MARINES - A ONE PIECE story (ENGLISH) - Part I

CHAPTER XXI - Yega, sages' birthplace

The vice-admiral took a sea map and observed it for a moment. Then he pointed to a very specific point, just south of East Blue : Yega was a tiny island, big enough to accommodate a small town, at most. It was on the border between the East sea and Calm Belt, just on their way.

- How is it that we received this transmission ? asked Zell. I thought it was a personal den-den mushi that you had in your room.

- It is in fact connected to the frequency of the Marine headquarters. If someone dials the emergency number, Marineford always receives the transmission, but the nearest ships also pick it up, so that they can respond quickly.

He looked at his map, then his watch, and finally his compass. After pacing his room for a few moments, he rushed to the deck to observe the sails.

- Haru, in which direction is the wind going?

- South, Southwest, Vice-Admiral.

- I see.

He then leaned on the wooden railing and observed the waves breaking against the hull. All of a sudden, he bawled :

- Alright, kids, let's go ! Head for Yega. The wind's on our side, we should be there in a few hours. I just hope it won't be too late...

Jorge worked at the helm, wielding it with dexterity to set the trajectory on the small island. They soon guessed they were on the right track, for a thick cloud of smoke was raising in the sky.

- Do you know this island ? Arthur asked to his mentor.

- I've never been there, but it's known as one of the five islands of knowledge. There are places of knowledge on the four great seas and on the Grand Line, cities full of culture and history, whose libraries are so rich that you can find all the answers in it. The most famous is Ohara, located at the bottom of West Blue, but Yega is not left out with its millions of books...

- Knowledge is therefore the greatest wealth of this small island... I'd bet that this attack is related to the contents of the library, Arthur deduced.

Myr looked at him with a bright smile.

- Always so smart, kiddo. Yeah, I think too... Such a poor island has nothing to offer. This is not the case with its library. I hope that there will not be too much damage when we arrive, the cultural heritage held by Yega is gigantic.

...

When the island was at sight, Haru pulled out her binoculars and concentrated as much as she could, trying to ignore the swell and rolling of the waves that hindered her qualities as an observer. The city was devoured by flames, and its observation haki allowed her, from where she was, to perceive screams and panic. A gigantic building of marble and lapis, located uphill of the city, reflected the white light of the burning sun.

- The fire comes from the city, she said. At first glance, the library is intact.

- I'm not convinced... mumbled Zell. Don't you think it's kinda fishy ?

- Yes, of course it is. We're going to have to organize, Myr said.

A plan of attack was decided : Arthur and Jorge, the fastest, would go to the library, while Myr, Zell and Jun would come to the aid of the inhabitants of the city. Haru, on the other hand, would stay on the Seagull to get an overview, and to warn them by den-den mushi if needed. Myr had picked up another one at Rough Town's base, a tiny one, which could fit into any pocket. He entrusted it to Arthur, in order to be able to call him in case of problems : if the vice-admiral was willing to avoid one thing, it was to reproduce the mistakes of their previous missions.