One Punch of Justice

“Excuse me, sir, can I ask you a question?” the waiter asked, approaching Saitama’s table.

“Sure, go ahead,” Saitama replied, looking up from his plate of fries.

The waiter raised his eyebrows and took a drag from his cigarette. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, so I just wanted to confirm: Can our restaurant continue to sell this thing called ‘Fries’ in the future?”

Saitama was taken aback. “What do you mean? Fries are a common food item. Anyone can sell them.”

The waiter smiled, relieved. “Ah, I see. I thought they were your invention or something.”

Saitama chuckled. “No, I’m just a customer like anyone else. But feel free to add them to your menu. They’re pretty tasty.”

The waiter beamed. “Thanks, sir! We’ll definitely do that.”

Saitama was about to explain that fries weren’t his invention, but his Den Den Mushi suddenly rang, interrupting him.

“Sorry, gotta take this,” Saitama said, grabbing the snail-shaped phone and answering the call.

“Ah, it’s Tashigi,” he said, picking up the phone.

-GOCHA!-

“Hello, Saitama-san,” Tashigi’s voice came through the snail-shaped device. “I’ve just arrived at the Marine Headquarters.”

“Good to hear. How was the handover?” Saitama asked.

“It went smoothly. But I have bad news. The Conomi Islands are under attack by fish-men pirates, and they’re requesting our help.”

Saitama’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? That’s terrible! Why did they contact the World Government instead of the nearby marine branch?”

Tashigi hesitated before answering. “Well, they did ask for help from the 16th Branch, which is the closest one, but they were ignored. So they reached out to the World Government directly.”

Saitama frowned. “I see. That’s not good. Wait, the commander of the 16th Branch is Captain Mouse or something, right?”

Tashigi nodded respectfully. “Yes, Captain Nezumi,” she replied in a solemn tone.

“His reputation has been pristine, as no pirate has dared to commit robbery in the sea area under his jurisdiction for a decade. However, it appears that the so-called peace of the past ten years was nothing but a facade he constructed. It’s even possible that he’s been colluding with these very pirates.”

Tashigi, still reeling from the Morgan incident, had begun to question the reputation of those in high positions.

And just when she believed things couldn’t possibly worsen, Captain Nezumi struck her right in the face. It was no wonder she had volunteered to take on the task.

“So…” Saitama looked at the Den Den Mushi with his trademark blank expression. “And your call means…?”

“I’m really sorry, Saitama-san!” Tashigi apologized over the phone. “Being in the Marine Headquarters, it would take forever to send help. Can you do me a solid and take care of this matter in the East Blue? I can’t trust anyone… except you, Saitama-san!”

Saitama let out a sigh of resignation. “Well, if you put it that way… sure.”

“Wow! You’re the best, Saitama-san!” Tashigi beamed from the other end of the line. “In return, I’ll bring you a souvenir when I get back. Thank you!”

—————————————————————–

Hanging up the phone, Saitama let out a sigh. “Man, trouble just never ends in this crazy world…”

He scratched his head, feeling bored already. But duty called, as it always did.

He gathered his crew and declared, “Alright, everyone, let’s set sail! Our next stop is Cocoyasi Village.”

One of the sailors, who had just risen from his seat, looked shocked. “Huh? We’re not heading to Loguetown?”

Saitama paused and turned around to face him. “Just a minor delay,” he replied calmly.

“We’ve got a job to do, whether it’s at Tashigi’s behest or in the name of marine justice. People out there need heroes, and we’re gonna be the ones to deliver. It’s our duty to maintain justice!”

—————————————————————–

Meanwhile, in the heart of the Northwest East Blue, Arlong Park was bustling with activity.

A saw-shark Fish-man sat on an old, rickety chair, pushing a hefty sum of money across the table towards the marine captain in front of him.

“Here’s your cut for the month,” he said, his long blue nose twitching with anticipation. “It’s a cool million. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

The captain, who looked more like a mouse than a man, didn’t even bat an eye as he took the money and cackled with glee. “Heh-heh-heh,” he chuckled. “Arlong-kun, you’re not like those regular pirates. You know how the world really works. I’ll happily take your money without a second thought.”

“Haha-haha-haha!” Arlong, the giant-toothed shark man, bellowed with a maniacal laugh.

“So, you’re interested now, huh? That makes two of us. If you’re willing to become my comrade here in East Blue, you’ll reap the benefits of our partnership. Thanks to you, I’ve managed to evade the Marines’ radars time and time again. It’s a win-win situation, a fair deal!”

“Heh-heh-heh…” Nezumi laughed and squinted, “You’re right. Your territory falls under my jurisdiction. As long as I suppress any news and cut off all requests for help, no one can disrupt your business. I can even report some fake news that everything is safe and that there are no pirates around this department. And I can benefit from it too. It’s a win-win situation, just as you said.”

Nezumi’s eyes gleamed with a sinister glint as he spoke. It was clear that he was not to be trusted, but the lure of power and money was too great for him to ignore.

Arlong stepped forward and patted Captain Nezumi on the shoulder, admiring his perceptiveness. “Even though I hate humans, perceptive ones like you are an exception,” he said with a slight smirk.

Nezumi flinched at the touch of the Fish-man, clearly uncomfortable with the interaction. But the promise of money was too great to resist, so he forced himself to play along.

“Well then, I’d like to take my leave now,” Nezumi said, eager to get away from Arlong’s menacing presence.

Captain Nezumi stood up and pushed Arlong’s hand aside, stowing the money in his pocket. “I heard that the ‘Bald Devil,’ the Commodore stationed in Loguetown, has been wandering in the East Blue recently. He’s killed many pirates, with bounties totaling tens of millions. You should be careful, Arlong. I don’t want your cash cow to be killed for any reason.”

“The Bald Devil?” Arlong turned his neck nonchalantly.

“I’ve heard of him. But don’t worry, that kind of person doesn’t scare me. If he dares to confront me, he’ll be killed. As you know, I’m on the same level of strength as the Shichibukai ‘Jinbe,’ and a mere marine commodore like this Bald Devil won’t be able to defeat me. Dealing with him won’t be difficult. What I fear is the Fleet Admiral, the most powerful general of the World Government.”

“Heh-heh-heh… Your self-confidence is quite remarkable,” Nezumi thought sarcastically but with a hint of fear in his mind. He despised all fish-men, but Arlong was different.

“This fish-man is truly exceptional. He fears no one but the Fleet Admiral. As luck would have it, Vice-Admiral Garp is due to return to the East Blue for his routine inspection this time of year. I must ensure that he stays away from our island to avoid any suspicion,” he pondered silently.

Upon returning to the warship inside an octopus pot, Nezumi immediately ordered the fish-man to depart to avoid being seen by civilians. But as soon as he stepped into the cabin, a liaison officer rushed in, holding a Den Den Mushi.

“Captain Nezumi!” the officer saluted and straightened out. “Commodore Saitama from Loguetown is on the line, looking for you!”

“Sai… Saitama!?” Nezumi was taken aback by the sudden news. “That bald-headed monster!?”

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a great time reading this chapter!

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