Marineford, Marine Headquarters Port.
The port was exceptionally noisy today. Thousands of Marine Soldiers were gathered at the shore, pointing and whispering. Even the old shipwrights from the repair yard had their jaws drop in shock.
The warship that had just docked had the barnacles on its hull washed completely clean. Above the waterline, the paint had all peeled off, revealing the charred black metallic sheen of metal subjected to extreme high-temperature friction.
The main mast showed a strange backward curvature, as if it had endured an unimaginable sense of backward thrust.
But compared to this ravaged warship, what made everyone present hold their breath was the unloading operation currently underway.
Gold bars, jewelry, antiques, bundles of cash... the visual impact was so strong that many young Marines who hadn't seen much of the world felt their legs go weak on the spot.
"Careful! That's a pure gold candlestick! Chipping off even a bit of the finish is enough to cost you a year's salary!"
Tatsuki stood on the gangplank like a miser, directing a group of elite headquarters personnel who were being used as coolies.
The three surrounding escort ships guarded Tatsuki's flagship like bodyguards, and on the shore, two Vice Admirals had even been unprecedentedly dispatched to lead the security detail. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had captured some legendary Great Pirate.
Several Logistics Department field officers responsible for receiving the cargo watched the mountains of gold bars, jewelry, and bundles of cash, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.
"This... this amount isn't quite right, is it?"
A Brigadier General responsible for registration gulped, his pen trembling. "Ta-Tatsuki, according to the report, wasn't this a simple deterrence mission? These hundred-plus crates... no matter how you look at it, it seems like you've looted a kingdom's treasury. Is this... is this compliant?"
"Shh—"
Tatsuki stepped down the gangplank and intimately put an arm around the officer's shoulder.
He lowered his voice, a smile on his face that was gentle yet heart-stoppingly terrifying. "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want."
Tatsuki pointed at the crates with an expression of righteous indignation. "How is this looting? The Germa Kingdom, moved by the integrity of us Marines, voluntarily donated sponsorship fees for the cause of justice. This is the redemption of their souls."
The Marine looked at Tatsuki's sincere gaze, then at the nearby crates that were frozen into ice sculptures—clear evidence of 'forced transport'—and silently swallowed his saliva.
Redemption of their souls, my foot!
...
Half an hour later.
Top floor of the Headquarters Fortress, Fleet Admiral's office.
Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the transport scene downstairs, the air here was frozen and suffocating.
Kong sat behind his massive desk. He didn't immediately erupt over the Germa complaint, but instead stared fixedly at the four people in front of him with a gaze used for scrutinizing monsters.
Zephyr sat on the sofa, clutching his throbbing temples.
Beside him, Sengoku was frantically wiping his glasses, seemingly trying to hide the shock in his eyes.
Garp, on the other hand, was crunching on senbei while glancing back and forth between Tatsuki and Kong with the look of someone enjoying a good show.
"Two documents."
Kong held up two fingers, his rough knuckles tapping the desk with a dull thud.
"First, the logbook. From the North Blue to headquarters, a normal warship requires ten days at full speed. You took less than 40 hours."
Kong suddenly looked up, his gaze like lightning. "The port reports multiple fractures in the warship's keel, as if it were pushed across the sea by some monstrous force. Can anyone explain this?"
"Second!"
Kong grabbed a document stamped with the World Government's 'Urgent' red seal and slammed it onto the desk.
Bang!
The loud noise caused Borsalino, who was trimming his nails, to flinch.
"A personal call from the Gorosei! King Judge of Germa complains that a certain Marine unit used a mission as a pretext to commit acts of pirate plunder! Not only did they commit extortion, they also blew up the palace foundations, and even... pried up the floor tiles of the treasury!"
Kong's roar made the window glass hum, and spit almost flew into Tatsuki's face.
"Tatsuki! You were the commander of this operation! Give me an explanation!"
Faced with the thunderous wrath of the Marine Supreme Commander, Tatsuki didn't show the slightest panic. He took a step forward, stood at attention, and saluted. His movements were so standard that no fault could be found.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! Regarding the warship's speed, I can explain!"
The corners of Tatsuki's lips curled slightly as he slowly raised his right hand, palm up.
Buzz—
Without warning, a cyan airflow suddenly erupted inside the office.
The documents and books that had been sitting quietly on the surrounding shelves were instantly blown about, rustling loudly. The complaint letter on Kong's desk was swept into the air.
Although Tatsuki deliberately controlled the power, everyone present was among the top powerhouses of this world.
Kong, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp's pupils contracted simultaneously. They clearly perceived the terror contained within that power—it wasn't a simple airflow, but a natural disaster force compressed to the extreme, even carrying a hint of thunderous destructive aura.
In the center of Tatsuki's palm, it was as if he were holding a miniature eye of a typhoon.
"Logia?!"
Zephyr stood up abruptly, his short purple hair blown back by the wind. He stared intently at Tatsuki, his expression incredibly vivid.
Just half a month ago, it was this same kid who had arrogantly shouted 'Only Haki reigns supreme' and rejected all devil fruits.
And now... what was with this violent aura?
"Tatsuki..."
Zephyr's voice was a bit dry. "You brat... did you eat a Devil Fruit after all? What about your path of Haki? What about not taking shortcuts?"
"I've been wronged, sensei."
Tatsuki clenched his fingers.
Whoosh!
The roomful of gale-force winds vanished instantly. That effortless control once again made the hearts of the big shots skip a beat.
"While I was using the restroom on a deserted island in the North Blue, I suddenly felt a bit hungry. I casually picked a cyan fruit from a nearby tree. Who knew that as soon as I ate it..."
Tatsuki spread his hands innocently. "To report Germa's 'kind act' to the Fleet Admiral as quickly as possible, I had no choice but to borrow a bit of wind power to speed up the warship slightly."
"Kyahahahaha!" Garp burst out laughing.
"Hungry while using the restroom, so you ate a Devil Fruit? Only a fool would believe that reason, kyahahaha!"