The matter of Luffy being wanted was quickly brushed aside by the Straw Hat Pirates. However, elsewhere, the news caused quite a commotion.
The Marine branch in Shells Town, which had good relations with the Straw Hats, and the branch where Fullbody was stationed were particularly shocked. They both knew Luffy and his crew to be good people and officially certified Private Marines. By all logic, Luffy should not have been wanted.
Both branches contacted the Commodore of the East Blue Marine Headquarters to report everything they knew about Luffy and the Private Marine program. The Commodore, already on his way to Cocoyasi Village to investigate the Arlong Pirates and arrest Captain Nezumi, received the reports. After reading them, he realized he might have been deceived by Nezumi's false testimony.
Monkey D. Luffy, far from being a criminal, seemed to be a beacon of hope for the East Blue Marines. While it was odd that he operated as a Private Marine, it was clear he belonged to their ranks.
With this revelation, the lieutenant general accelerated his investigation. His goal now was to clear Luffy's name, provide official proof of his innocence, and cancel the bounty as soon as possible.
At the same time...
On an unnamed island in the Grand Line, Shanks held Luffy's wanted poster in his hand, a fond smile tugging at his lips.
"Luffy… so you've finally made it," Shanks said softly. "You're carving out your own path as a pirate…"
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Ace—preparing to leave the Whitebeard Pirates to hunt down Blackbeard—caught sight of his brother's wanted poster. His eyes widened, and he smiled.
"Luffy…" Ace murmured. "Guess I'll have to visit my little brother. It's been two years."
One day later...
The investigation into the events at Cocoyasi Village was completed. The Commodore, initially planning to interrogate Captain Fullbody, redirected his efforts to apprehend Captain Nezumi instead. Nezumi was taken into custody, and Fullbody was promoted to fill his position as the new Captain of the Marine branch.
The full report on the East Blue events was sent to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who sighed in relief upon confirming that Garp's grandson had done nothing illegal.
As for Luffy flying the skull-and-crossbones flag, Sengoku decided not to pursue the matter. After all, Marine regulations didn't explicitly forbid it. More importantly, the practice had spread—many Marine warships now flew modified skull-and-crossbones flags.
The most popular design was a flag with a sword piercing a skull, signifying anti-piracy efforts. The Marines who adopted these flags referred to themselves as "Eagle Marines," and the trend was growing.
This development led Sengoku to call Garp into his office again for a stern conversation. Garp's influence as a Marine hero was undeniable, and his actions were bound to inspire imitation. The recent flag incident was a prime example.
No matter how much Sengoku reprimanded him, Garp remained indifferent, laughing off the criticism. Eventually, he left Marineford and returned to the East Blue on his warship, still flying his signature dog-headed flag.
Near Loguetown, dozens of nautical miles away...
Screams echoed from a pirate ship flying a traditional skull-and-crossbones flag. Ikki stood aboard, delivering justice with ruthless efficiency.
This was the third pirate ship Ikki had attacked near Loguetown. After arriving in the area, he instructed the Going Merry to patrol the waters. Many pirates stopped in Loguetown to rest before venturing into the Grand Line, making it an ideal hunting ground for justice.
Ikki made the most of the opportunity, systematically targeting pirate crews. Though the justice points earned from defeating each crew were modest—300 to 500 points per ship—they added up.
If it were a rookie pirate group, they were lucky to have a ship with a justice value of even 100, let alone 300 to 500.
As Ikki and Zoro rowed back toward the Going Merry in a small boat, Zoro wiped his blade and asked curiously, "So, what we're doing... is this really what the Marines should be doing?"
"Of course! We're a righteous Private Marine!" Ikki declared confidently.
Zoro didn't care much about Marine ideology or allegiances. The main reason he had tagged along with Ikki was to gain more combat experience. However, after taking down three pirate ships, he was starting to feel unimpressed.
"These guys were all weaklings," Zoro muttered. "Most of them couldn't even handle one swing of my Oni Giri."
Once they returned to the Going Merry, Ikki announced that he would no longer be hunting pirates in open waters. "The efficiency is just too low," he explained. "It's better to head straight to Loguetown and block the port there."
He checked his justice points again. Just over 1,000 more were needed to reach the amount required for ten golden draws. Ikki was determined to finish his draws before entering the Grand Line.
Under Nami's command, the Going Merry set sail for Loguetown, the Town of Beginning and Ending. The town earned its name because it was where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, both started his journey to find the legendary ONE PIECE and met his end at the execution platform.
A few nautical miles from Loguetown, the towering outlines of the town came into view.
"This town looks huge!" Sanji said, excitement in his voice. "There's bound to be a market selling fresh ingredients. I want to check it out."
Luffy grinned eagerly. "I'm going to see it—the execution platform where the Pirate King stood!"
Zoro glanced at the two swords at his waist and thought to himself, 'I need a new blade. I'll find one here.'
Currently, Zoro carried two swords: the Wado Ichimonji, inherited from Kuina, and Kuina, the Zanpakuto. During his fight with Hatchan in Arlong Park, he had relied on his two-sword style. Now he needed a replacement to complete his Santoryu technique.
When Zoro mentioned his plan, Nami sidled up to him with a sly grin. "Do you even have enough money for a new sword? Need a loan? My interest rates are very reasonable!"
Zoro waved her off. "I don't need a loan."
After clearing out the three pirate ships with Ikki earlier, they hadn't gained much in terms of combat growth, but they had recovered a decent amount of treasure. It was more than enough to buy a good-quality sword.
Ikki, meanwhile, paid no attention to the banter among his crewmates. His eyes were locked on several pirate ships docked at Loguetown's port.
'If I remember correctly,' Ikki thought, 'the man in charge of Loguetown right now is Smoker, a Logia-type Devil Fruit user with the powers of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit.'
Smoker's Logia ability made him almost untouchable in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line for anyone without Haki. Since taking command of Loguetown, very few pirates had managed to leave the town unscathed.
Knowing this, Ikki planned to strike first. He would eliminate the pirates who foolishly came to Loguetown for supplies, even though they knew Smoker was there.
"Luffy, I'm heading ashore!" Ikki shouted. Without waiting for a response, he leapt over the side of the ship and dashed toward the port.
Every step Ikki took on the water created a splash and a burst of wind, allowing him to fly across the waves at incredible speed. His feet churned up a whirlwind, propelling him toward the docked pirate ships.
Usopp watched in amazement. "What's with Ikki? Does he have some kind of deep grudge against pirates? He charges at them every chance he gets!"
Luffy laughed, his trademark carefree grin plastered on his face. "Didn't I tell you before? Ikki's dream is to be a Marine."
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