Halfway through the sea known to some as Paradise, there stood a Marine base on the island of Navarone. Said island was actually more of a city-sized rock formation in the middle of the ocean. In its center was a mountain, which had been modified to accommodate the marines' everyday activities, surrounded on all sides by seawater, but the body of water was isolated from the rest of the ocean by a circular wall of rock. Thanks in part to its unconventional structure, G8 was was known for being the most high security Marine facility in the entire first half of the Grand Line, if you didn't count Marineford, of course. As a stronghold, it was impregnable, and as a prison, it was inescapable.
Or so they say.
It was around midday, and a few lower-ranked officers were making their regular patrols around the base, while singing their customary song to show their pride as G8 Marines.
"I don't know, but I've been told!" one chanted.
"I don't know, but I've been told!" two others chorused.
"G8's one hell of a stronghold!"
"G8's one hell of a stronghold!"
"Pirates can attack until the sun goes down!"
"Pirates can attack until the sun goes down!"
"Navarone's pride will turn them right back 'round!"
"Navarone's pride will turn them right back 'round!"
"Sound off!"
"G8!"
"Sound off!"
"G8!"
"Sound off–"
"Geez mate," the last soldier grumbled tiredly. "Will you give it a rest already? That's not even a real soundoff. Stop making the newbies do ridiculous things."
"Oh, not again, man!" protested the soldier that was leading the chorus, who for sake of convenience will be called Optimistic Marine A. "You're always ruining my soundoffs! And you're giving the new guys the wrong idea! There's nothing wrong with flaunting our proud G8 pride!"
"Who are you flaunting for anyway?" asked the other, who will be referred to as Skeptical Marine B. "There's no one here but G8 Marines." Proud G8 pride? How did I get stuck on watch duty with this guy again?
"It's not that! The song is crucial for maintaining morale!" Optimistic Marine A argued.
"Morale for what? Face it, we haven't had a pirate attack in years. What pirate wants to stop in the middle of the Grand Line just to attack a Marine base that takes in injured soldiers and repairs Marine ships? I'm not saying our role isn't important, but the chances of a pirate attack are slim to none," Skeptical Marine B reasoned.
"What kind of attitude is that? You always have to be ready regardless! You never know when pirates might drop in out of the sky!" Optimistic Marine A claimed.
Skeptical Marine B sighed. "If that ever happens, let me know and I'll sing that little sound off while I charge headlong into battle."
"Hey, uh, guys?" one of the two newer Marines spoke up, getting their attention. "What's that in the sky?" The other three Marines followed his finger towards a large object that seemed to be floating down into the middle of the stronghold.
Skeptical Marine B started to sweat. "...That could be anything."
"It looks like a ship to me," the other new guy observed.
"...It could be anyone."
"Isn't that a pirate's Jolly Roger?" the first newbie asked.
"...Shit."
"Alright guys, don't panic," Usopp said. "For all they know, it could be anyone."
"Remember that time you drew our Jolly Roger on the sails?" Nami asked rhetorically. "It hasn't gone anywhere."
"...Shit."
Vice Admiral Jonathan of Marine Headquarters, the commanding officer of the G8 Marine base, was enjoying a midday fishing trip when he sighted a small pirate ship floating leisurely down into Navarone's waters, being suspended by a giant balloon octopus. Said ship had now been sighted by the entire Marine base, but wasn't making any aggressive or even evasive moves. It simply floated in the water idly, waiting for the full force of G8 to come down on it.
"...Well shit."
"Sighted at 4 o'clock!" a Marine Warrant Officer shouted from atop the center rock formation.
As another Marine, a Chief Petty Officer, zoomed in on the ship, he dropped his binoculars. "That pirate flag...the skull is wearing a straw hat!"
Soon, there was an announcement heard throughout the base.
"Attention all personnel! Man your stations and prepare for battle! Navarone has been infiltrated by the Strawhat Pirates!"
Dozens of Marine soldiers lined the rocks, taking aim at the small vessel that was floating harmlessly in the water.
"Do not attempt to resist!" shouted the voice of a Lieutenant from a megaphone. "Your are completely surrounded! Surrender peacefully!"
