So what exactly was going on between Smoker and Dante? And this time... why did Dante mutiny? Smoker seemed to read the confusion on Tashigi's face. He took a hard drag on his cigar, his expression shifting with uncertainty. "There are some things you don't need to know. Just follow orders. Knowing too much isn't a good thing."
Just as the words left his mouth,
Before the puzzled Tashigi could even ask why, a Den Den Mushi rang.
*Puru Puru Puru~*
Smoker frowned and picked up the receiver. "Yeah?"
A moment later, whatever he heard made his tone sharpen. "Celestial Dragons aren't coming? Got it. If that's all, I'm hanging up." He paused. "You've got more? Fine, fine, spit it out!" His voice jumped an octave. "What? You want me to keep an eye on Marine Branch 16? Are you kidding me?"
"You have any idea what strength Branch 16 has right now? A Shichibukai's already allied with them, and that old bastard Zephyr is stationed there too. I'm just a Captain!"
"You want me to keep an eye on them? You think I'm not dying fast enough from smoking? Was this some brilliant idea from the superior I cursed to his face? Trying to send me to my death?"
"Just keep an eye on them? Just watching won't cut it either!" Smoker's grip tightened on the receiver. "What's that? Marine HQ is going to reinforce my unit and boost my funding starting tomorrow?" He cleared his throat. "Ahem. Just keeping an eye... isn't entirely out of the question."
"Fine, I've got it! I'll keep a close watch on Branch 16 and make absolutely sure they don't set foot in the Grand Line!"
*Click-click-click~*
Smoker hung up and stared at the receiver, his expression unreadable. He sighed and shook his head. "He really pulled it off."
Without a pause, he dialed another number. His voice flattened out again. "Celestial Dragons have canceled their trip to the East Blue."
He paused. "Are you planning to enter the Grand Line next? No? Understood."
He hung up without a second thought and tossed the Den Den Mushi aside, sinking back into his chair with frown.
A few moments later, he looked up at Tashigi, face blank. "This year's funding... HQ hasn't transferred it over yet, has it?"
Elsewhere.
Dante stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, puzzled. What's with Smoker?
First he'd asked about Celestial Dragons, and now he'd wanted to know if Dante was heading to the Grand Line? Why on earth would he go there? Dante shook his head, pocketed the Den Den Mushi, and headed toward Branch 16.
When he arrived, he looked at the group already waiting and smiled. "It's settled. Celestial Dragons have scrapped their plans for the East Blue. And for now, the World Government and Marine HQ don't have time to deal with us."
The tension drained from their faces, replaced by smiles all around.
They had done it. When Boss first laid out this plan, it had scared them half to death.
And then Mock's livestream reveal, that had scared them half to death too.
One shock after another.
But now...
The plan had succeeded. Everything had gone exactly as Dante intended.
Still, the group exchanged glances. One of them hesitated, then spoke up. "Boss, what Mock said-"
"That matter can wait! Everyone, get back to your duties." Dante waved a hand, cutting them off. He sighed. "For the time ahead... our priority is development. Full-scale development."
He gave them a pointed look. "Until the day the World Government finally notices, and realizes it can't afford to lay a finger on us."
--**--**
Early February.
Mock's explosive secrets deepened the chaos at sea. Meanwhile, on the other side...
The East Blue.
A tiny branch base.
Marine Branch 16 formally broke away from Marine HQ and declared its independence.
Just as Dante had anticipated, the seas grew increasingly chaotic. Countless pirates and opportunists stepped onto the global stage. The World Government and Marine HQ genuinely had no time to deal with them all.
They had to hunt down Mock while simultaneously guarding against every power-hungry schemer trying to exploit the chaos and shatter the existing order. It kept their forces scrambling across the globe.
The oceans were, to put it plainly, in total turmoil.
Even the Revolutionary Army seized the moment, launching uprisings in several nations.
But after leading the citizens to overthrow the sitting kings and nobles, the Revolutionary Army rushed off without managing the aftermath. They left behind nothing but a sprawling mess of squabbling factions. Before long, new kings would rise to power. New noble classes would form. The cycle would remain entirely unchanged.
