One piece : Celestial Rose

"You are going to little Garden?! The island still stuck in prehistoric times?"

Doll yelled at Mark. She was shocked that he wanted to go to Little Garden; people actively avoid that prehistoric hell.

But the danger of that island wasn't what she was worried about; Doll's worries were more about her Marine duties.

"That island is far away from my designated area; the headquarters are going to be pissed at me."

Doll pulled her hair in frustration. Mark chuckled and asked her to stop being dramatic; he didn't think this was a big deal.

He was a celestial dragon and knew that Headquarters typically didn't punish Marines too harshly for abandoning their duties.

At least, that's how it was supposed to be. But on the seventh day of sailing with Mark, Doll received an unexpected call from Marine HQ.

"Vice Admiral Doll, you and your team have been missing for a week."

A Marine representative's voice sounded from Doll's denden mushi, and the Marines onboard Doll's ship stopped to listen.

"It has come to our attention that your team has been traveling with the Warlord Mark Rose."

"You don't have a permit to leave your post, but you are illegally traveling with a warlord."

"Do you have anything to say about these charges filed against you?"

After hearing the serious tone of this conversation, Mark opened his eyes.

Currently he was sleeping on a reclining chair with sunglasses and a drink, but the Marine HQ call caught his attention.

He turned towards Doll, who was sitting beside him and was sweating nervously while holding her denden mushi.

"Sir, this has nothing to do with my crew. I decided to give Warlord Mark a ride, as he did not have a boat."

Doll said as calmly as possible.

"So you are at fault? Then as a punishment, you shall be demoted to a petty officer, starting today."

"Am I clear, Petty Officer Doll?"

The headquarters representative said this with a chuckle; hearing this harsh punishment Doll clenched her fist.

She was sad but didn't look surprised, as if she was expecting such a punishment all along. But Mark was completely taken aback.

He was even more shocked that Doll seemed to have expected this and was intending to accept this unfair punishment.

"Marine headquarters, is this a joke?"

Mark snatched the denden mushi out of Doll's hands. Ignoring her panicked eyes, he spoke into the receiver.

"Under what grounds are you demoting her to a petty officer? She only left her post for a week."

Mark's questioning stunned the headquarters representative; he didn't think a warlord would speak up for a marine.

"How dare you talk to us like that, Warlord Mark!"

The representative growled, but Mark growled back at him.

"Tone it down, insect; I have asked you a question."

Something about Mark's language scared the representative; he suddenly felt like he was talking to a tough guy.

The man instinctively sat up and decided to take no chances; he doesn't get paid enough for this, he answered Mark directly.

"Doll's punishment is harsh because she is hated in the headquarters."

The representative explained the reason behind her treatment, and Doll smiled sadly.

"Her previous boss was Vice Admiral Saul, and he was a navy traitor."

"The Marines under Admiral Akainu hate her, while Marines under Admiral Kuzan ignore her."

"The only reason she isn't kicked out of the Marines is because Admiral Kizaru supports her."

"Our orders are to punish her until she resigns. If she leaves by herself, Admiral Kizaru won't say anything."

The truth was out. Doll sighed with her eyes closed painfully; she had always suspected this, but now it was confirmed.

Mark seemed thoughtful; he was beginning to understand why Doll respected Kizaru so much in the original story.

Without Mark's existence, Kizaru would have successfully protected Doll, and she would have remained a vice admiral.

But him being here changed the story; they now wanted to kick her out of the Marines using him as an excuse.

'My existence changed Doll's future, but maybe this is for the best.'

Mark smirked, then extended his hand to Doll.

"The Marines are going to dismiss you sooner or later, so why don't you join me?"

Taken aback by Mark's sudden invitation, Doll's mouth hung open.

"You heard everything right? I am hated by a lot of Marines; inviting me will cause you big trouble."

Doll asked, bewildered, why Mark was ready to attract Marine's hatred for her.

"Does it look like I care about the Marine Headquarters?"

Mark smiled.

The idea that a celestial dragon should be afraid of Marines was funny to him; that place was like his playground.

But Doll did not know this. From her perspective, Mark was saying he'd protect her with his status as a warlord.

This was dangerous as Mark could lose his new position due to her, but he still did it. Doll was touched by his action.

'Do you consider me a friend after we traveled together?'

Doll thought while remembering how nicely her underlings had gotten along with Mark during their seven-day cruise.

She and Mark had also become close during that time; maybe that's why he would risk his status as a warlord for her.

Mark took a big risk for her; she couldn't possibly say no to him. Her justice was ambiguous anyway; joining a warlord didn't sound bad to her.

"Thanks, Mark, I accept your offer then. I will resign as a Marine and work under you."

When Doll declared her decision with a smile, her underlings were devastated, but the headquarters representative nodded.

"I will take that as your official statement; from today, you are no longer a marine."

The denden mushi instantly spit out Doll's resignation letter, showing that the Marines were ready to kick her out any day.

Doll twitched her eyes but angrily accepted the resignation letter and cut off the phone call.

"Those bastards had my resignation letter ready from the start; they really wanted me gone."

She grumbled and threw the letter into the trash can, then turned towards her men and announced.

"You heard them; you don't have to follow me anymore."

She pointed towards the sea, where a green island was already visible.

"We have already reached Little Garden; you guys turn around and leave."

"Me and Mark will run to the island on foot; you okay with that, Captain?"

Mark shrugged and accepted her suggestion; Doll smiled at him and then waved goodbye to her subordinates.

She then started kicking and running on air; Mark curiously observed her geppo technique for a bit, then copied it on the spot.

With his superior observation haki and immense physical strength, he could easily copy such a technique.

_Poof_

_Poof_

_Poof_

Mark and Doll ran to the island and landed on the sandy beach; Doll turned towards the departing Marine ship nostalgically.

After wiping off a tear, she put her hands on her hips and observed the prehistoric island; even the air here felt different.

"I never asked you, but what are we doing at Little Garden?"

Doll was curious about Mark's purpose now that she has joined his pirate group.

"Curious, aren't we? Well, I am here to take over and rule this island."

"Every warlord needs a base of operations, and I have chosen this beast infested land."