That evening, after filing his report with Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Krieg arrived at a high-end restaurant frequently used by Navy flag officers, complete with soundproof private rooms.
Inside one of these rooms, Krieg sat across from Sakazuki.
「So, how was it? You were out in the New World, weren't you?」 Krieg asked as the meal began.
「Ah. The Fleet Admiral was worried that the Three Great Pirates—Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido—would make a move to coincide with Red-Hair's entry into the New World...」 Sakazuki replied, his tone grim as he precisely cut into a piece of whitefish meunière with his knife and fork.
「From your tone, I take it there were no major issues,」 Krieg noted, enjoying his own meal.
「Hmph. A few lesser pirates were stirred up, but that was about it. More importantly, I heard a rumor... is it true you went to a Sky Island?」 Sakazuki asked, looking up.
「Yeah. Though, honestly, it was more like a sightseeing trip,」 Krieg said, leaning back. He explained the general vibe of Skypiea—peaceful, if a bit surreal.
「Hmph. I thought since it's outside the Navy's jurisdiction, there might be some dangerous element lurking there...」
Well, Enel wasn't there when I arrived, but he's certainly the definition of "dangerous," Krieg thought. Still, he kept his answer vague. 「None for now. Who knows what the future holds, but for the time being, it's quiet.」
「I see. There's something else I wanted to ask,」 Sakazuki said, his expression becoming serious. 「I heard Sengoku-san is pushing something called 'Project Militarista.'」
「Ah, that. I'm a member of the development team, but didn't you get the briefing?」
「I've been moving around too much. I heard it was about raising the floor of the rank-and-file's combat strength through equipment. How effective is it actually going to be?」
「Well... you've seen my 'Prototype Arsenal,' right?」
「Your 'serious' gear... I heard it takes a mountain of authorizations just to pull it out of the armory.」
「Right. The plan is to simplify those designs into mass-producible, general-purpose gear for the average Marine. The goal is a universal power-up for the infantry.」
「I see. And what kind of things are in the pipeline?」
「The stuff currently being deployed includes things like 'Black Rounds' laced with steel netting, 'Red Rounds' containing tear gas, and specialized launchers that can fire signal flares or smoke screens. We've also got high-durability, lightweight collapsible rods for close-quarters work.」
「...The equipment your unit is already using, then?」
「Exactly. It's been field-tested and proven reliable. There are other things in the works, but since most of them started as custom gear specifically for my physique, the 'downscaling' process is taking time.」
「I can imagine. I remember the Research Division showing me that armor of yours once... who could even move in something that absurdly heavy?」
「Let's just say it's the result of some very specific training,」 Krieg smirked.
「I'm past the point of questioning your ridiculous physical strength,」 Sakazuki grunted. 「So, will this gear be coming to my men?」
「That's the plan. Right now, we're focusing on specialized grenades—paralysis gas, sleep gas, and flashbangs. The ultimate goal of Project Militarista is to allow a non-Ability user to stand a fighting chance against a Devil Fruit user.」
「Ho... interesting. Even for a Logia like me, a flashbang would be effective, and Paramecias are mostly physical—paralysis would work on them too. As for Zoans, unless they're Mythical types, they're just humans with high physical stats.」
「Rare Logias are the real problem,」 Krieg noted. 「Aside from you, Borsalino, and Kuzan... there's Crocodile of the Warlords. Anyone else?」
「I heard there's a young recruit in the Navy with the Moku Moku no Mi (Smoke-Smoke Fruit). And apparently, there's a scientist working for the Government with the Gasu Gasu no Mi.」
Moku Moku... that's Smoker. So he's already enlisted. And Gasu Gasu must be Caesar Clown... so he's already in the research department. I should probably track him down later, Krieg noted internally.
「Rumors say there are others out there—Fire, Lightning, even Swamp,」 Krieg added. Though I'm currently sitting on the Snow-Snow Fruit myself... what should I do with that?
「Fire would be a great asset for the Navy to secure, and Lightning would be incredibly broken in the wrong hands. But... 'Swamp'? How would you even use a Numa Numa no Mi?」 Sakazuki asked, sounding unimpressed.
Krieg thought of Caribou—a Logia who was treated like a joke in the original series.