There was no answer. Not even a stirring.
Vice Admiral Jonathan walked calmly towards his office, where he could sense Lieutenant Commander Drake already waiting for him.
"It seems there's quite the commotion out there," he said absently as he walked in.
"Vice Admiral! Where have you been?"
"I was fishing," he replied lazily.
"At a time like this?" Drake asked.
"Well, it's not like I knew we'd be invaded. Don't worry about it. My fishing trips are never wasted."
A Marine barged into his office and gave a quick salute. "Sir, I've finished conducting debriefings of the soldiers and dock mechanics who witnessed the invasion," he said.
"Oh? That was quick," Jonathan commented. "So what's the verdict?"
The Marine sweatdropped. "Well...according to them..."
Drake grew impatient. "What is it? Get on with the report!"
"Yes sir. Well...they say they saw a ghost," the Marine stammered, thinking back to the chaotic debriefing.
"Like I said! It floated down from the sky!"
"There was this furry monster. It jumped off the ship, and then it was gone."
"Hands! Hands just sprouted all over me, and then everything went black!"
"There was this weird wind surrounding the ship, we couldn't get close!"
"The soldiers that went to investigate suddenly fell unconscious, but there was no one else there!"
"There was this really creepy call!"
"IT'S A GHOST SHIP!"
"Preposterous!" Drake shouted. "That is without a doubt the sailing vessel of the Strawhat Pirates! There's no way it's a ghost ship! And you expect me to believe it just floated down from the sky?"
"Actually, that's the one thing we know for sure," Jonathan stated.
"Great. We're so screwed," Nami bemoaned. "Not only were we forced to leave all the gold on the ship, but the devil fruit too! Even if we get out of here, how are we going to get those back!"
"I wouldn't worry about it," Zoro dismissed. "I doubt there's anyone in this whole base that can stand up to us anyway."
"Still, it wouldn't be prudent to go fighting our way through Navarone," Robin said. "It would pay to be more discreet. For now, they won't do anything with the gold, other than keep it hidden from us, or perhaps use it to lure us out. I'm a little disconcerted about the Goro Goro no Mi, however. There's no telling what they'll do with that."
"Don't worry about the devil fruit," Luffy said with a smirk. "I took care of it. For now, we just need to get the gold back, and also figure out a way out of here." He stood up from where they were crouched in the forest area near the water. "To be honest, it would be boring if we just brute forced our way out. It's what we do every time," he said. "What do guys say we try to exercise our sense of strategic planning this time around?"
"We have a sense of strategic planning?" Chopper asked excitedly.
Robin giggled. "Let's find out. So, what's the plan, Captain-san?"
Luffy thought for a moment. "Alright. Operation Strawhat Outbreak will consist of three phases." He turned and faced his crewmates. "Phase 1: Blend in. This place should have an infirmary for sick or injured soldiers. Chopper and Nami, disguise yourselves as a doctor and nurse. Chopper will actually know what he's doing when it comes to treating wounds. Nami, you're good at infiltration, so make sure Chopper doesn't blow his cover. Occupy yourselves with that until we're ready to leave. You'll know when that is, since there will be a signal."
The two nodded, and Luffy turned to Sanji. "You and I will pretend to be chefs. It'll be easy for you since you're a damned good one. As for me..."
"You want to eat the food," Sanji guessed. Luffy nodded, and the chef sighed. "...Got it."
Luffy turned to Usopp next. "I need you to keep an eye on the ship. According to Robin, this place repairs damaged Marine ships, so disguise yourself as a dock mechanic. Zoro will be in the area, but he won't join you since he'll stand out too much with those three swords of his." Usopp saluted. Finally, Luffy turned to Robin. "You're probably the best at this stuff, so I need you to pretend to be someone of high standing. If you succeed, vouch for the others if you have to."
"Roger, Captain," Robin said with a smile.
"Phase 2: Gather intel. Blending in will just be stalling if we don't figure out a way out of here. So once you guys are in position, ask around and see if there's a way to sail out of the base," He got nods all around.
