One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 254 Undercover Agent and Fanatic Fan
Bartolomeo and Drake locked eyes.

Both of them saw surprise in each other's eyes, which quickly turned into hostility in the next second.

The two of them had met at the amusement park a few months ago.

At that time, Bartolomeo had just left the East China Sea, while Drake was still a Rear Admiral at the Navy Headquarters.

They led a fleet to surround his ships, nearly causing him to sink to the bottom of the sea.

"Drake!"

Barto gritted his teeth, "Hey! You bastard, what are you doing here!"

"Ha, shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Drake's expression was icy, his right hand already resting on the hilt of his sword. "Those villains who attacked the civilian district dare to have the audacity to come and seek refuge with Lord Shano?"

"civilian?"

Barto paused, then flew into a rage, grabbing Drake by the collar. "What nonsense! Those are those damned slave traders. I was just following Lord Shano's example and helping them out. What's wrong with that!"

He looked Drake up and down, his gaze suspicious:

"But you, you gave up your good rank as a Rear Admiral and inexplicably betrayed us, even coming to join the Fallen Ones. Could it be that you were just putting on an act and were actually a spy?!"

"spy?"

A cold glint flashed in Drake's eyes. "Stop slandering others! Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson today..."

Just as the two were about to fight, a sharp, girlish voice suddenly rang out:
"Stop it!"

With the sound of footsteps, a figure strode down the stairs from the second floor. The girl had long blue hair, a well-defined physique, and a touch of heroism in her eyes.

Barto and Drake were both stunned, their movements halting in place.

Who is this?
Drake's pupils contracted slightly. The other person was wearing the Fallen Ones' distinctive pure black uniform, but without any insignia, meaning they did not belong to any of the four major legions...

Doesn't that mean they're from the headquarters of the Fallen Ones?
Barto rubbed his eyes, and after confirming that he wasn't seeing things, he was overjoyed, tears welling up in his eyes.

—Hey! It's Nojiko-senpai!

This is Senior Xia Nuo's own sister!
He is also a veteran who has been on the ship since the early days of The Enders in the East China Sea. He is an idol who ranks firmly in the top five in his heart!
"They started causing trouble as soon as they arrived."

Nojiko's gaze swept coldly over the two of them. "How dare you be so presumptuous in the administration hall? What, do you two think that just because you're Supernovas you can disregard the rules of the Fallen Ones..."

"Senior Nojiko!"

Barto could no longer hold back. Tears welled in her eyes, and she shoved Drake aside, rushing to Nojiko's side and collapsing to her knees with a thud. "I am your most loyal admirer! Waaah, I've finally met you in person... And indeed, you are so much more beautiful in person than in the photo on the wanted poster!!"

Nokiko lowered her head in astonishment.

Looking at the guy at her feet, sobbing and about to grab her leg, her face darkened instantly, and veins throbbed on her forehead.

"Hey, you guy..."

"You dared to interrupt me, fine, but you're standing way too close!"

That's disgusting!
Boom!
She delivered a powerful punch to Barto's face, who screamed in agony as several of his teeth flew out. He was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall before sliding to the ground, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.

"Boss Barto!" the club's underlings exclaimed as they swarmed around him.

What terrifying power...

Drake's Adam's apple bobbed as he watched, secretly alarmed.

Is this the standard of the Fallen Ones headquarters? Even the least famous executive could easily crush these supernovas who have just entered the new world...

however.

The next second, something even more shocking happened.

Barto shakily got to his feet, then vomited a mouthful of blood. Despite his swollen face, he wasn't angry; instead, he cupped his chin and smiled happily.
"Wow...that's amazing! Is this Nojiko-senpai's fist? It's just as powerful as the rumors say! Ahhhhhh, I'm so lucky to be beaten by senpai!"

He danced and swayed his body as if he had received a great reward.

"Damn it!"

The underlings beside him burst into tears, "We're so jealous, Boss Barto! How can he enjoy this honor all by himself? We also want to be beaten up by Senior Nojiko!"

Nojiko: "..."

Drake: "..."

Everyone else present: "..."

Where did they dig these idiots out of? Are they hopeless? Utterly hopeless!
“Dirty fans, what a headache.”

Nojiko rubbed her temples, took a deep breath, and suppressed the urge to continue beating Barto. She turned to look at Drake:
"And what about you? What's going on?"

Drake immediately stood up straight and gave a respectful military salute:

"Reporting, sir! I am Drake, a former Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters. I have come here to seek refuge with Lord Shano because I am dissatisfied with the current World Government."

"Oh? A naval defector?"

Nojiko glanced at Barto, "So what grudge do you have against this snotty-nosed green-haired monster?"

Is that a snotty-nosed, green-haired monster?!
Snap! Barto was struck as if by lightning, falling backward to the ground, two lines of aggrieved tears streaming down his face.

