Chapter 56 - CHAPTER 56 - Vice Admiral Onigumo

"The Marines are here!" A wave of cheers erupted from the civilians at the port. The previous night had been unbearable for them, fearing that the chaos in the manor district would spill over into their area. "Where is Crocodile?" Vice Admiral Onigumo scanned the harbor, only seeing a hastily assembled Marine unit but no sign of the Shichibukai. His brow furrowed. He carried a broadsword with a handguard, and his expression was one of menace and ruthlessness, a look honed through years of warfare—a true battlefield veteran. "Reporting, Vice Admiral! Shichibukai Crocodile clashed with the Bordeaux Manor pirates. After eliminating them, it is said that he was seriously injured and unable to provide support," a Navy Commander replied nervously. Even though they were allies, Onigumo and Vice Admiral Doberman exuded an oppressive aura—as if they had just walked out of hell itself. The sheer amount of bloodshed they had caused made them radiate a terrifying killing intent, which was enough to make any subordinate tremble. The source of this intelligence was, of course, Robin, who had discreetly informed the Marines. Given Crocodile's nature, he was unlikely to assist the Navy unless forcibly summoned. Generally, Shichibukai rarely cooperated with Marine operations. "Injured? Fine. I wasn't counting on the Shichibukai anyway." Onigumo dismissed the matter and turned to Doberman. "Vice Admiral Doberman, you take charge of searching the harbor. I'll head to Mekdo Manor to see if bounty hunter Morris has fled." "Additionally, deploy all available forces from Sake City's Marine Base to sweep the entire island. Intelligence suggests Morris may still be here or hasn't gotten far." Even if Morris had set sail, finding any clues could help predict his next destination. Given the speed of Marine warships, catching up was certainly possible. Regardless of the reasons, killing a Marine officer was a direct challenge to Marine Headquarters, and this pursuit wouldn't end so easily. A Rear Admiral and a Captain may not seem like much, but one of them had powerful connections. Furthermore, the execution had been broadcast live via Den Den Mushi, with Marine Intelligence Officers present, making it impossible for Headquarters to ignore. Without a show of force, moral within the Marines would plummet. As elite Marines disembarked from the warships, squads began searching the island under their officers' command. Doberman nodded and led his troops along the coastline, ordering an all-out manhunt. Several wanted pirates were rounded up immediately, and as the Marines expanded their search, entire areas of Sake City—known havens for criminals—were cleansed. —— Half a day later, inside Sake City's Marine Base... "Escaped?" Onigumo sat in the command center, listening to the latest intelligence report. "Keep searching. There's no way everyone vanished into thin air! Arrest the workers at Mekdo Factory—interrogate them one by one. See if they know anything useful." "Vice Admiral, the factory workers are civilians... Should we really interrogate all of them?" The Commander broke into a cold sweat. Such an order would inevitably result in innocent people being tortured for information. Hesitating, he sought confirmation. "Do I need to repeat myself?" Onigumo's voice turned ice-cold, his killing intent thick. "Complete the interrogations by this afternoon, or you can step down as a Commander and start over as a recruit. This is the price of being a Marine. Sacrifices must be made." "Y-Yes, sir!" The Commander paled, nearly collapsing from fear. "Staying here is pointless. Notify me of any updates immediately. Take me to the site of Captain Luca's death. Was his body recovered?" "N-No body was found... It was completely obliterated," a Marine soldier reported hesitantly. BOOM! Onigumo's fist slammed onto the desk, frustration evident in his expression. He recalled the Den Den Mushi call he had received before departing—from a former CP0 officer who had once helped his career. Though Onigumo had earned his rank on merit, he had faced many obstacles in the early stages of his promotion. Captain Luca's father, Howard Abberton, a former high-ranking CP0 officer, had been one of his benefactors. Howard only had one son, and now that Luca was dead, the man was undoubtedly devastated. During their call, Howard didn't outright demand retaliation, but his displeasure was obvious. Crocodile had failed to save his son, and although direct action against a Shichibukai was unfeasible, the message was clear—don't let him off too easily. Onigumo personally disliked the Shichibukai system and had no love for Crocodile, so he was inclined to comply. However, since they hadn't located Morris yet, Crocodile wasn't a priority for now. Still, the fact that no body remained made it difficult to provide closure to Howard Abberton. "Take me to the site of the incident," Onigumo ordered. "Yes, sir!" —— Meanwhile, aboard Crocodile's ship... Daz Bones and MR. 5 had been sparring for hours in the training area. Their fight continued until the ship's doctor intervened. "We're low on medical supplies," the doctor informed them. "If the Boss needs treatment, we might not have enough left." Hearing this, Daz Bones and MR. 5 decided to head into town to purchase medical supplies. However, the entire island was under lockdown, and medicine was classified as a restricted item. Purchasing it required official documentation, as the Marines wanted to prevent supplies from reaching injured pirates. Many criminals had escaped the city-wide purge, and a significant number were wounded. This strict policy had been imposed by Vice Admiral Onigumo. Even ordinary citizens suffering from illnesses had to go through a lengthy bureaucratic process to obtain medicine. By the time the paperwork was approved, some patients wouldn't survive. —— As Daz Bones and MR. 5 walked through the city, they suddenly came face to face with a Marine patrol. At the front of the unit was a tall, intimidating figure—Vice Admiral Onigumo himself. The two immediately tensed up. Every Vice Admiral was a notorious figure in the news. Daz Bones, having once been a bounty hunter, had read countless reports on the "Hawk Faction"—the hardline warhawks within the Marines. And Onigumo was one of its most prominent leaders. "The subordinates of Warlord Crocodile?" Onigumo's sharp eyes landed on them. Even though they served under a Shichibukai, Daz Bones was still a former bounty target—a bounty hunter turned criminal. As for MR. 5, Onigumo didn't even recognize him. Only high-profile members of a Warlord's crew would catch a Vice Admiral's attention. Someone like MR. 5 was beneath notice. Daz Bones and MR. 5 quickly stepped aside, avoiding blocking the Marine unit's path. But just as Onigumo was about to walk past them, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. (End of Chapter) ========================================================= DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).