Here, too, chaos rippled through the East Blue.
When Mock made his broadcast, he deliberately contained the signal within his own territory. He only blocked the feed from circulating on his immediate turf. Nearby member nations and the other half of the East Blue still caught the transmission. Predictably, a fresh wave of rookie pirates surged onto the waters during this period.
Of course, nothing went wrong inside his domain. Everyone went about their daily business without a second thought. After all, the 16th Branch was no longer the struggling outpost of the past.
To those rookie pirates, the 16th Branch was the ultimate gatekeeper of their starting sea. Those who came chasing so-called dreams and freedom either got hauled off for hard labor or slunk away to the other half of the East Blue to seek out their grand adventures.
As for trying to break through...
Smoker had the watch. How could a bunch of fledgling pirates ever get past him?
And Smoker was not the stubborn blockhead from the original story. With Marine HQ full backing and the 16th Branch's strategic "gifts," his base had undergone massive reinforcements. So while the East Blue saw some minor chaos, it remained firmly under control. Compared to the other four seas, it was essentially peaceful.
16th Branch kept its focus on development and training its core forces.
During this stretch, the branch also delivered the foot spa tub ordered by the Big Mom Pirates. They made it just in time for the birthday of the crew's captain, Charlotte Linlin.
Unlike the Whitebeard Pirates earth-shaped foot spa, the designers at the factory took a different approach for the Big Mom Pirates. Knowing the family was far larger, and knowing the captain's deep love for sweets, they designed a multi-tiered basin system.
The first tier was reserved for the matriarch alone. The second tier had exactly three seats, specifically built for the Sweet Commanders. The third tier offered enough spots for the Ministers. There was a fourth tier, a fifth... every effort was made to give each of Charlotte Linlin's thirty-nine daughters and forty-six sons a place to sit.
They also installed a customized water pump. The water from Linlin's personal basin would cascade down through every lower tier, ensuring each child could literally bask in their Mama's warmth!
As for the final seating arrangements, the Big Mom Pirates could sort that out among themselves.
The foot spa tub was, admittedly, a bit large. Transport posed real logistical challenges. The designers thoughtfully made each tier detachable so it could be easily shipped and reassembled. They even drew up a pristine blueprint. The Big Mom Pirates engineers would have no trouble putting it together on their own.
In the end, the completed tub resembled a towering layer cake. The entire crew praised it unanimously. Convinced their mama would love the gift, they even invited Kuma to her birthday party.
Except, Kuma turned them down flat.
They got an update soon after. The Aquabliss Foot Spa was a massive hit, so much so that their mama actually praised them for the purchase. She couldn't wait to start soaking her feet, and in the end, it kicked off a grand and thoroughly unconventional birthday party. The whole family was so radiant that more than a few of the children remarked they hadn't felt their mama's affection like this in years.
On top of that, they invited all the guests at the party to join in. The positive reviews were unanimous.
It was a truly joyous occasion.
Customer satisfaction remained the core mission of the 16th Branch.
As for Vegapunk, he was still locked away working, though he did emerge once during this stretch to dump out a pile of new inventions.
He also cranked out the production line for East Blue No. 1, which was already running steadily. Manufacturing just one unit was still expensive and time-consuming, and the process itself was incredibly complicated. But compared to relying on Vegapunk's unpredictable personal schedule, it was a massive improvement.
At this rate, they would hit the ten-thousand-pill target in no time.
Except, after handing over the production line, Vegapunk went right back into intense research. He claimed his clone was nearly finished and he absolutely did not want to be disturbed.
Dante found it a little disappointing, but for the sake of future progress, he let the old scientist have his peace. Besides, the pile of inventions Vegapunk had already churned out was plenty for their current needs. There was no real rush.
The Marine Academy was fully operational now. They had used this window to expand recruitment, which ballooned the 16th Branch's roster significantly. That meant Zephyr and Ain were suddenly incredibly busy.
At the same time, production of the Viagra Pills and Aqua Ursa had ramped up, giving the academy's training quality a tremendous boost.
Dante stood at the academy grounds, watching the new marines train with boisterous energy, and nodded to himself in approval.
===============
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