One Piece: Admiral 'Eclipse'

| Author's Note:

A new beginning unfolds! Feel free to share any questions or thoughts in the comments,— I'm more than happy to address them.

Now, please enjoy the small 'Prologue' that I prepared for you guys! *(The future chapters will be much longer, around 7000 words. This is just like a sneak peak.)*

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"Who would have thought that such corruption would take root right where you once called home, Bell-mère..."

— Kaelen D. Morvayne, upon uncovering the truth about Arlong's bloody takeover of the once peacefull Cocoyasi Village.

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| 1522 / Early February - Marine Ford / Vice-Admiral Kaelen's Office - Kaelen D. Morvayne Pov:

The muffled sound of boots echoed through the long marble corridors of Marineford, and the air inside one of the few Vice-Admirals' office was heavy with the scent of polished wood and ink-stained parchment, a half-empty bottle of rum sitting idly on the corner of the desk.

The walls were adorned with bookshelves stuffed with naval charts, historical records, and manuals on maritime law, and a broad window behind Kaelen framed the sparkling blues of the Grand Line.

Kaelen leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the armrest as the ticking of the room's antique clock punctuated the silence.

Knock. Knock.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts interrupted. "What is it?" His voice carried an edge of impatience, and the door cracked open, revealing a young marine with a crisp salute. "Vice-Admiral Garp is here to see you, Sir." And Kaelen raised an eyebrow, pushing himself upright in his chair. "Send him in."

The marine stepped aside, and in strode Garp, his larger-than-life presence dominating the room before he even spoke a word. He wore his iconic dog mask perched over his shoulder, his broad grin as irreverent as ever.

"Kaelen!" Garp greeted, his voice gruff yet tinged with familiarity, and Kaelen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"What do you want of me, old man?" The question came quickly, and he noticed Garp folding his arms across his chest, the grin on his expression fading slightly as he exhaled deeply. "I'm leaving Marineford for awhile. It seems my grandson has been causing quite the ruckus lately, and I need to take care of it."

Kaelen's lips quirked into a wry smile. "Is that so? Luffy was his name, no?"

"Aye." Garp nodded, his voice a mix of exasperation and pride. "That boy's gone and claimed himself a pirate captain... Bah! I think I just need to beat some sense into him. He's been without my guidance for far too long, after all."

"Mhm." Kaelen murmured, leaning back once more, his tone dry. "How poetic that is."

Garp snorted at the comment, stepping closer to the desk. "Is that all you have to say to me before I leave, my dear student?"

Kaelen's smirk widened slightly. "Do you want me to pat your back and wish you good luck on your family affairs or something, old man?"

At that, Garp threw his head back in a hearty laugh, loud enough to rattle the room's windowpanes. "Hahaha! You could at least do that much for me, boy!"

"As if." Kaelen replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Anyway, you should get going already. I've got things to do, and so do you, apparently."

Garp grinned mischievously, wagging a finger in Kaelen's direction. "Bah! What will you even do these days without me? Seduce the women of some random, nearby island? Or better yet, keep getting swatted away by Hibari because of your 'advances'? Which one will it be, huh, Kaelen? Bahahaha!"

Kaelen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You should really stop meddling in my private life."

"Aye, aye..." Garp said with a shrug, turning toward the door. "I'll leave you be. Just don't go ending up with a kid or somethin' while I'm gone." Kaelen scoffed, his tone flat. "...As if that would be possible."

Garp paused at the threshold, glancing over his shoulder with a sly smile. "Who knows,— mayhaps it would do you some good."

Kaelen offered no reply, only a noncommittal hum as Garp chuckled to himself and stepped out of the office, the door clicking shut behind him. The room fell quiet once more, save for the faint ticking of the clock.

Kaelen leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "Old man, you really know how to test my patience..." he muttered, before reaching for the stack of paperwork on his desk, his fingers brushing the cold rim of the rum bottle as he prepared to bury himself in his duties once more.

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A few days later...

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The late afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows of Kaelen's office, casting golden streaks across the polished wooden floor. The rich-wooden desk at the room's center bore the weight of scattered reports and a half-emptied cup of coffee that had gone cold hours ago. The faint scent of ink and old parchment lingered in the air, mingling with the sharper tang of Kaelen's cologne.

