"One Piece: I, the Strongest Intern of the Roger Pirates"

"Move, move, move! Everyone, begin the landing!"

The leader of the pirate alliance shouted excitedly as the naval defenses around the waters of God Valley were breached.

With the outer perimeter cleared, waves of pirates began storming ashore, clashing directly with the Marines who were waiting in formation at the harbor.

Due to sheer numbers, the pirates unleashed a terrifying, destructive force the moment they entered the port. If not for some well-placed naval artillery, the defenders might've been overrun immediately.

"Where's the reinforcements? Why haven't they arrived yet?!"

A Marine officer, slashing down a pirate, turned to shout at his comrades.

But there was no reply.

He looked up—only to realize he was now surrounded by pirates. All his comrades had already fallen.

Meanwhile, at the top of God Valley, inside a lavish palace, a group of Celestial Dragons with their trademark bubble helmets gathered nervously.

"Have you contacted Marine HQ yet?! Tell them to hang every last one of those pirates who dare set foot on our land!"

One Celestial Dragon screamed in fury.

"Don't worry. They're just pirates. They pose no real threat to your safety."

A tall man in a black suit responded with a respectful tone.

"Good. With you here, I feel much safer. As the strongest force in CP0, your presence is reassuring."

Under normal circumstances, Celestial Dragons treated CP agents poorly, but the current situation was different. The lead Celestial Dragon offered rare praise.

"From what I've heard, the Marines have made all the proper arrangements. These pirates shouldn't be able to cause much damage. After all, this island's defenses aren't exactly weak. Reinforcements have already been ordered to converge from surrounding waters. I doubt the pirates will even reach the city."

The CP0 agent replied calmly.

Back on the battlefield, under pressure from the Celestial Dragons, Vice Admiral Solari initiated a premature counterattack.

All at once, the hidden Marine forces within the city, along with concealed artillery, opened fire, catching the pirate alliance completely off guard.

The port of God Valley had turned into a hellish battleground. The Marines and pirates clashed once again, but as time passed, the tide began to turn against the pirates.

More and more Marine forces closed in from all sides, encircling the pirates at the harbor.

"Damn it! Why hasn't the Rocks Pirates arrived yet?!"

The pirate alliance leader wiped blood from his face and glanced at his exhausted comrades. More and more pirates were falling, never to rise again.

"Boss, what now?"

A burly pirate rushed over and said, "Victory is within reach. If we break into the city, we'll have reinforcements!"

He meant the slaves. As former slaves themselves, they believed that once freed, those in bondage would rise and join their cause, giving them a new wave of fighters.

"Alright. I'll lead another charge—cover me!"

The pirate leader gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Brothers, the victory is right in front of us! Don't be intimidated by the Marines—don't forget our goal! Follow me!"

He roared, reigniting the pirates' morale.

But just as they were about to break through the port defenses, a young Marine commander stepped in with a unit of fresh troops and blocked their path.

"Brothers! This is the final obstacle—break through them!"

The pirate leader bellowed and charged once more.

However, the young Marine was formidable. Every pirate that got close was knocked to the ground with swift, powerful strikes.

"Pirates! This is no place for the likes of you!"

The Marine said coldly, locking eyes with the pirate leader.

"Not for us? Hah! What a joke! Marines, you can't stop us! Attack!"

The pirates around him burst into laughter, as if hearing the funniest thing ever.

"Hmph! So stubborn… then allow me to send you all to Impel Down!"

The Marine declared boldly,

"In the name of Monkey D. Dragon!"

Yes—he was none other than Monkey D. Dragon, son of Garp, and currently a Marine Commander.

He was stationed on Zephyr's ship for training and had just arrived at a nearby port for resupply when he heard about the battle and rushed to assist.

"D…?"

The pirate leader was momentarily stunned upon hearing Dragon's name, but that brief hesitation was enough. Dragon slammed a powerful kick into his chest, sending him flying.

"Boss!"

