[11] A Letter from the Heart

The day after Luffy and his crew set sail, Rengoku and his unit finished providing emergency treatment to the injured villagers and departed Syrup Village without delay.

Rengoku decided not to linger, as their time spent in the village had already set them back, and the threat posed by Kuro highlighted the need to tighten security in the East Blue.

With the villagers bidding them farewell, Rengoku's ship set course for Loguetown.

It was the most logical destination, as the naval branch there was well-suited for handling Kuro, and Captain Smoker, a Headquarters officer, was stationed there.

"Captain Smoker... He's a Devil Fruit user, isn't he?"

Tashigi, sitting next to Rengoku, glanced at the map and made a casual remark.

"That's right! Captain Smoker ate the Smoke-Smoke Fruit and became a smoke human. However, I must say, his ability's practical use is somewhat lacking. His martial arts skills are far more impressive, if I recall correctly!"

"Really? So there are Devil Fruits with limited usefulness?" Tashigi asked, intrigued.

"Even with a Devil Fruit, the power depends heavily on the user's physical attributes! Take the Straw Hat boy's Gum-Gum Fruit, for example. If an average person ate it, they'd just gain a bit of elasticity, but he transformed it into something extraordinary through his martial arts skills. That's why we saw such incredible power!"

"That makes sense. Without sufficient strength, that ability would be hard to utilize effectively."

"Exactly! In that sense, Captain Smoker hasn't fully integrated his physical combat skills with his Devil Fruit ability. I've seen him train occasionally back at Marineford, but apart from punches launched with smoke, I haven't seen him develop any new techniques!"

"Haha..."

Bererere. Bererere.

As Rengoku and Tashigi chatted, the Den Den Mushi began to ring.

Click.

"This is Vice Admiral Rengoku speaking. What's the matter?"

"Th-this is the East Blue!"

"I know. This Den Den Mushi is for East Blue transmissions only. You seem nervous. Take your time and explain!"

"Y-yes! This is the sea restaurant Baratie! Well... I was originally planning to write a heartfelt letter, but I decided to contact you directly instead!"

"A heartfelt letter?"

"Yes, sir!"

A "heartfelt letter," also known as a "stab," is a term used to describe a report that exposes misconduct or irregularities within the military.

Rengoku immediately switched the Den Den Mushi to a private one-on-one channel for direct communication.

It wasn't because he didn't trust his aide, Tashigi, but because this was a standard security protocol.

"That's unexpected. Isn't a heartfelt letter usually written and formally submitted?"

"Well... I figured this would be the fastest way!"

"Hmm, understood. Go ahead."

Rengoku knew how much courage it took for a soldier to bypass protocol and report directly to a high-ranking officer.

Instead of scolding or reprimanding, he chose to listen and assess the situation first.

The soldier identified himself by his Marine code and unit, then began to explain the situation step by step.

However, his nervousness was evident. He stammered, spoke in a roundabout manner, and struggled to get his words out, making the conversation frustratingly difficult to follow.

"...So, that's what happened."

"Hmm... the situation sounds quite serious. Understood. I'll head there immediately."

Rengoku ended the Den Den Mushi call and promptly issued orders.

"Change course! Destination: the sea restaurant Baratie!"

"Vice Admiral, may I ask what this is about?"

"A naval officer is accused of abusing their authority," Rengoku replied concisely, sharing only the critical details.

Sharing further would breach security protocols.

"Abuse of authority... That's a serious issue."

"Exactly. We'll investigate and make a judgment after seeing the situation ourselves. Until the matter is resolved, do not speak of this to anyone!"

"Understood!"

...

The warship moved at full speed, covering the distance quickly.

After about 30 minutes, a lookout reported that the sea restaurant Baratie was in sight.

"Are there any other navy ships in the vicinity?" Rengoku inquired.

"Yes! A small warship with several soldiers visible on its deck!"

"Understood!"

The warship quickly docked alongside Baratie, and Rengoku donned his Marine coat as he stepped onto the deck.

"Vice Admiral! What are your orders?"

"Seize Captain Fullbody's ship immediately! One rifle squad will accompany me to board Baratie. All other personnel will stand by and maintain a perimeter. Report any unusual activity via Den Den Mushi immediately! That's all!"

"Yes, sir!"

Rengoku, along with a rifle squad of 13 Marines, boarded a small boat and approached Baratie.

According to the soldier who submitted the "heartfelt letter," the situation was as follows:

Captain Fullbody had requisitioned a Headquarters warship under the guise of personal leave, treating it as his own.

He forcibly drafted off-duty soldiers for the voyage without notifying his superiors or filing the proper paperwork.

During this unauthorized journey, he allowed a civilian woman of unknown identity to board the warship and gave her a tour of its interior.

The task of showing the civilian around fell on the drafted soldiers, many of whom were scheduled to be on duty the next day.

The military despised non-combat-related losses, especially those stemming from negligence or abuse of authority.

Creak—

As the door to Baratie opened, a rather peculiar scene unfolded.

A young man with blond hair, dressed in a black suit, was holding a burly man in one hand as if he weighed nothing.

