"Everyone line up properly!"
"Marine inspection! Men to the left, women to the right, cross-dressers in the middle... wait, someone actually went to the middle?!"
At Rosinante's booming command, the gamblers began grumbling as they moved.
Though displeased, none were foolish enough to provoke the Marines.
Plenty were cursing under their breath.
Then T-Bone stepped forward, scanning the crowd with a glare...
Only one bold gambler trembled out.
"Sweet jesus, since when do Marines bring zombies for law enforcement?"
The SWORD members had to recall every sad memory of their lives to suppress their laughter.
Michael cleared his throat to mask his amusement before turning back to the motionless middle-aged man at the table.
"Marine-san, I have a feeling I'll win this round," the blind man shook his head regretfully.
"Honestly, for a blind man, your hobby is quite strange" Michael studied the man who would become a future Marine Admiral with curiosity.
"Issho-san, can you truly not see?"
"Not seeing is sometimes a blessing" Issho responded with a resigned smile.
"This world contains too much filth that pains the eyes to see. Especially since I closed these windows myself."
"I see... Issho-san integrity is truly unparalleled!" Michael applauded as he stood.
"Might I ask... if you've ever considered joining the Marines?"
"Joining the Marines?" Issho paused noticeably before calmly shaking his head.
"Even within the Marines, true justice isn't always served..."
The blind man left his next thought unspoken to this young Marine...
Among those "filthy sights that pain the eyes" many originated from the Marines themselves.
Having traveled the seas since youth, he'd witnessed too much corruption and depravity.
Whether Marines taking bribes to collaborate with local gangs or even pirates...
Or those upholding "regional justice" doctrines that treated non-affiliated nations as subhuman...
At first, he might draw his cane sword for the justice in his heart, acting as a righteous warrior.
But one day, he realized.
No matter how strong he was, he could only punish a small fraction of people and can only save a small fraction of people.
He obtained the power of a high-ranking position in the Marine.
Issho, a man who had spent the first half of his life wandering between gambling tables and chivalry, finally understood the importance of power.
Otherwise, given his nature, he wouldn't have participated in the World Military Draft in the original story to become one of the new Admirals.
Michael slowly uttered these words, causing Issho to freeze in place.
Simple words, yet they carried a soothing power.
And in truth... it was indeed so.
The pair of pure white Wings behind Michael gently unfurled and a gentle Holy light instantly filled the entire casino.
Under Issho Observation Haki, which could detect human actions and emotions, the Michael before his "eyes" was entirely enveloped in a blazing, pure white color.
This was a color Issho had never witnessed before.
What emotion did this represent?
Even he began to feel curious.
"If you don't stand in a high position, you cannot practice justice to its fullest extent... That's what you think, isn't it?"
"... can you read minds?"
"No, my Observation Haki is only at a beginner's level... I'm just good at reading people." Michael shook his head, but the smile at the corner of his lips grew.
Then he stepped closer to Issho and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Issho-san, I suppose now is the time for me to introduce myself."
"My name is Michael, and I am a Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters."
"But I also have another identity..."
Issho was taken aback—another identity?
"Are you a pirate, or a spy for the Revolutionary Army?"
"No, no, no, Issho-san, your guesses are way off!" Michael nearly lost his composure.
Issho's really has quite the imagination!
Could it be that his words and actions made him seem so out of sync with the World Government!?
"Aside from being a Rear Admiral, I am also the commander of the Marine Headquarters' top-secret special forces unit, 'SWORD,' which only reports directly to the highest authority."
"And the purpose of this unit... is to oversee the entire Marine while conducting autonomous operations externally, possessing absolute authority beneath the Fleet Admiral."
"Tell me, is this power enough to help you change this sea that has grown increasingly dark?"
After speaking, Michael didn't wait for Issho's answer.
Instead, he directed the young Marines who had just joined SWORD to properly document the gamblers present and the Pleasure District girls accompanying them.
Did they really think he wasn't here to crack down on illegal activities?
To put it bluntly, Issho was indeed the primary target, but he didn't mind giving the World Government and the Celestial Dragons a little extra trouble.
Especially with such a bold move...
The woman known as the Queen of the Pleasure District should already be restless, shouldn't she?
With a creak, the door swung open.
Stussy, the one Michael had been "eagerly waiting," finally stepped through the casino entrance.
Despite ruling the world's largest red-light district, she dressed like a girl in love.
A white floral hat, a white shawl and a pink dress, Blue high heels adorned with bows.
Fingers and toes painted with vibrant nail polish.
Thus, the image of an elegant and stunningly beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes was presented before everyone.
Yet... the entire room fell into an involuntary silence.
Such a beautiful woman, yet she evoked the same effect as T-Bone had earlier.
No—perhaps even stronger!
Because truly, not a single gambler dared to utter a word in the presence of Stussy, one of the underworld's emperors.
"My dear Marine officer, what brings you to the Pleasure District? Surely you know that everything here is legal... We are, after all, exemplary taxpayers."
Stussy's mature, alluring voice echoed through the casino, only to cut off abruptly the moment Michael turned to face her.
"Y-You... Rear Admiral Michael, what an... unexpected honor."
"Oh? How remarkably well-informed you are, Ms. Stussy. I just attended my promotion ceremony in Admiral Sengoku's office earlier today and you already know?"
Michael paused in thought, then flashed a warm smile.
"So Ms. Stussy is stealing Marine intelligence, then?"
"In that case, I have no choice but to arrest you."
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