Commander Shepherd:

-x-

WHAM! "VICE ADMIRAL!" Y/N in his 'Seaman Recruit Natsu' disguise which had been updated with bandages over his right eye and eyebrows burst in to Vice Admiral Jonathan's office.

The Vice Admiral looked up, as did Ensign Christopher and Chief Petty Officer Todd.

"You've recovered quickly from your injury," Vice Admiral Jonathan noted.

"I had to come and give you my report, Vice Admiral!" Natsu exclaimed. "'One Eye' Y/N is in the infirmary! I saw him take out Lieutenant Commander Drake! I came here as fast as I could!"

"Calm down, son," Jonathan instructed. "Tell me what happened."

Natsu sat down in a chair opposite Jonathan. He glanced briefly down at the chess board in between them then looked back up.

"'One Eye' Y/N is in the infirmary impersonating a doctor," Natsu explained. "But the odd thing is, he's actually treating people. He stitched up my wound from Roronoa Zoro in a matter of minutes. Now he's in the O.R. tending to the trauma patients that came in one those three battleships."

"So 'One Eye' Y/N is the Straw Hat Pirate's doctor and he's treating injured marines," Jonathan noted.

"The only other doctor left in the base is Dr. Kobato," Natsu added. "Who – as you know – is a pediatrician who faints at the sight of blood. One Eye told her that as a doctor he took an oath to treat the sick and injured. He's actually coaching her through some surgeries. Sir... if you don't mind me asking... why is there a pediatrician at our Marine Base? There are no kids here."

"Her father works at Dock 88," Jonathan informed him. "She came to visit him while our doctors were called away. I requested that she stay in the meantime so that we would at least have one trained doctor at the base... even if she is inexperienced. But you're saying that he's actually helping her get over fear of blood? Other than attacking Lieutenant Commander Drake, has he shown any hostility towards us?"

"Um, no sir," Natsu admitted. "The nurses are all following his instructions. Dr. Kobato is with him in the Operating Room. Actually, the truth is, sir, the only reason he attacked the Lieutenant Commander is because he interrupted a surgery when he burst into the O.R."

"Hmm..." Jonathan mused to himself. "If One Eye wishes to treat our injured, I'll allow him to do so. I already told you that it's my duty to ensure the wellbeing of all the marines on this base. We'll station some men outside the infirmary but warn them against going in. As long as we know where One Eye is and that he's not causing trouble, I'll let him do as he pleases."

Jonathan looked down at his chess board. "You play chess, Natsu?"

"I know of it, I know the pieces, but I've never played," Natsu answered. "What self-respecting strategist doesn't know how to play chess?" "It seems like you're in the middle of a game but none of the pieces have been moved."

"This is the game I'm playing against the Straw Hat Pirates," Vice Admiral Jonathan told him. "There are seven black pieces for the Straw Hats. Plus one for their ship. Thanks to you, we've captured one of their Rooks, Roronoa Zoro and we've also know the location of their Queen. 'One Eye' Y/N."

"You made 'One Eye' the Queen?" Y/N questioned. "I know he's the First Mate but I'm not sure he'll like that very much."

"Why's that?" Jonathan inquired.

"He didn't strike me as very Queen-like when I saw him," Natsu said. "He was very friendly with the nurses in the infirmary. There was one in particular... you know what? Never mind. It's your game. Play it however you want."

"For your information," Jonathan stated, "I made One Eye Y/N the Queen because of his ties with the Whitebeard Pirates. If he's a skilled doctor I can see why they had him on such a notorious crew. Isn't there another dangerous rookie pirate that's a doctor?"

"I believe you're talking about Trafalgar Law, sir," Chief Petty Officer Todd chimed in. "He's a rookie pirate Captain like Straw Hat. They're calling him the 'Surgeon of Death'."

"But let's focus on the pirates that we're currently dealing with," Jonathan suggested. "We've already suffered casualties when we lost Lieutenant Matthew while capturing Roronoa Zoro and One Eye Y/N took out Lieutenant Commander Drake."

"That's only a Rook and a Bishop," Y/N noted as he eyed the white side of the board. "Is there a higher ranking officer on this base than Drake?" Y/N scanned Jonathan's desk and his eye narrowed when he spotted a picture of a blonde woman in a chef's hat. "Oh! You old bastard! You made me the black queen while your wife is the white one?"

"I'll need the three of you to step up in their absence," Vice Admiral Jonathan continued. "Ensign Christopher, I need you to take over Lieutenant Commander Drake's Units and patrol the island. Make sure that none of those pirates get in or out of this base."

"Yes, sir," the tan-skinned man with sunglasses responded.

"Chief Petty Officer Todd," the Vice Admiral called out, "You've been promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer. For now, that's the highest rank I can give you. I can promote my Infantry as I please but I need approval from Headquarters to make you a Commissioned Officer. I want you keep watch of Dock 88 where we have the Straw Hats' ship. We have it in our custody and they won't leave without it."