The burly man had Marine knuckles on his hands, identifying him as the abuser in the case of misconduct—Captain Fullbody from Headquarters, also known as "Iron Fist" Fullbody.

Inside Baratie, chaos was already brewing due to the violent altercation between Fullbody and the staff.

Adding to the confusion, another Marine officer entered the scene, flanked by a squad of armed soldiers. The tension in the room escalated immediately.

Rengoku's eyes quickly scanned the room and spotted familiar faces—Zoro, Nami, and Usopp were among the onlookers.

However, there was no time for pleasantries. Rengoku had a duty to fulfill as a Marine officer.

"Hmm! You there, young man! Could you put that Marine officer down?"

"Huh?"

The blond young man, Sanji, showed no intention of letting go of Fullbody despite Rengoku's request.

"I'll repeat myself. Can you please release the Marine officer you're holding?"

Rengoku's ever-smiling face remained calm as he spoke again.

"Oh? So, you're this scumbag's superior? Perfect timing. Take your trash and deal with it yourselves!"

"Sanji! What are you doing?!"

The large chef nearby shouted as Sanji tossed Fullbody toward Rengoku like a bag of garbage.

Rengoku calmly caught Fullbody and handed him over to one of the nearby soldiers, then began assessing the situation.

"Captain Fullbody."

"Hi-hiiik! V-Vice Admiral Ren...Rengoku, sir..." Fullbody stammered, visibly trembling.

"Can you explain the situation to me? While your abuse of authority has already been uncovered, this current incident is also something I cannot overlook as a fellow Marine."

"Well... you see..."

"Explain how things escalated to this point. The punishment for your abuse of authority will be dealt with separately."

"Y-yes, sir. Understood."

The story behind the incident was simple.

Captain Fullbody, on leave, was on a sea date with a woman named Moody, with whom he had been corresponding prior.

He had made a reservation for lunch at the renowned sea restaurant Baratie and, wanting to impress her, had requested a specific bottle of wine in advance. However, the wine served to him was not the one he had ordered.

This mishap ruined his plan to show off, instead turning him into a laughingstock.

"That guy kept hitting on Moody, so things got heated, and it turned into a fight. The rest is exactly what you see here..."

"Understood. Now, let's hear it from the young man over there!"

Turning his gaze to Sanji, Rengoku asked, "Curly-browed young man, is everything Captain Fullbody said accurate?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right. The idiot doesn't even know food, and he requested a wine that didn't pair with the meal, so I switched it."

"Curly-browed young man, are you a chef?"

"Yeah, I'm the sous-chef. Why?"

"I see. In that case, I have a few questions."

"First, isn't it a basic responsibility of a restaurant to serve the meal exactly as requested by the customer who made the reservation?"

"Second, even if the sous-chef deemed the wine unsuitable for the meal, shouldn't you have explained this to the customer and asked if they wanted to change it?"

"Third, in a situation where the reservation wasn't followed and the substitution wasn't discussed, is it standard practice at Baratie for the chefs to unilaterally change a customer's meal or drink?'

"Fourth, is it morally acceptable for a sous-chef to harass the customer's date, touch her without consent, and resort to violence against the customer?"

"And lastly, is it acceptable for a sous-chef to smoke indoors in the sea restaurant Baratie? How does that affect the quality and hygiene of the food served here?"

Rengoku posed these questions to Sanji based on the facts he had observed and confirmed.

However, these weren't just directed at Sanji; they were also meant to address the restaurant staff and the patrons present in the room.

With just a few words from Rengoku, the atmosphere in Baratie shifted.

The customers, who had initially mocked Fullbody's humiliation, began to grow uneasy.

One by one, they hurried to settle their bills and left the restaurant, boarding their boats as quickly as possible.

Everyone seemed to share the same thought:

"What if I were in that situation?"

A reservation disregarded, substitutions made without consent, harassment of a female guest, violent retaliation for a mere complaint, and a sous-chef smoking indoors?

"Hey! Where are you going, you squids—uh, I mean, customers!"

The burly chef, Patty, tried to stop the departing guests, some of whom didn't even bother paying, but the tide of public opinion was unstoppable.

Soon, the restaurant was empty except for Luffy's crew and the Baratie staff.

Sanji ruffled his blond hair in frustration as he watched the exodus.

"Ha... So, what is this? A Marine officer publicly sabotaging our business now? And for the record, that broken table over there was your guy's doing first, wasn't it?"

"Sabotage? I merely asked about the restaurant's basic standards of operation as a concerned individual!"

"Even if a customer lodges a complaint or speaks harshly, responding with violence is illegal!"

"Furthermore, property damage does not, under any circumstances, justify physical assault!"

"And look at this: while you, a perfectly capable young man, stand unharmed, Captain Fullbody is covered in blood. Anyone can see this was a one-sided beating!"

Before Sanji could reply, a loud voice boomed from the back.

"What the hell is all this noise?"

"Let go of me! I told you, working here for even a week is too much!"

A man with a menacing aura emerged, dragging a struggling staff member behind him. It was none other than Baratie's head chef, Zeff.

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