“We crossed paths at the park.” Drake paused for a moment before answering truthfully. “At the time, I was serving in the Navy and was ordered to hunt down this villain.”

"fart!"

Barto immediately panicked, scrambled to his feet, pointed at Drake, and shouted, "Nokigao-senpai! Don't believe him, this guy is definitely suspicious! When he was a Rear Admiral pursuing me, he was really going all out. He's so young to be a Rear Admiral, he should have a bright future. He might be an undercover agent, we have to be careful of him!"

Nojiko narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Drake.

Drake remained unfazed and met her gaze calmly.

"Enough!" Noki said coldly, "Both of you, come with me."

She turned and strode toward the depths of the castle, and Drake followed without hesitation.

Seeing this, Barto hurriedly chased after him, straightening his collar, which had been knocked askew, as he ran.

The three arrived at a spacious, empty conference room.

Nojiko sat down at the head of the table and gestured for the other two to sit as well.

"Drake, tell me more about your reasons for defecting," Nojiko asked bluntly.

"Yes, sir."

Drake sat upright on the sofa and solemnly replied, "I joined the Navy at a very young age to uphold the justice in my heart, but during my service, I witnessed far too much of the dark side of the World Government and the Navy Headquarters..."

"Especially after the Sabaody incident, I began to realize that Lord Shano is the one who truly fights for justice and is worthy of my following."

"The dark side... be more specific."

Nojiko seemed to have anticipated this and remained unmoved.

“Three months ago, I was ordered to escort a shipment of ‘goods’ to Mary Geoise.”

Drake sighed, "Later we found out that they weren't goods at all, but slaves offered by nobles of a certain member state to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons. They were all young and beautiful girls, and many of them... weren't even girls."

He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching involuntarily. "I protested to my superiors, but was warned not to meddle. From then on, I began to question the object of my loyalty and had the idea of ​​leaving the Navy."

"It makes perfect sense, and it's something that a Celestial Dragon would do."

Nojiko nodded thoughtfully: "I've seen all the registration materials you submitted before. There are no problems. You haven't done anything bad since you defected from the Navy. Take your subordinates and report to the combat regiment."

"The position of captain of the third division has been vacant for a while, and now it's yours. Oh, by the way, another supernova who recently joined, Terfalgar Law, is now the captain of the second division. That guy seems to be from the same hometown as you, so you can exchange ideas more often."

Upon hearing this, Drake's eyes flashed with surprise, and he immediately stood up and saluted:

"Yes! Thank you for your trust, senior!"

Push the door and leave.

He suppressed his excitement and walked silently to the top of the stairs. He glanced back at the closed conference room door before stopping and letting out a long sigh.

He had been quite anxious when he heard that the Fallen Ones were building their own intelligence department and were very strict in their screening of new recruits at higher levels.

They were terrified that once they went in, their secret would be exposed and they would be found out.

He was not afraid of sacrifice, but the sacrifice had to be worthwhile. To die without providing any useful information or intelligence was something a marine could never accept.

But now it seems... all it took was filling out a form and being asked a few questions to gain trust and get a vacancy for a cadre position.

Humph.

If they can't even do the most basic review work properly, it seems they're just a makeshift team.

Drake sneered inwardly. His previous words were half true and half false; he did indeed harbor resentment towards the World Government, but the Fallen One…

What can you possibly accomplish by associating with such a bunch of insects?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the conference room.

"That guy's done making arrangements. As for you, fellow supernova..."

Nojiko turned to look at Bartolomeo, who immediately straightened up, his face full of anticipation.

"We must follow the rules and conduct a strict review."

"Noki said calmly."

"Huh?" Barto complained again. "Why? Nojiko-senpai, this isn't fair! Drake is clearly more suspicious, so why is he..."

"That guy? He was a special case that my brother specifically requested to be hired. No vetting was required, and his job and destination were all arranged by my brother himself. I was just going through the motions."

Noki raised her eyes. "Any more objections?"

“That’s all!” Barto shook his head decisively.

"It seems that bringing up my brother's name is the most effective way to get you to cooperate."

Nochiko chuckled, took out a reagent, and gently placed it in front of Barto.

"This is?"

Truth serum.

Nojiko smiled slightly: "Something that makes you tell the truth is really useful as an auditing tool. It can expose anyone with ill intentions. Unfortunately, it's too rare to mass-produce. Even after dilution, there aren't many. It can only be used on newcomers like you who are capable enough to be cadres."

Wow, there are such amazing things!

Barto looked at the truth serum in front of him, suddenly grinned, grabbed it without hesitation, and gulped it down.

"Eh?"

Noki was taken aback by this decisiveness; normally, most people would hesitate.

"So, Drake is trusted by Senior Shano more than I am, which is why he was exempted from this step?"

Barto wiped his mouth and laughed heartily, "Seniors, that kid is truly enviable, but it is precisely because of this that I can take this opportunity to prove to you all, with my true feelings, that I am the most loyal follower in the world!"

