193 With the Justice System

Cocoyasi Village.

Golden sunlight spilled across the rolling sea of orange groves.

Plump oranges hung from the branches like glowing lanterns, filling the air with a sweet, refreshing fragrance.

"Hey—!"

"Hahaha, this year's oranges turned out great! Big and sweet!"

"Yeah!"

Villagers bustled through the orchard, busy picking, carrying, and packing the fruit.

"Careful! Don't bruise them!"

"These are for Hawke-san!"

Nojiko stood to the side, hands on her hips, directing the crowd.

Her bronzed skin glimmered in the sunlight, and an irrepressible smile lit up her face.

She glanced down at the well-worn newspaper in her hands, her heart stirring with excitement.

The man who had freed Cocoyasi Village from Arlong's clutches—the man who had once been merely a branch Commander, Hawke-san—

Now, he had risen to the rank of Admiral of Marine Headquarters!

The news spread through the village like the sweetest orange juice, refreshing the heart of every single villager.

Nojiko's eyes fell back to a small section of the paper.

There, a line of fine print read:

[Special talent Nami, promoted to Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander for her exceptional navigation and intelligence-gathering skills. Assigned to the Marine Headquarters Charting Division.]

Nami...

Lieutenant Commander...

The newspaper trembled slightly in Nojiko's hands.

She lifted her gaze toward the endless blue sky above, her eyes unconsciously growing moist.

"Bell-mère..."

She whispered softly, her voice barely audible even to herself.

"Did you see that...?"

"Nami... she's wearing the cloak of justice now..."

The girl who once bore all the burdens alone to protect their village.

The sister who had struggled helplessly in the darkness.

Now, she was no longer a thief stealing from pirates—she was a Lieutenant Commander of the Marines.

She could finally, proudly, use her own hands to chart her dream: a map of the entire world.

And all of this... was thanks to that man.

Rayne Hawke.

He hadn't just brought freedom and peace—he had given Nami a new life, a future where her dreams could come true.

Nojiko's heart swelled with inexpressible gratitude.

This debt... was far too great to repay.

Taking a deep breath, she turned sharply and shouted toward the villagers in the orchard,

"Everyone, pick up the pace!"

"Come on—!!"

"Pack more! Even more!"

"Let the Marines taste them!"

"Our Cocoyasi oranges are the best in the world!"

...

Marine Headquarters.

A thick, solid wooden door now bore a new emblem—

A blood-red eagle with its wings spread wide, talons rending a black skull flag apart in a display of ferocity.

Pushing the door open revealed an office that was stark and austere.

No unnecessary decorations—just a black sofa, a desk, and a large plaque on the wall bearing the words: Justice Through Slaughter.

Though Hawke would soon be stationed long-term at the G-5 Branch in the New World, Marineford still reserved this office exclusively for him—one of the Marines' ultimate powerhouses.

"Ha—"

Hawke leaned back in his chair, eyes half closed, a freshly lit cigar resting between his fingers.

Tendrils of smoke curled around his sharp, stoic face.

His mind was swiftly organizing plans for the days ahead.

In one week, he would lead his fleet and officially take command of the G-5 Branch in the New World.

After the fiery baptism of the Summit War, his forces needed a brief period of reorganization and recovery.

When he departed for the New World, Dane, who had been stationed at the G-3 Branch, would rejoin his command.

Smoker and Hina, currently based in Alabasta, would rendezvous with him at Headquarters.

Their posts would be filled by replacements from Marineford.

His massive fleet would also undergo a complete round of maintenance and weapon upgrades.

"Ha..."

Hawke exhaled a ring of smoke and smiled faintly.

Thanks to their resounding victory in the war, his officers had all received promotions.

Zoro, Sanji, Hibari, and Dane had each been promoted to Rear Admiral.

The four of them were now among the brightest rising stars of the Marines' new generation. With more time and achievements, they would soon become Vice Admirals capable of commanding on their own.

Kujaku, Smoker, and Hina had been promoted to Commodore.

As for Nami and Robin...

They had been reassigned outside of his direct combat units.

Nami, with her unparalleled navigation skills, had joined the Marine Charting Division.

Robin had become the head of the Historical Text Research Department.

Both divisions technically fell under the Marine Strategy Bureau—directly overseen by the Strategist Tsuru.

Though Tsuru had stepped down from her position as Vice Admiral and moved to a more advisory role, she retained her authority as the Headquarters' Great Staff Officer.

After all, when it came to the upper ranks of the Marines...

There was the utterly carefree Sengoku, the restless and battle-hungry Garp, and the ever-watchful Instructor Zephyr—all fearsome veterans in their own right.

But when it came to internal management... no one could match Tsuru.

As for the current state of the Marines...

Fleet Admiral Sakazuki sat at Headquarters, locked in an unyielding standoff with the Holy Land.

Admiral Kizaru remained the top "support specialist"—wherever trouble arose, he was there.

Hawke had already arranged a "special training" session for Zoro and Sanji. Once Kizaru completed his mission, he would personally train those two.

It was a promise Hawke had made before—and he intended to keep it.

Meanwhile, Kuzan had taken charge of the Four Seas.

He would personally lead the campaign to purge them of piracy once and for all—cutting off the problem at its roots.

Suddenly—

Knock knock—

A light rapping at the door pulled Hawke from his thoughts.

"Enter."

The office door opened, and Zoro and Sanji walked in one after the other.

They stopped before his desk, standing straight, their right arms raised in unison.

"Hawke!"

"Mm. Sit."

Hawke nodded slightly, gesturing toward the sofa.

Zoro and Sanji relaxed and took their seats.

Click—

Hawke crushed the cigar in the ashtray, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two of them.

"I called you here because there's something important—something that concerns the both of you."