"You bastard! How dare you hit our captain? You've got a death wish!"

"Brothers, take him down!"

The surrounding pirates charged at Dragon.

"Damn it… We can't fall here!"

The pirate leader groaned as he got back on his feet, watching Dragon fight like a whirlwind.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Suddenly, massive explosions echoed all around God Valley.

"What's happening?!"

Everyone was startled, unsure of what had just occurred.

"Sir! It's pirates! A force is attacking from another direction! The defenses on that side have been breached!"

Inside the city's Marine command post, a comms officer reported urgently to Solari.

"What?! How did that happen?! Who are they?!"

Solari roared in disbelief.

"We're still unsure…"

The comms officer replied, trembling slightly.

"Damn it! Wait…"

Just as Solari was about to erupt again, he turned to a surveillance feed and froze.

His face paled.

Muttering in disbelief, he said,

"This… this is impossible… It's them! The Rocks Pirates!"

"Sir?"

The comms officer looked at him in confusion.

Solari inhaled sharply and barked,

"Send orders: All units are to eliminate the pirates at the harbor immediately! Also, alert the Special Ops Unit and Rear Admiral Mike—dispatch them to the four breached sectors to intercept the enemy! Be cautious—these enemies are no ordinary pirates! Even if they die, they must hold them back!"

He knew full well what it meant for the Rocks Pirates to appear here.

He had to inform the Celestial Dragons to evacuate immediately—he could no longer guarantee their safety.

"Yes, sir!"

The messenger recognized the gravity of the situation and ran off at full speed.

Solari glanced at the monitor, now filled with static, then stood and strode toward the palace where the Celestial Dragons were hiding.

Back on the battlefield, the pirates fighting the Dragon paused and looked to their leader.

"Hahaha… Brothers! Our reinforcements are here! The Marines are doomed! Kill them all!"

The pirate leader beamed with joy and roared.

"So you had backup. Doesn't matter. No matter how many come, a disorganized mob will never beat a real army."

Dragon shook his head and stepped forward calmly.

"A mob? Do you know who just arrived? The Rocks Pirates! Ever heard of them?"

The pirate leader laughed with pride.

"Damn it! You teamed up with the Rocks Pirates? You scum truly are beyond saving! Do you realize how many innocent civilians will die because of your greed?! As long as I'm here, I won't let your plan succeed!"

Dragon's eyes burned with fury. Without holding back, he charged and began clearing out the pirates around him, step by step, pressing toward their leader.

"Boss! Go! We'll hold him off!"

Several burly pirates stepped in front of Dragon, trying to shield their leader.

But the pirate leader didn't retreat. He stared straight at Dragon and asked,

"Because of us? Innocent civilians will die? Then point them out to me—where are these civilians?"

"Because we stopped you!"

Dragon shouted, kicking another pirate aside and storming forward.

"Hahahaha…"

The pirate leader burst out laughing. Then, without hesitation, he ripped off his shirt, turning his back to Dragon.

"We're not here for treasure or glory! Our goal… is to rescue the very civilians you're talking about! You call yourself a Marine of justice—so tell me, what do you say to that?"

Dragon froze in place.

His eyes scanned the pirates around him—one by one, they began removing their shirts too, revealing the hoof-shaped brands of the Celestial Dragons burned into their skin.

Dragon didn't know what to say.

"What's the matter, Marine? Why aren't you attacking? Come on, kill us. Isn't that what you always do?"

The pirate leader taunted him with a crazed smile.

Dragon remained silent.

He had long been dissatisfied with the darkness inside the Marines. He had questioned his father, Garp, about it before.

Garp had always told him:

"There's no such thing as a world without darkness."

Dragon could accept some of that.

But when it came to the Celestial Dragons… he couldn't.

His only way of coping had been to keep his distance—just like Garp had advised.

But was that truly enough?

Deep in his heart, Dragon knew the answer—

No.

His sense of justice wouldn't allow him to keep turning a blind eye.