"..."

Noki was speechless for a moment, it seemed that it really was true.

The drug took effect quickly. Following his experience, Noki waited a while before opening his notebook to begin recording: "First question, why did you want to join the Fallen Ones? And when did you first have this idea?"

"Because Senior Xia Nuo is too handsome!"

Barto immediately started waving his arms and legs excitedly, "From the moment he executed Onigumo on the execution platform in Loguetown and cleaved the sky with his Conqueror's Haki, I decided to follow him for life! I want to be his most loyal dog! Woof woof!"

The second half of that sentence is seriously going too far!

Nojiko's eye twitched: "Next question, what do you think of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons?"

"Fuck them! They're all bastards!"

Barto spat, "Those pigs are not worthy of ruling the sea! Senior Shano did a good job! He killed them brilliantly! He killed them splendidly! I want to be his most loyal dog!"

"Your reputation isn't very good; there seem to be several records of attacks on civilians. Is that true or false?"

"That's not true! From that day in Loguetown, I've followed a similar path to all of you seniors, and then been slandered and smeared! This has made me understand Senior Shano more and more, and I want to be his most loyal dog!"

Stop this already, you bastard!
"It seems there's no need to ask you any more questions. Let's move on to the last one."

Nokiko sighed and closed the notebook. "This is a question specifically for you, because you're just too fanatical, even a little scary. If one day, your Lord Shano orders you to die, what would you do?"

Barto suddenly fell silent.

He slowly stood up, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"I will die right now."

Barto said in a deep voice, "But before that, I will first confirm why this is so, and whether it is really a senior's order, because I know that the senior Shano I know would never send his followers to their deaths without a reason!"

Nojiko paused for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction.

"Fanatical, but not unfounded. Congratulations, your application has been approved."

She stood up and extended her hand. "In the past two weeks, you have been the most sincere follower I have ever met. Welcome to the Fallen Ones, Bartolomeo, captain of the fourth division of the Combat Legion."

Barto was trembling with excitement and was about to shake hands.

"vomit--"

He suddenly bent over and vomited all over the floor.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Barto exclaimed in a panic. "Senior, I was just too excited! I'll clean it up right away!"

Is it possible to get to this point?
Nochiko sighed again.

…………

Crescent Island, Central Castle.

As the core and largest island in the Milky Way Sea, Crescent Island is far more prosperous than the other six satellite islands. A towering white castle stands in the center of the island, overlooking the entire sea.

In his office on the top floor of the castle, Shano, draped in a black cloak, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of bitter coffee, gazing at the distant horizon.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating his tall and slender figure.

"Being the head of a major power is really not easy."

Having just turned nineteen, the former boy, who could barely be called a "young man," sighed about the days of his simple-minded, muscle-bound youth that were gone forever.

In the past, when there was only one boat, he could have easily been a hands-off manager, leaving all the trivial matters to his partners.

Focus on your spiritual practice, and when faced with a major situation that requires you to take on responsibilities, then step forward and assume the duties of a captain.

But now that it is world-renowned, possesses vast territory, and has millions of people, it is naturally impossible for it to be so relaxed and carefree.

Especially during this period, the impact of the Chambord incident continued to ferment, with a large number of followers flocking to the area every day.

Within his territory, all things flourished and prospered, constantly expanding and growing stronger, which also brought many matters that required his personal decisions.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be so busy.

After all, he wasn't the kind of person who was reluctant to delegate authority. After making proper personnel arrangements, the talents under him had clear divisions of labor and performed their duties, and were already able to handle the vast majority of affairs.

However, some key decisions, such as the formation of the four major military corps, the appointment of important cadres, and the adjustment of foreign strategy, still require his personal approval.

In the economic sphere, for example, Shano has appointed a manager personally recommended by Fujitora.

His name is Jill Finn.

This is a man who is nearly fifty years old. He usually wears thick round-framed glasses and is the kind of meticulous old scholar.

He had known Fujitora for many years and had served as an auditor in a kingdom in the South China Sea for more than 20 years. In the end, due to the problem of the national treasury deficit, he insisted on his own opinion, offended the corrupt nobles, and was beaten up and expelled from the country.

He has excellent professional skills and extensive experience.

It is precisely this upright and unyielding style, along with his stubborn and inflexible personality, that makes him prone to offending people.

However, in Xia Nuo's view, this is precisely the quality that a new force with lofty goals like the Fallen Ones needs most.

On the contrary, it suited his taste even better.

The other party lived up to expectations, working diligently day and night after joining the company, and arranging various economic activities within the territory in an orderly manner.

"After these two days, things should be easier. I don't know how someone like Akainu can stand it. After becoming Fleet Admiral, he spends all his time buried in his office."

Xia Nuo stretched, downed his bitter coffee in one gulp, and barely regained his energy. He returned to his desk and finished reviewing the last few documents.

(End of this chapter)