Jonathan reached out and removed the remaining Rook from the black side of the chess board.

"Chief Petty Officer..." Natsu turned and looked over his shoulder to see who Jonathan was addressing. "That's you, Natsu."

"Me sir?" Natsu questioned.

"I told you that I'd reward you for capturing Roronoa Zoro," Jonathan reminded him. "You've been promoted to Chief Petty Officer. We're in a State of Emergency, I need more brave officers like you."

"Thank you sir!" Natsu gushed as he stood up and saluted. "I won't let you down, sir!"

"I'm sure you won't," Jonathan replied. He pulled an officer's uniform out from behind his desk and tossed it to Natsu. "I want you to guard the brig." Natsu looked up in surprise as he pulled on his new uniform with red patches and gold cuffs on the shoulders. "I assume that you'd want to ensure that the pirate you valiantly captured remained in custody. When the Straw Hats hear that he's been captured, they'll go to the brig to rescue him. Make sure he doesn't escape."

"Yes sir," Natsu agreed.

"Officers, you each have your assignments," Vice Admiral Jonathan addressed the group. "You're dismissed."

Ensign Christopher and the newly appointed Master Chief Petty Officer Todd left the room. But Chief Petty Officer Natsu stood in place.

"I just have one last question, sir," Natsu said. He motioned to the white side of the chess board. "If Ensign Christopher is your Bishop, Todd and I are your Knights, and your wife is the Queen, who is the remaining Rook?"

Jonathan smiled at Natsu. "You have a sharp eye, son. That's my fallback plan. We removed all the treasure from the Straw Hats' ship. I locked it up for safe keeping. So even if by some odd miracle, the Straw Hats manage to escape the base and reclaim their ship... they won't be able to leave their treasure behind. No self-respecting pirate would sail away without their treasure. Even if they escape, they'll come back for it and we'll have a second chance to catch them."

"Brilliant, sir," Natsu commented. He saluted then turned and left the office... with a frown.

Grumble... Jonathan looked down at his stomach as it rumbled. "These Straw Hat Pirates are turning out to be more of a challenge than I initially anticipated. I'll have to postpone my lunch until I've at least identified more of them."

-x-

Two of the eight Straw Hats had yet to actually enter the Marine Base.

Robin crouched behind some bushes on the ring shaped island of Navarone and surveyed the Marine Base while Usopp scampered around behind her and used a fake bush as cover. He came up beside her and looked in the same direction as Robin.

"Marine Command Branch 8," Usopp easily read off of the base while Robin had to look through her telescope.

"That's the official name," Robin said. "It's more commonly known as G-8 or Navarone. It was once the Marines' most powerful stronghold. The command center is most likely in that central tower. But that's all we know."

"Enough with all of the technical talk already," Usopp complained. "Weren't those ancient ruins enough for you? Now you've gotta analyze some stupid marine fortress?"

"Knowledge is power," Robin told him. "Or have you forgotten that we're in enemy territory."

"I haven't forgotten anything!" Usopp insisted. "But we can't just stand around looking at stuff. It feels like the two of us haven't done anything since we got here. All I care about is finding the Going Merry. I've gotta see if my baby is okay."

Usopp once again scanned the water where the ship had once been but the caravel was gone.

"Merry! Merry! Where are you?" Usopp called out to his lost ship.

"It's reasonable to assume that the ship was seized by the marines," Robin suggested.

"Why I are you so calm!?" Usopp demanded. "Don't you care about our ship?"

"Even if we can find the Going Merry," Robin stated, "How will we escape with it? Do you honestly think that the marines will show us the way out?"

"Uh... well I..." Usopp stammered.

"Which is why we must find out all we can about this place," Robin continued. "Right?"

"Oh yeah!" Usopp retorted as he shot to his feet. "I wouldn't be much of a pirate if I was scared of a few marines! I'm done with this. I'll leave the standing around and looking at stuff to you."

Usopp rushed off and used nearby bushes for cover. But his foot suddenly caught on something."My leg!" Usopp yelped. WHUMP! Usopp fell and landed on his face. He looked back and saw the disembodied hand that had tripped him. He shot back up and glared back at Robin. "Hey! That really hurt!"

A mass of over a dozen arms suddenly grew out of Usopp body and quickly pulled him up against a crooked tree then slipped him around it.

SKISH! A marine popped out of some nearby bushes less than a second later.

"Found 'em?" the marine asked.

SKISH! Three other marines stood up in some bushes near the first marine.

"No sir," the three marines chorused.

"We'll capture those filthy Straw Hat Pirates!" the first marine declared. "Leave no stone unturned. They couldn't have gotten far." He motioned onward and the three marines ran off. "There's no escaping. We've already captured the legendary Roronoa Zoro."

