OP: The Flame Pillar Of Justice

"He~ So this is the place called Whisky Peak?"

Tashigi commented as she observed the island ahead.

"Outwardly, it's known as a town that welcomes pirates, but reports say it's actually under Baroque Works' control," Rengoku replied.

"This is one of the bases of the criminal syndicate run by the Warlord, Crocodile… But our opponent is a Warlord of the Sea. We don't really have a solid reason to confront him," said Prinprin, swallowing nervously. Though he'd once served as a brigadier in a branch, it had been years since he faced pirates of the Grand Line's caliber—back when he was just a Marine ensign.

"We insiders may know the truth, but the public doesn't. We're simply here to arrest the masterminds of a town that helped pirates and assaulted Marines," Rengoku stated calmly.

"I see… A 'criminal caught by coincidence' is still a criminal."

"Exactly. Since we finished processing prisoners and resupplying at Loguetown a few days ago, this is our window of opportunity. We might not catch the grunts, but we can at least take down the higher-ups."

Shhhhhh—

The warship docked at Whisky Peak.

Only three officers disembarked: Rengoku, Tashigi, and Prinprin.

"Welcome! We're honored to have you in Whisky Peak!"

A man who appeared to be a supervisor on the island greeted them warmly.

"Thanks for your efforts. I'd like to meet Mr. 9 right away. Can you take me to him?"

Rengoku asked suddenly, catching the man off guard.

The man blinked in confusion and feigned ignorance.

"Eh? I'm not sure what you mean…"

"Tch! Judging by your look, you're one of the Millions, aren't you? Do you even know who this man is? This is Mr. R, newly aligned with Mr. 0!" Prinprin blurted, quickly fabricating a codename in line with Baroque Works' naming system.

The moment the name "Mr. 0" was dropped, the man's attitude changed instantly, bowing repeatedly in submission.

"M-my apologies! I'm just a lowly Million, I haven't been briefed on the higher-ups in the company!"

"Shut up and take us to Mr. 9 already!"

"Y-yes! Right away! Please follow me!"

Despite his low rank in Baroque Works overall, the man seemed to hold some influence on the island.

The other staff at Whisky Peak looked on curiously at first but quickly understood something important was going on once they saw him personally escorting guests.

"This is the place! All Frontier Agents currently stationed in Whisky Peak are inside."

He led them to a tavern.

Just from the exterior alone, it screamed "important people inside"—large, imposing, and clearly set apart from any regular establishment.

"Good work."

Rengoku patted the man's shoulder casually.

"Well done, very good. Oh, and I'll be making an important announcement shortly, so gather the staff together."

Prinprin slung an arm over the man's shoulder, acting chummy.

"Y-yes! Right away! I'll assemble them all now!"

As the man rushed off to carry out the order, Prinprin remained outside to stand watch. Meanwhile, Rengoku and Tashigi entered the tavern.

"Huh? Marines?"

Inside were twelve pairs of men and women casually conversing at tables.

One of them—a well-built man with light blond curly hair—glanced up at Rengoku and Tashigi as they walked in.

"Hm. So, you're the Frontier Agents?"

"Hah? I don't know what you're talking about," one woman said flatly, feigning ignorance.

"This group includes Mr. 6 through Mr. 12 and their respective partners, does it not?"

Rengoku ignored the attempt to bluff and continued his questioning.

"Who the hell are you?! You got a death wish?!"

"I'm looking for someone. A girl with blue hair... Ah, yes, you there."

Unbothered by the threats of the Frontier Agents, Rengoku coolly pointed to a young woman with a blue ponytail.

"What's this? Some Marine hitting on Miss Wednesday?"

"Tch. Must've been some gossip leaking through the Millions… Get him!"

"Wait."

The one who stopped the Frontier Agents from attacking was none other than Miss Wednesday herself.

"What does a Marine want with me?"

"I have something to say to you. However, this isn't exactly the place—"

"Tch, what could a Marine possibly have to say? It's obvious!"

Despite Miss Wednesday's attempt to stop them, Mr. 12, looking rattled, charged toward Rengoku in a panic.

Tashigi instinctively reached for the sword at her hip to respond, but Rengoku held her back.

Thud.

Thud.

Boom!

It all happened in a single instant. No ordinary person could have possibly comprehended what had just occurred.

A sudden, formless force surged through the tavern, engulfing everyone inside. And then—aside from Rengoku, Tashigi, Miss Wednesday, and the curly-haired man who had spoken first—every single person collapsed unconscious, dropping like puppets with cut strings.

"...Th-this is...!"

"Conqueror's Haki..."

The curly-haired man seemed to understand what had just happened.

"Mr. 8, Miss Wednesday."

Rengoku stepped forward and spoke.

"To be more precise—Captain Igaram of the Alabasta Royal Guard, and Princess Nefertari Vivi."

At Rengoku's words, Mr. 8 and Miss Wednesday—no, Igaram and Princess Vivi—couldn't hide their shock.

"Wh-who are you?! A man who possesses Conqueror's Haki isn't someone who'd normally serve under another..."

Igaram moved to stand protectively in front of Vivi, eyes sharp with suspicion.

"My name is Rengoku. I am a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters."

Rengoku introduced himself clearly and firmly.

"Rengoku...? I've heard of you. The foster grandson of Marine Hero Monkey D. Garp, and the top candidate to become the next Admiral... 'Flame Pillar' Rengoku... What is a man like you doing here in Whisky Peak?"

Even knowing Rengoku's rank, Igaram and Vivi remained guarded. After all, they knew Mr. 0's true identity.

Mr. 0—Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile.

A "government-sanctioned pirate," granted authority by the World Government. The Navy had no jurisdiction to arrest him.

"I came here to offer a way to save Alabasta."

"What...?"

Igaram and Vivi exchanged startled looks, doubting their ears.

Save Alabasta? How?

"Sir Vice Admiral, I hate to interrupt, but we've got a situation outside—some Millions have gathered."

Prinprin poked his head into the tavern to give his report.

"Hmph, poor timing indeed... Captain Igaram, Princess Vivi—would you excuse me for a moment?"

"Y-yes..."

Vivi answered instinctively, still shaken.

Once outside, they were greeted by a crowd of well over a thousand Millions—low-level employees of Baroque Works—murmuring restlessly.

"Hey, are you Mr. R? What's your relationship with Mr. 0?"

One of the Millions stepped forward and questioned him.

Rengoku calmly stepped ahead and addressed them.

"Major Prinprin, I suggest you send a request for reinforcements to HQ. There are far too many of them for our ship alone to handle."

No sooner had Rengoku finished speaking than the thousands of Millions collapsed, one by one, without a single word of resistance.

"Th-this is..."

Igaram and Vivi, who had followed him outside, could only stare in stunned silence at the sight of the unconscious horde.

Rengoku, after confirming that all of the Millions had fainted, turned back to Vivi.

"Princess... how would you like to become a Marine?"

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