Drum Kingdom
As dawn began to break, four Marine warships and a single World Government vessel quietly appeared on the sea along the borders of the Drum Kingdom, slowly making their way toward the island.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, something seems off..."
On the lead warship, Yamakaji peered through his binoculars toward the Drum Kingdom, his brow furrowing as he spoke to Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"Hmm."
Tsuru nodded slightly. The others could sense it as well.
It was far too quiet. The Drum Kingdom was, after all, a nation—a famed medical powerhouse of the Grand Line, home to countless residents. Yet now, the entire port and island were eerily still, as if everything had been completely frozen in time and silence beneath the snow.
At that moment, Spandine spoke up beside her, a smug grin curling on his lips. He turned toward the man standing next to him—a figure dressed neatly in a black suit and tie, a black top hat sitting low on his forehead, and a pair of black glasses with tiny round lenses—and said arrogantly,
"Bulary, show these Marines what CP9 is capable of. Scan the island, see what's going on there, and while you're at it, search for any trace of the Sky Pirates."
"Understood."
The man called Bulary adjusted his black hat with the elegance of a gentleman, then lifted his head. The lenses of his tiny black glasses began to ripple with violet waves that expanded and contracted rhythmically.
"What's that?"
The Marines around him couldn't help but stare in curiosity.
Spandine smirked, taking the chance to boast.
"Bulary possesses the powers of the Shika Shika no Mi, the Vision Fruit. When he activates his ability, he can perceive things invisible to normal sight. At long range, he can see as far as two thousand kilometers from his position. At close range, he can view details a hundred times smaller than the tip of a needle. He's one of CP9's elite operatives—personally dispatched by the World Government for the capture of the Sky Pirates."
The revelation drew genuine surprise from everyone present.
"That kind of ability really suits CP9," Tsuru remarked pointedly, knowing full well that the entire CP system existed for espionage and intelligence work.
"Of course it does..." Spandine replied proudly, his tone full of self-satisfaction.
Just then, Bulary's ability faded. The purple ripples in his lenses disappeared as he frowned slightly and said,
"How strange... Aside from a lone man sitting in the port village, there's no one else on the island. Everyone's gone."
Seeing yet another opportunity to show off in front of the Marines, Spandine became visibly excited. He turned toward another man beside him and barked,
"In that case, bring that man here, Pax."
The man called Pax was thin and wiry, his body almost noodle-like. His golden hair was jagged, as if cut with a saw, and his long tongue flicked out as he grinned.
"Leave it to me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pax twisted his flexible body and slapped the air around him. To everyone's astonishment, a door suddenly formed in midair. When it swung open, a strange green space shimmered beyond it.
Pax 's body stretched and slipped into the rift, vanishing entirely into the other dimension.
Only a few seconds later, he reappeared—dragging out a burly man wearing a long green coat before tossing him heavily onto the deck.
...
Dalton stared in shock and unease at the crowd that had suddenly appeared before him. Moments ago, he'd been standing alone at the harbor, gazing toward the sea, when something suddenly grabbed him from behind. The world shifted, and the next moment, he found himself in a strange new place.
"Who are you? Are you from the Drum Kingdom?"
The people on the warship gave Dalton no time to gather his thoughts. Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke first, cutting straight to the point.
Although confused, Dalton recognized the uniforms these people wore.
"You're the Navy..."
Spandine snapped impatiently.
"Hey, enough with the small talk! Tell me—are the Sky Pirates and the Demon Heir on your island...?"
Dalton's expression dimmed. Lowering his head, he said quietly,
"You're too late. They've already left..."
"What?! What's going on? Where did they go?"
Spandine grabbed Dalton by the collar, shouting in frustration.
Tsuru stepped forward, raising a hand to stop him. She spoke gently, trying to calm Dalton down.
"Calm yourself, Spandine. There's no need to rush. Tell me—what exactly happened here? Why is the island deserted? Where is everyone..."
Seeing Tsuru's composed and dignified demeanor—clearly that of the highest-ranking officer present—Dalton began to explain slowly.
"Everyone ran for their lives."
"Ran... for their lives!?"
"Yes. Yesterday, that terrifying monster Douglas Bullet—with a bounty of one billion eight hundred million Belly—appeared on the island. Soon after, word spread that this pirate, Douglas Bullet, was going to have a life-or-death battle with the Sky Pirates. So, last night, everyone fled. Now, I'm the only one left in the entire Drum Kingdom..."
Tsuru frowned slightly.
"Didn't you just say both pirates had already left? If that's true, what were the civilians still afraid of? Why did they run?"
At her question, pain flashed across Dalton's face. His eyes welled with tears, and covering his face with his hand, he choked out,
"That was the plan... but our king... he was the first to abandon his country and his people. So..."
"!!!"
Everyone was stunned.
"What do you mean?"
Through Dalton's account, the truth finally came to light.
When the news first spread yesterday, people were panicked but no one had planned to abandon their homeland. Yet, while everyone was anxious, the King of the Drum Kingdom did nothing to calm the people's fears. Instead, he was the first to board a warship and flee, abandoning his nation.
Dalton tried everything to stop him, but the king wouldn't listen. Having already lost two sons, he no longer cared about anything except his own life.
That single act triggered a chain reaction—from the royal family to the soldiers, and then the common citizens...
By the end of the night, the entire Drum Kingdom had emptied.
Dalton was the only one left, silently standing guard over the port, over the nation he had sworn to protect.
Maybe, when it was safe again, they would all return. But in just one day, everything Dalton had dedicated his life to—the ideals and the loyalty he'd held so firmly—had been crushed twice over by the prince and the king. One of them was the very man he had once admired and respected above all. His world crumbled; his faith shattered completely.
Even the high-ranking Marines present—men who had seen countless heroes—felt a deep respect for this man who loved his country so fiercely.
Vice Admiral Tsuru looked at him with admiration.
"You're a remarkable man, Dalton. Tell me, would you consider joining the Navy?"
Dalton looked at her in surprise. For a moment, he hesitated, but then shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I am the Captain of the Guard for this country. Unless it ceases to exist, protecting it will always be my purpose."
"I understand."
Tsuru sighed, a trace of regret in her voice.
Meanwhile, Spandine's impatience boiled over.
"Hey, Vice Admiral Tsuru! This isn't the time for that! When did they leave? Which direction did they go?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know. They slipped away quietly. Everyone was too busy fleeing to notice anything..."
"What... You useless lot... Vice Admiral Tsuru, what should we do now? Can Bulary find the Sky Pirates' trail...?"
Bulary quickly activated his Devil Fruit power, trying to trace the Sky Pirates. But even with his overwhelming ability, the ocean was far too vast—there was nothing to be found.
Just then, he froze, his expression changing as he shouted to the others,
"The fish in the sea... something's not right with them!"