One Piece : Marine of the Straw Hat Pirates

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Listening to Ikki's off-key singing, Crocodile's mood darkened. His expression grew sour, clearly unhappy with the unexpected serenade.

Eventually, the kind-hearted Tashigi approached Crocodile to explain.

"You're different," she said earnestly. "The Straw Hats are private Marines. They're not disrupting order—they're actually working to maintain justice!"

Crocodile blinked in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Then why does the Marine have a bounty of 30 million on one of their own?"

Tashigi: ...

"Well... I'm sorry! That's because... Marine Headquarters made a mistake!" she admitted awkwardly.

Before Crocodile could respond, Hina strode over, her tone cold and uncompromising. "You don't need to explain so much to pirates!"

Without further delay, Hina ordered her subordinates to escort Crocodile and Mr. 1 to the warship's temporary prison.

At the same time, at Marine Headquarters...

Sengoku had sought out his former superior, the previous Marine Fleet Admiral and current Commander-in-Chief of the World Government Army, Kong.

"What did you say? You allowed Crocodile to be captured?" Kong asked, his voice deep and firm.

"That's correct," Sengoku replied. "Crocodile, as a Shichibukai, attempted to seize control of a nation. This goes far beyond the authority granted to him as a Warlord of the Sea!"

Kong narrowed his eyes. "He tried to seize a nation? Do you have evidence? And which nation was the target?"

Shichibukai appointments were made by the World Government, and dismissing or arresting one of them without solid proof would be a direct blow to the Government's credibility—something Kong was determined to avoid.

As Commander-in-Chief, Kong now oversaw not just the Marines but the entire World Government Army. He had to weigh not only Marine operations but also the broader interests of the Government.

"The nation Crocodile targeted was Alabasta," Sengoku explained. "As for evidence, Smoker has gathered everything necessary to convict him beyond doubt."

At the mention of Alabasta, Kong's frown deepened.

Alabasta was no ordinary kingdom. Its royal family, the Nefertari lineage, had once been part of the World Nobles but chose to remain in the Blue Seas instead of relocating to Mary Geoise. The World Government couldn't afford to handle this matter carelessly.

After a long pause, Kong sighed. "Since he's already been arrested, we'll leave it at that," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll inform the Five Elders and consult with them about appointing a new Shichibukai."

Just as he turned to leave, Sengoku quickly stopped him and handed over a document.

"What's this?" Kong asked, glancing at the cover.

"The Private Marine Plan," Sengoku replied.

"Private Marine? What is that?" Kong asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

Sengoku explained, "Private Marines are independent forces of justice voluntarily organized by civilians.

"In the recent Alabasta incident, a private Marine team played a critical role. They not only protected Princess Vivi and ensured her safe return to Alabasta, but they also successfully rescued King Cobra from Crocodile's clutches.

"Before that, they rid the East Blue of corrupt Marines and dismantled several notorious pirate groups."

Sengoku essentially recounted the Straw Hats' exploits, framing them as a shining example of what a private Marine team could achieve.

After listening carefully, Kong skimmed through the written proposal. "So, this plan is to expand the private Marine initiative?"

"Yes," Sengoku replied. "The private Marine system has shown great potential for maintaining peace and justice on the seas. However, I suggest further testing with the Straw Hats before we scale it up."

"Their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, is Garp's grandson. That connection ensures trustworthiness and stability during the trial phase."

At the mention of Garp, Kong chuckled. "Garp, huh? That old fool always manages to get involved in something unusual. Fine. I agree with this plan. If the Straw Hats can truly promote peace on the seas as you say, I'll support formalizing the private Marine system."

Kong handed the proposal back to Sengoku, looking faintly amused.

In truth, Kong didn't care much about private Marines. To him, it was like adding another department to the Marine structure—a department that didn't require additional funding. With such minimal risk, he saw no reason to oppose it.

And if the experiment failed? They could always eliminate it without hesitation.

Seeing Kong's approval, Sengoku let out a quiet sigh of relief. With this, the Straw Hats' ambiguous status would finally be legitimized.

Elsewhere: On the Journey to Marineford

After days of sailing, the two Marine warships finally reached the waters near the Sabaody Archipelago.

Looking up at the sky filled with bubbles, Ikki knew they were nearing Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

During the voyage, Ikki hadn't been idle. In addition to training and honing his Nen ability, he also took advantage of the situation to perform a set of golden ten-draw lotteries.

The events in Alabasta had allowed him to perform three golden ten-draws in one go—after all, they had saved a kingdom with a population of over ten million.

The second round of ten draws yielded particularly satisfying results:

Devil Fruit Upgrade Scroll: A rare item that can enhance a Devil Fruit's abilities.

Face-Pinching Artifact: A silver-tier item from a game world. It allows the user to change their appearance once. (Note: Focus is crucial during use. Otherwise, unexpected results—like turning into a refrigerator—may occur.)

System Upgrade Scroll: A gold-tier item. It upgrades the system's capabilities but requires seven scrolls to activate.

Physique Pill: Enhances the user's physical abilities.

Resurrection Talisman: A gold-tier item from a fantasy world. It can resurrect the dead and heal all injuries. (Note: The talisman works by attaching it to a visible soul within a 20-meter radius.)

Rabbit Talisman: A gold-tier item from the Jackie Chan Adventures world. Grants extreme speed, and at a high enough velocity, time travel becomes possible.

Gourmet Cells: A silver-tier item from the Toriko universe. Consuming food enhances the user's strength. (Note: Only delicious food works—inedible substances won't have any effect.)

Storage Ring: A silver-tier item from a cultivation world. A space ring with a 10-cubic-meter capacity.

Senzu Bean: A healing item.

Another Physique Pill.

Among the items, Ikki was particularly intrigued by the Resurrection Talisman. With it, he could even bring someone back from the dead.

This lottery session also gave Ikki a plan to help Nico Robin disappear from the world's radar.

Since Robin was certain to join the Straw Hats, Ikki knew her identity as the "Devil Child" would cause endless trouble. His solution? Change her appearance and name entirely.

The Face-Pinching Artifact and Devil Fruit Upgrade Scroll would make this possible. While her Devil Fruit ability would remain unique, an upgraded Hana-Hana no Mi could manifest in new and unexpected ways, rendering it unrecognizable.