The group set sail in the early evening, while the sky still had a pink glow in the sky. Pankhu had warmly hugged his granddaughter and Arthur guessed that there was something more than tenderness in this goodbye: it was hope. Hope that the team would find the stele and bring it back, of course, but also hope that Emmy would not be the traitor they were looking for. As he set sail, the young soldier could not contain a certain anxiety : this sea voyage would probably last a few days, and the presence of passengers still unknown on board did not bode well. As innocent as they seemed, these people had an ally of the pirates in their group, and the crossing might turn into a massacre if they could not quickly unmasked him. Underneath their wise attitude, they were more dangerous than they seemed. Igana, the eldest, had a body as solid as a rock and a face as closed as a prison door. Soles, whose face was hidden behind his blond curls and bifocals, had a mind as sharp as a blade. Finally, Emmy, the youngest, was their compass : her bill-bill fruit was to guide them all to the stele, but perhaps was it leading them into a deadly trap.
Haru and Zell were on duty until dawn. The crew could not therefore count on them to notice any suspicious signs. If there was a traitor on board, he would probably not try anything the first night, but Arthur was convinced that he would not sleep until the matter was resolved. So he decided to observe their new passengers carefully.
Emmy was giving directions to Jorge, at the helm : thanks to her powers, which were frankly practical, she knew exactly in which direction to go. Zell had joined them to flirt with the young woman, and Arthur noted with amusement that his approaches were lighter than he had thought. Soles had offered to help Jun in the kitchen, a very brave decision given the atrocious nature of the young woman. Yet when Arthur put his ear to the kitchen door, he heard no shouting, no insults. Even more surprisingly, he seemed to hear Jun's laugh, something that had never happened since he had known her.
There was no trace of Igana, who had been hiding in the hold. The young soldier, continuing his investigation, decided to go down there discreetly to observe their passenger. She was crouched in a corner, completely absorbed in her activity. Suddenly, while he had shown the greatest care to remain discreet, she turned her head in his direction and quickly put away what was occupying her in her bag. She glanced at him with a look as cold as a northern wind, and rushed back on deck. Of course, this event aroused the suspicions of Arthur, who never stopped watching her after this.
The meal was surprisingly convivial : Myr laughed with the rest of the team, Emmy and Soles joined in the comical effusion of conversation. The young soldiers told their new companions about their adventures on cyclops Island, and the two scholars asked many questions, their eyes sparkling with curiosity. Igana was smiling more than usual, which considerably reassured Arthur. Nevertheless, she remained the number one suspect, and he regretted that Haru and Zell were already on duty : they were both perceptive enough to sniff out the danger in advance.
At nightfall, once the meal was over, Myr cleared his throat and began a presentation of the ennemies to his comrades.
- These guys belong to Zodiac, a group of pirates who have been discreet lately. Helio, their captain, used to be one of the biggest thugs in Grand Line, but he suddenly changed his ways to a more passive style some time ago. We still don't know why. His bounty then froze at 200,000,000 bellies.
- 200,000,000 ? shouted Jorge, sweating. That's ten times Slayer's bounty!
- I know, confirmed Myr, it's a very big fish. His crew is composed of twelve officers, each of them representing one of the signs of the Zodiac. You've already met Scorpio, Leo, Taurus and Aquarius.
With these words, he placed four « wanted » posters on the table, and the crew members were astonished to discover the bounties for which their last opponents were wanted :
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MARINES - A ONE PIECE story (ENGLISH) - Part I
Fiksi PenggemarA hundred years before the golden age of piracy. A hundred years before the era of Gol D. Roger. The Marine is at the top of its power. When vice-admiral Myr decides to compose a team of promising young soldiers, they do not know they are about to...