Freedom Vs. Justice

Chapter One

Isuka stared at the man before her, and blinked, unimpressed.  "I'm sorry, sir," she deadpanned, not in the least bit sorry.  "I've requested a transfer out of your division."

Vice Admiral Draw lay in a bed in the med-bay with burns covering his arms - fitting, she thought, fingers twitching, when the scars marked on her hands were Draw's doing, even if she had only just realized it.  His face also appeared an ugly purple, the kind that stayed for weeks on end.  Isuka felt a spark of gratitude towards Fire Fist.

Draw  certainly deserved the beating Fire Fist gave him, she thought bitterly.

"Why?" Draw demanded, face drawn into a repulsive frown.  "You are an Ensign under my command, and -"

"It's already been approved, Vice Admiral," she continued.  "I will from this point on I will be under the direction of Captain Smoker in Loguetown."

Isuka had done her research - many pirates stopped at Loguetown to commemorate the late Pirate King, almost as if they were asking his blessing before they sailed to the Grand Line.  However, there was an officer there with the rank of a captain - and he let not even one pirate escape, which could be a good thing....or a bad thing.

Catching pirates was good and all, but at what cost?  Draw didn't consider the cost, but did Captain Smoker?  Thus, Isuka would go and investigate.  She wouldn't let any more people be murdered for the marines' so called 'justice'.

Draw studied her, still looking so.....dissatisfied.  Usually, that look would have her snapping to attention, eager to prove herself.  "Why would you go from the Grand Line to the weakest of all the Blues, Ensign?"

Isuka lifted her chin - she wouldn't be intimidated by him ever again.  In fact, she knew for a fact that he wouldn't even be a marine for much longer.  Around a week ago she had contacted Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp.  He was, she knew, one of the better marines, and she knew that he would take the necessary steps involving Draw.

'Necessary' meaning he'd be fired.  Garp hadn't even asked any questions - he'd just laughed and told her "okay".

"As I am no longer under your supervision, sir, I am under no obligation to answer you," she said.

Draw's face became so red it made his already purple face look blotchy.  "As a Vice Admiral I order you to tell me why you are getting a transfer -"

She turned to leave.  "Vice Admiral?" she heard herself say.  "We don't have room in the navy for scum like you."

Draw spat at her, ranting something about pirates.  Pirates, pirates, pirates - an excuse, she called it, to cause wanton chaos.  But she didn't listen long, because she was already out the door.

Once out of the room, she gave a deep sigh of relief and sagged against the wall.  Wiping the water from her eyes, she stayed there for a couple of minutes.

After she had learned that Draw wasn't the man she thought he was, she felt lost.  Like she was stuck in a stormy ocean with no log pose to guide her out.

Even now, it hurt to see that illusion stripped away.  But she couldn't let other families suffer at the corrupt hands of the marines, who twist the navy's ideology into something unrecognizable, be hurt by such people.

The marines protected people, and that was what she had sworn to do - and so she would.  From pirates or fellow marines, so be it.

If pirates could be good, it only made sense that marines could be bad.