"Tsuru—"
"Sengoku—"
Two days later, in the Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the pristine white hospital room of the Marine Hospital, the figures on two hospital beds slowly woke up from unconsciousness.
"Is that…Garp? Sengoku?"
Bound head-to-toe in medical bandages, their bodies immobilized, the two managed to turn their heads just enough to make eye contact, recognizing each other through voice and gaze.
"Garp, where's Tsuru?" Sengoku asked, filled with anxiety, trying to lift himself but feeling an overwhelming weakness. His chest wound throbbed with pain, causing him to wince and fall back onto the bed.
"I don't know; I passed out too…" Garp grunted, his voice laced with bitterness. "That damned Fallen Angel hit hard; I feel like every bone in my body's broken. It's a miracle we even survived—probably thanks to Admiral Hark's intervention."
Garp hesitated, his voice low, "As for Tsuru…"
Though he didn't finish, his face showed his concern. Knowing Tsuru had lost fifty or sixty years of her lifespan to Charlotte Linlin's abilities, he doubted she'd be in good shape even if rescued. The thought of El, the leader of the Fallen Angel Pirates, also sent a shiver down his spine—his presence had been terrifying, like a primal beast that stirred fear. Not even Admiral Hark could easily face him.
"You're both awake…"
In that moment, footsteps sounded heavily from the doorway as Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong entered, having returned urgently from the New World.
"Admiral Kong, how long have we been out?" Sengoku asked anxiously. "And what about Tsuru?"
"You've been unconscious for three full days. As for Tsuru…"
Steel Bone Kong paused, his face grave.
"What happened to Tsuru?" Sengoku and Garp exchanged uneasy glances, a sense of foreboding creeping over them.
"Two days ago, since the World Government decided to punish her, Tsuru was captured by a member of the Fallen Angel Pirates who had infiltrated Marine Headquarters. They staged her death as a suicide and then fled, leaving a trail of destruction…"
Kong continued solemnly, "The infiltrators brutally murdered Fleet Admiral William's nephew, Captain Merkel, using a Devil Fruit power to impersonate him. Disguised, they left Marineford by ship, even going as far as to brazenly impersonate him in the Holy Land of Mariejois to negotiate with the World Government."
"Just this morning, a bounty was issued for Tsuru."
Kong pulled out a wanted poster from his coat, presenting it to the two. On it was a photo of Tsuru in her Marine uniform, exuding the fierce, heroic energy she was known for.
Tsuru the Strategist. Bounty: 55 Million Berries, Dead or Alive.
The poster displayed her youthful likeness because the higher-ups assumed she had turned her back on justice and allied with the Fallen Angel Pirates, and that they had likely restored her lost years.
"What!?"
"You can't be serious!"
At these words, Sengoku and Garp minds went blank. A wave of anger and disbelief surged within them, nearly causing them to black out again. The intensity of their reaction caused fresh blood to seep through their bandages as their wounds reopened.
"Damn it—"
"This is insane!"
...
"Twisting the truth, those bastards—"
Setting aside Sengoku and Garp's intense fury, Tsuru, on the floating fortress Atlantis far away, looked at her own bounty poster and the report in the newspaper. Her face turned ashen, her entire body shaking with rage.
"Well, well, the rebellious Marine Rear Admiral Tsuru fled to evade punishment?" Licking her wounds, abandoned justice to regain her youth by joining the Fallen Angel Pirates, even conspiring with them to murder Marine Captain Harry Merkel…"
"Daring to offend the Celestial Dragons and then going AWOL… not a bad bounty at 55 Million Berries!" chuckled Linlin, Lily, and Gerd as they looked away at the newspaper and then at Tsuru, amused.
"Humph, I was truly blind to trust such a deceitful man…" Tsuru clenched her fists, her chest heaving as she struggled to calm her fury, her eyes like daggers as she glared at Linlin and Nef, the two instigators, now grinning with delight. "But isn't this exactly what you all wanted?"
She had mentally prepared herself for a bounty, but she was stunned by the blatant lies. Hammons William, that "righteous" Fleet Admiral, had driven her to the point of poisoning herself, but through sheer luck, she survived—and now he had the gall to smear her name, painting her as a traitor who willingly joined the Fallen Angels out of vanity and a desire for life.
"Well, Tsuru, since things have already turned out this way…" Lillian hugged her cheerfully, "Why not go along with it and join us? It would drive them crazy!" Tsuru had grown close to Lillian, a member of the Three-Eye Tribe, who appreciated how Tsuru had never looked down on her third eye.
"…"
Tsuru stayed silent, feeling deeply conflicted. She had lost all faith in Marine "justice," but a part of her still held onto the vow she'd made to fight pirates, the ones who had orphaned her when she was young. The idea of becoming a pirate herself felt unnatural.
Yet, the past two days had given her a chance to observe the Fallen Angel Pirates, and she had to admit they seemed… different. The leader, El, had a charisma that was undeniable. It was clear why his crew would follow him into unimaginable risks.
"Take your time; you don't need to rush your decision," said El, his imposing figure walking toward her with a calm smile. She was in his territory now; he could wait.
"Thank you…" Tsuru replied, nodding slightly.
"Moss is back," Linlin said suddenly, pointing to a large bird gliding toward them. The bird landed, transforming back into a Lion Mink Moss, who handed El a blue box without delay.
"Here you go, Boss. This is from Tain," he said.
El opened the box, revealing a strange Devil Fruit that looked just as he expected.
"That's the Glare-Glare Fruit?" Tsuru, who'd memorized the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, recognized it immediately.
"The Glare-Glare Fruit?" Linlin, Lillian, Gerd, and others glanced curiously at the fruit in El's hand.
Tsuru nodded, explaining, "According to the Encyclopedia, this fruit grants the ability to see through objects and read minds; even one's tears can become a weapon. The ability to see into a person's heart alone is remarkable."
"So, it's like an X-ray fruit?" Linlin asked, laughing.
El smiled, handing the Glare-Glare Fruit to Lillian. Her three eyes widened in shock.
"Since this is an eye-related ability, it could be well suited for you, Lillian. It may even enhance your innate Three-Eye abilities in unexpected ways. Besides, now that Atlantis is our 'flying ark,' we need an exceptional navigator," he said. "You've already shown great navigation skills, so you could serve as both our navigator and lookout."
Lillian looked at the Devil Fruit in her hands, torn but intrigued. "But…El…" she began hesitantly, clearly reluctant to give up her ambition of becoming a master swordswoman.
"Who says a navigator or lookout can't fight?" El laughed, patting her on the head with a grin.
"Really? I can?"