[Traveling via Marine Escort - WC]

Quite some time had passed since the incident on Marineford. The lockdown had long been lifted and an article was even published on the news. She wasn't particularly pleased her defeat to the assassin was mentioned but it was the honest truth so there was nothing to complain about. Long story short, the wanted man got away. What surprised her though was the apparent involvement of Anubis in his attempted capture. She was not at the scene, having had to deal with another unfortunate incident, but was good to see that a Celestial Dragon was being proactive about things like that. Maybe his spiel about changing the world was not all talk. While the end result was far from ideal, it spoke volumes of how dangerous the man who attacked her was. The entirety of Marineford was bearing down on him, including an admiral, and he still escaped with his life. She was looking forward to seeing him again to settle things if she could.

The Marineford case was only one incident featured on the news. The other was the very reason she was busy preparing today. The notorious Pirate King had declared war on the unsuspecting fishman country Atlantis and understandably there was a call for aid to help thwart his forces. The higher ups were a bit concerned that this call for aid was sent to the general public instead of the World Government and suspected that there might be something going on behind the scenes. Ritsu's mission was to participate undercover and see what was up. More than likely she wasn't the only Marine being sent like this but she was not given any details on who else would come, possibly in an effort to maintain secrecy. For all intents and purposes, this was a solo endeavor as any other Marines sent on this case would also be keeping low profiles.

Of course as part of the mission, getting to the location involved using more general means of transport. She would be taking the famous Sea Train going to Sabaody Archipelago where the recruitment was taking place. Before setting out on the trip, she would be taking time to prepare herself. Specifically, she needed a makeover for the mission. Meme assisted her with this and the overall outfit and look they ended up going with was something she definitely wouldn't choose to make her everyday attire. Though it probably wouldn't be too bad for a few days. The clothes were flashier than what she was used to, and on top of dying her hair and changing her hairstyle, there was also going to be quite a bit of makeup applied which was something she didn't normally do. Now that didn't mean she didn't know how to put on any at all. On the contrary, it was something she was unexpectedly skilled in. She just never saw the need to use it on a daily basis. For occasions like this however, the skill was indispensable and she would have to exercise it to the fullest.

It took a couple of hours to get the look right and several more for Ritsu to get used to putting it on. You could say it was "training" in its own way. It had to be as natural as possible. Surprisingly, despite how flashy the clothes looked, they were extremely easy to move in. She almost couldn't believe it. Meme picked it out and it seemed she had an unexpected talent for choosing really comfortable and easy to wear clothes. That probably came about due to the dwarf's constant desire for comfort and convenience. Along with the makeup work, hair-styling and some colored contacts, the Rear Admiral couldn't recognize herself at all when she looked at a mirror. That was good. It meant they did their job right. All that was left now was to make it to the recruitment.

The train she had to catch was departing from Enies Lobby. The Marine Escort could take her that far. While on the ship ride going there, she would rid herself of anything that would identify her as a Marine. Staying discreet and inconspicuous was key. Meme would be accompanying her part way of the trip but would not actually participate in the recruitment. She was more of a surveyor, sticking behind the scenes and having a good look around without drawing any attention. The little dwarf would be changing her look as well for the mission, though it was a lot easier in her case she didn't particularly stand out anyway. They made one last check that they had everything they needed once they got on the ship and upon confirming that they did, the vessel set off with haste.

[Exit - Travel to Enies Lobby]