The marine walked off and never noticed the Straw Hat Pirate pinned to the other side of a tree.

Robin's extra hands disappeared and Usopp quickly jumped away from the tree.

"Zoro!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Are you alright, Mr. Long Nose?" Robin asked. Usopp turned and found Robin leaning against the tree he had just been pinned to.

"Did you hear what he said?" Usopp questioned.

"The marines seem to have realized that the Going Merry was filled with pirates, not ghosts," Robin reasoned. "Now they're angry. We need to worry about our survival instead of our ship."

"I don't care what you have to say anymore!" Usopp insisted. "That ship is more precious to me than life itself! I'm gonna go in there and get it back! Do you hear me? I've made up my mind. So stay out of my way. See you on board!" Usopp ran off.

"So stubborn," Robin remarked before she slipped around the tree and towards the base.

-x-

A moment later, Robin discretely peered around the rocky corner of a dock where three worn marine battleships were anchored.

She watched as a man with a briefcase made his way off of one of the ships. He had grayish skin and dark purple hair tied in a ponytail. He had a long nose, high cheekbones and glasses with purple lenses over his eyes. He wore white gloves on his hands and a purple shirt underneath a marine officer's coat.

"Ughh..." the man complained. "I weathered that storm to come to a backwater base in the middle of nowhere? And they don't even have the decency to welcome me."

The man scanned the dock and called out to a nearby marine. "Hey you, over there."

"Sir, yes sir," the marine replied as he turned to face the man in an officer's coat.

"I am here to meet whoever runs this base," the man stated with a puffed up chest. "So you inform the officer-in-charge that I have arrived and wish to commence the meeting posthaste."

"Yes sir," the marine answered but then he looked sheepish. "It's just uh... I have to ask what kind of business you have with the Vice Admiral."

"I have am under no obligation to explain anything to you!" the man spat.

"I'm really sorry sir," the marine said, although he didn't sound it. "But I also have to confirm your rank and which branch you are attached to."

"I will explain nothing to you! Understand!" the man exclaimed. "Now contact this Vice Admiral immediately!"

"Of course sir," the marine said. He looked at his watch. "But... I don't think it'll do any good."

"And why not?" the man snapped.

"Because this is the hour that Vice Admiral Jonathan normally takes his lunch," the marine explained. "If he's on schedule, he's probably eating in the Dining Hall right now."

"So call the Dining Hall, dimwit!" the officer berated him.

"Sir, you don't know the credo of Marine Branch 8, do you?" the marine asked.

"You have a credo?" the man who had refused to give his name questioned.

"Rule 1: You must wash your hands before every meal!" the marine recited. "Rule 2: Never leave any food behind on your plate. Rule 3: Never mention work in the Dining Hall. Rule 4: Always brush your—"

"ENOUGH!" the officer interrupted as he grabbed the marine's collar. "Are you saying that your officer-in-charge thinks lunch is more important than a V.I.P. sent by Marine Headquarters? Is that correct?""

"Yes!" the marine yelped. "That's correct sir!"

"Grrr..." the officer shoved the marine away from him. "I can see that you'll be of no use to me. I'll find your Vice Admiral on my own. But before I go, I have one piece of advice for you. If I were you, I'd start thinking of ways to explain this when you're COURT MARTIALED!"

The marine gulped as the still unidentified officer let out a weasel-like laugh and walked off.

"This sector no longer requires the presence of this bloated stronghold," the officer thought to himself. "Or the peculiar isolated Vice Admiral that refuses to step foot outside of it. The Marines don't need either of these outdated dinosaurs and I will make sure to note that in my report to Headquarters. That old badger Vice Admiral Jonathan won't be paid to eat and fish on the Marine's time for long! Enjoy your last few meals at Navarone, Vice Admiral! Soon you will be relieve of your duties!"

The officer left the dock through an isolated hallway. He got three steps in when he stopped in his tracks at the sight of a woman's shadow on the wall.

"Hm?" the man turned and looked back the way he'd come but there was no one there. "Guess it was nothing."

The man went to adjust his purple glasses but a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Whap! The man was surprised by the fact that the hand was coming out of his own coat. So he was caught completely off guard when the hand bent his wrist backwards. KRAK!

"Aaah!" the man yelped. Another arm came out of his back and wrenched his other arm behind him. Krek-KRAK! "WAH!"

CLUNK! The man stumbled and banged his head against the metal wall of the hallway.

Robin stood over the unconscious officer and pulled an ID card out from his coat.

"Commander Shepherd from the Marine Headquarters Inspection Division," Robin read off of the card. Robin smiled as she looked down at the unconscious man... or more specifically, his uniform which happened to be in her favorite color. "You'll do just fine, Inspector. Fufufu!"

-x-

In the kitchen, Sanji swirled a skillet over a fire as the cooks of Navarone fed yet another group of one hundred marines.