"Phase 3: Outbreak. That should speak for itself. Any questions?" There were none. "Now then...the signal for Outbreak will be..."
Vice Admiral Jonathan walked down a hallway with Lieutenant Commander Drake and a couple other officers at his side. "It seems the ship has been to the island of Jaya recently," Jonathan revealed. "The call we heard was that of a South Bird. It was the one we saw flying away from the ship upon our arrival. Those birds are native to the dense forests of Jaya. Now listen to this. On that island there's a legend about an ancient city of gold. Sound familiar?"
One of the officers listened with wide eyes. "All that gold we found on board...I knew it had to come from somewhere. But what are the chances?"
"I would normally say slim, but the facts speak for themselves. Needless to say, that's no ghost ship. The Strawhat pirates passed by Jaya on their way here."
"Sir, I have a recommendation," said Drake. "We should organize a search team to track down their crew at once. Please assign my team to the task!"
"Well, let's not be hasty," Jonathan replied. "For now, we need to strengthen our defenses so they can't slip in or out. You," he said, turning to an Ensign. "Fortify our defenses around the bay and sea gate."
"Yes sir," the Marine said before walking away.
"You fortify the penitentiary and the central corridor," he said to a Lieutenant. "You'll also be in charge of assigning personnel." The officer saluted before taking his leave.
"Lieutenant Commander, wait an hour and then thoroughly search any areas where large groups of people gather," he instructed.
"Large groups of people?" Drake questioned.
"That's right. To hide a tree, use a forest. If the Strawhat Pirates were to disguise themselves as Marines..."
Drake gasped in realization.
"I'm not saying I don't trust your men's abilities, but there's a strong possibility that the pirates will conceal themselves with stolen uniforms," Jonathan finished. "Start with the mess halls. Pirates are usually a ravenous bunch."
"Yes sir," Drake replied before leaving in haste. Jonathan turned toward the window, from which he had a view of the Strawhats' ship, deep in thought.
The South Bird was carrying something.
In a quiet, isolated hallway, a lone Marine made his patrol around the base, rifle in hand. As he walked through the secluded corridor, he couldn't help but get the sneaking suspicion that he was being followed. He stopped walking and listened, but there wasn't a noise to be heard. Shrugging it off, he continued walking, only to hear a second set of footsteps coming from behind him.
Ok, that wasn't his imagination.
He swiftly turned around, but there was nothing there. He swallowed and turned around to continue walking, only to hear the footsteps again. He stopped in his tracks, and this time, the footsteps continued after he stopped walking. Eyes widening, he turned around again, rifle loaded. Again, there was nothing.
"I'm going batshit insane out here..." he muttered before turning back around.
He came face to face with a smiling Monkey D. Luffy.
He didn't even have time to utter a sound before he blacked out.
Zoro watched from afar as Usopp walked over to a group of ship mechanics who were loading in the Going Merry, claiming to be new. It had been easy enough for them to secure a Marine uniform. The sniper probably could have done it himself. His presence was just overkill. Still, even if Usopp could lie with the best of them, he had a terrible poker face once he aroused any suspicion. So he was basically here to shadow the undercover mechanic while he gained access to their ship. Easy enough.
He kept a firm lock on Usopp's aura as the sniper climbed onto the Going Merry and out of sight.
Nami inwardly sighed as she got ready to tend to another patient. Upon arriving at the infirmary, they had realized that there was only one doctor, and the nurses were frantically trying to gain control over the situation since there were Marines that had come in wounded from a naval battle. The problem was that the only doctor was a woman who got completely queasy at the thought of blood. It had taken an inspirational speech from Chopper just to get her to cope, and now the saintly little reindeer seemed more preoccupied with treating the marines than anything. Which meant that the task of gathering information fell to her.
"Kobato-sensei?" she spoke up, gaining the attention of the now focused woman who had finished operating. "I was wondering. These injured marines came in from sea right? How is it that they let people in and out of Navarone? Isn't the lake isolated from the ocean?"
"Oh, you didn't know?" Kobato asked, causing Nami to sweat. She had to assume that anyone stationed at G8 would know that already. "It's not a lake. The waters of Navarone are connected to the sea through a small channel that runs through the island on the southwest side. They use the gates in that channel to let people in and out."
