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The Sea of Bastia, Almeria Island – June 10, 1517 (Marine Calendar)
It was a special day.
After spending several days searching, Itchi finally found Trafalgar Law—but not in the town of Branca, as expected. Instead, he located him near another island in this sea, out on the vast ocean.
Almeria Island was a bustling port town, with ships from all directions stopping here to replenish their supplies of fresh water, food, and other necessities. There was only one reason for this: it housed the Marine's 162nd Branch Base, making it relatively safe and free from pirate harassment.
Ordinary pirates, even those relentlessly pursued by the Marines, rarely dared to attack a Marine base. Doing so would be seen as an affront to the authority of the Marines, escalating their crimes far beyond the norm. To deter such brazen acts, the Marines ensured that any pirate foolish enough to attack a Marine stronghold would face swift retribution, including the potential deployment of a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters.
Only the boldest pirates—those who ruled supreme in the New World, like the Four Emperors (Yonko)—would dare challenge the Marines head-on. Even taking on these Yonko required the Marines to prepare for all-out war, mobilizing most of their elite forces.
On the somewhat crowded docks of Almeria, over a dozen ships of various sizes were docked. Among them, a medium-sized merchant vessel slowly began to leave the harbor.
"That is…"
From the tall watchtower, a Marine officer stared at the massive fortress-like structure approaching on the horizon and couldn't help but gasp aloud.
"It's Germa 66!!!"
"The giant sea slug carrying that 'War House,' and the black flag with the '66' emblem—it can't be mistaken…"
Other Marines, upon recognizing the incoming War House, broke into cold sweats.
"Quick! Report this to Colonel Brande!"
A Marine lieutenant wiped away his dripping sweat.
"Clack, clack…"
"Hurry, assemble everyone!!"
Within minutes, the entire 162nd Marine Branch was mobilized.
Rows of fully armed Marines quickly gathered at the port, standing ready. Such was the overwhelming intimidation of "Germa 66," the Evil Army!
Although Germa Kingdom was technically one of the World Government's allied nations, the mere mention of this "evil organization" still struck fear into the hearts of people across North Blue.
The commotion alarmed the merchants, residents, and travelers at the port, many of whom assumed a major pirate attack was imminent, despite the presence of the 162nd Marine Branch guarding the town.
"What's going on?"
"Oh no, are pirates attacking?"
"No, look—it's…"
"It's… IT'S GERMA 66!!!"
"Colonel Brande is here too. Could this 'Demon Legion' really be planning to attack us? No way…"
Crowds of civilians and merchants began to panic, unsure what to expect.
Colonel Brande, commander of the 162nd Marine Branch, arrived at the port moments after receiving the report. Despite occasionally extorting "protection fees" from passing traders, he was generally considered a responsible Marine officer.
Gazing at the looming War House of Germa 66 in the distance, his expression darkened. He ordered his adjutant, "Send a patrol ship to inquire about their intentions."
After a brief pause, he added, "And prepare to request reinforcements from Headquarters if necessary."
Before they understood Germa 66's purpose, they wouldn't directly call for reinforcements from Marine HQ—only report the situation. After all, Germa was officially an ally of the World Government. Over the years, aside from participating in mercenary wars, they hadn't engaged in outright piracy or plundering, maintaining a facade of legality.
But caution was paramount when dealing with this notorious war organization. No one could completely trust them!
Several Marine vessels—both medium-sized warships and smaller patrol boats—appeared alongside the War House, though none dared to block its path.
"Ichi-sama, we've arrived at Almeria Island. This is the base of the 162nd Marine Branch. The Marines have sent someone to ask why we're here…"
Captain Holden of the Fifth Squad approached Itchi, who was pounding away at an alloy pillar during training. His face was serious.
"We're already here?"
With a final swing, Itchi stopped his workout and wiped the sweat from his brow.
He stepped forward to the bow of the War House, standing atop the head of the colossal sea slug beneath them. Glancing at the Marine ships cautiously approaching from both sides, he chuckled. "Looks like our reputation in Germa precedes us. Not pirates, yet we've stirred up such a fuss among the Marines…" He wasn't here to provoke anyone; he simply needed to find someone. Moreover, the person he sought wasn't on this island.
"But they're wasting their efforts…"
Ignoring the Marine captain preparing to negotiate, Itchi leapt high into the air.
"Snap, snap…"
"He… he's flying!!"
"Gulp! Running through the air? That's insane…"
"Could Germa's target be that merchant ship?"
To the amazement of the watching Marines, loud sonic booms echoed as a red figure moved at an incredible speed, seemingly "running" across the sky toward a merchant vessel hundreds of meters away. The ship had just departed the harbor and was attempting to steer clear after recognizing Germa 66's flag.
"To run through the air like that… incredible…"
Onboard the merchant ship, a fluffy polar bear wearing an orange jumpsuit watched the red figure speeding across the ocean surface. With wide eyes, it scratched its head quizzically and turned to a young man nearby holding an unusually long nodachi tied with red rope and adorned with small cross-shaped patterns along its scabbard.
"But, Captain, he's not here for us, is he?"
What surprised everyone further was that the young man wore a casual hooded long-sleeve shirt, a furry winter cap with leopard spots, distinctive dark circles under his eyes, and two golden earrings on each ear.
"If I hadn't been sharp-eyed, we might've missed him entirely…"
Before the young man could respond, Itchi landed on the deck of the ship using Soru (Moon Step), much to the shock of the passengers and crew onboard.
"Trafalgar Law, I've been looking for you for a long time!"
Upon hearing those words, the young man's pupils contracted sharply.