeze.
He turned around slowly, facing the gathered townsfolk. Old Burke stood at the front beside Youngs, his hands trembling.
Teach smiled... a small, unreadable smile.
"All of this," he said, his voice carrying across the silent harbor, "you did it because I threatened you, didn't you?"
The townspeople stiffened. Old Burke's heart nearly stopped. "N-No! Of course not, Captain Teach! It was of our own free will!"
Teach's grin widened slightly, though his eyes darkened. "Hmm? Is that so?"
His gaze shifted to a nearby Marine. "What about you? I forced you, didn't I?"
The Marine's mouth opened, then closed again, words dying in his throat.
Teach's boots clicked against the ground as he asked two more. Both froze, too afraid to speak.
The tension was suffocating. Sweat dripped. Even those watching through the screens leaned forward, hearts pounding.
Then, a small, innocent voice broke through the fear.
"You did threaten us!"
Everyone turned. It was a boy, seven or eight years old, with short, violet hair and bright, fearless eyes. His mother gasped in horror.
"Zoroa! Don't speak!" She dropped to her knees, pulling him close, tears brimming as she looked up at Teach. "I'm sorry! He didn't mean it!"
Teach's eyes softened with amusement. Slowly, he walked toward them, each step echoing through the port. He crouched down before the boy, massive even while kneeling.
"What's your name?"
"Z-Zoroa," the boy stammered.
Teach smiled faintly. "Zoroa, huh? My name is Marshall D. Teach, the captain of the Nightfall Pirates." He placed a hand gently on the boy's head. "Now, say it again. Louder. Add my name this time."
The boy hesitated, then straightened his back, gathering his courage. "It was Captain Teach of the Nightfall Pirates who threatened us to do it!"
Teach chuckled, his teeth flashing. "Louder."
The boy shouted again, voice ringing through the night.
And Teach laughed. "Zehahahahaha!"
He stood tall, turning to face the crowd. "What about you all?"
For a moment, silence. Then one man clenched his fists and shouted, "It was Captain Teach who threatened us to do it!"
Another joined in. Then another. Soon the entire crowd was shouting, their voices blending into one thunderous chant:
"It was Captain Teach who threatened us!"
Teach's laughter grew louder, rolling over the waves like thunder. "Zehahahahahaha!"
He turned back toward his ship, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm very satisfied with this banquet."
He raised his arm high. "Lads—let's go!"
The Nightfall Pirates roared in response, boarding the Lucky Goddess one by one. The ship's anchor lifted, sails unfurled, and under the moonlight, the ship began to glide out to sea.
The crowd watched in silence, hearts pounding until the ship disappeared into the horizon.
And then relief. A collective sigh swept through Marlo Town.
Little Zoroa stood by the pier, eyes shining as he watched the distant silhouette fade.
Only a few truly understood what Teach had done. By having the townsfolk publicly declare that he'd forced them, he'd erased any suspicion of collusion. To the rest of the world, it would look like pure intimidation nothing more.
Marlo Town and Branch 22 were safe.
"Maybe…" someone said softly, "maybe we should hold a banquet like this every year."
Another blinked. "For what reason?"
"To celebrate surviving the Nightfall Pirates," the man replied with a grin. "We've already got the screens and everything, it'd be a waste not to."
The idea spread quickly, met with nervous laughter and then genuine smiles.
At the port, Lieutenant Youngs felt a tug on his coat. A small girl stood before him, holding a lunch box with trembling hands.
"Marine big brother… you haven't eaten, right? This is for you."
For a moment, the lieutenant was speechless. Then he accepted it, bowing his head. Around him, other townspeople began offering food to the Marines who had stood guard all day.
Youngs smiled faintly as tears welled in his eyes.
They ate together beneath the stars, pirates gone, peace restored.
The 22nd Branch, once doomed to destruction, had survived, not through battle, but through restraint. No one had died. No blood had been spilled.
But the ripples from that night spread far beyond Marlo Town.
In a single day, three events shook the East Blue:
First, the Battle of Sakhalin Island, where over three thousand men, including elite bounty hunters and powerful pirates, were annihilated by just over a hundred members of the Nightfall Pirates. Not a single one of Teach's crew perished.
Second, the destruction of three Marine warships, led by Colonels, all sunk without survivors.
And third, the infamous Banquet at the Marine Branch, a festival broadcast across half the East Blue, turning terror into legend.
Now, the sea boiled with whispers.
Eighteen Marine branches had already mobilized. More would follow. Over ten thousand Marines were gathering to crush the Nightfall Pirates and reclaim the Navy's honor.
But for Teach, it was merely the beginning.
The night he left Marlo Town, under a sky streaked with starlight, the legend of the Lord of Darkness began to spread like wildfire across the East Blue.