Nami breathed a sigh of relief as the next patient came in. Thank God. This woman is completely oblivious.
"So, you two are the Marley brothers," said a stern-looking woman who Sanji guessed was the head chef.
Marley brothers? Were those the two poor excuses for chefs that we knocked out and stuffed in the closet before stealing their uniforms? Sanji thought.
"Yep, that's us," the chef answered, while Luffy, being a terrible liar, opted to remain silent.
"That food looks really good. Can I eat some?" he asked instead, causing Sanji to inwardly groan. Chefs weren't supposed to eat the food they prepared. It seemed his captain simply couldn't help himself sometimes.
"As if. That food is being prepared for the marines of G8," Jessica, the head chef answered. "And if you're going to be stationed here, know that you'll have to prove yourselves to me first. I won't let you call yourself a chef of Navarone if you lack the heart and soul."
Sanji hummed. "So, in other words, you want to show us a thing or two about cooking," he inferred.
"Nothing so discourteous," she replied. "I simply want to know how deep your pride runs. I'll give anyone a chance to prove themselves, even stuck up chefs from Mariejois. But if you don't have the skills we expect, you'll be nothing but a nuisance to the other chefs."
"Sounds interesting, Mademoiselle," Sanji said, before smirking. "I accept your challenge."
Robin hid stealthily behind a wall as she watched the new arrival, who had just disembarked from the ship that had docked, argue with a young marine soldier.
"As I said, I have no obligation to tell you my rank and attachment," the man said with an air of importance. "Bring me to the commanding officer of this base at once."
"I'm sorry, but Vice Admiral Jonathan is currently eating lunch, and it is against G8's policy to interrupt a Marine's meal except in case of extreme urgency."
"So in other words, you're saying that a man's lunch is more important than the matters I have to address?" the other man asked threateningly.
"Yes, that is correct sir," the Marine answered.
Robin couldn't help herself as a small smile graced her lips. I have to give props to that Marine.
The new arrival wasn't amused however. "Fine, I'll get in contact with command center myself. By the way, you may want to consider which backwater post you'd like to be transferred to," he said as he walked away, causing the young Marine to grimace a bit.
Robin followed after the man silently. Luffy did say to impersonate someone of high standing. Hopefully this man isn't just full of hot air. As it happens, I may just be aiding that young upstart's career in the process.
Sanji sighed. It was still early in the afternoon, but he had yet to actually gather any information. He had gotten so caught up in cooking and wooing Jessica that he'd forgotten about the intel part. Still...Luffy didn't seem to care. In fact, he was in heaven.
"New boy! Touch that plate and I'll have your head! You got that?"
"Yes ma'am!" Luffy saluted, despite the fact that he was still drooling over the plate of meatballs that Sanji had just prepared.
Sanji chuckled. "Well, at least she's not turning a blind eye to it anymore," Sanji commented. "I know she's taken a liking to him for his appetite, but there are limits."
"Oh, that's not why," one chef remarked slyly. "It's just that plate is for her husband."
"Her husband?" Sanji asked. "Damn. So, who's this luckiest bastard in Navarone then?"
"It's the commanding officer, Vice Admiral Jonathan," the chef replied. Sanji's eyes widened.
Just our shitty luck.
Luffy stood across from a laidback looking man who was staring down at the meatballs in interest.
"Enjoy your meal!" he said with a grin.
"Of course, thank you," the man replied before eating the first bite. Luffy turned to walk away. He really wanted to eat what was on that plate, and would have, if not for the fact that the man in front of him radiated power. To be more precise, around the level of power of an experienced vice admiral.
So, he's the commanding officer here. Man, those meatballs looked so good. Oh well, too bad. I guess I'll keep my cover for now.
"You know, Strawhat Luffy..."
Or not.
"Now that I see you in person, you really don't seem like the type to break into marine bases. Would you mind telling me what your objective here is?"
He really should have suppressed his aura. Hindsight was such a bitch.
"Well, since you know who I am..." Luffy began as he turned back around. "There's no longer any reason for me not to eat those meatballs!"
Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, these? Here, you can have the rest," he offered, pushing his plate forward.
"Hey, thanks! You're a pretty nice guy," Luffy exclaimed, before digging in.
"One could almost say the same about you," Jonathan commented. "Freeing an island from Arlong's rule, saving the desert kingdom of Alabasta from Crocodile's clutches. You have yet to actually do anything notorious other than evade capture. The World Government wants your head simply because it's their unspoken policy to capture anyone with strength such as yours who isn't affiliated with them. Anyone with your level of power is either a marine, a government agent, or a threat."
"They do tend to think that way," Luffy agreed with a mouth full of food.
"So then, is there any particular reason why you decided to invade our humble base? I must say, your method of transportation was quite original."
"Oh, that," Luffy acknowledged. "To be honest, it was an accident. We were coming back down from Sky Island and our octopus balloon just happened to land us in the middle of your humble base."
"Well, that's quite the eccentric tale," Jonathan said in amusement. "So, in other words, you weren't infiltrating at all. Nevertheless, since you're wanted pirates, it is sadly our duty to capture you here."
"Yeah, that sucks," Luffy agreed again as he finished the food on the plate.
"You don't seem to be very worried. Is that arrogance or confidence?" Jonathan couldn't help but ask.
Luffy shrugged. "You found me, but the rest of my crew is still hidden. You might have a plan to find them, but if you do, I'll know. For now I'd like to see how things play out, but if worst comes to worst, I'll just destroy the island."
"I see," Jonathan said with a hint of amusement. "And if I capture you here?"
"Then Zoro will destroy the island," Luffy said as he set the plate down. "But..." he smirked. "That's assuming you can capture me."
"Hey, you," Lieutenant Commander Drake called out, causing Usopp to freeze in his tracks. "Are you new here? What's your rank?"
"Uh, Seaman First Class?" Usopp said, not knowing that many Marine ranks.
"Is that a question? The backbone on these new recruits is awe inspiring," Drake drawled. "Fine, what's your attachment?"
"U-Unit 18," Usopp said randomly.
"Unit 18 is the Sniper Corps, I believe. Don't you know this dock is off limits except to the mechanics?"
"Oh, that's right! I'm in the Sniper Corps, so what am I doing here?" Usopp exclaimed. "Sorry, you know us new recruits. Well, I'll just be on my way then," he said, as a certain swordsman in the shadows palmed his face in irritation.
"No need. Men, arrest him," Drake said. Usopp shrieked as he was surrounded by Marines pointing rifles at him. "Just so you know, Unit 18 is the Supply Division," the veteran officer mocked as he turned and began to walk away.
As the marines began leading Usopp away, a figure leapt out from behind the Going Merry. In a fraction of a second, Drake's men were left staring at their bisected guns in shock.
"Sorry to cut n' run," Zoro said with a smirk, before he pulled Usopp away, and swung his sword in a downward arc. A fierce wind roared to life around the two, causing the Marines to shield their faces, and when it settled down, they were gone.
A vein visibly bulged in Drake's forehead. To his left, another Marine officer snickered. "Cut n' run, I get it," he said, chuckling. Drake glared at the Master Chief Petty Officer, who simply turned his head away and started whistling.
Vice Admiral Jonathan stared out the window that Strawhat Luffy and his chef friend, who had turned out to be Black Leg Sanji, had escaped through. The pirate captain was much faster than he would have guessed. What's more, he was seemingly able to use Rokushiki, or at least two of its forms. It was mid-afternoon now, and it would be troubling if he the pirate captain found what he was looking for before nightfall. This would require further meditation.
"Vice Admiral, an officer has arrived from Marine Headquarters and requests to speak with you. She declined to reveal her rank and attachment," reported an officer at the door.
"Very well, send her in," Jonathan said.
"Hello, Vice Admiral," greeted the woman, whose face Jonathan easily recognized. "My name is Inspector Shephard. I am here to conduct a full inspection of your facility on behalf of Marine Headquarters."
"Ah, come in, Inspector. I was told you'd be coming. Is there anything you'll be needing to aide in your inspection?" Jonathan asked.
