Having successfully completed the mission to recruit Gecko Moria, I found myself back at Marineford, standing in the office of Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
「I see. Good work. I'll relay the outcome to the Five Elders myself.」
Sengoku offered a rare nod of appreciation, signaling that he would handle the remaining bureaucracy. But I wasn't quite done. I had intelligence to drop that wasn't in the official mission brief.
「Thank you, sir. However, there's an additional matter. Regarding Gecko Moria... he possesses a rather troublesome military asset.」
「Troublesome? Something that could threaten the Navy?」
「Potentially. Sir, are you familiar with the 'Continent-Puller' legend?」
「The old folk tale? Yes, vaguely. What does that have to do with Moria?」
「It seems he has acquired the corpse of the man who started that legend: Oars. The ancestor of Little Oars Jr., who currently serves under Whitebeard.」
「He has that giant's body...? Hmph. A nuisance, certainly, but Moria isn't the type of fool to openly turn his back on the Navy—not now, at least.」
Sengoku seemed more annoyed by the paperwork than the threat. I tended to agree; in the original timeline, Oars was missing an arm and only became a true terror after Dr. Hogback's surgical modifications. Without Hogback, he's just a massive, immobile block of frozen meat.
「Also, he showed a keen interest in 'Teach'.」
「Does he plan on leaving that fog-filled sea to pursue him?」
「The possibility isn't zero. How should we proceed? Should we intervene?」
Honestly, knowing Moria, after losing to Kaido, he's shifted entirely to a 'let the subordinates handle it' style. Unless pushed, he'll likely stay tucked away in the Florian Triangle forever.
「...No. For now, we watch. We've just appointed two new Warlords. If one of them is stripped of his title immediately, the Government will lose face.」
Satisfied that Moria was manageable, Sengoku shifted the conversation to the other seat.
「Oh? Does that mean the negotiations with Jinbe went smoothly?」
「Yes. Kuzan handled the negotiations personally. Jinbe accepted, though he came with conditions: the pardon and release of former slaves who escaped during the Mariejois raid, and the release of captured Sun Pirate members. Including that fishman, Arlong, whom you mentioned after your trip to Fishman Island.」
「Ah, the one who tried to raid a Marine base after Fisher Tiger was 'ambushed'... It seems even an Admiral takes this recruitment seriously if he went in person.」
I kept my tone neutral, even though I knew the truth. When the three Admirals and I had our secret meeting, we'd already coordinated Arlong's release.
Kuzan had volunteered for the public mission specifically to project the image that the Navy considered the fishmen's cooperation vital for world peace.
「You have a bit of a bite to your words, Krieg. Are you still opposed to the capture of Fisher Tiger? Kuzan practically begged me for this assignment, insisting it was a bridge that had to be built. But it was a shame about Tiger... we would have preferred to take him alive.」
「Then why use such forceful methods?」 I asked, my voice cold. 「All he did was return a former slave girl to her home.」
「...That is a sore point,」 Sengoku sighed. 「But capturing him was a matter of Government prestige. An urgent necessity. Surely, you of all people understand that.」
「Personally, I don't find it acceptable. But as a member of this organization, I understand I have no choice.」
「Hmph. I forgot, your brand of Justice is 'Selfish.' I won't ask you to agree, just to follow orders.」
I gave a curt salute and exited the office. I couldn't help but smirk as the door closed behind me.
Prestige or not, I thought, Fisher Tiger is very much alive.
The New Vessel: Rear Admiral Krieg
The day after reporting to Sengoku, Krieg stood within the massive dry docks of the Marine Shipbuilding Base.
Formerly just a standard Grand Line branch, it had been reorganized into the "Shipbuilding Division" as part of the Four Seas Dominance Project, focusing exclusively on the construction and maintenance of specialized vessels.
As three masked giants moved heavy steel beams in the background, Krieg walked alongside the Division Chief toward the innermost dock.
「Hoh... so this is it.」
「Yes, sir. Modeled after the Charlotte Angie which you personally proposed, this is the newly built Fine Izetta.」
Before them lay a vessel with a sleek, elegant silhouette. Though its masts and weaponry were not yet installed, the lineage was undeniable.
「She looks like a sister ship to the Charlotte Angie... no, there are subtle differences.」
「Correct. We've retained the Barque-style rigging, but as she was built from the ground up, we've made several refinements.」
「A Barque-style... which means?」
「As you know, the advantage of a Barque is that it requires a significantly smaller crew than a standard square-rigged ship.
Furthermore, we've introduced extensive automation in the rigging lines.
The Vanguard Unit has limited numbers, so we've ensured she can be operated with a fraction of the usual Marine complement.
Additionally, like the Charlotte Angie, she has a flat bottom for shallow-water navigation and a hull lined with Sea Prism Stone (Kairouseki).」
「What about the paddle wheels? Was that too difficult?」
「Indeed. Paddle-ship technology is still in its infancy, and our technical proficiency isn't quite there for a mass-produced military vessel.
More importantly, your unit undergoes long-term deployments. If a paddle-wheel breaks in a remote branch, they wouldn't have the specialized parts or knowledge to fix it. We prioritized reliability and ease of repair.」
「...A sound argument. Even Angie has to rely on local branches for maintenance from time to time.」
「However! We have implemented your 'Screw Theory'!」
「You managed to make a propeller practical?!」 Krieg's eyes widened. 「But isn't the technical hurdle even higher than paddles?」
「Well... calling it 'practical' is a stretch. After consulting with the Technical and Science Divisions, we confirmed that a rotating blade can create thrust along its axis.
Your theory involved steam engines or electricity for full automation, but since those are even newer than paddle tech, we hit a wall.」
「Then why install it?」
「For emergency use! We've installed a 'Purely Manual' propulsion system!」
「...Manual?」
「Yes! The mechanism is similar to a bicycle. One pedals to transmit power to the propeller. ...Of course, the resistance is so immense that a normal human can't even budge the pedals.」
「...Don't tell me I'm the engine?」
「Exactly! For someone with your strength, Rear Admiral, it should be no problem! And as the theorist, it's only fitting.
We're using this as a test case for future automation. Since the 'Manual Screw' relies mostly on simple gears, it's incredibly easy to repair at any base.
It's durable, and if you pedal with everything you've got, the speed will be... formidable.」
「...I suppose I'll cooperate, since I suggested it. High speed in an emergency is worth the effort.」
「Excellent! Please ensure you submit a detailed report every time you use the manual drive.」
「...I'll do my best. Aside from the Screw Theory, how is the 'Caterpillar Theory' coming along?」
「Ah, the 'Caterpillar' project... a prototype was completed. However, since we tried to adapt paddle-wheel parts for the treads, the engine and the mechanism ended up being... gargantuan. We're currently struggling to downsize it for practical use on land or amphibious craft.」
Krieg nodded, discussing the future of Marine logistics with the Chief. While his "prophecies" of modern technology were currently limited by the era's engineering, the seeds of a mechanized Navy were clearly being sown.
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