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Commodore Yarisugi was a tall man. Instead of the standard Marine coat of justice, he wore a shaggy fur coat. On his head was a cap with a "5" on it, and he wore a shirt with "G-5" and the Marine insignia, along with a pair of pink shorts and knee-high golden boots. He looked... unique.
The soldiers behind him were a similarly motley crew, their posture sloppy, their uniforms a hodgepodge of styles. They looked more like a gang of thugs than a proper military unit.
Wyper ignored them and started to walk away with Ace slung over his shoulder.
"Hey! Didn't you hear me?? Put him down!" Yarisugi raised his flintlock and aimed it at Wyper.
"Yarisugi."
The voice was sharp, commanding.
"Sir!" Yarisugi instinctively snapped to attention.
The soldiers parted, and Vergo walked through, an amiable, refined, and approachable look on his face. He was tall and well-built, with short black hair and lightning-bolt sideburns. He wore a Marine coat of justice over a white, checkered coat, and a pair of sunglasses.
He glanced at Wyper and Ace. "Let them go."
"Eh?" Yarisugi was not happy. He was so close to being promoted to Rear Admiral. The difference in pay and prestige was huge. Who would want to pass up an opportunity like this?
But... "Yes, sir," he said.
"Wyper," Jin's voice floated over from the ship, a smile in it, "hand Ace over to them. What's his bounty these days? And Vista, and a ship full of Whitebeard's elite... all together, that should be about 1.5 or 1.6 billion, right? Hey, the Marines aren't going to stiff me on the bill, are they, Vice Admiral Vergo?"
This was a golden opportunity. 1.6 billion Berries.
Vergo was silent.
Ace and Vista were a hot potato he didn't dare to touch. But he couldn't refuse to take them, either. He was a Marine. If word got out that he'd refused to arrest pirates, he'd be stripped of his rank.
And this king... he was a Warlord, with close ties to Headquarters and the World Government. He had a direct line to the top.
Vergo suppressed his anger. "King Jin is a Warlord of the Sea. He has the right to deal with them as he sees fit."
"In that case," Jin said with a smile, "I'll take the cash. Hey, let's get a picture. Just in case you try to back out. I'll need some proof to show to the Fleet Admiral."
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The news that Jin had handed over Vista, Ace, and their crew to the G-5 Marines was quickly reported to Marine Headquarters.
"What??" Sengoku pressed his hand to his forehead, a headache coming on.
WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU PROVOKE WHITEBEARD?
"Hey, hey," Borsalino drawled, "Headquarters doesn't have the spare manpower to deal with a Yonko in the New World right now."
His failure at Water 7 had drawn criticism from both Cipher Pol and the Five Elders. But Borsalino didn't care. He was just a salaryman. They could take his admiral position for all he cared. Faced with his laid-back attitude, the Five Elders were powerless. An admiral was the highest fighting force of the Marines. You couldn't just replace one.
"The incident at the Tequila Wolf," Vice Admiral Tsuru said, her brow furrowed, "though it was suppressed in the news... Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Garp, along with a Buster Call-level fleet, have been dispatched to the East Blue to pursue the revolutionary Dragon and the tyrant Kuma. A conflict with Whitebeard right now would be... unwise."
"Contact that king," Sengoku said after a moment's thought. "He's not a reckless man. He must have a plan."
"A plan? To make money," was Jin's reply. "And, incidentally, to meet Whitebeard."
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"If you don't want to die, you'd better get out of here now!"
On the island, some people had already figured it out.
"Vista has been captured."
"And that 'Supernova' who's been all over the news this year, 'Fire Fist' Ace."
"Huh? Isn't that a good thing?"
"Good? Good my ass! Have you forgotten the Whitebeard Pirates' code of honor? That old monster is going to be furious! Whitebeard will never tolerate his 'sons' being killed. Never. The Whitebeard Pirates are coming. If we don't get out of here now, we're all going to die with them..."
"Dammit, I almost forgot. This is the New World. This is the Yonko's territory. Wait for me!"
Panic and chaos began to spread.
Those who had ships fled.
Some of the more lawless elements took the opportunity to loot and pillage.
Fires broke out in the town.
The men of G-5, far from trying to stop it, joined in.
"Looking for a ride out? A spot on a Marine warship will cost you one million Berries per person!"
"Please... take my child..." a mother begged.
Commodore Yarisugi kicked her away. "Get lost, you broke bitch. The ships of G-5 don't take on passengers who can't pay."
He had come to his senses. He realized the danger he was in and was trying to get out, but not before making a little extra cash on the side.
The mother, refusing to give up, pleaded with him again. He kicked her to the ground and began to stomp on her. Her two- or three-year-old child, terrified, began to wail.
And this was just one scene, an insignificant moment in the world of One Piece.
The mother, now bloody and battered, still wouldn't let go. Yarisugi, enraged, raised his pistol to shoot her.
Swish!
A swift, powerful slash, and his gun and arm were both severed, blood spraying everywhere.
"Gah...!" Yarisugi screamed, clutching at the stump.
"You're a Marine!" Doma, his body wrapped in bandages, roared, leaping into the air and tackling Yarisugi, pinning him to the ground. "A Marine who carries 'Justice' on his back!"
"Commodore!"
"Commodore Yarisugi!"
The other Marine soldiers raised their guns.
"Stand down," Vergo's voice rang out. He was standing next to Jin.
Robin stepped forward and helped the mother to her feet. Maya comforted the child.
"Sir!" the soldiers said, confused.
"Headquarters has ordered that the G-5 branch is not to retreat," Vergo said, his face cold. "Prepare to engage Whitebeard."
"What??" the soldiers were stunned.
"Civilians, do not panic. Warships from the G-14 base will be arriving shortly. You will have time to evacuate to a safe area. There will be no charge. All fees that have been paid will be refunded. Commodore Yarisugi was acting on his own. His actions do not represent G-5. The Marines will see that he is severely punished."
"Really? That's wonderful!" the civilians cheered.
"Hey! Sir! What's the meaning of this?"
"You want us to fight Whitebeard?"
"Hey! That was our money...!"
"I'm not a Marine anymore!"
"Yeah! I quit...!"
The soldiers, furious, began to protest. It wasn't the first time they had defied orders from Headquarters. They were a long way from Marineford. They could get away with it.
Not just G-5, but Shells Town, the G-16 base in the East Blue... the Marines were full of corruption.
"Did you become Marines for justice?" Jin said with disgust. "No. Most of you did it for your own self-interest. You're a cancer on the Marines. These men are deserters. What's the punishment for desertion in the face of the enemy, Vice Admiral Vergo?"
"According to the regulations..." Vergo said, a cold glint in his eyes behind his sunglasses, "ah, I forget. I believe... it's summary execution."
"Need a hand?" Jin asked.
"No," Vergo said, taking out his bamboo staff. "This was my failure. I will execute them myself."
'Headquarters has already ordered G-5 to cooperate with Jin's operation,' Vergo thought. 'And more importantly... Jin knows I'm Doffy's mole.'
"EH??"
"WAIT... I'M NOT QUITTING!"
"VICE ADMIRAL VERGO!"
Vergo moved, and one by one, the soldiers fell, their resistance futile.
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On the deck of the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard stood outside the captain's quarters, his massive bisento striking the deck with a sound that seemed to crack the very air.
His face was a mask of fury.
"Jin?" he growled. "That little brat from Paradise! Change course! We're heading for the Marines' G-5 base! We're getting Vista and Ace back!"
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