Kaelen leaned forward in his chair, elbows on the desk, his sharp eyes scanning the papers in front of him, a crease forming between his brows as he flipped between documents, cross-referencing the figures with the precision of a man used to uncovering unpleasant truths.

"This..." he mumbled, narrowing his eyes at a particularly dense report, his hand brushing through his dark blue hair in frustration.

A knock at the door however, drew his attention. And before he could respond, it creaked open, revealing Sabo, his second-in-command and trusted protégé. The young marine Commander strode in with his usual air of calm confidence, his neat uniform crisp and spotless.

"Something's wrong, Vice-Admiral?" Sabo asked, closing the door softly behind him and stepping closer to the desk.

Kaelen gestured to the reports scattered before him. "These reports have been quite strange as of late." he replied, pushing a particularly baffling one across the desk.

"Take a look at it." And Sabo picked it up, scanning the contents with practiced ease.

"How so?" he asked, his tone steady but curious. "Well, for starters..." Kaelen began, leaning back in his chair, "... they detail unusually high expenses and generous donations from unknown third-party benefactors to the local marine base,— Base 16. That, in itself, is deeply strange."

Sabo's brows knit together as he studied the report. "Indeed." he muttered after a moment. "These numbers are... peculiar. But can we be certain that this points to corruption?"

Kaelen's eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a grave tone. "Yes, I do think so. I mean, think about it, Commander. Why would an unknown party go out of their way to financially support marines stationed in such a remote, low-level area? Where's the gain in that?"

Sabo set the report back on the desk, crossing his arms as his expression grew thoughtful. "It truly makes no sense, Sir." he admitted, before voicing a possible explanation. "Unless... it was done to avoid catching the attention of marine higher-ups to these benfactors. Could it be some pirate groups bribing the local marine command to turn a blind eye to their activities?"

Kaelen tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair, his sharp mind already turning over the possibility. "Say, Sabo..." he said with familiarity, after a beat, "... why don't you gather all the information that you can find about this place before the end of the day and submit it to me by tonight?" Sabo straightened then, his posture crisp and disciplined, nodding with the confidence of someone who had earned his place.

"Consider it done, Sir." he said, his voice steady and assured. "Good." Kaelen leaned back slightly in his chair, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. His yellow eyes glinted with quiet determination as he added, "Oh, and Sabo?"

Sabo tilted his head slightly, his brow furrowing in curiosity as his blonde hair swayed gently. "Yes, Sir?"

"Prepare my warship as well." Kaelen said, his tone carrying a subtle edge of authority.

"We're heading to Base 16 tomorrow." A flicker of understanding crossed Sabo's face as his expression hardened into resolute focus. "Understood, Sir. I'll see to it immediately."

Kaelen gave a casual wave, his hand slicing the air dismissively. "That'll be all. You are dismissed for the rest of the day, Commander."

Sabo snapped a sharp salute, his movements precise and practiced, before pivoting on his heel, the polished soles of his boots echoed softly against the wooden floor as he crossed the room.

The door clicked shut behind him with a finality that left Kaelen alone in the quiet stillness, his mind already churning with thoughts of the journey ahead.

And as silence settled back over the office, Kaelen leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the photograph sitting on the corner of his desk. It was an old picture, worn around the edges, but the figures within were still clear.

A young Kaelen stood between his parents, his father's arm slung protectively around his shoulders. Next to them was a tall woman with short, cropped hair and a bright, carefree smile,— Bell-mère. His parents' dear friend.

Kaelen's fingers traced the edge of the worn frame, his touch lingering as if it could bridge the gap to a memory long past.

His voice dropped to a murmur, laced with a faint bitterness that cut through the stillness of the room. "Conomi Archipelago... wasn't there an island on it where your friend lived out her retirement, father?"

The photograph offered no answers, but Kaelen's mind was already working. The reports, the donations, the island,— all of it painted an unsettling picture he couldn't ignore.

And he straightened then, his jaw tightening as he turned his attention back to his desk.

Tomorrow, he would find out the truth behind Base 16. And if corruption had truly taken root, Kaelen D. Morvayne would ensure it was uprooted,— with fire and steel, if necessary.

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¡ One Piece ¡

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