Dracule Mihawk naturally had no interest in Monkey D. Garp's absurd suggestion.
The Marines
Were not a place for him.
Rules.
Hierarchy.
Obligation.
None of it suited a man who sailed alone across the seas with nothing but his blade.
A solitary swordsman.
That was who he was.
And that would never change.
He turned slightly, his sharp gaze landing on Saint Roselith Seraphina.
"I look forward to our next duel."
With those simple words
He departed.
No hesitation.
No attachment.
Though their battle had been interrupted
It was far from meaningless.
Both had gained something.
Mihawk
Had found interest.
A spark in a world that had long since bored him.
And Seraphina
Had seen the summit.
The true peak of swordsmanship.
And the distance she still had to cross.
Although the battlefield lay within the Calm Belt, the scale of the battle could not be hidden.
The entire East Blue was shaken.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
Newspapers exaggerated wildly:
"Sea Kings Rampage in the Calm Belt!!"
"Falling Stars Strike the Ocean!!"
Panic followed.
Especially in Loguetown, the closest settlement to the incident.
Three days later.
Despite being called a "town," Loguetown was vast.
An island in its own right.
More importantly
It was the place where the Pirate King met his end.
"Loguetown… huh."
A man stood at the harbor, cigar smoke curling into the air.
Smoker.
Recently reassigned.
His eyes drifted toward the distant execution platform.
Memories surfaced.
Sixteen years ago
He had stood there as a boy.
Watching.
Gol D. Roger stood atop that platform.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Smiling in the face of death.
At fourteen
Smoker had admired him.
Even if he didn't fully understand what kind of man Roger was.
Back then
He had wanted to become a pirate.
To sail freely.
To explore the seas without restraint.
But reality was different.
Pirates were not heroes.
They brought chaos.
Destruction.
Suffering.
So he chose another path.
After consuming a Devil Fruit
He became a Marine.
To stand against the very freedom he once admired.
"…Roger."
Smoker exhaled smoke slowly.
"What kind of man were you…?"
At the same time
Orders arrived from Marineford.
Saint Roselith Seraphina
Was to return.
Promotion awaited.
Rear Admiral.
Before leaving
She needed to finalize all personnel assignments in the East Blue.
Originally
She intended to personally oversee Loguetown.
To stop pirates before they could enter the Grand Line.
But now
She had to entrust it to someone else.
Smoker was the perfect candidate.
Fresh from elite training.
Strong.
Resolute.
Uncompromising.
Thus
Before even settling into his previous post
He was reassigned to Loguetown.
Smoker didn't mind.
In fact
He preferred it.
Elsewhere
Hina had already made her move.
Shortly after taking command
She uncovered corruption within the Marine ranks.
Evidence.
Bribery.
Collusion.
The officer known as Nezumi
Was exposed.
And not just him.
A chain reaction followed.
Higher-ranking officers
Hidden behind layers of authority
Were dragged into the light.
Even attempts at interference
Were crushed.
Because this time
Saint Roselith Seraphina was watching.
The purge was ruthless.
Decisive.
Effective.
Sengoku praised the results.
But beneath that praise
Was concern.
"Keep this up…"
"…and I'll have no officers left to command."
It wasn't an exaggeration.
Corruption ran deep.
From the lowest ranks
To Marine Headquarters itself.
To fill the sudden gaps
Graduates from elite Marine training programs were rapidly promoted.
Some non-commissioned officers
Were elevated directly into command roles.
Among them
Hina rose quickly.
Her performance spoke for itself.
But when she heard that Seraphina would be leaving
Her composure shattered.
"Hina is very sad…"
"You came to the East Blue… and now you're leaving just like that…"
There was no dignity in her tone.
Only raw emotion.
Seraphina sighed softly.
"This is just a temporary separation."
"We are Marines."
"Our duty comes first."
"I'll return when I can."
Her tone
Calm.
Gentle.
Yet distant.
Elsewhere
Bruce stood in silence.
His expression firm.
He had made his decision.
He would not remain behind.
"Eldest Miss."
"I am CP0."
"My duty is to protect you."
His voice was steady.
Unshakable.
"You may be strong."
"But that does not change my role."
The memory of the Sea King battle lingered.
He had been unable to act.
Unable to protect.
That
Would not happen again.
Seraphina looked at him.
Then nodded.
"…Very well."
She could not refuse.
Within half a month
All arrangements were completed.
With special approval from Sengoku
She was granted permission to bring selected personnel to Headquarters.
Ten individuals.
To form the foundation of her command as a Rear Admiral.
Among them
Bruce.
Liva.
Kuina.
And several elite Marines from the training program.
The East Blue chapter
Was coming to an end.
And a new stage awaited.
At Marineford.