North Blue, 141st Branch District. The deep blue sea rippled gently, while several news hawks circled overhead.
The North Blue branch of the World Economic Daily had always been diligent. They were the first to report the Navy's annihilation of the Tiger Shark Pirates, quickly publishing the news on the front pages across the North Blue.
As expected, the papers sold out almost instantly, causing a stir overseas.
On Major Monkey D. Dragon's ship, many new recruits from headquarters bought copies of the newspaper, treating them as souvenirs to commemorate their first victory. Pride and a sense of belonging swelled in their chests.
Meanwhile, aboard the warship…
Several Marine soldiers raised their binoculars, scanning the horizon with the precision of hawks, unwilling to miss any hint of pirate activity.
Forget about the glory of being on the front page yesterday, Major Dragon had already paid their double salaries for the month with pirate bounties. And they still planned to capture more pirates.
Remember, the month was barely ten days in this counted as a full month's extra pay, delivered twenty days early.
They watched the tall figure at the bow, admiration shining in their eyes.
Dragon raised a hand, and a sharp-eyed sailor sprinted over.
He frowned slightly. "Full speed, heading northwest, thirty degrees."
"Yes, sir!"
The sailor raced off to relay the command.
Yesterday, Dragon's predictions regarding the Tiger Shark Pirates had been flawless, earning him complete trust.
Today, they took a slightly longer route, but still relied on the expertise they had learned.
"Strange why would a pirate fleet that was originally formidable suddenly change course?"
Dragon shook his head, murmuring in puzzlement.
He had spotted a large group, yet they veered off quickly, even leaving his warship behind. Chasing them seemed hopeless.
Other smaller groups remained, though today they would not return empty-handed.
It was absurd. Could it be that every Marine of the 141st Branch was incompetent?
In a short time, Dragon had found more pirates in local waters than the entire branch had yesterday.
The quality might not match the Tiger Shark Pirates, but the numbers…
Donald claimed the industry faced pressure, but such disorder clearly pointed to internal corruption either stupidity or malice.
Dragon narrowed his eyes, already calculating the implications for the Base Commander's seat.
Donald's incompetence had allowed this branch to decay; Dragon would take control.
If he were the Base Commander, no one would dare trespass.
"A pirate crew of moderate size but exceptional strength spotted!"
A sentry shouted.
"Step forward! Let's see what skills you've got today!"
Dragon rose, calling to his soldiers.
"Yes, Major!"
They responded eagerly, ready to prove themselves.
They could not disappoint their Major.
On deck, Dragon watched his Marines in action, dominating almost every engagement.
Some stood out, showing exceptional skill worth nurturing.
When pirates leapt into the sea in retreat, Dragon silently raised two fingers, mimicking the shape of a gun.
Finger gun: rapid fire.
Compressed air pellets struck with deadly precision, smashing the pirates' skulls and crushing the last hope of escape.
Soon, the area was cleared.
By evening, the warship set sail for the next target…
Dragon returned to the branch base once again, bearing a full haul of spoils.
This time, Donald did not greet him at the dock.
Only Deputy Commander William awaited him ashore.
"Deputy Base Commander, you've angered the Base Commander today!"
William jogged over, sighing. "Yesterday you promised coordination why act so recklessly again?"
"You'd better apologize properly afterward, or the Base Commander will report to headquarters, or restrict your actions. Either way, it won't end well."
He had come to issue a final warning, clarifying what Donald had failed to articulate.
If Dragon ignored him, every threat would become reality.
"Are you trying to teach me how to work?"
Dragon squinted, then slapped William across the face.
Smack!
William spun through the air, rotating 720 degrees, belly-up, then fell in a daze.
It was as if hundreds of flies buzzed inside his skull.
"Useless." Dragon glanced at the skinny deputy. "Tell Donald he can report all he wants. If he dares to restrict me, let him try."
"A man who can't even manage his own district shouldn't pretend to be important in front of me."
In a single day of patrols, Dragon had eliminated eight pirate crews, bringing back over three hundred heads.
Along the way, he had saved four small villages, earning thirty thousand loyalty points. The total…
One day's work exposed just how utterly useless this branch was.
"Remember your words, Major Dragon!"
William staggered to his feet, clutching his mouth, hatred blazing. "Beating a fellow officer is a serious crime!"
"Say whatever you want."
Dragon snorted in disdain. "Now, have the mess hall prepare a feast for my soldiers and have the quartermaster tally the numbers."
"Get lost your stupidity disgusts me."
He didn't even glance at William, leading the astonished Marines toward the barracks.
William glared after him, then hobbled off to confront Donald.
Yet…
This was the price of Dragon's arrogance.
Today, the kitchen's meat soup was thin and greasy, containing barely a shred of meat.
The bounty officer counted spoils at a snail's pace, no longer completing the task in half an hour like yesterday. Lieutenant Karl waited over an hour.
Even the quartermaster requesting fuel was told supplies were low and dismissed.
An hour later…
Upon learning of the blockade, Dragon smirked. "Hmph. Can't catch pirates, can't guard waters, but skilled at internal disputes."
He had just slapped William but he had complete control over him.
Ready on time? He didn't think those idiots had that kind of efficiency.
They had long prepared for this squeeze a meticulous plan.
"Major, what now? Should we report to headquarters?"
Lieutenant Karl furrowed his brow, addressing Dragon.
Under Captain Garp's command, he had never encountered such a situation everything usually went smoothly, like silk.
"Complaining won't help."
An experienced soldier shook his head. "We technically broke the rules. The Base Commander's actions are harsh, but still within regulation."
"Taking it upstairs would drown us in red tape, leaving us empty-handed."
Although a rookie, he understood Marine operations inside and out.
As the armed forces of the World Government, even the Marines bore the stain of bureaucracy layers upon layers of outdated procedures and politics.