OP: The Flame Pillar Of Justice

"Is it really okay to just let them go like that?"

On the way back to Marineford, Tashigi cautiously asked her question aboard Rengoku's main battleship.

"From what I've seen of the Straw Hat boy's actions so far, he seems to be more of a peace-minded type of pirate. He's taken down pirates with bounties, helped out local villages using the rewards, and he hasn't harmed a single civilian to date."

"But still..."

"I understand what you're worried about, Lieutenant Tashigi. A pirate is still a pirate. Even though we didn't arrest them on the spot due to the special situation involving Cocoyasi Village and Miss Nami, that doesn't mean we're letting them off completely."

Knock knock.

"Permission to enter? It's Brigadier Prinprin."

Just then, Prinprin knocked on the office door.

"Ah, you're finally here. Come in, Brigadier Prinprin."

"Justice!"

"So, what of my request?"

At Rengoku's question, Prinprin promptly handed him a stack of documents.

"According to your orders, we've secured photographs of Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp."

At the top of the stack were cleanly printed photos of the four male members of the Straw Hat crew.

Rengoku looked them over carefully.

"Hm. Aside from Roronoa Zoro, the rest are all B-cuts."

"M-my apologies!"

Sweat trickled down Prinprin's face as he braced for more criticism.

"Considering you took the photos after the Arlong arrest and Captain Nezumi's detention, it's understandable that you couldn't get clean shots. I'll take responsibility for the delayed order."

"N-no, sir! You bear no blame whatsoever! This was all due to my incompetence!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. The operation against Arlong ended without a single civilian or Marine casualty thanks to how well you stalled the officers. Credit where it's due."

Rengoku handed the four photos to Tashigi and gave her an order.

"Lieutenant Tashigi, contact headquarters immediately. I want bounties issued for all four of them."

At that moment, Tashigi understood what he meant earlier by "not letting them off completely."

"Yes, sir! What bounty amounts should I request?"

"Monkey D. Luffy, the 'Straw Hat': 56 million Berries.

Roronoa Zoro, the 'Pirate Hunter': 33 million Berries.

Sanji, the 'Criminal Cook': 10 million Berries.

Usopp, the 'Liar': 1 million Berries."

These values were based not just on their actions, but also a calculated assessment of their strength and future threat potential.

Considering Arlong's bounty was 20 million, both Luffy and Zoro could easily take him down alone.

Sanji lagged behind slightly in power, but the fact that he overwhelmed former Lieutenant Fullbody at the Baratie was proof of his formidable ability—and his history as the student of Red-Leg Zeff, who once had a bounty of 77 million, made that even more significant.

Usopp... Though infamous for being cowardly and a compulsive liar, he lacked physical prowess.

However, considering his slingshot accuracy and bomb-making skills displayed during the fight with Kuro, a bounty of 1 million Berries was deemed appropriate.

As for Nami, aside from wielding a frying pan during the Kuro incident, Rengoku had never seen her fight.

Her physical strength also seemed on par with Usopp's. She wasn't considered a threat warranting a bounty.

Coincidentally, the total bounty across the four men added up to exactly 100 million Berries.

"Yes, sir! I'll report this to HQ immediately!"

Tashigi exited the office, leaving Prinprin behind.

"Now then, Brigadier Prinprin."

"Yes, Vice Admiral Rengoku, sir!"

Prinprin stood at full attention, visibly tense.

"I want to confirm something one last time: are you certain you wish to resign your post as Brigadier of the 77th Branch and serve directly under me as a Major at HQ?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"I heard the Marines at the 77th Branch were quite disappointed to learn of your transfer. Sounds like you were held in high regard by your subordinates."

"No, sir. It's all thanks to the excellence of the personnel in the 77th."

Truthfully, Rengoku had been the most surprised when he learned of Prinprin's transfer request.

While there is technically a rank difference between Headquarters and Branch assignments, the treatment is largely equal.

Giving up Brigadier status to become a Major again was not a trivial choice.

Rengoku had taken a liking to Prinprin—especially after witnessing his contributions during the Arlong capture operation. With a reliable officer like him joining his unit, Rengoku had no reason to refuse.

"I respect your decision. Still, you'll need to return to the 77th to handle the handover, won't you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Very well, I'll have you dropped off at the 77th. You'll return to Marineford in exactly 12 days. Be sure to finish all your handover duties by then."

"Yes, sir!"

...

During those 12 days, quite a lot unfolded.

First, a full report and testimony were submitted by Brigadier Kasack, head of East Blue's main branch, concerning the corruption case against Captain Nezumi.

The number of individuals implicated—including Nezumi, his subordinates, colleagues, and even superiors—was 102. The total amount of money involved? Roughly 300 million Berries. An enormous sum.

After a sudden raid led by Kasack, all assets from the 102 suspects were seized, but the total recovered came to only 200 million Berries. A full 100 million was still missing.

Rengoku issued full authority to Kasack, ordering him to recover the remaining funds by any means necessary.

Kasack's official testimony was a whopping 42,452 characters long—meticulously written, with no section feeling rushed or careless.

In it, he confessed to his lax oversight, expressed regret for administrative negligence, acknowledged the weight of his responsibilities as the head of East Blue's Grand Branch, and vowed to improve. Every sentence was imbued with sincerity.

You could feel his determination in every word.

Disciplinary action was also taken against Fullbody, the Headquarters Lieutenant who had abused his authority.

He was demoted from Lieutenant to Seaman Third Class.

Of course, in the Marines, rank is largely determined by strength and merit—so with Fullbody's capabilities, it wouldn't be hard for him to work his way back up to Lieutenant. But by reducing him to the lowest rank, he was being forced to undergo a full period of reflection.

That reflection would continue until he successfully passed each promotion test, step by step, back up to Lieutenant.

The 20 Marines most closely tied to Nezumi were also demoted to Seaman Third Class and dishonorably discharged. The entire 16th Branch was overhauled, and all 21 of them were sentenced to Impel Down. They'd likely only be kept in Level 1, but it was imprisonment nonetheless.

In addition, a number of East Blue's most notorious pirates—Kuro, Don Krieg, Gin, Arlong, Kuroobi, and their crews—were handed over to Marine HQ and scheduled for transfer to Impel Down as well.

The only survivor from Arlong's crew was the octopus Fishman, Hatchan, who had surrendered peacefully.

There was no need to torture Hatchan—he spilled everything the moment the right atmosphere and a few casual, baited questions were presented.

What caught Rengoku's attention most was the drug Arlong had used—it matched his suspicions.

It was a crude version of the legendary [Energy Steroid], a notorious stimulant known from the legends of Ryugu Kingdom on Fishman Island.

Arlong hadn't stolen the real thing. Instead, he had discovered a kind of seaweed that produced a similar, but much weaker effect, and created a bootleg version.

According to legend, the true Energy Steroid should grant the strength of a thousand men—but Arlong's version merely provided a slight boost. That was disappointing, but Rengoku was relieved the actual Ryugu Kingdom drug hadn't been compromised, which meant there was no urgent need to head to Fishman Island.

...

Twelve days later, Prinprin had completed all handovers and boarded Rengoku's flagship as Major of Marine Headquarters.

"Good. Then it's about time we head back."

"Yes, sir!"

"Men—this is your Vice Admiral speaking. I now order our return to Marineford!"

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