One Piece: Born to Betray

Makoto leaned against the wall, Nami's furious curses still ringing in his ears. A slow smirk curled his lips as he watched Haruki approach the armory, completely oblivious.

"You deserve that, you little bitch," Makoto muttered to himself. "That's what you get for not accepting to dance with me."

His observation haki locked onto Haruki's location as the young marine paused near the armory door. Makoto raised his palm, blue-white electricity crackling between his fingers.

"100 million volts," he whispered.

The lightning beam tore through the corridor with a deafening CRACK, piercing straight through the armory doors. For half a second - silence.

Then - BOOM.

The explosion sent Haruki flying, his body skidding across the stone floor as the shockwave rattled the entire base. Alarms wailed to life as smoke billowed from the ruined armory.

Haruki stumbled to his feet, his mismatched eyes wide with panic as Marines came pouring into the corridor. His ears rang from the blast, his uniform singed and smoking.

"M-Makoto-san!" he gasped, spotting his "friend" further down the hall. "What's happening?!"

Makoto's expression transformed instantly - eyes widening with false urgency as he ran to Haruki. "The pirates!" he shouted loud enough for all nearby Marines to hear. "They've attacked the armory!"

Haruki's face went pale. "B-But who-"

Makoto's gaze flicked downward—just for a second—to Haruki's coat pocket.

"Wait…" He gasped, recoiling. "No… Haruki…"

Haruki looked down.

The red armband—the one Makoto had slipped into his pocket earlier—peeked out like a bloodstain.

"T-This isn't—!"

"TRAITOR!" Makoto's voice boomed through the hall, raw with manufactured fury. "HE'S WEARING THE MARK!"

A stunned silence.

Then—

"So it was him, huh? Should've seen it coming," one Marine muttered.

"Haruki's always been a little off," another added darkly. "Wouldn't be the first time he screwed up."

The shift was immediate.

Weapons were drawn. Glares turned hostile.

Haruki stood frozen, color draining from his face.

"N-NO! I SWEAR! I DON'T KNOW HOW IT—!"

BANG.

A gunshot rang out. Haruki screamed as the bullet grazed his arm, blood splattering the floor.

Makoto watched, his face a mask of feigned horror—but his eyes burned with amusement.

"Haruki… how could you?" he whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The Marines descended like wolves.

Haruki's pleas turned to screams as they beat him to his knees, his nose cracking under a rifle butt. "MAKOTO-SAN! HELP ME! PLEASE!"

Makoto took a single step forward—then stopped, as if heartbroken.

"I… I trusted you."

Haruki's face shattered.

Then—

CRACK.

A Marine's baton smashed across Haruki's temple, silencing him. His body slumped, blood pooling beneath him.

The lieutenant turned to Makoto, panting. "You did well spotting him. Captain Morgan will reward you."

Makoto bowed his head, the perfect image of a grieving comrade.

"I only did my duty."

Then—a wet cough.

Haruki's swollen eyes fluttered open, his gaze locking onto Makoto through the forest of Marine legs. Blood bubbled at his lips as he mouthed a silent:

"Why?"

Makoto's response?

A smirk.

A wink.

And a playful little wave—just for him.

The moment the Marines turned away, Makoto's mask shattered into something far more genuine.

"Ah... that was fun." He licked Haruki's blood off his thumb as he strolled away, humming a tavern tune.

…

Makoto kicked open the wrought-iron gates, sending them flying off their hinges. He shrugged off the Marine coat like a discarded snakeskin, revealing his usual attire underneath - though now artfully splattered with blood and soot.

"Yo Captain!" he called, booting a charred Marine helmet straight at Luffy's head. The rubber man caught it between his teeth with a delighted clang. "How's the rescue mission going?"

Taiga paused mid-backflip (her stress-relief routine) to glare. "I was drafting your obituary."

"Aw, you do care~" Makoto blew her a kiss just as she hurled a rock at him. He dodged without looking, the projectile instead nailing a fleeing Marine in the back. "Nice assist!"

Luffy, who'd been trying to untie Zoro by stretching the ropes, grinned. "Shishishi! You're late!"

Makoto gestured lazily to the burning fortress behind him. "Had to redecorate."

The sack of swords hit the ground at Zoro's feet with a heavy clang. "Brought souvenirs. Do your katanas count as souvenirs though?"

Zoro, still dangling halfway from his remaining ropes, glared at Makoto's bloodstained boots. "Do I know you?"

"Nope!" Makoto grinned. "But you'll love hating me."