Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The afternoon sun beat down on the white stone fortress, casting sharp shadows across its pristine walls. A large, rotund figure in a Marine Captain's cloak made his way up the main path toward the Fortress of Justice, his webbed feet making soft sounds against the cobblestone.
Jinbe, the blue-skinned Fish-Man, walked with the measured confidence of someone who had finally found his place.
As he entered the fortress proper, the cooler air inside was a welcome relief. The familiar scent of polished wood and steel greeted him. He'd barely made it ten paces down the corridor when two Vice Admirals appeared ahead, their white-and-gold cloaks trailing behind them.
Jinbe immediately shifted to the side, clearing the center of the hallway, and snapped off a crisp salute.
Both Vice Admirals paused, their stern expressions melting into friendly smiles.
"Hey, Jinbe! You're back?" The first one, Vice Admiral Yamakaji, adjusted his distinctive cap and grinned.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Yamakaji. Vice Admiral Momonga." Jinbe lowered his salute, returning the smile.
When he'd first arrived at Marineford nearly a year ago, Jinbe had been filled with apprehension. Admiral Finn's eager eyes during their initial meeting had made him uncomfortable, as if the man was sizing him up like a prize recruit. And honestly, Jinbe had carried his own baggage too: a deep-seated wariness of humans that was common among most Fish-Men from Fish-Man Island.
He'd braced himself for discrimination. For sneers and whispered insults. For being treated as something less than his human counterparts.
But reality had proven shockingly different.
Marineford's atmosphere was warm, almost familial. And after joining Admiral Finn's division, the high-ranking officers had gone out of their way to make him and his fellow Fish-Man Marines feel welcome. The two Vice Admirals standing before him now were perfect examples. Despite their lofty ranks and positions as direct subordinates to Admiral Finn, they regularly invited Jinbe to their gatherings, even though he was merely a Captain.
Through those informal meetings, Jinbe had even met the legendary Marine Hero Garp, the former Admiral Zephyr, and several of Garp's grandchildren.
All in all, his experience at Marineford had been... good. Better than good. He and his fellow Fish-Man Marines weren't just tolerated; they were treated well. Perhaps even given preferential treatment.
"Don't be so formal with us," Momonga said, clapping a hand on Jinbe's broad shoulder. His mohawk caught the light from the overhead lamps. "You'll make us feel like strangers."
"Hard habit to break while I'm still on duty." Jinbe's grin widened.
The three of them were close in age, and Jinbe's naturally generous and loyal personality meshed well with Momonga's straightforward nature. Yamakaji, meanwhile, had such an easygoing temperament that there were few people in all of Marineford who couldn't get along with him.
Over the past year, Jinbe's initial resistance to Marine life had evaporated entirely. He'd even started to entertain ambitious thoughts: What if he kept climbing the ranks? Vice Admiral like Momonga or Yamakaji... or perhaps even Admiral Candidate?
Could he become the first Fish-Man Admiral?
If he managed that, it would do wonders for improving relations between Fish-Man Island and the surface world. The thought made his chest swell with pride. He understood now what Queen Otohime had been trying to accomplish, and why Admiral Finn and the others had extended such goodwill toward Fish-Man Island.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Jinbe excused himself and continued deeper into the fortress. He navigated the familiar corridors, took the elevator up, and stepped out onto the top floor.
The top floor of the Fortress of Justice housed only four offices: one for the Fleet Admiral, and three for the Admirals.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. Jinbe stepped out just in time to see the door to Admiral Sakazuki's office swing open. Hina, Admiral Finn's secretary, emerged, her expression caught somewhere between exasperation and amusement.
Sakazuki's voice followed her into the hallway, rough and uncompromising.
"Hina, go tell Finn that if he doesn't approve my funding request, I'll have my forces kill every pirate we capture in the New World on the spot. At worst, we'll both go down together!"
Hina paused in the doorway, turning back to face the Admiral. Her pink hair swayed as she shook her head. "Admiral Sakazuki, if you kill all those pirates, you'll lose the manpower and funding that my Admiral's labor programs provide. That'll make him even less likely to approve your budget."
"Then it's mutual destruction!" Sakazuki waved dismissively, his tone completely unbothered.
Hina could only roll her eyes. "Fine. I'll relay your message to my Admiral."
Jinbe watched the exchange with barely concealed curiosity.
Despite nearly a year at Marineford, he still hadn't fully figured out the tangled web of relationships among the senior officers. But witnessing this scene gave him some clues.
Did Admiral Sakazuki and Admiral Finn not get along?
Was there some kind of serious conflict between them?
Their offices were on the same floor, practically next door to each other, yet they communicated through intermediaries and traded threats about "mutual destruction." Wasn't that... problematic? Wouldn't it harm the unity of the Marines?
Just as Jinbe was puzzling this over, Hina began to close Sakazuki's door.
Then Sakazuki's voice rang out again, softer this time.
"Oh, and Hina, ask that guy if he wants to grab drinks tonight. I'm heading to the Marine Club to coach Ace. If he's interested, we can drink afterward."
Hina's expression brightened immediately. "You really do like Ace, don't you? I'll let my Admiral know."
"Hahaha! Of course I do. Ace is a boy who wants to become a Marine Admiral. I respect ambitious kids." Sakazuki's laughter was surprisingly hearty.
Jinbe blinked, utterly baffled.
One second they were threatening to destroy each other, and the next they were making plans to drink together?
