章 77: 77. I, Issho, Report To The Bureau!
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Grand Line.
Kingdom of Mannoroc.
As Akira's first stop in the Honey Plan, this place received significant attention from headquarters.
In just two months, the kingdom had regained its former prosperity.
Merchant ships came and went frequently, unloading box after box of goods ready for sale.
The island's population also increased dramatically, multiplying several times over.
The Marine Base, which originally occupied a small area, had expanded significantly due to the overwhelming enthusiasm of people joining the military.
And today, the kingdom was bustling once again.
"Make way, everyone! I'm strong and can help the Marines copy many powerful characters."
"Get in line, idiot! Just because I'm not bragging doesn't mean I'm weak. I survived a pirate with a 20 million bounty!"
"I've seen a Paramecia user before—he could make his boogers explode, and I can copy that."
"I saw someone who could pass through walls."
"Stop pushing! Didn't you hear the Rear Admiral? There are enough transformation leaves for everyone! It doesn't matter if you're early or late."
Outside the gate, many people waved newspapers in their hands, shouting and pushing to get in.
Among them were many imposing and powerful figures.
Dozens of soldiers were maintaining order.
Every ten minutes, twenty people were allowed in for an interview.
Inside the base.
"Listen up, everyone. The Marines want to copy the strong."
"So when you're writing, recall the most powerful person you've seen in your memory."
"It would be even better if you can copy a Demon Fruit power."
"Lastly, if you don't have an image of a strong person in your memory but feel physically capable, our officers will demonstrate their strength so you can copy it."
"You only have three chances to write. Start now!"
Soldiers spoke through loudspeakers, making announcements.
As the highest commander of the base, Rear Admiral Cole stood on a high platform, gripping his knife tightly, and seriously watching those seated below, writing with transformation leaves in hand.
Some people fainted from exhaustion before finishing their characters, a sign that the copied object exceeded their own strength.
If someone successfully completed their writing, soldiers would collect it, summon the copy, and then take them away to test their strength.
If they passed, their price would be set based on their ability or strength.
If the person agreed, the base would provide food and housing, and they only needed to be "prostitutes" without emotional attachment.
Some people, despite appearing strong, had never left the island and had never seen any powerful individuals.
In such cases, soldiers personally led them backstage to copy some lieutenants face to face.
Of course, the lieutenant was just a basic test, primarily to gauge whether the person had sufficient physical strength.
Once the test was passed, the base would spend several hours determining their upper limits.
Then, they would take out some suitable transformation leaves and summon the written copy to perform abilities in front of them.
Once the person had a clear impression of this replica in their memory, they could be arranged for mass production.
This process was both professional and efficient.
Basically, those who come for interviews, as long as their physical strength is above average, they won't be eliminated—they can stay and work for the Marines.
Of course, not everyone who comes here has good intentions.
In the morning, a pirate managed to sneak in and successfully copied a powerful individual using a transformation leaf.
This pirate believed the clone would obey him and ordered it to massacre the entire Marine Base.
The result was predictable.
The clone, a replica of Sakazuki that Rear Admiral Cole kept in reserve, wasn't even needed. The pirate was crushed into a pulp by the powerful figure he had cloned.
As for the base, they gained a transformation leaf with the strong man's name on it—free of charge.
As the crowd below dispersed, another wave of people arrived.
This cycle repeated endlessly.
Suddenly, Rear Admiral Cole frowned.
"Why is a blind man here for an interview?"
Among the new arrivals was a man who used a long knife as a cane, his eyes tightly shut.
But strangely enough, despite being blind, the man seemed able to navigate perfectly, following the crowd and finding his place with precision.
"It seems he's a master of Observation Haki," Cole muttered to himself.
As a Rear Admiral sent from headquarters, Cole wasn't inexperienced. Even if he hadn't mastered Haki, he was very familiar with it.
"My lord, should I go down and ask?" a soldier beside him inquired.
Cole shook his head. "No, he may be blind, but if he's mastered Observation Haki, he's definitely not ordinary."
"Such a person must be stronger than most. It's a shame he's blind, though, or we could have him copy a designated character."
Cole sighed.
Meanwhile, the blind man had already taken his seat.
As the sound of pens scratching on paper filled the room, he paused and slightly opened his closed eyes.
"So, this is the transformation leaf mentioned in the newspaper, made by Fleet Admiral Marine?"
"It doesn't look any different from ordinary leaves."
The blind man closed his eyes and murmured to himself.
But in the next moment, he seemed to realize something, and his expression filled with regret. His breathing became uneven as he sighed.
