One Piece: The Sacred Justice Chapter

1

The golden rays of sunlight cast a warm glow over the pink-haired's desk, whose expression remained serene as he fidgeted with his pen, his gaze fixated on the window as he accommodated his glasses.

It was the usual peaceful silence, barely interrupted by the sound of soldiers' footsteps and low chatter. Suddenly, the man was snapped out of his reverie when a group of recruits rushed towards him, their features etched with worry.

"Fleet Admiral Koby, sir!" One of them gasped out.

"First of all, I need you to calm down." Koby rose from his seat, gesturing for the youngsters to steady themselves.

Right then, a blond man appeared at the doorway, leaning against its wooden frame.

"Ah, Helmeppo." The pink-haired rose from his seat with a smile. "What's the situation?"

"Just a hoard of pirates heading to the base, nothing too serious." He sarcastically replied. "Now, get your ass off that desk and let's get to work, shall we?"

As the soldiers ran to their places, the two men ambled amidst the assembling troops. A gigantic vessel headed towards the dock, a common sight in the grounds of Sakuranbo, the New Marine's headquarters.

As soon as the ship docked, a robust young man made his appearance. With his fiery red hair and boisterous laughter, everyone braced themselves for the upcoming confrontation. He stepped forward with a confident mien, completely ignoring the fact that he was just a few feet away from one of the most powerful units of the New Marine.

"Alrighty, boys." He turned to face his crewmates with a grin. "Let's have ourselves some fun."

The soldiers' focus diverted towards the rest of men, who shot themselves towards the battle, their voices in unison as they all let out a deafening cry. The salty breeze blended with the scent of gunpowder as the redhead roamed the base, intending to access their versatile arsenal; currently, one of the most coveted loots amongst pirates during those times.

He checked installation after installation, knocking out soldier after soldier. Frustration, borne of his impatience, began to get the best of him as he wandered the labyrinthine hallways, his movements becoming more brusque with every step as his assertiveness began to falter.

"Come on... I can't get outsmarted by a bunch of dipshits..."

His heart skipped a beat when he realized he wasn't the only person there. He slowly turned around, his muscles tense with anticipation. Relief washed over him when all he saw was a slim figure lurking from the shadows, her expression unreadable.

"How adorable. A fun-sized Marine? Man, I didn't know they had those."

Clearly unimpressed, the lass analyzed him thoroughly before taking a cautious step forward.

"Go away."

The redhead only scoffed, skeptical towards her appearance, which was everything but baleful. He ignored her warning and continued walking.

"You can't be here."

"Do I look like I care?" He abruptly turned to face her, yet the colleen remained surprisingly composed.

"Let me say somethin' clear, princess." He yanked her shirt's collar. "Ain't no way in hell I'll let myself get beaten by a meddling little twat like you."

There was no answer.

"Aww... What's that? Cat got your tongue?" His voice softened with mock awe. It seemed like he had taken the lead, but her response was surely a game changer...