Chapter 375: Chapter 375: True Justice!
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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After bidding farewell to Redfoot Zeff, Sanji officially joined the Straw Hat Pirates as their chef.
His decision to follow his dreams rather than stay at the Baratie brought a newfound energy to the crew.
The excitement of gaining a new member quickly dispelled the lingering gloom from Zoro's earlier defeat by Dracule Mihawk.
Laughter echoed across the deck as they set sail once again, their bond strengthened by the addition of Sanji.
Sanji's formidable combat skills, paired with Zoro's mastery of the sword and Luffy's unshakable determination, formed a core trio of strength that would make the crew a force to be reckoned with in East Blue.
Their progress was swift; before long, they defeated a Marine base, earning infamy and higher bounties.
Their wanted posters were now plastered across East Blue, their names whispered both in awe and fear.
Everything seemed to be going well, but the Straw Hats were unaware of the dark forces that would soon target them. Behind the scenes, an unseen power was shifting pieces on the chessboard of the Grand Line.
****
Alabasta, Grand Line
In Alabasta, the place of Crocodile—a Warlord of the Sea—was eerily quiet.
The infamous warlord Crocodile sat at his desk, studying a scroll.
His expression shifted from disbelief to amusement, as though reading an absurd joke.
"Are you sure this is his order? Could it be a mistake?" Crocodile asked, raising an eyebrow.
A masked figure stepped out of the shadows, his appearance sudden and unnerving.
Wearing the uniform of CP with an earthen symbol engraved on his mask, the man replied coldly, "Just execute the order. It's not your place to question that person's will."
Crocodile suppressed a shudder.
The agent's stealth had bypassed his Observation Haki entirely.
If the man had come to assassinate him, Crocodile doubted he could have reacted in time.
This realization sent a chill down his spine.
After the agent vanished into thin air, leaving no trace, Crocodile sat back in his chair.
His curiosity about the contents of the scroll grew stronger. Unable to resist, he ordered Baroque Works to investigate a name mentioned in the orders: Monkey D. Luffy.
****
Water 7.
In Water 7, the CP9 agents had regrouped, and their usual covert operations were momentarily paused.
Rob Lucci stood at the center of the room, his demeanor colder than ever.
Two years under Senju Tobirama's influence had refined his understanding of justice in the shadows.
His actions and philosophy mirrored those of Konoha's Danzo, though Lucci harbored no desire for power.
His sole motivation was serving what he perceived as true justice.
"What is true justice?" Lucci's voice echoed in the chamber. "What God thinks is the truth. That is justice."
His words carried weight, drawing silent nods from his fellow agents.
The room buzzed with anticipation as Lucci revealed new orders, said to come directly from Tobirama.
The agents exchanged glances; their curiosity piqued.
What task could warrant such attention from their enigmatic master?
****
Aboard the Moby Dick, New World.
"Hahaha! Sasuke, look at this! This is my brother!" Ace shouted as he rushed toward Sasuke, waving a newspaper excitedly.
His joy was palpable as he pointed to the wanted poster of Monkey D. Luffy, proudly displayed on the front page.
Sasuke glanced at the paper and then at Ace, his expression unreadable. The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates gathered around, intrigued by Ace's enthusiasm.
"Thirty million berries for a bounty in the East Blue? Impressive," Marco remarked, scanning the details.
"He's a Rubber Fruit user? Definitely not as flashy as Ace's Mera-Mera Fruit," joked another crewmate, eliciting laughter from the group.
"Do you want him to join us?"
Ace grinned but declined their suggestion to recruit Luffy into the Whitebeard Pirates.
"He's charting his own path, and he's determined to become the Pirate King."
"Sounds like you back in the day," Marco teased, prompting laughter.
Ace's cheeks reddened as he recalled his younger self's bold claims of defeating Whitebeard upon entering the New World.
Those memories now felt like a lifetime ago.
Sasuke, however, remained silent, his mind elsewhere.
Ace noticed his pensive mood and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Sasuke replied. "I just think your brother's smile reminds me of Naruto."
While his words dismissed further questions, Sasuke's thoughts lingered on the message he had received from Colt.
He knew the trials awaiting Luffy would be far from easy. Silently, Sasuke resolved to join Ace in meeting Luffy, hoping to protect him if necessary.
****
Onboard Colt's Ship, The Flying Feather.
Colt sat under the open sky, gently stroking Carrot, a rabbit snoozing peacefully as she laid her head on his lap.
"Achoo!"
Suddenly, a sneeze broke the tranquility.
"Hm?"
Startled, Carrot let out a small sound of protest as Colt quickly adjusted his grip to soothe her back to sleep.
"Who's talking about me behind my back?" Colt muttered, his brow furrowed.
The list of potential culprits was endless.
With so many people harboring grievances against him, pinpointing the source of his sudden sneeze was impossible.
After placing Carrot on a sun chair, Colt approached Nami, who was focused on the ship's navigation.
"How much longer until we reach Fish-Man Island?"
"If the weather holds, we'll be near Fish-Man Island by this time tomorrow," Nami replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
Colt nodded, his thoughts drifting.
The prospect of meeting Shirahoshi after two years, the mermaid princess, filled his mind.
She was like a little sister to him, one he grew fond of, just like Carrot.
"Not too long," he muttered, turning his attention back to the journey ahead.
****
The Grand Line, with its treacherous seas and even more dangerous players, was rapidly drawing all the key figures closer.
As the Straw Hats pursued their dreams, Crocodile's investigations were underway, CP9's shadowy operations increased, and Ace's reunion plans were setting the stage for a collision of fates.
The seas were calm for now, but the storm was inevitable.