"The 59th day since I decided to keep my eyes shut... and I've relapsed again."
"Why couldn't I hold out for just two more days?"
He sighed again but quickly dismissed the thought.
He had relapsed for too long; there was no point in struggling anymore.
Feeling for the pen, he wrote down the name of the famous warrior he'd already chosen.
"Firewolf Norton."
The motions were smooth, though his face grew pale from the strain.
"Huh? So fast?" Rear Admiral Cole, who had been watching him closely, approached as soon as the man finished writing.
Picking up the transformation leaf, Cole was stunned.
"Firewolf Norton? The Logia user with a 300 million bounty who was defeated by Sakazuki-sama?"
Cole looked at the man with disbelief.
"Yes, I once fought him. He should be the strongest person I've ever encountered," the man confirmed.
Cole took a deep breath and threw the leaf into the open space without hesitation.
With a bang, Firewolf Norton appeared before everyone.
After confirming the identity and abilities of the clone, Cole looked at the man as if he'd discovered a treasure.
"May I ask your name, Mr. Blind Man?"
"Mr. Rear Admiral, you may call me Issho."
Outside the gate of a luxurious villa.
"Mr. Issho, this is the residence prepared by our 'Rehabilation Mannoroc Branch' for strong individuals like yourself," Rear Admiral Cole said, personally leading Issho and pointing to the high-end building in front of them.
Issho's eyelids twitched as if he was tempted to open his eyes again, but after a long internal struggle, he kept them shut.
"Thank you, Mr. Rear Admiral."
"You're welcome. Rest up first. We'll start mass-producing Norton clones tomorrow. This is the price set by headquarters. You can—uh..."
Cole reached into his coat to retrieve a document with the staff department's seal but froze mid-motion.
His face turned red with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I forgot you're blind. Let me read it out to you!"
"Wait a moment, Mr. Rear Admiral!"
"Is there a problem?"
"Actually, I'm not here to make money. I want to help the Marines bring this era to an end and protect the people."
After the talk fell, a look of respect suddenly appeared on Rear Admiral Cole's face.
"So you're one of those noble people?"
"Eh... if you put it that way, I suppose so," Issho replied, sounding a bit embarrassed.
He had read about the "noble persons" in the news—people who copied abilities out of a sense of justice rather than for money. Marine had granted them the title of "noble person," elevating their status significantly through relentless propaganda. Currently, the only honorary title comparable to it worldwide was that of a heroic Marine soldier.
Once Rear Admiral Cole confirmed Issho's intentions, he immediately saluted without hesitation.
"I understand now, Mr. Issho. Offering money to someone like you would be an insult. I sincerely apologize."
"Then, I won't be polite. Please spend the rest of your time in the villa duplicating Firewolf Norton for justice and the world."
"After you've copied a total of 20, the Ministry will issue you the 'Certificate of Glory for Voluntary Donation.'"
"The certificate is highly valuable, and it's said there will be many benefits in the future."
Issho nodded but didn't pay much attention to the benefits of the certificate. He kept his eyes tightly shut as he walked toward the villa.
In the following days, Issho secluded himself in the villa, diligently copying Firewolf Norton.
Having such an exceptional individual at his base, Rear Admiral Cole was overjoyed, personally delivering food to Issho every day. Over time, the two became quite familiar with each other.
"So, Mr. Issho, you're actually wandering around the world right now?"
"Yes, you could say that, but I just want to do my best to help more people."
They were sitting at a table—Issho eating while Rear Admiral Cole smoked and chatted with him.
Hearing Issho's answer, Rear Admiral Cole's eyes flickered slightly. He couldn't help but think about Marine. It seemed like a waste for such a powerful man to be wandering aimlessly when he could be brought into Marine's ranks.
With this in mind, Cole stopped smoking and quickly pulled his chair closer.
"Mr. Issho, since you want to help more people, why not join Marine?"
"With your strength, once you join Marine, you'll be able to help many more people."
Issho paused mid-bite. He hadn't planned to discuss it further, but seeing Cole's eager eyes, he decided to respond after some thought.
"No, I still prefer being on my own."
"But why, Mr. Issho? I don't understand. Our righteous Marine isn't some kind of scourge. Why would someone like you avoid us as if we were snakes and scorpions?"
"Rear Admiral Cole, you've been stationed here, so naturally, you don't know what Marines in other places are like..."
Issho lost his appetite and set down his food. With a sigh, he continued:
"Marine isn't all about justice. In many places, the bases are corrupt from top to bottom. They're either collaborating with pirates or committing evil deeds in the name of justice."
