Slowly opening her eyes, she realized she wasn't lying in the cold, damp hold of a smuggling ship.
Instead, she was on a soft bed.
Wait—had she been sold while unconscious?
Was she now lying on a buyer's bed, about to suffer some unspeakable fate!?
Struggling to lift her weak and sore body, she searched for something to defend herself with.
Unfortunately, she found no weapons, but the effort allowed her to take in her surroundings...
A platinum-haired young man sat on the sofa across from the bed, studying her.
Bathed in soft light, he looked like a languid deity.
At that moment, memories from before she fainted came flooding back.
"Let me introduce myself" Michael cleared his throat. "I'm Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander Michael. I found you on a smuggling ship."
"Yes! I was kidnapped onto that ship!" Stella nodded, then suddenly remembered something and asked anxiously.
"What about the other girls? The other kidnapped girls?"
"I've already verified their identities. Don't worry—once we return to Sabaody Archipelago, I'll have Marine personnel escort each of them home."
"That's... such a relief."
Stella exhaled deeply, her body visibly relaxing.
Michael found himself increasingly intrigued by this background character who died young in the movie adaptation.
She... Hadn't mentioned her own situation at all.
"What about you? Where's your home? I can take you back."
"I don't have one." Stella smiled brightly, without a trace of sorrow.
"I've been an orphan since childhood. Now I'm a wandering singer, earning money by performing at taverns wherever I go."
An orphan. A wandering singer.
Powerless, yet possessing both beauty and talent.
She was practically the perfect prey.
No wonder Jerome—now reduced to ashes by Michael flames—had called her "prime merchandise."
If Michael hadn't intervened, she likely would have met the same tragic fate as in the original story.
But having encountered her, Michael couldn't just walk away.
An orphan. A wanderer.
So similar to his own early life.
After a long moment of contemplation, Michael curved his lips into a smile, trying to appear as sincere as possible.
"In that case... would you like to join the Marine?"
"Join the Marine?" Stella looked at him as if she hadn't quite understood, confusion written across her face.
"No, of course not." Michael shook his head, gazing into Stella's emerald-green eyes. "The world is about to undergo massive changes. The Marine has captured Pirate King Gol D. Roger, From now on, the seas... will become even more dangerous."
"That's why I'm extending this invitation to you. It's too dangerous to travel these seas alone."
Seeing the honest expression on the young man face, Stella found herself nodding almost against her will.
"Joining the Marine... doesn't sound bad."
"I know you might have questions—wait, you agree?"
"Of course I agree." Stella pressed her slightly flushed lips together. "Safety comes first on the open seas. I'm not stupid."
Michael clicked his tongue twice, all his prepared persuasive arguments now stuck in his throat.
Turning his gaze to the sea outside the porthole.
Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents raged.
"What about the human traffickers?"
"Burned to ashes and scattered over the sea."
"And the smuggling ship?"
"Also burned to ashes and scattered over the sea."
As a Marine, reporting back to superior after completing a mission was standard procedure.
Michael was no exception.
As Vice Admiral Gion adjutant, it was only natural for him to report the elimination of the human traffickers to his direct superior.
Vice Admiral Gion of Marine Headquarters, rubbed her temples in exasperation as she looked at the remorseless Michael standing before her.
"What about the abducted slaves?"
"Oh, after registering their information and confirming they weren't wanted criminals, we arranged for them to be sent back to their hometowns in batches... Oh, and we also found three Devil Fruits."
"You can handle the Devil Fruits yourself."
With a cheeky grin, Michael handed over the mission report, every strand of his platinum-blond hair radiating shamelessness.
"Here's the detailed report on the entire incident."
Gion took the report and, after skimming through it, her expression grew grave.
"This involves the Celestial Dragons?"
Michael had emphasized the Celestial Dragons' involvement in his report.
Seeing Gion furrowed brows, Michael smirked and said,
"The leader of the traffickers admitted outright that the Celestial Dragons had placed an order for the 'merchandise' from them. Given how brazenly he tried to bribe us without a hint of guilt, it's probably true."
"Damn it, those bloated fools are outright ignoring the law abolishing slavery?" Gion muttered under her breath before continuing.
"If they used the word 'order,' that means..."
"It means those so-called human trafficking shops and auctions are already in cahoots with the Celestial Dragons" Michael finished for her. "Given the Celestial Dragons' habits, they wouldn't stoop to dealing directly with slavers. Most likely, they went through..."
Michael didn't finish his sentence, but Gion knew exactly who he was referring to.
Naturally, it was the CP agents and the Marines who groveled at the Celestial Dragons' feet.
Gion had always despised such opportunistic glory-seekers.
"About the plan we discussed before... should we put it into action?" Michael ventured, seeing that Gion emotions were already stirred.
"You mean the Sabaody Purge Plan?"
Gion brows arched slightly, yet with an effortless grace.
"Exactly. While the higher-ups want us to turn a blind eye to the pirates on Sabaody Archipelago and let them enter the New World to thin their own ranks..."
"They never said we couldn't target other factions, right?"
"The gangs and human traffickers entrenched in Sabaody are far too numerous."
"And the rot within the Marines is just as bad."
Two years ago, after Michael and Gion were reassigned to Sabaody Archipelago, he had first proposed this idea.
But those two years happened to coincide with the Marines' critical pursuit of Gol D. Roger, so the plan was shelved for the time being.
Now that Gol D. Roger had turned himself in, Michael brought it up again.
Gion nodded slightly, considering for a moment before giving her approval.
"I agree the plan is feasible, but we'll wait until after Gol D. Roger execution to begin."
But even this answer satisfied Michael.
He had waited two years—what was another month or so?
"By the way, regarding the matter of the Celestial Dragons and the smugglers, you'll need to make a trip to Marineford."
Gion raised her head, her gaze intense.
"The issues within the Marines must be brought before Admiral Sengoku."