Chapter 22 — Ripples Across the Grand LineMarine Headquarters
At Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku listened quietly as his subordinates delivered their report.
After hearing everything, he still felt somewhat uneasy.
But one thing was certain.
Promotion—and publicity—were unavoidable.
The discussion was about Shinji Ikari.
"Logically, he should be promoted," Sengoku said slowly."But if we make him a Headquarters Colonel immediately, that would be too fast."
"This kid has already been promoted several times in a row."
He thought for a moment before deciding.
"Promote him to Headquarters Major first."
"And spread the news that he defeated the pirate Lola the Fixer."
"I also heard the boy eats an absurd amount," Sengoku added dryly.
"Convert some of his rewards into food supplies if necessary."
He continued issuing orders.
"Also, war may soon break out on Hidden Dragon Island."
"Inform nearby Marine branches to send reinforcements."
"We can't allow any pirates to slip away."
Just as Sengoku finished speaking, another Marine officer rushed into the room.
He froze for a moment after hearing the conversation.
Then Sengoku added another order without hesitation.
"Make sure Shinji Ikari appears in the newspapers immediately."
"Also bury the details of what Straw Hat Luffy did in Alabasta."
"And promote Smoker."
The officer stood speechless.
It was a strange combination of truth and politics.
At Sea
The ocean stretched endlessly beneath the blazing sun.
Shinji Ikari's injuries had already completely healed.
He didn't pay much attention to his promotion to Headquarters Major.
However—
Helmeppo felt that Shinji should have been promoted directly to Lieutenant Colonel.
Koby and Helmeppo themselves had been promoted to Sergeants.
But they still served under Shinji's command.
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Garp continued subjecting all three of them to brutal daily training.
With Shinji's additional training methods included—
Their lives had become miserable.
Under the harsh sunlight, Shinji now wore a smaller Justice cloak, similar to those worn by Marine officers.
During the battle with Lola, he had grown noticeably—both physically and mentally.
The word Justice on his cloak seemed especially striking.
"It feels great," Shinji said while relaxing on the deck.
"After becoming a Headquarters Major, I can wear whatever clothes I want underneath."
He preferred comfortable casual clothes.
Still, he had to admit that the Marine cloak, boots, and uniform trousers were extremely durable.
Today he wore a loose shirt decorated with pictures of barbecue and fruit—a cheerful design that looked almost like a blessing for good meals.
"At the same age, Shinji has already become a Major," Koby sighed.
"And we're still just Sergeants."
Helmeppo laughed.
"But we've gotten much stronger too, Koby."
Meanwhile, Shinji had used his remaining Berries to buy a newspaper.
Along with it came several new bounty posters.
Suddenly—
Koby's eyes widened.
"Lu… Luffy?!"
"Why is his bounty over 100 million Berries now?!"
Both Koby and Helmeppo froze in shock.
The newspaper itself featured two main stories.
One half reported Shinji's victory over a pirate worth more than 500 million Berries, as well as the exposure of a massive weapons conspiracy.
The other half praised Smoker, claiming he had uncovered the crimes of the former Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile, defeated him, and revealed the truth.
"The Warlord Crocodile betrayed the government?" Helmeppo muttered.
Many questions filled their minds.
But Shinji remained calm.
He already knew most of these events.
He simply hadn't expected them to happen at the same time.
According to the original timeline, Garp should already have been relaxing at headquarters with Sengoku.
But Shinji's presence—
And his battle with Lola—
Had altered the flow of events slightly.
Only now did Shinji fully understand.
Even small actions could change the future.
After a while, Garp appeared on deck holding Luffy's bounty poster.
"Once we deal with those bastards," he said casually, "we'll head back to headquarters for some rest."
Then he turned to the adjutant.
"Bogard, these brats still need more training."
"Let them experience your swordsmanship."
"Understood," Bogard replied calmly.
He handed training swords to Shinji, Koby, and Helmeppo.
"I already know swordsmanship!" Helmeppo protested.
Before he finished speaking—
Bogard slashed once.
Helmeppo's practice sword shattered into several pieces.
"…Understood," Helmeppo said immediately.
"I will train seriously."
He still remembered the day Bogard had sliced two pistols into pieces when Koby tried to threaten others with them during the Axe-Hand Morgan incident.
Garp chuckled and walked back toward his cabin, still holding Luffy's bounty poster with a satisfied smile.
Across the Grand Line, countless people were reading the same newspaper.
"Smoker defeated Crocodile?"
"When did he return to the Grand Line?"
"Why did this Straw Hat Luffy also receive a bounty increase?"
"And who is this Major Shinji Ikari?"
"Maybe I should kill him and claim the bounty!"
Many powerful figures simply watched from the sidelines.
Waiting.
Observing.
Hidden Dragon Island
After Lola's death, a pirate ship quietly approached the island.
Several crew members studied the newspaper and bounty posters while discussing the latest news.
"Why did the captain choose to land on such a dangerous island?"
"Stop questioning it. If the captain says we land, we land."
"Still… before Lola died, this Shinji guy was nowhere near his current reputation."
"Hahaha, of course!"
Just then—
The captain walking ahead suddenly stopped and turned around.
"I'm simply curious," he said calmly.
"I want to meet this man called Shinji Ikari."
His crew burst into laughter.
"Captain, you really can't stand seeing someone else steal the spotlight!"
Amid their laughter, the captain stepped forward again.
His name was Drake.
Quietly, he began observing the island's terrain.
He had only arrived here by coincidence while passing through the route.
But the island fascinated him.
The real danger here wasn't the pirates.
It was the creatures.
All around the island roamed prehistoric beasts:
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Triceratops
Flying Pterosaurs
Smaller but extremely agile dragon-like reptiles
Even the smaller animals—dire wolves, massive bears, and ancient birds—were terrifying monsters compared to humans.
"Find safe positions," Drake told his crew.
"Be ready to retreat at any moment."
"I'll contact you with a Den Den Mushi."
After saying that—
He transformed.
His body expanded into the massive form of a dinosaur.
Then he charged into the jungle.
The crew quickly understood his earlier warning.
Not everyone could survive on this island.
Deep Within Hidden Dragon Island
At the center of the island stood a cave guarded by more than ten pirates.
Inside—
Wild laughter echoed through a massive underground laboratory.
"Hahahaha!"
"I finally did it!"
"I finally perfected the serum that can create real dragons!"
The mad scientist threw his head back and laughed.
"Too bad you'll never see it, Lola!"
"The power we were supposed to use to conquer the world… you missed your chance!"
Inside enormous alloy cages were strange red creatures.
Some had dragon wings but no claws.
Some had horns but no tails.
Some could breathe fire but lacked wings, forcing scientists to cool them constantly with sprays.
But at the center—
One creature stood larger than the rest.
It had horns, wings, and four claws.
A perfect dragon.
It opened its mouth and released blazing dragon fire toward the ceiling.
And the man watching it—
Was no longer fully human.
(End of Chapter)
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