One Piece : Marine of the Straw Hat Pirates

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As the bubble-filled scenery of the Sabaody Archipelago came into view, Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Wow! Look at all the bubbles! Let's stop and play!" he exclaimed, rushing to the ship's railing.

Before he could jump off, Smoker grabbed him by the collar. "Our destination is Marine Headquarters, not a sightseeing spot," he said firmly.

"Aw, come on! Just for a little while! It won't take long!" Luffy pouted, squirming in Smoker's grip.

Conan, already familiar with Luffy's antics, stepped in with a knowing smile. "Luffy, Marine Headquarters is close. Don't you want to rush into their canteen and have a massive feast?"

At the mention of food, Luffy's stomach let out a loud growl. His eyes lit up, and he immediately forgot about the bubbles. "A feast? Alright! Let's go to Marine Headquarters!"

Smoker let out a sigh of relief as Luffy finally settled down.

Moments later, a Marine soldier approached Smoker and saluted. "Report, Captain Smoker! Two pirate ships have been spotted in the waters ahead!"

"Pirates again, huh?" Smoker muttered, glancing toward the horizon.

Just as the report finished, Ikki emerged from the cabin, his body steaming as if he had just stepped out of a sauna.

"What's with you?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow at Ikki's smoky appearance.

"It's nothing," Ikki replied, waving him off. The steam was the result of taking two Physique Pills at once, the excess energy causing his body to overheat.

Shifting his attention to the sea, Ikki spotted the two pirate ships firing at each other. The cannons roared repeatedly, but not a single shot hit its mark.

"The accuracy of these cannons is ridiculous," Ikki remarked, shaking his head.

Then, with a confident smile, he added, "Leave this to me."

Ikki flexed his arms, and Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema appeared in his back. In an instant, he launched himself toward the pirate ships, leaving afterimages behind as he soared through the air. His speed had drastically increased, thanks to the Rabbit Talisman he was holding.

Along the way to Marine Headquarters, the group encountered numerous pirate ships. Smoker mostly refrained from joining the fights, leaving them to Ikki, Zoro, and Luffy. Occasionally, Smoker would intervene if the situation demanded it.

Hina, ever the strong-willed warrior, volunteered to join the battles as well. However, Ikki politely turned her down, explaining, "Someone needs to stay on the ship and oversee things."

The real reason, though, was that Hina's name wasn't on the private Marine appointment roster. Any pirates she defeated wouldn't contribute to Ikki's justice value, so her efforts wouldn't benefit him directly.

When Ikki reached the two pirate ships, the battle between them abruptly stopped. Both crews had noticed his approach and turned their attention to the Marine warship in the distance.

Before they could fire on the Marines, Ikki acted. With a swift, Sky Dragon's Wing Attack, he destroyed all the cannons aboard both ships in mere moments.

Back on the Marine warship, Hina watched the scene through her telescope. Impressed by Ikki's speed and precision, she immediately picked up a Den Den Mushi and contacted Marine Headquarters.

"This is Captain Hina. We've captured multiple pirates in the waters near Sabaody Archipelago. Requesting reinforcements to take custody of them," she reported, her voice calm and composed.

After successfully dealing with the two pirate groups, the Marine warship continued its journey. Before long, the full grandeur of Marineford came into view.

"Is this Marineford? It's truly spectacular!" Conan remarked, visibly impressed by the imposing stronghold of the Marines.

"What's this, Conan? Thinking of staying here?" Ikki teased, placing a hand on Conan's head with a smirk.

Conan swatted Ikki's hand away, his expression deadpan. "Do you want to send me to Mariejois again? So murders can happen daily? It'd be better to get rid of a few more Celestial Dragons, right?"

"Ah, right, right..." Ikki replied dismissively, feigning disinterest.

Conan's face darkened. "I'm telling you, it's not me causing the trouble. It's the cases themselves calling me! They'd exist whether I was here or not!"

After snapping at Ikki, Conan stormed off, leaving Ikki chuckling to himself.

Meanwhile, in Marineford's High-Level Conference Room...

The atmosphere in the Marineford conference hall was heavy as the senior officers convened. Seated at the table were Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, Chief of Staff Tsuru, the three Marine Admirals—Kizaru, Aokiji, and Akainu—and several other high-ranking officers.

Sengoku slapped the Private Marine Plan document onto the table, drawing everyone's attention. "I need your input on this," he announced.

The ever-lazy Admiral Kizaru was the first to raise his hand in agreement. "Well, it sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? A bit of extra help never hurts," he said in his usual laid-back tone.

Admiral Aokiji, too, didn't object. The fact that Vice Admiral Garp was the plan's main proponent was enough for him to go along with it.

Then came Admiral Akainu, Sakazuki. His sharp tone cut through the room. "What's the difference between this plan and the Shichibukai system? Are we, the Marines, so desperate that we need civilians to enforce justice?"

His words immediately garnered nods of agreement from several hawkish vice admirals.

"Sakazuki," Sengoku began, "the difference is clear. Shichibukai are pirates granted authority, but private Marines are civilians stepping up to defend justice. It's not the same."

Akainu remained unconvinced, arms crossed. Seeing this, Sengoku pulled out another set of documents and slid them across the table.

"Take a look at these," he said.

Akainu picked up the file and scanned through it. It detailed the activities of the Straw Hat-led private Marine team from Alabasta to Marineford:

Pirates apprehended and killed along the way. Notorious criminals sunk into the sea. Lesser offenders captured and sent for trial at Enies Lobby.

The report painted a picture of efficiency and capability that even Akainu couldn't ignore.

After finishing, Akainu placed the file down with a frown. "If they're that effective, why not have them officially join the Marines and enforce justice under our banner?"

Sengoku sighed. "That's what I'd prefer, but it's not that simple. Some of them are disillusioned with the Marines. Others value their freedom too much. And some..." Sengoku trailed off, offering vague but plentiful justifications for why the Straw Hats couldn't officially join.

At that moment, Chief of Staff Tsuru spoke softly, her words cutting through the room like a knife. "Recently, several Marine officers have expressed a desire to leave the Marines altogether."

Her statement cast a heavy silence over the room. All eyes turned to Sengoku.

Tsuru's words had struck at the heart of the issue. The private Marine initiative was not just about combating pirates—it was about preventing disillusioned Marines from abandoning their sense of justice and turning to piracy themselves.

Sengoku nodded grimly. "The private Marine system is a way to channel that righteous spirit, to give those who lose faith in the higher-ups a way to continue their fight for justice without becoming criminals."

After a long pause, Akainu finally spoke. "...Fine. I'll support the plan."

Sengoku let out a small sigh of relief.

In truth, the plan didn't require unanimous support from the admirals or vice admirals to move forward. But for the private Marine system to grow smoothly, Sengoku knew it needed the backing of all senior officials.

The support of someone as uncompromising as Akainu was a significant victory.