Robin inwardly groaned at the tone of his voice. He knows who I am. It's times like these when I wish I wasn't so recognizable.
"I'll be requiring use of your library for records of your structural and design mechanics," Robin said, keeping up the act.
"Of course. Ensign, lead her to the library, if you please."
As she was lead away, Robin's eyes narrowed. He knows who I am, and yet, rather than arresting me, he's handing me the information on a silver platter? Is he that confident?
Jonathan was deep in thought as Nico Robin left the room. So, you'll know if I arrest your crewmates, Strawhat? In that case, let's hold off on that for now. Now, we have Nico Robin in the library, Strawhat Luffy and Black Leg Sanji running around the island somewhere, and from Lieutenant Commander Drake's latest report, Roronoa Zoro is loose in the base as well, along with one other.
"Lieutenant, increase security around the dock where the Strawhats' ship is being held," he ordered, earning a salute from the officer. That leaves two more. Perhaps Drake's latest search will bear fruit.
For the next couple hours, all was relatively quiet. Despite his efforts, Jonathan only had tabs on three of the pirates. One was impersonating a master inspector, and two were masquerading as a surgeon and nurse of G8, although to be fair, the latter two imposters were at the very least taking the job seriously from what he'd seen. Still, when he had taken a visit to the infirmary, their auras had revealed their true affiliations easily enough.
Nightfall was approaching, and Jonathan knew for certain that something big would happen soon. He just didn't know what.
It was then that Jonathan heard a familiarly strange call echoing from atop the mountain. It was an extremely loud call; he wouldn't be surprised if the entire base heard it.
"Choh! Choooooooh! Chooooh!"
Jonathan frowned. That's the call of the South Bird that we heard when they first arrived. What is it still doing here?
Throughout Navarone, 7 pirates were all thinking the same thing.
That's the signal.
All at once, chaos erupted all over G8. Roronoa Zoro had appeared on the bridge and started causing destruction left and right, causing a large concentration of Marines to be dispatched there to apprehend him. Meanwhile, the new doctor who had been treating injured Marines suddenly abandoned his station, although the nurses noted that he had miraculously finished treating all of the Marines before doing so. One of the nurses had left to follow him. On the other side of the base, Strawhat Luffy himself had appeared and was causing a racket, along with Black Leg Sanji and an unidentified sniper. To make things worse, Inspector Shepherd from Marine Headquarters had abandoned her inspection and joined them, despite the efforts of the Marines sent to observe her, revealing that she probably wasn't a real inspector in retrospect.
Chopper and Nami had made it to the bridge and met up with Zoro, who was mowing through unfortunate Marine soldiers left and right.
"Didn't we say we weren't going to brute force our way out?" Nami protested loudly over the shouting of Marines.
"Believe me, if we really wanted to brute force our way out, there wouldn't be much left of this rock by now," Zoro retorted.
"Are we meeting up with Luffy and the others?" Chopper asked.
"Not yet. We have to get the Merry into open waters while Luffy gets the gold back. Then we can regroup and get out of here," the swordsman said. As countless Marines obstructed their path off the bridge, Zoro raised a single sword. "1 Sword Style, 360 Caliber Phoenix!" he shouted as close to a hundred Marines were thrown off the bridge by the blast of wind. "Let's go."
As the Marines desperately tried to get the situation under control, one scrambled to report to Vice Admiral Jonathan.
"Sir, Black Leg Sanji is heading to the vault where the confiscated gold is being held, along with two others! One of them is the imposter inspector!"
Jonathan sighed. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to just let her get that information. But still, I didn't think they'd be this organized. Not only were they waiting for a signal, but they were able to group together in the blink of an eye. I should assume that Monkey D. Luffy at the very least can use Observation Haki. Not that it matters. They won't find what they're looking for.
"You said two others?" Jonathan clarified "Is Strawhat Luffy among them?"
"No sir. We've lost track of the captain, but are currently conducting a search for him," the marine answered.
"I'd say there's no need for that," Jonathan said. "Wouldn't you agree, Monkey D. Luffy?"
