A few days had passed since the "Black Calamity" was dragged from the depths, eyes rolled back and tail firmly gripped by the man who had systematically dismantled its pride.
After a brief report to the Royal Palace and finishing the ship's resupply, Krieg was now preparing to depart the port town of Acacia—not on the deck of his ship, but astride the very monster he had conquered.
「Rear Admiral! Are you really not coming aboard?」 the Major called out from the deck of the Charlotte Angie, having been entrusted with temporary command of the vessel.
「I'll head back once I'm satisfied! I need to get used to handling this thing, and he's still got a rebellious streak in him!! Until then, the bridge is yours!」 Krieg shouted back.
Krieg was clearly eager to test the capabilities of his new subordinate. While his absence from the command chair was usually only felt during high-stakes battles against massive bounties, the crew watched with a mix of awe and trepidation.
「Also, Cotton-chan is insisting on going with you! What should I tell her?」
「I don't mind! I authorize the sortie of Kafu and Provisional Third-Class Private Cotton. But I'll need to forge a new saddle and reins later... I need something with more durability,」 Krieg muttered to himself, testing the seat of his makeshift leatherwork.
The Fighting Fish beneath him was a nightmare made flesh: jet-black, iron-hard scales, a maw lined with teeth that reached all the way to the base of its skull, and a pair of massive, inward-curving horns.
Despite the jagged scar on its right side, it looked every bit the apex predator. Krieg had named it Magatsuno—the "Calamitous Horn."
For now, it floated in the harbor with a look of extreme reluctance, held in check by the hastily fashioned reins.
Cotton, meanwhile, was perched on Krieg's shoulder. She wore a specially adjusted harness (hand-crafted meticulously by Krieg himself) that allowed her to ride Kafu comfortably without hindering the bird's flight.
「I'm honestly stunned-less. To tame a Fighting Fish... and for a big-human to do it alone... I have to take back what I thought about your kind-less,」 she admitted, her respect for the "weak" human reaching a new peak.
「Hah! Don't get too impressed. He's still a handful. Even if he's 'calmed down,' he still tries to buck me off the moment I look away.」
Krieg wasn't exaggerating. Magatsuno was a young, hot-blooded specimen with a massive ego.
His horns had been his greatest pride among his school, and while he knew he was currently no match for the man who had scarred them, he still threw occasional fits of rage.
Usually, these were silenced by a low, menacing growl from Krieg or a sharp kick to the flank.
With a deep-sea mount, a mechanical scouting bird, and a Tontatta reconnaissance expert, Krieg's mobile unit was now complete.
「Hahaha! This is incredible!! It's more maneuverable than the ship and the speed is top-notch! Nothing beats feeling the wind directly on your skin! ...I said quit thrashing, or I'll turn you into sun-dried jerky.」
Krieg laughed heartily as they zipped across the waves, though his voice dropped to a terrifying whisper for that last part.
「You're going too fast-less! Don't get too far from the ship-less! That's what the Major-san said-less!!」 Cotton shouted, trying to temper Krieg's high spirits as she remembered the Major's desperate plea for her to "look after the Rear Admiral."
As they accelerated away from Dressrosa, the group remained blissfully unaware of a ship watching from the silhouette of a nearby island. It flew no flag, but its prow bore the unmistakable, mocking shape of a Flamingo.
Blunt Bear's Vacation:
A year after finishing his patrol in the New World, Krieg found himself in the research laboratory of the Marineford Engineering Division. Beside him sat a massive, reinforced tank containing a very grumpy Magatsuno.
「So, that's the gist of it. I saw some guys out there using fish as mounts—they had handles, steps, the whole deal. I want something like that, but with lights and integrated weaponry...」
Krieg laid out his proposal to the lead of his personal armament squad—the man currently responsible for the "Militarista Project." The technician was currently pressing himself as far against the back wall as possible.
「Um... sir? That thing is... it's really glaring at me...」
「Oh, ignore that. This is a Fighting Fish. Their temperament is pure ferocity. If it moves, they crush it—even if the target is ten times their size.
They use those horns and teeth to pulverize anything in their path. This one has sunk more ships than I can count. Probably eaten more sailors, too. Maybe.」
「Why would you bring such a terrifying monster in here?!」 the chief technician shrieked. 「Just give me the dimensions and a photo and take that thing away! Get it out of my lab!」
「Eh? I was going to leave him with you while I went on vacation...」
「ABSOLUTELY NOT!」
With the technician's frantic refusal ringing in his ears, Krieg shrugged. Is it really that scary? He began pushing the heavy cart holding Magatsuno's tank down the hallway, drawing gasps of horror from passing Marines, until he reached the Fleet Admiral's office.
Knock, knock.
「Enter.」
Krieg rolled the tank into the room. Sengoku looked up, eyes widening as he took in the prehistoric-looking predator currently gnashing its teeth at his desk.
「Krieg reporting, sir! I have returned from patrol!」
Sengoku massaged his temples. 「...I am going to ignore the fish for exactly five minutes. Good work on the New World patrol. Give me the summary.」
Krieg snapped to attention and began his briefing on the movements of the great powers.
「First, regarding the Three Great Pirates: 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate continues his usual circuit of his territory. The Moby Dick is mostly sailing solo, likely maintaining communication lines with his subordinate crews.
Next, 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin. Her nation, Totto Land, is rapidly expanding its influence. Her children—specifically Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker, and Snack—are proving to be formidable threats.
Most concerning is 'King of the Beasts' Kaido. Following his conflict with Gecko Moria in Wano, he has rapidly consolidated power.
It appears he has formed an alliance with the top brass of Wano. The security of the region has plummeted, and almost the entire country is now under his thumb.」
「I see,」 Sengoku mused. 「Wano is a non-affiliated country, so the Government won't intervene unless absolutely necessary. Big Mom's expansion is the more immediate headache—I've heard reports of her burning several islands to the ground recently.」
「Yes, unfortunately. Furthermore, the return of Red-Haired Shanks to the New World caused quite a stir among the mid-tier crews, though the Three Great Pirates themselves haven't shifted their stance yet.」
「If the balance holds, that is enough for now. They certainly keep me on edge.」
「I've detailed the movements of the smaller factions in my written report, sir. Here.」
「Good. ...Is the fish in the report as well?」
「Yes, sir. Full biological data and combat assessment.」
「Fine. There are no urgent missions for your unit at the moment. Take some time to rest.」
「In that case, I'd like to request a month of leave.」
「A month? Planning a trip to the other seas?」
「I'll be stopping by Faust Island as usual, but after that... I'm thinking of a trip to the sky.」
Sengoku blinked. 「The sky? You don't mean... Skypiea?」
「Exactly. I've heard the legends, but I've never seen it for myself. I figured it would be a good experience.」
「Sky Island, eh...」 Sengoku sighed. He looked at the mountain of paperwork on his desk and then back at Krieg.
「I won't stop you. But! Listen to me! Do your research and be careful! If you manage to die up there, it won't even be a funny story.
Though, knowing you, you'll probably just end up bringing back a cloud-fish.」
Sengoku signed the leave papers, already mentally reshuffling the Navy's deployment schedule to cover for the absence of his most eccentric Rear Admiral.
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