One Piece Thundergod Marine

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"It's nothing, really. I just recalled something and wanted to make sure everything was foolproof," Bald Zero calmly responded, not wanting to raise Rowen's suspicions.

Rowen narrowed his eyes slightly and said slowly, "Indeed, it's not possible. But if the enemy came from underground, they'd need to be extremely familiar with the geography of the Holy Land… And as far as I know, the only ones with that capability, like the Revolutionary Army, have their leader Dragon still imprisoned in Impel Down."

"I see…" 

Bald Zero nodded silently.

"So, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), you're saying you can't be certain if anyone passed through underground?"

'Was he trying to provoke him?'

Rowen's expression darkened, and he snorted coldly, "There's nothing I can do about that. After all, we Marines are just the watchdogs."

"Watchdogs are Watchdogs. Naturally, we're only responsible for guarding the gates… As for what's inside the master's house, well, only the loyal dogs would know."

In other words, I'm a Marine.

So how would I know if there's something strange about the underground layout of the Holy Land?

Instead, it should be CP0, the loyal guard dogs, who should be aware of any issues.

Trying to shift the blame onto me? Sorry… That's not going to happen!

Bald Zero's mouth twitched as he heard this. It was the first time he had heard someone refer to themselves as a dog so refreshingly and righteously, especially coming from someone as powerful as Rowen.

And he couldn't even argue against it.

As CP0, was he going to accuse the Marines of not understanding the Holy Land?

If the Marines truly knew every nook and cranny of the Holy Land, he would be the first to feel uneasy!

On the side, Zero's face turned red with frustration behind his mask.

He remembered when he had tried to reprimand the Marines during the Hell Island Crab incident, and it was Rowen's shamelessness that had left him with no way to counter.

It was like punching a pillow.

In the end, to avoid suspicion and appear magnanimous, he had to resolve that incident peacefully.

At that moment, he had concluded that as long as Rowen didn't die, he would surely become a significant figure!

And time had proven him right.

"The Marines have their duties, and CP0 has theirs. If there's nothing else, then please excuse me." 

As he spoke, Rowen reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a medal, and pinned it to his chest.

Zero: "..."

First Class Glory Medal!

This completely thwarted Bald Zero's attempt to use his authority to pressure Rowen.

After all, this level of honor was so rare that only a handful of people across the entire government held it!

Seeing the two remain silent, Rowen snorted coldly and then vanished from where he stood.

"Try to mess with me? You're still too inexperienced!"

The political struggles in the One Piece world weren't like the power plays in palace dramas, where everything was hidden in the shadows.

Once you've established your stance, you can boldly voice it. Unless the opponent holds an overwhelming power you can't resist, any attempts to test you are just like a dog barking from a distance— never able to achieve anything substantial.

After Rowen left, Masked Zero's slightly dissatisfied voice rang out, "Zero, we're no longer in an era where we can control everything. Unless necessary, don't stir up trouble."

He was the Chief of CP0, and despite the other's seniority, that fact couldn't be denied.

After all, it's worth noting… this one had risen from the Marines, unlike Masked Zero, who had been trained from a young age, making them worlds apart.

"I know, it was just a small test," Bald Zero smiled slightly, not taking it to heart.

However, inwardly, he became more convinced that Rowen would become the government's most dangerous enemy!

Because…

"Just wait… I'll expose your true nature, Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"

Bald Zero recalled the information sent by a spy… Wait, what? What was that information again?

Did someone send me the information?

Why am I even hostile toward Rowen?

---

Meanwhile, at a corner of the Red Line.

One of the Shichibukai, "Tyrant" Kuma, stood silently on the edge of a towering cliff.

Suddenly, Koala, standing behind him, shuddered and scratched her cheek. "By the way, Kuma… What did you say you brought us here for?"

Staring at the paw marks on his hands, Kuma remained silent for a moment before lifting his head. "I… don't know."

It was just that a voice inside him told him that this was important.

"Huh?!" 

Koala was dumbfounded and incredulous as she exclaimed, "There's such chaos in the Holy Land right now, and it's the perfect time for us to act. But you brought us here, only to say you don't know?!"

Kuma: "…"

As ridiculous as it sounded, it was the truth.

I really don't know why I brought you here.

Wait… no, that's not right!