The Marine who was making the report turned around in shock to be greeted by the subject of their discussion standing in the doorway. He was about to draw his sword, but a look from Jonathan as well as a shake of the head dissuaded him.
"Your crewmates sure are making quite the ruckus at the moment," Jonathan commented. "Is there a reason you came here?"
"I wanted to ask you something," Luffy said.
"Well, you did allow me a round of questions, so that only seems fair," Jonathan agreed.
"Why aren't you fighting?" Luffy asked, causing him to raise an eyebrow. Deciding to elaborate, he continued, "You're a vice admiral. You have years of experience in battles that you hide behind that tranquil mask of yours. You can use both Armaments and Observation Haki. And yet, you're sitting on the sidelines giving out orders. I just can't help but wonder why."
"I suppose I may come off as a bit lazy in your eyes," Jonathan said. "But I suppose my reason is the same as the one you provided for not simply 'destroying the island.' There's no need."
Luffy looked amused. "No need? Your base has been infiltrated by pirates wanted dead or alive. Your naval defenses are halfway between formalities and decorations. Every marine in this base is cannon fodder, save for you. What super secret trump card do you have yet to unveil?"
"I think you overestimate me," Jonathan drawled. "There is no super secret trump card, as you so quaintly put it. Although it may have been covered up, I am high up enough in the ranks to have knowledge of the events following Crocodile's defeat in Alabasta. And while I may be confident in my skills, I am not so delusional as to believe that I alone will succeed where the combined might of three men of my own rank have failed. In addition, the location of our naval base is far too remote for us to call for sufficient reinforcements from Marineford."
Luffy looked disappointed. "So, what...you're just giving up?" he asked, pouting a bit.
"Not quite. You see, I tend to look at the big picture of things. There is the tree, and there is the forest. There is a single island, and then there is an ocean of them. There is the battle, and then there is the war. Sometimes, to win the war, you need to look at more than just a single battle."
Luffy suddenly looked annoyed. "You've been gathering intel," he stated.
"Something like that. You will escape from us today. I have no doubt about that. But I can't help but feel as though the report I give to Admiral Akainu afterwards could cause quite the headache for you all, depending on my own discretion, of course."
Luffy stared at him blandly. "And if I kill you now so you can never give him that report?"
"Then he will take note of my cause of death regardless, and that would become an even bigger headache for you. But, that's assuming you do kill me. Once again, it really does not seem like your style, Monkey D. Luffy."
The Strawhat captain rolled his eyes before turning around before turning toward the gargantuan sack of gold in the corner of the room and throwing it over his shoulder. "I'll be taking this if you don't mind."
"Sure. I'd ask you not to injure too many of my men on your way out," Jonathan called.
"Tell them to stand down, and they'll have no problems from us," was Luffy's reply.
Soon after the Strawhat Pirates met up at the Going Merry, Vice Admiral Jonathan called for an armistice, which the captain of the Strawhat Pirates agreed to. While Lieutenant Commander Drake protested loudly against it, a quick summary of their losses, including damages to the facility, and a recount of Marine casualties since the pirates arrived was enough to change his mind.
After that, the pirates sailed out unimpeded, unless one counted the lone Marine who jumped onto their ship and attacked with a cry of "I don't know, but I've been told!"
The attack was unsuccessful.
Rather than using the small channel that the Marines left open for them, however, the Strawhat Pirates opted to fly out through use of a giant balloon octopus, which was inflated using Usopp's Breath Dials and propelled using Luffy's Reject Dial. All in all, it was a rather anticlimactic ending to a one-sided slaughter that nevertheless inspired the soldiers of G8 to be ever more vigilant against flying pirates.
"Hey, wait, wait, WAIT!" Nami shouted. "What's with the fucking resolution!? This shit isn't over!" She pointed at Luffy accusingly. "What the hell happened to the Goro Goro no Mi!? You said you took care of it! You do realize that if we left that behind–"
"Chooooh!" came the familiar call of the South Bird. The now tame bird flew through the Going Merry and dropped the devil fruit in question into Luffy's outstretched hand, before taking off into the sunset.
"Ok, now we're done," Luffy said with a grin.
A/N: Cue end credits music.