He certainly knew who Ace was. Garp's grandson, the energetic boy who'd loudly declared his intention to become an Admiral to anyone who would listen. But Jinbe hadn't realized Admiral Sakazuki had taken such a liking to the kid.
Hina closed the door and turned, finally noticing Jinbe. She waved cheerfully. "Boss Jinbe! Are you here to see the Admiral?"
Jinbe was the commanding officer of the Fish-Man Marine Special Forces, and his subordinates all called him "Boss Jinbe." People like Hina had picked up the habit as well, and Jinbe didn't mind it.
"Yes," Jinbe replied with a smile. "I need to request leave."
He hesitated, then lowered his voice. "Is the Admiral on bad terms with Admiral Sakazuki?"
Hina looked genuinely surprised. "Bad terms? Not at all. I'd say Admiral Sakazuki's closest friend at Headquarters is my Admiral."
Jinbe's confusion deepened. "But... Admiral Sakazuki just said he'd go down fighting with Admiral Finn..."
"Hahahaha!" Hina laughed, covering her mouth. "Oh, that's completely normal. You know my Admiral controls the economic and developmental operations for the entire Marine, right?"
Jinbe nodded slowly.
"Three months ago," Hina continued, falling into step beside him as they walked toward Finn's office, "under Admiral Kuzan's leadership, along with Vice Admirals Chaton, Onigumo, Dalmatian, and the other Vice Admiral, plus over thirty Rear Admirals and dozens of Commodore, the Marines launched a massive campaign to secure the gateway waters of the New World. They destroyed over sixty pirate crews, killed more than twenty thousand pirates, and captured over seventy thousand criminals. It was a complete victory. The gateway waters are now under direct Marine jurisdiction."
"I know," Jinbe said. "I participated in that operation."
"Right! But even though we won, the cost was enormous. We lost over thirty ships. There were more than thirty thousand wounded, plus compensation for over six thousand fallen Marines. Then there's the post-war reconstruction of islands and bases in the area. All of that requires Berries. My Admiral controls the Marine's purse strings, and every last Berry comes from his budget. Do you think he's happy about spending all that money?" Hina's smile turned knowing. "And then Admiral Sakazuki came asking for another massive allocation to expand the G-1 base and start large-scale recruitment at all three New World bases. Of course my Admiral refused. They had a huge argument at the last strategy meeting. Admiral Sakazuki accused my Admiral of being stingy and holding back the Marine's expansion. My Admiral accused Admiral Sakazuki of being too aggressive and overextending. He said one major defeat could completely undo everything we'd just established in the New World. They nearly came to blows."
"Ah..." Jinbe processed this slowly.
As a Captain, he'd known about the victory. He'd even contributed to it, though his two hundred Fish-Man Marines were only a small part of such a massive operation. But he'd had no idea about the subsequent disputes among the top brass.
Two Admirals almost fighting over budget allocations?
"It's fine, though," Hina said breezily. "This is normal for Marineford. Different Admirals and factions have different priorities, so disputes are inevitable. But it rarely affects personal relationships. Take Admiral Sakazuki and Admiral Finn, for example. They can point at each other's noses and shout in the conference room, throw documents, overturn tables... and then go out drinking together that same night. We're all used to it by now."
They reached the door to Finn's office. Hina, enjoying the privilege of being his personal secretary, pushed the door open without knocking and walked in. Jinbe followed.
Admiral Finn sat behind his massive desk, leaning back in his chair with a lit cigar clamped between his teeth. He was reading a document, his expression thoughtful. Standing in front of the desk was a young woman, no older than fifteen or sixteen, wearing a Marine Captain's cloak. The epaulettes on her shoulders marked her as a Captain.
Finn didn't look up at Hina or Jinbe. Instead, he kept his eyes on the document. "Apply to go to the New World front line?"
The young Captain straightened. "Yes, Admiral. Please let me transfer to the front."
"You're under Gion's command," Finn said, finally glancing up. "Why not take this up with her?"
The Captain's expression turned awkward. "Sister Gion... already refused."
"Hahahaha! I figured as much." Finn set the document down and studied her. "Alright, Captain Robin. Tell me why you want to go to the New World."
Jinbe's eyes widened slightly.
Robin. Nico Robin. He'd heard of her, vaguely. She'd joined at G-7 and risen through the ranks unusually quickly under Vice Admiral Gion's mentorship.
Robin didn't hesitate. "Although the Marines have cleared the New World's gateway waters and won a decisive victory, there's no doubt the pirates will continue to counterattack. Prolonged conflicts will break out in the coming months and years."
Finn nodded. "Go on."
"I judge that the fighting on the front lines will be low-intensity but sustained, likely lasting three to five years. If I deploy there now, I'll be frequently involved in combat. That means more opportunities to earn merit and promotions. I want to accumulate contributions as quickly as possible."
Finn raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "So you're not going for justice? Just to make a name for yourself?"
"That's correct." Robin's voice was steady, unflinching.
"Hahahaha!" Finn laughed, smoke curling from his cigar. "I appreciate the honesty. But Robin, your current strength isn't suited for front-line deployment. Gion was right to refuse you. She's already arranged a position for you, and I'm not in the habit of overriding her decisions. So coming to me won't change anything."
Robin's face fell, disappointment clear in her dark eyes. "Admiral... what position did Sister Gion assign me?"
Finn leaned forward, tapping ash from his cigar into a tray. "The Intelligence Department. Gion has a strong relationship with Chief of Staff Tsuru. You'll be transferred there as an officer. It'll be safe work, and once you're stronger, you can reconsider front-line deployment."