A Captain with a bounty of 5,000,000 Belly, a chubby pink-haired little fellow, and that 153rd branch that seemed oddly familiar...
"Hey, kid, do you know Shells Town?"
Rowen strode over to the line of waiting prisoners, looking at the short and timid-looking winter melon in front of him. He couldn't connect him with the confident young Ensign Koby who would later serve alongside Garp.
In the original story, Koby had been forced to work as a handyman on Alvida's ship for two years until Luffy set him free when he set sail in the year 1520.
However, what Rowen didn't expect was that he would be the one to rescue Koby.
The escaping Pirate Captain was undoubtedly Alvida, who later became a stunning beauty after eating the Sube-Sube No Mi (Slip-Slip Fruit). But now, Alvida was just a shrewish woman with freckles all over her face, an overweight figure, and a hideous appearance.
"Yes... yes!"
"I live in Shells Town!"
Koby answered nervously, his eyes filled with admiration.
He didn't recognize Rowen; he just felt like he had seen him somewhere before. The chance of recognizing a celebrity from the newspaper in real life was very small, unless they were exceptionally familiar.
However, this didn't hinder Koby's admiration for Rowen. To have command of such a large fleet, Rowen was undoubtedly a powerful figure within the Marines!
Koby, who had always dreamed of becoming a strong Marine soldier, never imagined that he would one day be asked a question by such a figure. As he spoke, he didn't know where to put his hands and feet, making him appear very constrained.
"I see, 153rd branch, Shells Town."
Vice Admiral Momonga approached and glanced at Koby before asking with a curious expression on his face. "What? You actually know about an East Blue Branch?"
After all, Rowen had fallen from a Sky Island and had been active in the Grand Line all this time. How could he have so much information about a mere East Blue branch?
Could it be...
"Wait! Is there something wrong there?! I warning you, don't make things up!" Vice Admiral Momonga watched him with extreme vigilance, his expression dead serious.
Rowen: "..."
"Hehe!!"
Rolling his eyes, Rowen gestured for Koby to continue waiting in line. He then walked a distance away with Vice Admiral Momonga and spoke in a low voice.
"Do you remember, Vice Admiral Momonga, about the incident last year? The 'Hundred Plans' Kuro, a small pirate causing trouble in the East Blue, was killed by a Marine soldier from the 153rd branch?"
"'Hundred Plans' Kuro?"
Vice Admiral Momonga was taken aback and carefully sifted through his memories. It took him some effort to recall that there was indeed such a name.
"Oh, the Captain of that Black Cat Pirate Crew!"
"I vaguely remember that..."
Pausing for a moment, Vice Admiral Momonga turned around and said. "I heard that the soldier was later commended by Headquarters and became a branch Colonel. It seems like it was here, right?"
"Exactly!"
Rowen nodded, gazing at the town that was gradually revealing itself above the sea surface in the distance, a playful smile playing on his lips.
"I think my role as a prosecutor might come in handy." Rowen said while Vice Admiral Momonga's expression stiffened, and he gripped the hilt of his sword.
"I see!"
Behind them, Koby, who was eavesdropping with pricked ears, looked utterly horrified.
Headquarters?
Pirate Kuro?
A... a prosecutor?!!
...
Marine's 153rd Branch, also known as Shells Town.
This was a town built around the Marine branch, and the tall tower with green stripes in the center of the town was none other than East Blue's 153rd Branch.
At the port, upon receiving the notification, Branch Colonel Morgan led his men to clear the port, and the branch soldiers stood guard, sealing off the port securely.
"Colonel... What is that?!"
Looking at the giant-scale Battleship that gradually approached from the distance, a military officer trembled with fear, whispering to the highest-ranking official beside him.
"War Behemoth!"
Morgan uttered a term that left all the soldiers present puzzled. He snorted and looked at them sternly. "Pay attention, don't be negligent in receiving the esteemed guests from Headquarters!"
Then, he gazed at the colossal behemoth like a mountain, his heart filled with fiery passion.
What a majestic Battleship!
Only a Great Character who held real power in the Marine Headquarters could have a War Behemoth as their flagship!
Despite Morgan's domineering presence in Shells Town, where he commanded several Battleships that were considered overwhelmingly massive by ordinary people, when faced with the War Behemoth, there was simply no room for comparison. The two were not even in the same league!
However, as Morgan thought about the purpose of their visit, his inner fire gradually dimmed.
A prosecutor from Marine Headquarters!
And even more so, the legendary Great Character, Vice Admiral Soryu!
"Is everything arranged properly?"
Morgan whispered to the officer beside him. The latter nodded and smiled, "Rest assured, Colonel. I've already warned the residents. No one would dare to speak out of turn. We've handled the official documents perfectly. No one can detect anything amiss."
"That's good..."
Morgan was still uneasy, but at this moment, the Qilin docked. The tall figure of Rowen stood alongside Vice Admiral Momonga on the deck, their gazes stern.
"Salute!!"
Bang...!
The anchor was thrown into the sea as the winch turned, creating a burst of foamy waves. The Qilin was now berthed in the port, and the height of its deck alone was parallel to the top floor of the 153rd Branch in the distance!
Such a terrifying giant beast shrouded the entire port in shadow. Even the sunlight couldn't penetrate through, making it a spectacular sight.
And it wasn't just one, but a total of ten!
Shells Town's small port couldn't possibly accommodate such a number of War Behemoths. The Battleships that couldn't find a berth simply dropped anchor right there on the sea surface.
After all, unless they encountered an extraordinary tempest, the War Behemoth could be treated as if it were on land.
Wooden ladders were quickly lowered, and branch soldiers swiftly came forward, finding the long-unused fixed iron rings on the port's stone slabs to secure the ladders. Then, a chorus of brisk footsteps echoed, as spirited and robust soldiers, their muscles bulging, descended the stairs one by one.
Compared to the well-trained but still ordinary soldiers of the 153rd Branch, there was a comical feeling of adults alongside children.
Even the officers with ranks felt somewhat inadequate. However, these...
They were just ordinary soldiers!
Shua!
Rowen and Vice Admiral Momonga followed closely behind the soldiers. Seeing this, Morgan quickly stepped forward.
"Vice Admiral Soryu, Vice Admiral Momonga, welcome to the East Blue's 153rd Branch!"
Vice Admiral Soryu, Vice Admiral Momonga... Vice Admirals?!!!
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a collective gasp of astonishment from the port.
Looking at those figures with Justice cloaks draped over their shoulders, the soldiers' eyes were filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Vice Admirals?!!!
The Four Seas branches didn't have Vice Admirals; at most, there was only a Rear Admiral!
In other words, these two before them were from the Marine Headquarters?! And...
The name Soryu sounded more like a code name...
"Vice Admiral Soryu from Headquarters?" A soldier softly connected the dots and suddenly, he froze, looking up at Rowen in extreme disbelief.
"The Vice Admiral Soryu who defeated Golden Lion Shiki!!!"
"Admiral-Candidate Vice Admiral Soryu!"
This was... truly a Great Character!!
The soldier was rendered speechless, and he didn't know what words to use to describe it. But he believed that even a King from one of the Allied Kingdoms in the East Blue wouldn't have a higher status than the Soryu before him!
He was a genuine powerhouse among the Vice Admirals and his strength was unparalleled!
(End of this chapter)