"Oh, so good!" one of the marines in the Dining Hall remarked.

"That new cook is totally awesome!" another commented.

"Amazing!" a third marine exclaimed. "It tastes even better than the guys on the morning crew said it would."

"Alright! The next one hundred are waiting!" Head Chef Jessica called out to the marines as she stood in the middle of the Dining Hall. "Hurry up and finish!"

"AYE-AYE, SIR!" the marines chorused.

Jessica turned away and scanned the Dining Hall for one specific marine. She had a special dish balanced on her hand and frowned when she couldn't find the marine she'd made the dish for.

"Where is he?" Jessica thought to herself. "It's not like him to miss his lunch."

-x-

Ensign Christopher stood outside the base and addressed Lieutenant Commander Drake's three Units of Marines had had been assigned to him.

"Our enemy is the Straw Hat Pirates! You must be prepared to engage them at a moment's notice! For the honor of Navarone we must capture them swiftly and without mercy!"

"Sir!" the gathered marines chorused.

"Eeek..." Usopp squeaked as he hid behind a nearby pile of wooden crates. Usopp slipped away and walked backwards away from the marines. "These marines are really fired up. I won't last long if I try to play hide and seek with these animals!"

Usopp continued to walk backwards and slipped between two laundry lines which held freshly cleaned marine uniforms.

"Subterfuge is key," Usopp mused to himself out loud. "Yeah, that's it. I gotta blend in. Ah, what have we here? Ahahahaha!"

Usopp walked out of the laundry line in a fresh white marine uniform and with a cap thrown over his curly black hair. The strap of his arsenal bag went across his chest as the bag hung at his side.

"Transformation complete!" Usopp announced as he casually walked by three marines. "Now I'll be able to..."

"Hold it!" one of the marines called out to Usopp.

Usopp whimpered and stopped in his tracks. The marine walked over and stood right behind the terrified Straw Hat Sniper.

"As a Navarone Marine you will follow the dress code to the T," the marine instructed, "Even your collar's important, sailor." The marine reached up and adjusted Usopp's collar which was sticking up. "Don't ever forget that again."

Usopp let out a sigh of relief then spun around and saluted. "My apologies, sir! I assure you, it won't happen again." Usopp dropped his hand. "By the way... could you tell me how to get to the dock where the Straw Hats' ship is? I'm new here so I'm kinda lost."

"The docks are on the lower level about six blocks down," the marine informed him.

"Thank you, sir!" Usopp replied. "I really appreciate the guidance!" Usopp turned and ran.

"Wait that dock is..." the marine tried to call after him.

"Don't worry, I'll find it!" Usopp assured him.

The marine's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Dock 88 was on lock down.

-x-

Y/N frowned as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall across from Zoro's cell.

"So now what?" Zoro asked. They were alone in the brig.

"The Vice Admiral ordered me to guard you and the brig," Y/N said. "But I can't locate the others if I'm stuck down here."

"By the way, your pocket's buzzing," Zoro pointed out.

Y/N reached into his pocket and pulled out the Baby Transponder Snail that he'd gotten off of Lieutenant Commander Drake.

"Master Chief Petty Officer Todd!" the marine from the last scene called from the other end. "We just saw a suspicious character. It's a man with a long nose. He's wearing a marine uniform and claimed he was new. But then he asked how to get to Dock 88 even though it's on lockdown. I thought I'd warn you, sir."

"We're stationed outside the dock," Master Chief Petty Officer Todd responded. "We'll keep watch for the man you mentioned."

"Damn it Usopp..." Y/N growled.

"What're you gonna do?" Zoro inquired.

"The Vice Admiral ordered me to make sure no one busted you out," Y/N reasoned. "So... if a Straw Hat Pirate came down here to free you... but ran away when they saw me... I'd have to chase after them. And if they happened to escape... I'd have to report what I saw to the Vice Admiral in person. Just like I did when I told him One Eye Y/N was in the infirmary."

Y/N turned and ran out of the brig. "HEY YOU! STOP! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

Zoro shook his head. "I guess I'm gonna have company soon."

-x-

"MERRY!" Usopp called out to and his beloved ship in Dock 88. "You're really okay!"

"A fine boat," came a voice that caused Usopp to stiffen. Mekao the old Shipwright walked up behind him. "Carvel model with lateen sail and an actual stern rudder right down the center. It's an older model but it can hold its own with the best of 'em."

"Hey, who are you?" Usopp exclaimed..

"You don't know me?" Mekao questioned. "You must be a rookie."

"Uh... yeah," Usopp admitted.

"From the looks of it she's seen her share of action," Mekao remarked as he turned back to the Going Merry. "She's covered in patches but you can tell they were done with care. Yup, this ship is truly loved."

"So you can tell that by looking at her?" Usopp asked the wacky old shipwright.