「From what I've heard, you could store an entire arsenal of weapons inside your body, or use the mud to entangle and suffocate opponents.」
「Hmph. If we had someone like that, we'd never have to worry about supply lines again.」
「True. But until these fruits are found, there's nothing we can do.」
Krieg thought of the missing pieces: the Mera Mera (Fire), Goro Goro (Lightning), Numa Numa (Swamp), and Yami Yami (Darkness). If things stayed on track, they would go to Ace, Enel, Caribou, and Teach.
If only I knew exactly where Ace found the Mera Mera...
The two old comrades continued to talk late into the night, discussing the shifting tides of the world over fine food and wine.
The Emerald Doctor's Resolve:
A few days after the meeting with Sakazuki, Krieg returned to Faus Island, which had effectively become his personal stronghold.
The transformation of the island was remarkable. The Amber Lead patients had all completed their treatment.
About half of them had transitioned into employees for Tesoro's Stella Productions, while others had been escorted back to their home islands. A dedicated group chose to stay, working as staff in the very facility that saved them.
With so many beds now available, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had officially designated the island as a pilot site for a "Grand Navy Medical Center." It was a logical move; the equipment was state-of-the-art, and the doctors were among the finest in the world.
The Trafalgar couple, now fully recovered, had accepted a direct request from Sengoku to serve as the Director and Vice-Director of the Faus Island Navy Hospital. Despite their lingering bitterness toward the World Government over Flevance, their oath as doctors came first.
The rest of the roster had also stabilized:
Dr. Indigo remained as a pharmaceutical researcher (part of his plea bargain).
Dr. Alche and Olga moved to Stella Productions after handing over the rights to "Slim Gold" to Tesoro.
Dr. Hogback—driven by his obsession with Victoria Cindry—returned to Stella Productions as a staff physician.
Corazon (Rosinate), unfortunately, remained in a deep coma, showing no signs of waking.
Then, there was the matter of the sisters.
A Request for Drum Kingdom
That evening, Monet approached Krieg with a serious expression.
「The Drum Kingdom, huh...?」 Krieg muttered, repeating her proposal.
「Yes,」 Monet replied. 「I've received certificates from Dr. Luke and Dr. Hogback, and Dr. Indigo has taught me everything he knows about pharmacology.
But I want to see the world's leading 'Medical Land' for myself. I want to study in Drum.」
Monet hadn't been idle during her years on the island. Working under a "Dream Team" of doctors, she had evolved into a highly capable Multi-Doctor, skilled in everything from emergency triage to complex surgery.
At twenty years old, her sharp intellect was matched by a cool, professional beauty that—according to rumors—had already broken the hearts of half the Marine garrison on the island.
「I have no doubt about your skill,」 Krieg said, leaning back. 「But what about Sugar? She's only twelve. Taking her with you to the Grand Line is a heavy burden.」
「I've already spoken with Remo-san,」 Monet answered smoothly, as if she had anticipated the question. 「Sugar will stay here under her care. She'll study alongside Lami and the other children from Flevance. They've become quite close.」
Krieg nodded. It was a solid plan. However, the Grand Line was a graveyard for the unprepared. Even with the "Red Gull" patrols thinning out the pirate population, monsters still lurked in the mist.
「Fine. Follow me to the courtyard,」 Krieg stood up. 「If you're going to Drum alone, I need to know you can survive. I want to see how much of my physical training you've actually kept up with.」
Monet smiled, a playful yet confident glint in her eyes. 「Oh? I've followed your instructions to the letter, Krieg-san. But... if we're going to fight, I'll need a moment to prepare. Would you mind waiting just a few minutes?」
The Courtyard: A New Kind of Combatant
Ten minutes later, Krieg stood in the center of the training grounds. The moonlight cast long shadows across the stone tiles.
He expected Monet to come out in her training gear, perhaps carrying a surgical scalpel or a hidden pistol.
Instead, she appeared carrying a small, ornate wooden box.
「I realized that as a doctor, I don't have your raw power, Krieg-san,」 Monet said, opening the lid. Inside sat a fruit with swirling patterns—the Yuki Yuki no Mi (Snow-Snow Fruit) he had recovered long ago.
「So, I decided to use the resources you provided. If I am to be a doctor who travels alone, I need to be a doctor who can control the environment.」
She took a bite, her face momentarily twisting at the legendary foul taste, before a cold mist began to swirl around her feet.
Her skin took on a pale, almost translucent glow, and the temperature in the courtyard plummeted.
「Shall we begin?」 she asked, as her arms began to transform into wings made of shimmering white snow.
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