June, Sea Calendar 1515, East Blue.
Loguetown.
"Move faster, are you full or not?"
"You there, go and hoist the banners!"
The scorching summer sun beat down on everyone, making their skin burn with fiery pain. The incessant cicada cries only added to the irritation.
In this terrible weather, hardly anyone wanted to be outside.
However, at this very moment, a group of short-sleeved soldiers had no choice but to toil under the blazing sun on the vast training grounds of the naval base.
"Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) doesn't like this ostentatious display, does he?"
East Blue's Independent Commission Against Corruption's Commissioner, Storno Belly, stood behind the white railing on the second floor with his arms crossed, asking with a touch of uncertainty.
His slightly lanky frame made the Justice cape behind him stand like a sword, while [Puffer Poison] and [Kamami] hung at his waist, their sword glints hidden and unreleased.
"Who knows?"
Smoker shook his head and said. "Anyway, this great setup wasn't my idea... Many merchants in Loguetown associated with the Gold Emperor learned that Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) was coming and donated a substantial sum to the base to show their support."
"You know, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) is not only a military man, he's also a major shareholder in Golden City and Century City.
Take their money and solve their problems.
For a simple welcome setup, Smoker wasn't keen on clashing with these wealthy merchants.
"I never thought you'd learn to fit in, Smoker."
Storno Belly looked at him in surprise, not quite believing the change in Smoker.
In the past, when faced with such a situation, he wouldn't even agree, let alone be polite. With Smoker's presence in Loguetown, pirate activity had all but disappeared, and countless merchants had pleaded endlessly with no hope of change.
Smoker didn't answer, but he heard...
"Oh, and be sure to file the donation paperwork with the Independent Commission Against Corruption. I need it for the record."
Smoker: "..."
'I really shouldn't have taken that bait!'
Boom!
At that moment, thunder rumbled in the sky, and a heavy, oppressive sound reverberated in the area. Dark clouds began to gather, quickly painting the world in shades of lead gray.
In response, Storno Belly commented.
"Ah, much cooler now."
Zzzt zzzt...
The sound of electricity crackled as a blue electric net burst open and a tall, imposing figure landed beside the two men.
Hearing these words, Rowen stumbled slightly, his mouth twitching as he spoke.
"This is why I don't like to travel to the Four Seas. You can't even find a shady place in those seasonally divided seas."
"A place like the Grand Line, where the seasons are divided by islands, is the real anomaly, don't you think?"
Storno Belly said with a hint of exasperation, then smiled. "Welcome, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), to the Loguetown branch!"
The Supercharged Travel makes such a commotion that Rowen's globe-trotting inevitably stirs up wild speculations among those with ulterior motives.
On the Grand Line, it's one great battle after another. Even if one's body isn't tired, the hearts of ordinary citizens can't handle such stress.
Therefore, the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) proactively arranged a cover for him, appointing him as an inspector to divert attention and ordering all branches to cooperate fully.
Coincidentally, the Independent Commission Against Corruption hadn't conducted a major inspection since its inception, so they assigned Rowen the task.
"Stand up straight! Attention!"
"Do you see the lightning in the sky? Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) is about to arrive!"
"Anyone who fails will receive special training from me!"
On the training ground, a lieutenant commander walked at the head of the welcoming line, shouting orders and catching Rowen's attention.
"What exactly are they doing?"
"Nothing, let's discuss it in the conference room."
Smoker's lips curled as he shook his head.
'I gave you the chance, but you didn't take it. You can't blame me for that.'
Inspecting the Independent Commission Against Corruption was just a side job. Rowen might not have a complete understanding of all the Vice Admirals at Headquarters, but he knew their basic characters well enough, so this process went smoothly and quickly.
After Rowen stamped the documents and sent them back to Headquarters, all three of them felt relieved.
"Speaking of which, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), what exactly happened during the last big battle?"
Smoker handed cigars to both Rowen and Storno Belly. After lighting his own, he took a deep, satisfying puff and then asked curiously, "Why is it that everyone came out unscathed, and yet you're the one running around all over the sea?
The incident was shrouded in secrecy, something the Four Seas didn't have access to.
Smoker, being only a branch Colonel, had limited information. What he knew wasn't much different from what was reported in the news.
Due to the betrayal of a high-ranking intelligence officer from the New World's Assassination Force, many forces are now aware that the Marines have restructured the once famous Marine Assassination Force, although they've kept it under wraps to avoid misunderstandings from Marine officials.
So when Smoker asked the question, Rowen didn't hold back and answered directly.
"Yes, it was my failure in intelligence work that gave Red Hair and Kaido the opportunity. I was punished afterward."
"If it wasn't for that, we would have almost won the battle!"
"Why should the intelligence work fall on your shoulders?" Smoker asked with a puzzled frown. "Isn't that what Cipher Pol is for?"
Storno Belly laughed at that question.
"I forgot to tell you, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) now holds several positions, and one of them is the chief dictator of the Marine Assassination Force."
"I forgot to tell you" was just an excuse. In reality, no one would dare go into the details of a force with undisclosed functions until Rowen had spoken on the matter.
The Marine Assassination Force, directly supervised by Sengoku, remains a mystery to this day, known only to Rowen and Chaton. Even Chaton himself has access to some outdated information.
"The Marine Assassination Force..."
Smoker understood this point quite well, but he didn't care much about it.
However, when he heard those words, he suddenly paused, his face reflecting shock as he asked incredulously, "Wait, are you talking about the Marine Assassination Force that I know?
"Wasn't that disbanded when I first joined the Marines?"
When Smoker first joined the Marines, his rebellious nature left him with few allies, and he despised the conniving senior officers.
Because of this, Zephyr often mentioned that if the Assassination Force still existed, it would be the perfect place for someone like him.
No networking or political games, just pure missions.
To become the sharpest blade!
Nowadays, Smoker isn't a natural fit for the Assassination Force, because he's come to understand that without a voice, he can't enforce his sense of justice, and so he's begun to seek power.
But why does a disbanded force still have a Chief Dictator?
And why is it Rowen, who joined after me, who holds the position of Dictator?!
Could it be that the Assassination Force has been operating in secret all these years and has never really been disbanded?
Was it just because I was stationed in East Blue that I didn't have the qualifications to be privy to this information?
Smoker immediately expressed his concern.
"That is not the case. The Assassination Force was only reformed a few months ago... I convinced Chief Commander Kong during a visit to the Holy Land, and he submitted a request to the Gorosei (Five Elder Stars), which they approved."
Smoker: "..."
And they just approved it.
Rowen's tone was light, but one could imagine the effort it took to convince the Gorosei (Five Elder Stars) to reinstate the prestigious Marine Assassination Force.
"It wasn't that hard, really. It just took some money."
Seeing Smoker's expression, Rowen continued with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Smoker: "..."
'All right!'
'That explains it!'
'Damn rich people!'
Considering the corrupt nature of the government, it's not easy to get any decision approved as long as you grease the right palms, but it's definitely possible.
Besides, Smoker had heard from Zephyr about the real reason for disbanding the Assassination Force. He knew that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, and as long as the Celestial Dragons had no objections, the reformation of the Assassination Force was a foregone conclusion.
These matters were deeply intertwined, and Smoker understood why they kept it a secret from him.
Without status, even the right to know is a burden.
"By the way, Smoker, have you heard about the establishment of the G-11 branch in the New World?"
Suddenly, Rowen removed the cigar from his mouth and asked seriously.
Σ(д;)!
Smoker and Storno Belly exchanged glances, their expressions filled with uncertainty.
---
*End of Chapter*
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