"Makes no difference to me if it's a marine ship or a pirate ship," Mekao stated. "I can tell at a glance whether a boat has gotten proper TLC."

"Ahahahaha!" Usopp giggled happily, momentarily forgetting his cover. "That means so much! Thanks old man!"

"Well, I wasn't complimenting you," Mekao told the rookie marine.

"No," Usopp admitted. "But I like the sound of it. Is that so wrong?"

"You're a strange one, aren't you?" Mekao noted.

"Hold it right there!"

Usopp stiffened in terror while Mekao turned to face Master Chief Petty Officer Todd and eight other marines.

"Oh, Chief Petty Officer Todd," Mekao greeted the officer.

"That's Master Chief Petty Officer," Todd corrected him with a small smile. "I got promoted."

"Ah, good for you!" Mekao replied. "But if you're here about the ship repairs it'll be at least another week. It seems that marines these days are under the impression that ruining perfectly good ships is their job. Thanks to that the repair schedule is completely packed."

"Quietly... quietly..." Usopp whispered as he tried to sneak away.

"I didn't come here for you, Mekao," Todd told him. "I'm here to talk to your new friend there. HEY YOU!"

"AAH!" Usopp shrieked then quickly spun around and saluted. "YES SIR?"

"What Unit are you with?" Todd asked.

"Uh... uh..."

"Did you really forget your Unit?" Todd question in disbelief.

"Um... eighteen?" Usopp guessed.

Todd smiled. "Oh, Unit 18... the Sniper Unit, right? Don't you know that this dock is on lockdown? It's off limits to anyone except maintenance personnel."

"Well... we snipers are forgetful types..." Usopp replied. "It'll never happen again! Sorry! I'll just be on my way!"

"Don't move another step!" Master Chief Petty Officer Todd ordered. "ARREST HIM!"

"AAAaahhuugghhahhh..." Usopp let out a high pitched shrieked that ended up as a low gurgle when he suddenly found four swords pointed at his neck. "I just wanna get back to my unit, sir!"

"We received a report that a suspicious new recruit was seen outside," Todd informed Usopp with a wide smirk. "And Unit 18 is a Supply Unit. Not a Sniper Unit."

"That's right... my bad... I'm in a Supply Unit!" Usopp squeaked. He stretched his head upward to make his neck more narrow to avoid the pointy swords.

"STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY YOU JACKALS!" Mekao shouted at Todd. "DON'T YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE? For the Shipwrights, THIS PLACE IS HOLY! If you shed even a single drop of his blood here! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET IT!"

"I... I..." Todd stammered and stepped backwards. He was clearly shaken by Mekao's anger. "Right... um... we'll take him to Vice Admiral Jonathan... lower your swords..."

"Yes sir," the marines replied.

"Thanks old man..." Usopp whispered to Mekao as he was dragged off. "You saved my skin."

-x-

Second Member Captured

-x-

Y/N made his way up through the base towards Vice Admiral Jonathan's office. He stopped when he saw a tall woman in a purple shirt and marine officer's coat being escorted in the same direction by a marine. Y/N immediately recognized the woman's dark blue almost black hair.

"Robin."

"What's going on here, recruit?" Chief Petty Officer Natsu called out to the marine.

The marine and Robin turned to face him.

"Chief Petty Officer, Natsu, sir," the marine saluted. "This is Commander Shepherd an Inspector from Marine Headquarters. She requested that it take her to Vice Admiral Jonathan."

"I'll escort her the rest of the way," Natsu volunteered. "I need to tell the Vice Admiral about the Straw Hat Pirate that I just chased away from the brig. In the meantime, I need you to go back down there and guard the brig. Make sure Roronoa Zoro doesn't escape."

"Yes sir," the marine replied. He turned and ran off.

"Inspector," Y/N greeted Robin.

"Officer," Robin responded to Y/N. "I hear you're in a State of Emergency."

"The seven Straw Hat Pirates have invaded out base," Y/N explained. "I captured Roronoa Zoro and got promoted for it. We secured their ship in Dock 88 and it sounds like they just captured a man with a long nose that snuck in to see it. Their doctor 'One Eye' Y/N is in the Infirmary operating on injured marines with an unidentified nurse. Vice Admiral Jonathan has confiscated the Straw Hats' treasure and hidden them somewhere on the base so they can't leave. So far there's been no sign of their skilled cook or Straw Hat Luffy. However, the men have said good things about a pair of new cooks that arrived from Mariejois so I'm going to make a point to investigate the Dining Hall soon."

"My, you're certainly in character, Mr. One Eye," Robin remarked, "and you seem to have things well in hand."

"I'm operating right under the Vice Admiral's nose," Y/N told her. "I can't afford to slip up. Neither can you. He knows there's a skilled historian on our crew. I'm going to tell him that I chased a pirate away from the brig but he'll still be searching for a seventh Straw Hat. If you're going to use your cover as an inspector to search for a way out of this base, don't head straight for the archives in the library. That will make him suspicious."

