"Haa... haa..."
Overexcited to the point that he was out of breath, Prinprin promptly collapsed into a chair.
Before his eyes lay the cold corpse of a fish-man.
It was Chu, an officer of the Arlong Pirates, with a bounty of 5.5 million Berries.
"That bastard... no, should I say fish bastard...?"
Prinprin moved the cutlass aside on the desk and wiped the blood from his hand.
"Well done! Branch Rear Admiral Prinprin!"
Rengoku’s voice rang out from somewhere again.
"Thank you!"
Prinprin immediately got to his feet and walked to the corner.
There, a Den Den Mushi had already been opened for communication.
From the expression on the Den Den Mushi’s face, it was clear that it was connected to Rengoku.
In other words, Rengoku had heard every word of the conversation between Prinprin and Chu from earlier.
Prinprin picked up the Den Den Mushi and was about to report, but Rengoku’s voice came first.
Not through the Den Den Mushi, but right outside the door.
"Branch Rear Admiral Prinprin! May I come in!"
"Yes, yes!"
Prinprin hurried to the door and opened his office.
Standing there was none other than the famous Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral of the New World, [Flame Hashira] Rengoku.
"I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon!"
"The moment I spotted your warship, I flew here with [Sky Running]! I only just arrived!"
Rengoku stepped into Prinprin’s office.
Then he looked at Chu’s body sprawled on the floor.
"Is this Chu?"
"Yes! That’s right!"
"Hmm! To settle it with a single decisive blow, you did very well!"
"Thank you!"
**
Chu’s body was placed in a Marine body bag for the dead.
And inside Prinprin’s office, Rengoku and Prinprin were discussing the situation.
"It has been confirmed that Branch Captain Nezumi of Branch 16 has been covering up the criminal acts of the fish-man Arlong for the past eight years. And, though I cannot say exactly how much, judging by the offer he made to me, he and his subordinates were likely taking at least 1 million Berries a month in bribes. In pure figures, that is a massive case of corruption approaching 100 million Berries."
As Prinprin explained Arlong’s crimes and the corruption within the Marines, Rengoku immediately took out a Den Den Mushi from his robes and contacted someone.
Brrr-brrr-brrr.
Ka-chak.
"Justice! Rear Admiral! Ka-sa-ck!"
"R-Rear Admiral Kasack?"
Not a branch rear admiral like Prinprin, but a true [Marine Rear Admiral].
"Rear Admiral Kasack, are you the chief officer in charge of the Marine branches in East Blue?"
"Yes! That is correct!"
"Then how did you fail to detect the long-term corruption that has been occurring in your subordinate branches for eight years?"
Rengoku’s voice was low.
This was not his usual energy at all.
"I-I’m terribly sorry!"
"Immediately organize a regiment-sized military police inspection unit and raid Marine Branch 16. Verify the identities of every person there, from the branch captain down to the newest recruit. This is an order from a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. Anyone who resists is to be detained for violating military law.
And the investigation into Branch Captain Nezumi must be even more thorough. His close associates, his classmates, and every Marine he has had close contact with since enlistment are to undergo the same level of inspection. In particular, bring me records of every financial transaction they have made over the past ten years."
Prinprin was thoroughly shaken by Rengoku’s cold command, so cold it would have been believable if he had been [Ice Hashira] rather than [Flame Hashira]. The chief officer in charge of East Blue was no different.
"I’ll give you two weeks. For those two weeks, the overall command of East Blue will be entrusted to your deputy, Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel Hajik. Two weeks from now, before I finish my patrol and return to the Grand Line, I expect a report worthy of satisfaction."
"Understood! I will absolutely complete the mission!"
"And your responsibility as chief officer is also immense, so once all investigations are complete, you will write me a statement of at least ten thousand characters. Understood?"
"Understood! I’m sorry!"
Ka-chak.
"Hoo..."
At Rengoku’s sigh, Prinprin carefully spoke up.
"V-Vice Admiral, then should we head straight for Arlong Park?"
At Prinprin’s question, Rengoku, knowing there was still work left to do, immediately issued his order.
"Hmm! This warship will proceed directly to Arlong Park! However, refrain from attacking, including bombardment! I will go there personally and settle it, so all of you prepare to handle the aftermath!"
"Yes! Understood!"
**
Meanwhile, at the same time, another group of Marines visited Kokoyashi Village.
It was Branch Captain Nezumi, his close aides, and twenty elite soldiers from Branch 16.
"Are you the police officer in charge here, Genzo?"
Nezumi asked while fiddling with his rat-like mustache.
Genzo was briefly thrown off by the sudden Marine visit, but quickly regained his composure and answered.
"Yes, I’m Genzo."
"Hmm, yes, yes. I’m Branch Captain Nezumi of Marine Branch 16. We’ve come after receiving a report to catch a thief."
"A... thief?"
If there was a thief in Kokoyashi Village, the first report should naturally have gone to him, the police officer.
But it was by no means common for the Marines to come personally to catch a thief.
For Genzo, this could only mean the worst-case scenario.
"Yes, a thief. You know, the kind that steals other people’s belongings, squeak squeak squeak!"
At that disgusting laugh, utterly impossible to associate with a righteous Marine, Genzo broke into a cold sweat and swallowed hard.
"Could you tell me what the thief looks like?"
"What he looks like? I don’t know about that. All we were told was that stolen goods were seen at an orange grove."
At Nezumi’s words, Genzo swallowed hard again.
Now it was practically confirmed.
He understood exactly what these men were after...!
"This village has such favorable weather that many homes grow oranges, so if you try to sell them here, they only go for a pittance. Heh heh heh. In Kokoyashi Village, even the residents’ yards and the hills behind town have orange trees, so would you mind if we investigate the area first?"
Even after Genzo’s explanation, Nezumi pushed right through it.
"No need to worry. We received the report and, as a bonus, the address as well. It said this place."
What Nezumi handed Genzo was a map of Kokoyashi Village, and the marked location was none other than Belle-mère’s orange grove.
"T-this place is...!"
"Why? Is it perhaps the home of someone you know, police officer? Then this is a serious matter indeed, since your acquaintance may have had valuables stolen. Hurry and guide us. The righteous Marines will catch the thief for you, squeak squeak squeak."
Too late...
They had come knowing everything.
"...Please follow me."
"Yes, yes. Now you’re speaking my language, police officer."
**
Meanwhile, Luffy’s group.
"Hey, Luffy, don’t go running off on your own. This is exactly the time to stick together!"
Sanji said as he followed behind Luffy.
"He’s right, Luffy. If you go off alone, Nami isn’t just going to come back willingly!"
Zoro added from behind as well.
"Ahh... I’ve got [the disease that makes me die if I see a fish-man alone], so don’t leave me behind!"
It was Usopp.
Despite his crewmates’ attempts to stop him, Luffy wandered around the village as he pleased.
"Hm? A pinwheel?"
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