"Because they operate under Marine's protection, many people don't dare to speak out, and there's no way to resolve it."
"When pirates attack, the people have no choice but to rely on the weapons Marine provides to defend themselves."
As he spoke, Issho gripped his blind stick tightly, his fingertips turning white. Every time he recalled what he'd seen during his travels, it pained him deeply.
It's one thing for pirates to be evil—they go to sea to burn, kill, and loot without caring about their reputation or how the world views them.
But Marines represent justice. When even they engage in pirate-like activities, what hope is there for the world?
Because of this, Issho had no desire to join Marine.
Boom.
Rear Admiral Cole slammed his fist on the table as he stood up, his face flushed with undisguised anger, and his eyes burned with murderous intent.
"...Mr. Issho, after getting to know you over this time, I trust your character. Which bases are these corrupt Marines stationed at?"
"Are you planning to take a fleet to eliminate them? But I thought as a Rear Admiral, you can't leave the base without orders."
"That's true, but I can report this to the Marine Crime Investigation Bureau and have Admiral Sengoku send someone to deal with it."
"Crime Investigation Bureau? What department is that? I've never heard of it before," Issho said, full of doubt.
When Issho first learned about these corrupt Marines, he hadn't thought of contacting Naval Headquarters, but after inquiring for a long time, he found nothing. It seemed that Naval Headquarters had few restrictions on the actions of officers stationed elsewhere.
Unless a Vice Admiral happened to pass by and became aware of their misconduct, it would be nearly impossible to address the situation. Because of this, the corrupt Marines weren't afraid of Issho's complaints and continued to humiliate and exploit the people with impunity.
Seeing their blatant arrogance, Issho abandoned the idea of reporting them to headquarters.
But today, he heard about an unfamiliar department from Rear Admiral Cole, one that specifically targeted Marine soldiers and officers involved in crimes. This stirred something within him.
Rear Admiral Cole took a deep breath, pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket, and dialed a number.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
The sound of the phone echoed in the room. It didn't take long before someone answered.
"This is the Marine Crime Investigation Bureau. I'm the operator. How can I assist you?" came a voice from the other side.
"I am Rear Admiral Cole, in charge of guarding the Kingdom of Mannoroc. I've just received information regarding Marine personnel involved in criminal activities."
"Where exactly? What crimes have been committed?" The operator's tone became serious, and the sound of scribbling notes could be heard in the background.
Rear Admiral Cole handed the Den Den Mushi to Issho.
Realizing the situation was genuine, Issho answered in a deep, resolute voice: "The Marine Base in Kisdiko Town. All the Marines there are collaborating with pirates and exploiting the local residents through various deceptive means."
"Do you have evidence? Can you take responsibility for your claim?" the operator pressed.
"There is evidence. When I killed those pirates, I found a notepad detailing their collaboration with the Marines. I can fully take responsibility for what I've said."
"Understood! Please remain where you are for a day. Headquarters will send someone to contact you."
"I'll be waiting," Issho replied firmly.
The Den Den Mushi went silent as the call ended, leaving Issho and Rear Admiral Cole alone in the living room, exchanging quiet glances as time slowly passed.
Headquarters moved quickly. Later that night, as Issho was sitting on the sofa recovering his strength, his expression suddenly changed.
"A powerful presence is approaching!"
He jumped up, grabbed his blind stick, and hurried outside, facing the dark and silent sky.
"No one's there. Why can't I see anything?" Rear Admiral Cole squinted into the distance, unable to detect any movement.
In the next instant, a sharp, piercing sound filled the air.
A shockwave shaped like a bear's paw appeared in the sky above the Kingdom of Mannoroc, moving at incredible speed before dispersing.
A figure paused mid-air, briefly sensing the surroundings, then used Moonwalk to approach Issho and Rear Admiral Cole.
"Hello, I'm Tatsumi, deputy to the Chief of the Marine Crime Investigation Bureau," said a man wearing sunglasses and sporting slicked-back hair as he descended and landed gracefully on the grass.
He pulled out some documents, flipped through them, and asked, "Who made the report?"
"That would be me," Issho replied, standing up.
"Alright then, let's go," Tatsumi nodded after briefly sizing him up.
"Wait, Tatsumi-sama, are you going alone? Don't you need to bring a fleet with you?" Rear Admiral Cole asked hastily.
After all, they were about to investigate an entire Marine base. If what Issho said was true, the entire unit could be corrupt, making it easy for Tatsumi to be overwhelmed if he went alone.
Tatsumi laughed softly.
"No, I'm more than enough on my own."
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