—Broadcast—
The Sky Screen pulled time backward one full year, rewinding to the catalyst moment that led to Jinbe's current imprisonment. With instigation from various member nations and pressure from the restructured Marine, the Shichibukai system that had operated for decades finally reached its termination point. This time, Admiral Kisame would be forced to demonstrate his loyalty to the New Marine and forge the next chapter of Fish-Man Island's future with his own hands.
The irony wasn't lost on anyone watching. A fish-man Admiral sent to capture a fish-man Shichibukai. Brotherhood sacrificed on the altar of institutional duty.
"Report to Admiral Kisame! We have entered the territorial waters controlled by the Big Mom Pirates."
An elite Marine soldier stood at attention before Hoshigaki Kisame, presenting compiled intelligence with crisp professionalism. The young officer detailed the numerous islands under Charlotte Linlin's dominion, mapping the Yonko's vast sphere of influence across what she'd renamed Totto Land. Through careful analysis of recent movements and communication intercepts, intelligence confirmed that Sea Knight Jinbe currently resided near Cake Island.
Cake Island represented the absolute core of the Big Mom Pirates' operations—the personal residence of Yonko Charlotte Linlin herself. Most of Big Mom's extensive family lived there, creating a concentration of combat power that rivaled any military installation in the world. This arrest operation carried extraordinary risk, even for someone of Admiral Kisame's capabilities.
For the safety of his subordinate Marines, Hoshigaki Kisame made his decision without hesitation.
"I will proceed alone. The fleet will remain in the outer perimeter and await my signal." The Admiral's voice carried absolute finality, brooking no argument. "Do not advance into this area under any circumstances. Wait for my communication here."
The young officer opened his mouth to protest—leaving an Admiral without backup violated every tactical doctrine—but the words died before reaching his lips. Admiral Kisame's expression made clear that this wasn't a discussion.
Hoshigaki Kisame stood at the warship's prow, the white uniform of the New Marine fitting his powerful frame perfectly. The kanji for "Justice" emblazoned on his cloak began fluttering in the ocean breeze, the fabric snapping with sharp cracks that punctuated the moment's gravity. Before his assembled subordinates, the fish-man Admiral formed a specific sequence of hand seals, fingers moving with practiced precision through the complex pattern.
The ocean responded to his call.
In full view of the stunned Marine crew, a massive wave rose beside the warship as though summoned by divine command. The ocean current twisted and reformed itself at impossible speed, water solidifying into the shape of an enormous shark. The construct's body stretched over one hundred meters long—as tall as two Marine warships stacked vertically. Scales of compressed seawater gleamed in the sunlight, and the creature's eyes burned with predatory intelligence despite being composed entirely of liquid.
Admiral Kisame leaped onto his mount's dorsal fin with casual grace, landing in perfect balance atop the water shark. As his subordinates watched in awe and apprehension, the fish-man Admiral urged his creation forward. The water shark surged through the waves toward the depths of Totto Land, leaving a wake that rocked the stationary warships.
Such a conspicuous target moving through Big Mom's territorial waters triggered immediate responses. Intelligence personnel stationed at the outer perimeter detected the intrusion within minutes, dispatching early warning communications to Cake Island's command center. Peripheral defense forces automatically entered combat status, mobilizing to intercept the fish-man wearing the New Marine's distinctive uniform.
But their efforts proved as futile as an insect attempting to stop a speeding train.
The confirmation call from Cake Island arrived at the outer stations, requesting status updates and engagement reports. No one answered. The defending pirates had been eliminated so thoroughly that not a single survivor remained to describe what had happened. Blood from various races—humans, fish-men, minks, long-arms—mingled together, dyeing the ocean waters crimson in spreading patches that marked Admiral Kisame's advance like a trail of carnage.
At this moment on Cake Island, a rotund blue fish-man insisted on departing despite everyone's objections. Jinbe pushed through the concerned crowd gathering around him, determination etched across his weathered features. The nickname "Sea Knight" hadn't been bestowed lightly—it reflected genuine chivalrous conviction, an unwillingness to allow innocent people to suffer because of his presence.
"Katakuri, don't try to stop me." Jinbe's voice carried the weight of absolute certainty. "It must be Kisame himself leading this operation. He only wants to capture me to complete his mission. He won't rashly attack the civilians on Cake Island or escalate beyond necessity."
The former Shichibukai had learned about the New Marine's decision to abolish the Warlord system several days ago through newspapers distributed by Morgans' News Coo network. Jinbe understood that arrest was inevitable—merely a matter of timing. He simply hadn't expected the day to arrive quite so soon, giving him no time to prepare or negotiate terms.
Heroes killing heroes. Fish-men capturing fish-men. The New Marine's strategy possessed cruel elegance—sending Admiral Kisame, himself a fish-man, to arrest Sea Knight Jinbe made perfect sense from a public relations perspective. If any other human Admiral had received this assignment, the operation might spiral into uncontrollable violence, potentially igniting racial tensions between fish-men and humans that would undermine the New Marine's carefully cultivated image of species equality.
But the relatively straightforward Jinbe had overlooked one critical factor. He possessed some understanding of Hoshigaki Kisame's monstrous strength through Fish-Man Island's intelligence network. However, that knowledge didn't mean the Big Mom Pirates comprehended the true scope of what they faced.
A Marine Admiral had suddenly materialized in the territory of a Yonko, demanding to capture one of the pirate crew's affiliated members without even the courtesy of advance warning. Although Jinbe had only recently sworn brotherhood with Big Mom over sake—their alliance still fresh and tentative—he officially counted as one of her people now.