"I'll take my time getting there then," Robin resolved. "I'll also make a point to find a storage room where they could have stored the treasure. Here... Oreja Fleur." Y/N felt an ear grow out of the top of his head under his marine cap. "This way we can keep in touch while in cover."

"Right," Y/N said, "Vice Admiral Jonathan's office is this way, Commander."

Chief Petty Officer Natsu headed for Jonathan's office and Commander Shepherd from the Inspection Division fell into step behind him.

-x-

Usopp had been brought to Vice Admiral Jonathan's office by Master Chief Petty Officer Todd. He was on his knees in front of the Vice Admiral's desk while two marines held his arms. Twenty more marines stood behind him to prevent escape.

"Is this him?" Jonathan inquired.

"Yes, Vice Admiral," Todd confirmed. "The suspect insists that he's a marine. But he we caught him in Dock 88 where the Straw Hats' ship is on lockdown. I think he's one of the Straw Hats."

Jonathan walked around his desk and stood directly in front of Usopp then stared down at him.

"You there, what's your name?" Jonathan asked.

"..." Usopp didn't respond. He was terrified. There was a puddle of sweat around his knees.

"What's your name?" Jonathan repeated.

"Uh...it's... classified..." Usopp squeaked.

"And your Unit?" Jonathan questioned.

"It's classified..." Usopp answered.

"Why did you go to the dock where the pirate ship was impounded?" Jonathan persisted.

"It's classified..." Usopp said again.

"It's classified..." Vice Admiral Jonathan repeated Usopp's only response.

"Uh-huh..." Usopp weakly replied.

"I don't think he's a marine at all, sir," Master Chief Petty Officer Todd insisted. "I think he's a Straw Hat Pirate. Let's throw him in the brig with Zoro."'

"Hold on, officer," Jonathan instructed. "Come to think of it, I heard that a special inspector was supposed to arrive this morning."

"What?" Todd sputtered.

"A special inspector?" Usopp whispered to himself. That was perfect.

"Vice Admiral..." Todd protested.

"If he is an inspector then its only natural that he wouldn't be able to reveal his name or what unit he's attached to," Jonathan explained.

"Ahahahaha!" Usopp laughed. "So you figured it out."

"Huh?" Todd gasped in surprise.

"You should be proud of yourself Vice Admiral," Usopp remarked. "I am the Special Inspector from Marine HQ. But you can call me... INSPECTOR USOPP!"

Usopp shot to his feet while Todd stared at him in surprise. "Is there any illegal activity in G-8?" Usopp barked. "Are all military rules and regulations being followed? How is the moral for the troops on the base? In order to answer these questions, I infiltrated this base as a grunt. And there you have it!"

"We're sorry Inspector Usopp!" the twenty marines chorused as they saluted behind Usopp.

"If he's really a Special Inspector... that means he's a higher rank than I am!" Todd realized. He darted forward and shook Usopp's hand. "I'm sorry for earlier, Inspector."

"That's alright, officer," Usopp reassured him. "You were just doing your duty. You managed to catch me so that's a good sign."

"I'm sorry for the confusion, Inspector," Jonathan chimed in. "I was just about to send someone down to greet you. Please, accept my apologies."

"Of course, Vice Admiral!" Usopp exclaimed. "Everyone makes mistakes!"

Knock! Knock! The door opened and Chief Petty Officer Natsu entered.

"Vice Admiral," Natsu addressed Jonathan. "Special Inspector Commander Shepherd has just arrived from Marine Headquarters and is requesting a meeting."

"GAH!" Usopp stared in shock at Y/N. Then his eyes bugged out as Robin entered dressed as a marine officer.

"Vice Admiral," Robin greeted Jonathan. "Please to make your acquaintance. Your officer here informed me that you were in a state of emergency so I thought it best to reveal myself in order to avoid confusion."

"Who's that?" Y/N asked as he pointed at Usopp.

"This man claims to be a marine inspector too!" Todd exclaimed as he glared at Usopp.

"Looks like Y/N and Robin got disguises too," Usopp realized. He quickly called out. "Oh! Hey there fellow inspector! Fancy meeting you here? You know me, right? I'm from your division. It's me, Inspector Usopp, remember? Did you forget me because you've been traveling so much?"

Todd stared from Usopp to Robin and looked utterly bewildered.

"Commander Shepherd, do you know this man?" Vice Admiral Jonathan inquired.

"No sir, I do not," Commander Shepherd answered.

"AAAAH!" Usopp shrieked. "HEY LOOK AT THAT!" He turned to run out of the room but Y/N stuck out his leg and tripped him. WHUMP! Usopp fell on his face and Y/N dropped down and sat on his back.

"Vice Admiral, I have reason to believe that this inspector impersonator is a Straw Hat Pirate," Natsu announced.

