Marineford, Inner Bay.
The Marines gathered at the harbor stared nervously at the massive fleet approaching in the distance. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and the moment they spotted Bullet at the head of the fleet, more than a few of them visibly trembled.
To the Marines stationed at Headquarters, Bullet, the commander-in-chief of the West Blue forces, was an absolutely terrifying figure.
Over the past decade, there had only been a handful of occasions when he interacted with officers from Headquarters, and every single time, those officers had come away with nothing but headaches.
In the eyes of many Headquarters Vice Admirals, Bullet might wear a Marine uniform and carry the rank of Vice Admiral on his shoulders, but his unruly personality, overwhelming strength, and habit of completely ignoring orders from Headquarters made one thing painfully obvious: they were Marines in name, but they were definitely not on the same side.
Bullet obeyed only one person's orders. Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally issued a command, Bullet was perfectly capable of pretending he hadn't heard it. That was why, in recent years, his very name had become something many Marines feared.
And Bullet himself wasn't the only concern. After Kojin left the West Blue, Bullet had taken charge of the Marines there and continued their brutally harsh training methods. Over the years, those methods had produced an enormous number of elite soldiers.
There were even rumors that Bullet commanded a powerful scientific research division of his own.
"So both of that brat Kojin's right-hand men are finally here."
While everyone was still staring at the fleet, a figure with short purple hair appeared at the harbor without anyone noticing.
"Zephyr-sensei!" A middle-aged Marine Rear Admiral exclaimed in surprise.
Standing before them was Zephyr, a former Marine Admiral from the previous generation. Now retired, he only occasionally returned to train younger Marines.
Zephyr stood with his arms folded, his back perfectly straight. Age had left its mark on his face, but he was still in excellent shape, his stern eyes fixed on the enormous fleet ahead.
"The West Blue really has developed beyond expectations over the years." Even Zephyr couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.
There was no question about it: every Marine aboard the fleet personally led here by Bullet was among the best of the best. Aside from the necessary logistical personnel, practically everyone aboard was a powerful combatant.
And Zephyr knew better than most that the West Blue hadn't received manpower or financial support from Headquarters for years.
In other words, they had funded everything themselves, their supplies, warships, uniforms, food, accommodations... everything.
"They've practically turned themselves into a little Marine kingdom," Zephyr sighed softly.
Still, this was the result of tensions that had accumulated over many years, so there wasn't much he could say about it.
Besides, ever since Kojin became an Admiral and returned to Headquarters, the conflict between the two sides had gradually begun to ease. With a great war approaching, Bullet's arrival at Marineford was the clearest signal yet that things were changing.
Before long, the first warship of the West Blue fleet docked. With the nervous assistance of the harbor personnel, a group of Marine officers stepped ashore. Every one of them wore a cold, serious expression.
"They're all officers..."
"Every single one is Commander rank or higher!"
"Does the West Blue not have any ordinary soldiers?!"
The Headquarters Marines were stunned.
"Where is Admiral Kojin?" A female Marine stepped down from the warship. The insignia on her shoulders marked her as a Rear Admiral, and her voice was low and serious.
"We've already informed Admiral Kojin that the West Blue forces have arrived. He should be on his way here now," The Headquarters Marine answered almost instinctively.
Eveya nodded. Her usually cold, stern expression softened slightly as she looked up at the enormous fortress before her, excitement flashing through her eyes. At long last, she was going to see Kojin again.
Behind her stood a man nearly six meters tall, a sword hanging at his waist and a Marine cap on his head. He stared blankly around Marineford, looking both confused and somewhat dazed by everything he saw.
At the same time, five more Rear Admiral-level officers disembarked from another ship. The man leading them carried a sniper rifle on his back. When he noticed Eveya, he turned his head slightly and gave her a nod. It was Evans and his five-man squad.
"Twenty years, has it been?" A deep, cold voice suddenly rang out. "And after twenty years under you people's management, Marineford hasn't changed in the slightest. That's practically a miracle."
An enormous warship pulled into port. Bullet leaped down from the bow and landed in front of the assembled Marine officers, a faint sneer on his face.
"Bullet, enough with the nonsense! Take your men and get them settled immediately! A major war is about to begin; Headquarters doesn't have time to listen to you complain!" Zephyr's stern voice boomed across the harbor.
Bullet's eyes narrowed as he stared at the purple-haired old man. A moment later, he suddenly grinned.
"So it's Admiral Zephyr. It's been a long time." His gaze shifted toward Zephyr's missing arm. "And you've actually lost an arm. I'd really like to know who managed to do that to you."
Bullet paused, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile. "If that guy saw you like this, he'd definitely avenge you, wouldn't he?"