Kuma turned around, his expression serious and solemn as he spoke, "It's not that I don't know; it's that I forgot!"

Koala: "..."

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

"Does it make any difference, you big dummy?!"

---

### Holy Land Mary Geoise, Execution Grounds

"Dai Funka - Great Eruption!"

Akainu unleashed his powerful punch, and the surging magma engulfed the bodies of his enemies. As the lava passed, all that remained were charred marks and a few unrecognizable corpses.

Covered in scorching magma, Akainu was an unstoppable killing machine. The intense heat from his body was enough to roast people alive even if he stood still. With him in action, the situation quickly stabilized.

"Aaaaaahhh!!"

A final scream echoed as the last pirate fell with his heart pierced, collapsing into a pool of blood. A strange scent of cooked flesh lingered in the air.

Seeing this, Akainu scanned the now quiet and empty execution grounds, slightly panting. He then turned and flicked his Justice cloak, causing the remaining magma to splatter onto the ground.

"Chief Commander Kong, all the criminals have been executed!"

Where Akainu strikes, nothing remains.

With Kong's approval, absolute justice was displayed to its fullest extent. No matter what status the enemies held, how many powerful figures backed them, or whether they begged, screamed, or cried— be they elderly or children— nothing could stop him from executing justice.

It was a massacre!

A complete and utter annihilation!

"Excellent!"

Kong nodded emotionlessly and took out his Den Den Mushi to issue orders: "Attention all units, the execution grounds have been cleared! All forces not currently on guard duty are to fully cooperate with the Marines and begin a thorough sweep!"

The location of the execution grounds didn't involve Pangaea Castle, but the outer city was a mixed area where criminals might take the opportunity to hide. A full-scale sweep was urgently needed.

"Do you need my help, Chief Commander?" Rowen's figure flickered out of the electric current and appeared on the execution platform, saluting Kong and Sengoku.

Seeing him arrive, Kong was overjoyed.

With Rowen's Heavenly Network assisting, the difficulty of the sweep would undoubtedly decrease significantly. However, Kong was aware of priorities and didn't rush to assign tasks. Instead, he asked,

"Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), what's the current situation?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Rowen.

They knew that the Holy Land was currently in chaos, but the extent of the turmoil was only clear to Rowen, who controlled the Heavenly Network.

Especially considering the information-laden live broadcast that had been cut off earlier...

Rowen, naturally, didn't hold back and stated the facts.

"Lirisk has been captured and is being escorted to the Room of Flowers by Mr. Vic... Orrick's whereabouts are unknown. For the final outcome, everyone will have to wait for notification from the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)."

Phew! 

Sengoku let out a sigh of relief.

If they could wait for the outcome, that meant the situation had been contained and was being dealt with.

"I heard an explosion from the Room of Flowers earlier. Is Lord Imu alright?"

Since everyone present was trusted high-ranking officials, Kong didn't shy away from mentioning that name.

It's crucial to understand that the World Government's influence over its Allied Kingdom members relied on the fact that no one sat on the throne that represented all power.

This symbolized the justice and equality represented by the World Government.

If they learned of Imu's existence, the consequences would be even more earth-shattering than what was revealed in the live broadcast earlier!

The earlier broadcast only hinted at the presence of a mysterious figure above the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) controlling the government, but it didn't explicitly reveal that Imu was the one in charge.

Even so, it was enough to enrage the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).

"It seems there's no issue... Lord Imu's presence feels stable, it doesn't feel like he is injured."

Rowen didn't elaborate further on the matter, as some Headquarters Vice Admirals around were hearing that name for the first time.

"Additionally, due to the efforts of the Assassination Force and CP0, very few criminals managed to escape the execution grounds. Most were slain, with fewer than one in ten still hiding within the Holy Land."

"However..."

Another answer that made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, this was only natural.

The Marines had long anticipated trouble from the pirates. Even without Kong's intervention, the pirates wouldn't have made much of a stir.

Plus, Kong's harsh justice swiftly contained the chaos, preventing it from spreading, and things turned out even better than expected.

However, hearing Rowen's "However," Sengoku couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

"However, what?"

Every time he heard that word, Sengoku would be reminded of unpleasant past experiences… especially when it came from Rowen!

Because whenever this happened, it meant he was once again about to take the blame!

(End of Chapter)