The Marines, the strongest force on the sea, are the World Government’s military arm, and their overall strength cannot be matched by any single force.
Apart from Marine Headquarters, there are several Marine branches stationed on the Grand Line, serving as important strongholds for the Marines fighting on the sea.
The G-1 Branch, situated on the opposite side of Mariejois from Marine Headquarters, is the most strategically important Marine base. It also serves as the Marines’ frontline base in the New World, especially now as the situation in the New World continues to escalate.
Under the orders of the World Government and the leadership of Sengoku, the Marines have been gradually pulling their forces out of the New World, concentrating their efforts on the first half of the Grand Line. As a result, many branches deep within the New World have temporarily been abandoned.
But G-1 is different. As the Marines’ stronghold in the New World and Mariejois’ forward outguard, G-1 remains one of the few branches still holding their ground in New World. Vice Admiral Momonga from Marine Headquarters serves as the base commander here, with a large number of Marine soldiers stationed at the branch.
The two large characters “G1” were engraved on the building. Whether it was the surrounding watchtowers or the openings in the walls, dark barrels of cannons could be seen. This place is armed to the teeth.
Marine branches in the New World are far from safe havens, as battles frequently occur here. So, the soldiers stationed here are all elites.
However, today they faced the biggest crisis since the branch’s establishment. The sound of air tearing filled the sky as an unidentified object rapidly descended.
Boom!
A huge pit appeared on the Marines’ regular training field, shaped like a human figure that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
“What is that?!”
The surrounding soldiers raised their guns and cautiously approached the pit.
Thud… Bang!
A series of muffled sounds came from the pit, and then with a loud bang, dirt and rocks were sent flying everywhere as a large hand slammed down on the ground, and Kaido’s towering figure emerged before the Marines.
“Long time no see, Marines.”
Such a bizarre entrance could only belong to Kaido. Though he had flown in on a dragon this time, he hadn’t quite decided on a new way to make his entrance. Not wanting to compromise his grand dragon-riding entrance, he chose to temporarily set that idea aside.
There would be plenty of opportunities. He could always wait until he figured it out and do it somewhere else. For now, he chose a more familiar method.
So, when Hydrachton descended halfway, Kaido jumped off, using the momentum to accelerate his fall.
Looking at the Marines around him, who were holding guns, Kaido flashed them a smile. But that smile only struck terror into the hearts of the Marines, causing their hands holding guns to tremble slightly.
These Marines stationed in the New World were elites, so they had a deeper understanding of the pirate world. A pirate of this level was beyond anything they could handle.
“En… Enemy attack!!! It’s Kaido! Kaido of the Beasts!!”
They were still human, and knew fear. During the Summit War, the Marines were the elites from all over the world, with even the lowest rank being Ensigns. And they had the backing of the three Admirals and the Marine’s top-tier forces, which gave them the courage to fight.
But now, with no one behind them, summoning the courage to pull the trigger was the best they could do.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Woo~! Woo~!
A series of gunshots rang out as G-1 Branch’s alarms blared. Amid the deafening sirens, Kaido impatiently scratched his ear.
“So noisy. Didn’t you hear me greet you?”
The bullets hitting him had no effect, only irritating him. He felt that he had been quite “polite” with his entrance.
Kaido abruptly drew the kanabo from his waist. Holding it with a single hand, Kaido casually swung it towards the gate. Despite being a blunt weapon, it struck like a sharp blade, sending a massive shockwave crashing into the door.
“Boom!”
The door of G-1 Branch shattered. Bricks from the ground were thrown into the air, and the surrounding Marines were violently sent flying, left lying around with their fates unknown.
Kaido didn’t make any further moves, because someone had appeared behind him—an unexpected person.
A tall, broad-chested, muscular old man now stood behind Kaido. A scar ran across his left eye, and his short hair was a mix of gray and white. The Marines’ Justice coat fluttered behind him in the wind.
It was the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp.
“Worororo, today really is my lucky day. Didn’t expect to run into an old friend.”
Seeing Garp, Kaido felt like he’d drawn a grand prize from a mystery box. He hadn’t chosen the G-1 Branch without reason. Going somewhere too weak wasn’t any fun, and somewhere too strong didn’t matter to him personally—he could always escape, even if he got hurt—but Hydrachton couldn’t.
So, the G-1 Branch became his chosen testing ground, and Garp’s appearance only made it better.
This wasn’t the place Garp was stationed at; he’d come here just to relax. Back at Marine Headquarters, he was being constantly nagged, but now he had run into this massive problem.
“Kaido, this is a Marine base,” Garp said, his voice calm, but his clenched fists made it clear he was ready for battle.
“I don’t need an old man like you to remind me. This is exactly where I want to be. But today’s main character isn’t me.”
“Roar!”
Up in the sky, Hydrachton’s roar followed soon after. Even the Pokémon was confused by its master’s earlier actions, causing its charging speed to slow slightly. For a moment, Hydrachton wondered if its master might have some kind of mental issue.
Pokémon have their own sense of morality, but their moral compass is often secondary to their master’s will. Most of the time, once they accept a Trainer, they follow them unconditionally, no matter what they do.
This is why even official personnel like Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy have their own Pokémon, just as villainous organizations like Team Rocket or Pokémon poaching gangs have trusted partners of their own.
With its naturally aggressive nature and Kaido’s chosen target in sight, Hydrachton was ready to strike.
Looking up at the enormous dragon in the sky, Garp felt an ominous foreboding creeping into his heart. But before he could act, Kaido had already appeared in front of him.
“Let’s spar, old man! Let me see if your fists are still as strong as they were back then!”
…
Inside the base, Momonga’s heart leaped into his throat once more. Just as he was about to call for reinforcements, he spotted Garp from the observation room. The title of Marine Hero was a symbol of hope for many Marines, and seeing him reassured Momonga significantly.
But the dragon’s roar from the sky brought a second piece of bad news. None of the Marine bases had ever prioritized anti-air defenses. Their cannons had limited range, and the average Marine had no effective way to counter an attack from a creature diving from above.
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