Zephyr's expression didn't change, but his eyes grew noticeably colder. So the rumors were true, this bastard really was as reckless and unruly as everyone said. He didn't act like a Marine in the slightest. Clearly, all those years he'd spent as a pirate had left their mark.
"I assume you don't want to start a battle right here," Zephyr said, his gaze turning icy. "So shut your mouth and stop saying things that piss everyone off."
"Hmph! So where are we supposed to wait? Just so we're clear, I brought quite a few people with me." Bullet's face split into a wild grin. "This time... I brought twenty thousand elite Marines, every one of them Commander rank or above!"
The casual declaration stunned everyone at the Headquarters harbor. Even Zephyr's pupils contracted.
"Twenty thousand elite officers?"
"The West Blue already has that kind of military strength?"
"How is that even possible? Compared to the other three Blues, the West Blue is ridiculously powerful!"
"So this is what makes the West Blue so terrifying? No wonder Headquarters has tolerated their arrogance all these years instead of trying to rein them in!"
Low murmurs immediately spread through the crowd, and countless Marines paled at what they'd just heard.
"You all seem pretty surprised," Bullet sneered. "Times have changed. The system Marineford still clings to should've been thrown out years ago. The West Blue's way is the future. It's the system best suited for this era."
Having personally overseen the entire West Blue Marine force, Bullet knew exactly how terrifying the power under his command had become.
Twenty thousand elite officers were only the foundation. Beyond them were special operations units, intelligence divisions, scientific research forces, new weapons, and much more. The West Blue had long since grown into a military force no one could afford to ignore.
"The stronger you are, the more useful you'll be in the coming war. Follow me," Zephyr spoke in a deep voice.
"So you've really decided to go after Whitebeard?" Bullet grinned viciously. He couldn't have supported such a bold decision more.
"Sengoku and Kojin made that decision together. And isn't that exactly why you came here?" Zephyr glanced at the savage, almost demonic man walking beside him, unable to help sighing inwardly.
The people around Kojin really were monsters. Crocodile was a Logia user who had trained both types of Haki to a high level, and even his Rokushiki was impressive.
Considering his overall combat strength, he probably wasn't much weaker than the current Three Admirals. And Bullet was even more overwhelming. Most ordinary Marines probably wouldn't even dare meet his eyes; just standing face-to-face with him was enough to make them freeze beneath the pressure of his terrifying presence.
Kojin's two right-hand men... they were both absurd monsters.
"Looks like he's finally decided to do something interesting," Bullet laughed.
Zephyr didn't answer and simply continued leading the way. Bullet gave Marineford one last glance before following after him, while Eveya and the others stayed close behind.
Meanwhile, Marines from the West Blue fleet were still steadily disembarking. By the time the first group had left the Inner Bay and reached the plaza, another figure stepped down from one of the flying ships.
He was tall, with long earlobes, loose pants, and a golden staff in hand. After stepping onto the dock, he looked up at the massive fortress before him and grinned with obvious interest.
"So this is Marineford? The headquarters of the greatest military force in the Blue Sea?"
The nearby Marines instinctively took a step back when they saw the two-and-a-half-meter-tall man with thunder drums mounted behind him. There was something about him that immediately put them on edge.
"Enel, move. You're blocking the view." A large, muscular figure stepped out from behind him and casually shoved Enel aside.
The Marines shuddered even harder when they saw the newcomer. Unlike normal humans, the man had a pair of wings growing from his back. His skin was dark, and his heavily muscled body radiated an almost demonic presence that made people tremble just standing near him.
"Are you people... also from the West Blue branch?" A Headquarters officer swallowed before asking nervously.
"Of course," Wyper grinned. "According to the way you Blue Sea people classify things, I suppose we'd be part of the Scientific Force."
As soon as he finished speaking, more Skypieans emerged behind him. Every one of them was powerfully built, with wings on their backs.
One after another they stepped down from the ship, forcing the Headquarters officers to keep backing away in astonishment. The West Blue branch even had people from Skypiea?!
Then, after the Skypieans had all disembarked,
'BOOM!*'
A heavy footstep suddenly rang out. The Marines looked up in shock; the entire warship had actually shaken.
"What the hell is that?" the Lieutenant Junior Grade at the front shouted.
"Vegapunk calls them PX units. Pacifistas." Enel had somehow produced an apple. He bit into it with a loud crunch and grinned. "Heh. Open your eyes and take a good look, you ignorant fools. These five are the real monsters."
"Pacifistas?" The officer's eyes widened as he stared up at the warship.
The ship trembled again, and then a figure slowly came into view.
Long golden hair fell all the way to his waist, and his cold, razor-sharp eyes carried the majesty of a lion. But what truly made everyone freeze was that face.
"G-G-Golden Lion Shiki?!"
A disbelieving scream echoed across the entire Inner Bay.
(End of Chapter)
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