If they couldn't protect their own subordinate, if a Marine Admiral simply appeared and took him away unopposed, how would the Big Mom Pirates maintain face? How could they survive on these seas if such humiliating news spread? How would other pirates view Charlotte Linlin after this—as a Yonko worthy of respect, or as a weakening power unable to defend her own territory?
"Jinbe, you don't need to be so hasty." A tall man with short amaranth-red hair stepped forward, blocking the fish-man's path to the harbor. His body bore numerous scars accumulated through countless battles, each one a testament to conflicts survived. His voice carried the absolute confidence of someone who'd never truly known defeat. "Even if the opponent claims Admiral rank, we're going to meet him properly. Does the New Marine seriously want to provoke another war with a Yonko? After barely recovering from their institutional collapse?"
Charlotte Katakuri represented the undisputed backbone among Charlotte Linlin's extensive children. Among the Sweet Commanders, his word carried weight that even his mother respected. Those scars decorating his face and torso weren't marks of weakness—they were evidence that he never fled from fights, never retreated when challenged, never allowed fear to dictate his actions.
As the strongest Sweet Commander, Charlotte Katakuri had never fought directly against a Marine Admiral. The newly appointed Admiral Kisame represented an unknown quantity, and Katakuri felt genuine curiosity about testing the fish-man's capabilities. Understanding the gap between himself and Admiral-class opponents through actual combat would provide invaluable strategic intelligence for future conflicts.
This man made the same fundamental mistake as countless others across the seas—assuming that fish-men couldn't produce truly top-tier warriors. A figure like Jinbe the Sea Knight appeared perhaps once every few centuries, and most observers dismissed him as an extreme outlier rather than recognizing the potential of fish-men as a species.
Charlotte Katakuri and Jinbe had sparred previously during the former Shichibukai's integration into the Big Mom Pirates. If they truly fought with lethal intent, the Sea Knight would absolutely not match the strongest Sweet Commander's overwhelming power. Only in a home-field advantage battle fought entirely at sea would Jinbe possess meaningful tactical superiority through his aquatic racial traits.
"Katakuri is absolutely correct." A beautiful woman with impossibly long legs and flowing silver hair approached from the other direction, her height making even the tall Katakuri seem merely average. She represented the most popular sister among the Charlotte family's daughters, and her long-leg tribal heritage granted her both elegance and terrifying combat potential. As Minister of Juice for Totto Land, she wielded authority second only to the Sweet Commanders themselves. "The New Marine has only existed for a few years. They expanded their Admiral roster so dramatically—from three to twelve practically overnight. There must be unqualified candidates among them, elevated beyond their actual capabilities to fill quotas."
Charlotte Smoothie, Big Mom's fourteenth daughter, stood as the only female among the Sweet Commanders. Though her combat record didn't showcase the same dramatic victories as her brothers, her strength demanded serious respect. None of Charlotte Linlin's daughters had grown up weak—their mother's genetics and brutal training regimen ensured that much.
Jinbe wanted to lose his temper but found himself helpless before these two prideful Sweet Commanders. Some truths couldn't be conveyed through words alone—only harsh reality could teach certain lessons. He could warn them about Hoshigaki Kisame's monstrous capabilities until his voice gave out, but they wouldn't truly understand until they experienced that overwhelming power firsthand.
The fish-man felt a knot of dread forming in his stomach. This was going to end badly. He could sense the approaching catastrophe with the same instinct that warned sailors of incoming storms.
In the outer defensive perimeter of Totto Land, another Sweet Commander had stationed himself after receiving the intrusion alert. Charlotte Cracker began mobilizing his forces on the nearest fortified island, hoping to intercept Admiral Kisame before the fish-man reached Cake Island and disturbed his mother during her sacred afternoon nap. Big Mom's temper when awakened prematurely could level entire cities—better to handle this threat quietly at the periphery.
Hoshigaki Kisame rode his Great Water Shark through the waves when he detected the ambush waiting ahead. Out of professional curiosity rather than concern, he halted his mount and approached the forest-covered island where concentrated killing intent emanated like heat waves.
The Admiral's shark-like eyes studied the figure emerging from the treeline, comparing the man's appearance against wanted posters stored in his prodigious memory.
"You're one of the Sweet Commanders from the Big Mom Pirates?" Kisame's voice carried mild interest rather than alarm. "It seems the Marine's internal intelligence contains significant errors."
Admiral Kisame recognized the individual blocking his path immediately. According to the wanted poster, this should be Charlotte Cracker, one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders. However, the wanted poster had been deliberately falsified. Most of the outside world believed the tall armored figure in the bounty photograph represented Cracker's true appearance, but the Admiral's enhanced senses detected the deception instantly.
Inside that seemingly imposing body before him, another person hid—smaller, weaker, controlling the exterior shell like a puppet. The construct possessed masterful craftsmanship, but such tricks couldn't fool someone of Hoshigaki Kisame's caliber. His Observation Haki penetrated the deception as easily as light passing through glass.
Bringing back updated intelligence for the New Marine would constitute an additional bonus beyond his primary mission. If sufficient time remained after capturing Jinbe, Admiral Kisame saw no reason not to play with this Sweet Commander for a while. Testing Big Mom's forces would provide valuable data for future strategic planning.
Besides, the fish-man Admiral felt genuine curiosity about how long Cracker could last.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for violence to erupt. In the distance, Cake Island remained blissfully unaware that their outer defenses were about to crumble like sandcastles before a tsunami.
Admiral Kisame smiled, revealing rows of shark-like teeth that promised nothing but pain.
The hunt had officially begun.
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