"Oh really?" Jonathan inquired. "Why's that?"

"Look at 'Straw Hat' Luffy's Wanted Poster, sir," Natsu instructed. "You'll see a man in the bottom left corner."

Jonathan went to his desk and pulled out Luffy's wanted poster. Natsu pulled Usopp up off of the floor and removed his marine cap. Jonathan clanked down at the back of Usopp's head in the poster then at the back of the real Usopp's head.

"You're right," Jonathan realized. "That man is a Straw Hat Pirate."

"I KNEW IT!" Todd shouted.

"Master Chief Petty Officer, take that pirate into custody," Jonathan instructed. "Then bring him down to the brig."

"AAAAHH! AAAAAAH!" Usopp shrieked over and over again as he was dragged kicking and screaming out of the office by Todd and eight other marines.

The office doors closed and Jonathan was left with Robin, Y/N and twelve other marines.

"Good eye, son," Jonathan praised Natsu. "Now search the other inspector."

"What?" Y/N and Robin asked at the same time.

"That fake inspector was a pirate in disguise," Jonathan pointed out. "Search that inspector to ensure that she's the real one."

Y/N looked over at Robin. "Well um... did anyone tell you anything about the inspector that was coming today?"

"No," Jonathan admitted. "I just received word that a Special Inspector would arrive today."

"Well, according to Mass Effect, Commander Shepard can be a man or a woman," Y/N noted.

"What?" Jonathan asked in confusion.

"I'll start searching," Y/N said and quickly changed the subject. Y/N turned to Robin and awkwardly patted down her sides. Robin stood there and stared silently at him. "Ah-ha!" Y/N's hand flash into Robin's coat and he pulled out the ID card that she'd taken off of the real Inspector Shepherd.

"She's legit, she's got ID," Natsu announced as he looked up at Robin and then down at the picture on the ID. Natsu turned and showed the ID to Vice Admiral Jonathan with his finger conveniently covering the real Inspector Shepherd's face. "Command Shepherd from the Marine Inspection Division."

"In that case, I apologize for the inconvenience, Commander," Jonathan stated.

"That's alright, Vice Admiral," Commander Shepherd replied, "In a state of emergency you were right to be cautious. Rest assured, your actions as well as the actions of your two officers that were involved in exposing and capturing that impersonator will be featured in my report when it return to Headquarters."

"Very good," Jonathan said. "And please let them know that I plan to file the paperwork to have Chief Petty Officer Natsu and Master Chief Petty Officer Todd promoted to the rank of Ensign as Commissioned Officers."

Natsu's visible eye widened in surprise. "Really, sir?"

Jonathan nodded, "These two have be instrumental in locating and capturing the Straw Hat Pirates that have invaded our base. I want their efforts today to be rewarded."

"I'll be sure to pass on the good news to Todd, sir," Natsu said. "But speaking of which, the reason why I abandoned my post in the brig was because I identified another Straw Hat Pirate."

"Really?" Jonathan questioned. He glanced at Commander Shepherd, "Commander, I hope you don't mind if I get to the bottom of this first."

"By all means, Vice Admiral," Shepherd agreed. "I'm here to inspect the base. That includes how you perform your duties as the commanding officer."

Jonathan nodded and turned back to Natsu, "Tell me everything."

"Well, I was guarding Roronoa Zoro down in the brig," Natsu recounted. "He taunted me about my eye. So I told him that his doctor was the one to treat me and that we have him under close surveillance in the infirmary. But then this strange man in a marine uniform came in. He was a good foot taller than me and had blue hair so he kind of stood out. I asked for his name and rank but he turned and ran. I assumed he had come to break out Zoro so I chased after him. He ran out onto a balcony and dove into the water. I'm afraid I lost him, sir. I decided to come up here and give you my report in person. I made a point to send any marines that I came across down to the brig to guard it in my place."

"Interesting," Jonathan remarked. "So this blue-haired would-be escape artist is our fourth identified Straw Hat Pirate." Jonathan addressed the twelve marines across his desk from him. "You six, go join Master Chief Petty Officer Todd down in the brig. Inform him and all the other guards of the pirate that Chief Petty Officer Natsu described."

"If it helps sir, he had... a star tattoo on his arm," Natsu added.

"There you have it, men," Jonathan resolved, "Keep your eyes peeled for a tall, blue haired man with a star tattoo."

"Yes sir!" six of the marines replied before they left the office.

Jonathan sat down at his desk and removed the black King-side Knight represented Usopp. "We've captured our second Straw Hat and identified a third. We also have One Eye Y/N under surveillance confined to the Infirmary. But we still need to locate Straw Hat Luffy."

"If you don't mind me suggesting sir," Natsu spoke up. "But the men keep talking about the great food that's being made by those two new cooks. The Dining Hall is one place that we really haven't checked."

