Chapter 8 — Infiltration
"Old man… are there any survivors this time?"
"Nonsense. Even when fishing, you still need bait. This kind of open trap means there are definitely people still alive."
Vice Admiral Garp spoke casually, but his sharp eyes had already seen everything clearly.
Pasted text
"Understood."
With that answer, Shinji Ikari finally had confirmation.
As long as even one person was alive, he would do everything he could to rescue them.
That night, Shinji, Koby, and Helmeppo formed a small reconnaissance team.
Under the cover of darkness, they approached the island from behind Pirate Town and entered through the forest.
No pirates were stationed there.
Behind the forest stood a nearly vertical rocky cliff. From the sea, climbing it would normally be impossible.
But Shinji wasn't exactly normal.
A small boat drifted quietly near the shore.
Shinji spun an iron claw chain above his head more than a dozen times before throwing it upward.
The claw wrapped around a large tree at the top of the cliff.
The rope tightened.
Shinji smiled confidently.
"Looks stable."
Helmeppo groaned while climbing after him.
"Is Shinji a monster? What normal person has strength like that?"
Koby climbed beside them while reading information from a small Den Den Mushi.
"This place is called Hot Summer Island. According to intelligence, the hottest time of the day is midnight. The active volcano in the center erupts at that time."
"If the volcano erupted every night," Shinji said calmly, "all the trees here would have burned away long ago."
Koby nodded.
"You're right. To be precise, it becomes active at midnight but doesn't fully erupt. Lava flows down the mountain and gathers into a massive lava pool."
"Rare minerals form around that lava pool after cooling. According to intelligence, the pirates stationed here are secretly trading those minerals."
"At the same time, magma under the island keeps spreading outward, slowly increasing the island's size."
Before he finished speaking, Koby suddenly froze.
His pupils shrank as he stared ahead.
In the distance—
The lava pool glowed bright red.
Occasional bursts of smoke rose into the air.
The smell was terrible.
And poisonous.
"Strange…" Shinji muttered.
"We have so much intelligence, yet we still seem to ignore so many things."
The Navy had one of the most powerful intelligence networks in the world.
They knew almost everything.
So why hadn't they wiped pirates out completely?
Why did pirates continue to appear endlessly across the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and the New World?
Because reality wasn't that simple.
The Navy could only respond when necessary.
Even two years later, the Pacifistas and Seraphim created by Vegapunk would only replace the Seven Warlords of the Sea—not eliminate piracy entirely.
Even the strongest Marines had limits.
Sengoku and Garp understood that clearly.
The Navy could never cover every corner of the world.
Even someone like Garp, who often appeared in the East Blue fighting pirates hiding everywhere, could only do so much.
No matter how strong he was—
Could one man defeat all Four Emperors?
Only after understanding this truth could someone truly understand what it meant to be a Marine.
Leaving the lava pool behind, Shinji led the others toward the harbor where pirates gathered.
What they saw looked like a miniature pirate paradise.
Taverns were everywhere.
Drunken pirates lay passed out along the roads.
Near the coast, a pirate ship floated quietly in the harbor.
According to intelligence, the Flame Gun Pirates had long used this island as their base, attacking merchant ships and large cargo vessels.
Their captain had a bounty of 50 million Berries.
In the first half of the Grand Line, that bounty carried serious weight.
Shinji glanced toward three drunken pirates lying beside the road.
"Take them out quietly."
He signaled Koby and Helmeppo with his eyes.
Both of them hesitated.
Were they really going to kill them?
The three pirates were completely drunk.
What if they made noise?
But before they could decide—
Shinji had already moved.
Three quick punches.
Perfectly controlled.
No damage to the clothing.
Just three silent deaths.
He dragged the bodies into a nearby alley and stripped their clothes.
"Don't hesitate," Shinji said coldly.
"If you're going to waste time like that, go back to the old man's ship."
He glanced sharply at Koby and Helmeppo.
After the massacre in the East Blue village, Shinji had made up his mind.
When facing evil—
It had to be destroyed completely.
Koby's sense of justice was gentler.
Shinji's was different.
Even among the Admirals, justice came in different forms.
In Shinji's eyes, evil meant pirates who slaughtered civilians—
And the tyrannical Celestial Dragons.
If one day he faced those world nobles directly…
If they stood in his way—
He would kill them without hesitation.
The path ahead was harsh.
But Shinji walked forward without regret.
Even he didn't realize it yet—
The justice inside his heart was already taking shape.
They quietly entered the busiest tavern on the island.
All three had changed into pirate clothing.
Each carried a musket and a long knife.
Shinji even put on a fierce expression to blend in.
Before entering, they had already circled the town once to observe the terrain.
There was no visible place where hostages might be held.
If the prisoners weren't kept above ground—
Then there was probably a hidden underground prison somewhere on the island.
This tavern was the last place they hadn't investigated.
If the hostages weren't here—
Then there was only one other place.
The pirate ship in the harbor.
But before checking that, they needed to search this tavern first.
Shinji casually threw some Berries and gold he had taken from the pirates onto a table and ordered barbecue and a large bottle of liquor.
Around them, pirates drank heavily, shouting and laughing.
Koby and Helmeppo sat stiffly beside him.
"I know Koby isn't very bold," Shinji whispered.
"But Helmeppo… weren't you supposed to be a rich playboy before? Why are you so scared?"
Shinji raised the mug to his lips, pretending to drink while secretly spilling the alcohol onto his clothes.
"I… I had people protecting me before," Helmeppo whispered.
"In the East Blue there were Marines everywhere. But this island… it's full of pirates."
"Hahahaha! Drink up!"
A staggering pirate suddenly approached them.
"Hey… you guys look unfamiliar…"
"Whatever! New brats like you should keep watch carefully… wouldn't want the hostages escaping…"
"Hic!"
The man swayed dangerously.
His nose was bright red.
Two flintlock pistols hung from his waist.
Shinji recognized him immediately.
He had studied the bounty posters before leaving the ship.
Jero — "Flame Gun."
Bounty: 5 million Berries.
Known for his red nose and brutal temper toward subordinates.
As Jero approached, Shinji gently swirled the beer mug in his hand.
Then he leaned toward Koby and murmured quietly:
"Hide in a moment."
"A dog's about to bite."
The bottle suddenly shattered on the floor.
Jero lunged forward.
One massive hand grabbed Shinji by the head, trying to slam him onto the table.
With his other hand—
He drew a pistol and pulled the trigger.
This wasn't an ordinary musket round.
It was a powerful close-range bullet.
BANG!
Gunpowder exploded through the tavern.