"You're right," Jonathan agreed. "The kitchen is the perfect place for a skilled cook to hide." Jonathan turned to Inspector Shepherd. "Would you care to join us for lunch, Inspector?"

"No sir," Shepherd answered. "I can see that you are running things appropriately and have this pirate matter well in hand. I believe I should continue my inspection of the base itself. I understand that you have been downsized recently. I need to ensure that the space that you are using is being used adequately and is up to code."

"Of course," Jonathan agreed. "But I wouldn't want you to be harmed in the chance that you run into one of them while you're preforming your duty." Jonathan pointed at two of the marines. "You two, please provide Commander Shepherd with an escort as she continues her inspection."

"Yes, sir," the two marines replied.

"Vice Admiral, Officer," Commander Shepherd nodded to the two officers before she and her two marine escorts left the office.

"By the way Natsu," Vice Admiral Jonathan motioned to the four remaining marines. "Say hello to your new unit. You seem to be very lucky when it comes to encountering these Straw Hats. Things would work out better for you if you had some men under you command."

Y/N grinned as he eyed the four marines that were under his command. "Alright boys, what is Rule 2 of the Navarone Credo?"

"Rule 2: Never leave any food behind on your plate, sir!" the four marines chorused.

"Exactly," Natsu replied. "That's why we're going there to investigate. Not to eat. If we find one of the Straw Hats we need to able to respond immediately. And if we're there to perform work we don't be violating Rule 3... which is?"

"Never discuss work in the Dining Hall, sir!" the marines answered.

"Good thinking Chief Petty Officer Natsu," Vice Admiral Jonathan noted. "I can see that command suits you. I, however, will be eating at the Dining Hall. I postponed my lunch when Lieutenant Commander Drake went missing and Jessica will be very upset if I miss it."

"Of course, sir," Natsu agreed. "Leave it to us, sir."

-x-

"And what is this room here?" Inspector Shepherd inquired as she pulled open a door.

"That's a closet, Commander," one of her marine escorts told her.

"..." Robin stared silently into a broom closet. "So it is." She turned to her two-man escort team. "Tell me, where would I find a map of this base?"

"Well... we keep maps in the archives in the library, Commander," the other marine replied.

"Then take me to it," Shepherd instructed. "I need to know what I'm looking at before I can decide if it is up to the proper standards. I would like to keep from confusing important rooms for broom closets."

"Of course, inspector," the first marine agreed. They turned and led Robin towards the library.

-x-

"Stupid Y/N, stupid Robin..." Usopp complained as he sat next to Zoro in the brig with his hands cuffed behind his back. His arsenal and his marine uniform had been confiscated which left him in his usual brown overalls.

Zoro glanced down the hallway of the brig and noted that the marines were all busy having a discussion about some blue-haired guy.

"Do they suddenly hate me now?" Usopp raged. "They straight up stabbed me in the back! That's messed up! If they went along with my plan we'd have the Merry back by now!"

"You should be grateful of Robin," Zoro told Usopp.

"Grateful? Why?" Usopp demanded. "Why should I be grateful to her?"

"Because it means you're with me now," Zoro explained. "Y/N told me his plan. He said the only way we're getting out of here is if we do it together. Y/N and Robin are going to find us a way out. Once the others arrive, we'll break out and escape together."

"I see..." Usopp said. His anger at being betrayed forgotten. "And they knew I'd be safer here with you. She was actually thinking of my wellbeing."

CHIK-CHUCK! Usopp looked up to find that the marines had broken up their meeting and saw that there was now an entire squad of gunmen standing outside the cell with the barrels of their rifles aimed at them through the bars.

"Don't move a muscle!" Master Chief Petty Officer Todd warned the two pirates.

"But still..." Usopp whimpered. "This place doesn't seem all that safe..."

-x-

"Alright men!" Y/N addressed his newly appointed unit of four marines as they made their way to the Dining Hall with Vice Admiral Jonathan. He had a cannon-like gun strapped on his back. "Let's hear it the way we do it in Unit 55! With fiery spirit! I don't know but I've been told!"

"BEING A MARINE WILL NEVER GET OLD!"

"G-8's gonna keep things right!"

"IF YOU DON'T LISTEN WE'LL USE OUR MIGHT!"

"If they're dumb enough to come near!"

"BAD GUYS ALWAYS RUN IN FEAR!"

Vice Admiral Jonathan smiled to himself as he led the way to the Dining Hall.

"We've captured the ship and two crewmates," Jonathan mused to himself. "We've also identified two others, one of which is confined in the Infirmary. Two celebrity chefs from Mariejois were supposed to arrive today... Jessica's been complaining about them for days. However, I've heard nothing but good things about these two. They could be our fifth and sixth member of the Straw Hat Pirates...and odds are... one of them could be Straw Hat Luffy. And then of course... there's the seventh member... what are you going to do?"

-x-

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!