Five days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
“Hey!
Fal, have you heard?” Fal, who was exercising with two dumbbells, heard the shout.
He turned his head and saw Hans leaning over excitedly with a cup of coffee in hand.
“Keep it down!” Fal lowered his voice and pointed not far away.
“The boss just rushed back from Master Port yesterday and is catching up on sleep—you know how he is when his sleep gets interrupted…” “So what if it gets interrupted?” Hans snorted coldly upon hearing this.
“That guy Roy acts like he can do whatever he wants just because he’s got a bit of skill.
Going on extra assignments this time without taking us along—if you ask me, we should team up and snatch his captain’s seat sooner or later.” Even though he said that, his voice remained honestly lowered.
“…” Fal looked at him helplessly, thinking to himself: *Who was the one crying his eyes out on the warship when Roy volunteered for that dangerous mission at Master Port, and who was the very first person to greet Roy when he returned to Marineford last night?* “What is it?
Out with it,” Fal said impatiently, without exposing Hans.
“Isn’t it about that big incident in the Kingdom of Nismail…
I managed to dig up some more news!” Hans muttered, “I heard that the guy who stole the Heavenly Tribute and left Commodore Ranri severely injured on the verge of death seems to be wearing the ‘Sea Beast Mask’ unique to our South Blue.” There was a clear hint of excitement in his tone.
“This means that guy is very likely from our South Blue.” “…That’s not really something to be excited about.” Hearing this, Fal grew serious as well.
Indeed.
Speaking of major events that had shocked the entire world recently, the incident on Arasheet Island was naturally at the top of the list.
The Kingdom of Nismail’s Heavenly Tribute for this year—treasure worth a full five billion Berries—was stolen.
The attacker directly destroyed four Marine bases and an outpost tower on Arasheet Island, defeating Commodore Ranri, who was hailed as a Marine Supernova, in a head-on confrontation with overwhelming power.
There were many mysteries surrounding it.
For instance, the attacker’s identity remained unknown to this day, and how the attacker managed to move that massive amount of treasure in a short time was also a mystery—after the attack took place, no suspicious vessels were spotted nearby.
But one thing was certain—this event carried unimaginable influence.
After all, plundering the Heavenly Tribute was equivalent to directly robbing the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
“Also, lower your voice—haven’t you heard?
The higher-ups have already issued orders forbidding us from mentioning related news in private.” Fal spoke guardedly now.
“What’s there to be afraid of?
What’s the point of a news gag when the World Economic Journal has already spread the word everywhere?” Hans was dismissive.
Fal could only shake his head helplessly.
However, he knew Hans was actually right on this matter.
Although top officials in the government were furious over this, and rumor had it Fleet Admiral Sengoku had even been reprimanded because of it, blocking the news was clearly impossible now.
“I heard top brass at Headquarters are already discussing a bounty for that guy.
His first bounty might very well exceed one hundred million…
Luckily we missed a guy that dangerous back at Master Port.” Hans sighed with emotion.
Fal felt a lingering fear as well upon hearing that.
Indeed.
To members of the Custody Unit like them who had returned from Master Port, this matter felt even more terrifying.
Because it was not hard to guess that the attacker of Arasheet Island and the person who attacked G-51 Branch were very likely the same person, or at least the same group.
If they had encountered an expert of that caliber, the consequences were unthinkable.
“Hey, do you think the boss knows more about the situation?
He investigated at Master Port for several days, after all.” Hans suddenly had another wild thought.
“…What are you dreaming about?” Fal was left speechless.
Hans argued plausibly, “Why wouldn’t it be possible?
With the boss’s strength, he could definitely manage to narrowly escape with his life from the opponent, right?” “Ahem!” As the two discussed passionately, a light cough came from behind, interrupting them.
The two turned their heads stiffly and saw Roy walking out of his room with a dark expression.
“B-Boss?!” Hans tensed up all over.
“You’re awake.” “Yeah.
My source of life is gone,” Roy said with a gloomy face.
“I’m heading into town to restock.” “Th-Then please take your time!” Hans felt as if he had been pardoned and hastily bowed with an apologetic smile.
“Mm.” Roy waved his hand and strode away.
Before Hans could catch his breath, Roy’s voice sounded in his ear: “By the way—’narrowly escape with his life’ is a poor choice of words.
I don’t like it.” “Come to the training grounds tonight.
I want to see if you’ve been training hard enough lately to take my seat!” Hans’s face instantly collapsed into misery.
On the other side, Roy, having prepared his sandbag for tonight, smoothly entered “Peace Town” on Marineford.
This was the town where the families of Marines lived.
Roy walked familiarly up to a store named “Fresh & Fine General Store.” “Granny Kara, I’m here to restock!” Roy shouted into the store.
“Coming.” A moment later, a kind old woman walked out from the store.
“It’s Roy…
Three crates of Cola as usual?” She looked at Roy and asked cheerfully.
“That’s right.” Roy said with a serious expression, “Also, please pop open an iced one for me right now, thanks.” Not long after, Roy was leaning against the counter, chugging down a bottle of Cola.
“Ah!” After downing a third of the bottle in one long swig, Roy let out a satisfying exhale of carbon dioxide.
“Much better.” “You’re as heartless as ever, Roy—Hina is disappointed.” A voice from behind almost made Roy spray his Cola.
With this signature way of speaking, Roy knew who it was without even turning around.
“Hina?!” He immediately turned around and, sure enough, saw the pink-haired Lieutenant Commander Hina walking into the store.
“Why are you here…
Could it be?!” Roy’s expression instantly became vigilant, and he began looking around for a certain suspicious smoke-cigar man.
Seeing his reaction, Hina rolled her eyes at him.
“Stop looking.
Smoker is still in solitary confinement—did you forget?” “…” Hearing this, Roy realized that was indeed the case.
However, he still said cautiously, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about…
The matter of damaging Headquarters’ public grounds last time has nothing to do with me…
Ahem, I mean, I only heard about it.” Looking at the guilty-looking Roy, Hina could only shake her head helplessly.
“Hina is speechless.” As she spoke, she walked up to the counter.
“Granny Kara, some source of life…” “I know, I know, Phil brand women’s cigarettes.
I’ll fetch them right away,” Granny Kara said with a chuckle.
After Granny Kara left, Hina and Roy began chatting.
“Don’t worry, Smoker has given up on making you his lieutenant—he has chosen that girl named Tashigi whom you recommended,” Hina said.
“Oh?” Hearing this, Roy looked delighted.
“That’s great!
That stubborn guy actually came around?
I told you a stubborn blockhead needs solitary confinement for his brain to work properly!” However, hearing his words, Hina gave him a strange look.
“Hina is surprised.
It seems you don’t know yet?” “…Know what?” Roy looked completely clueless.
“Nothing, I only heard rumors—but if it’s true, Vice Admiral Bilos should be notifying you soon.” Hina shook her head, not dwelling on the topic.
She turned to look at Roy with a solemn expression.
“However, regarding your matter, Hina thinks Smoker was right.” “Someone like you shouldn’t stay in the Custody Unit.” Roy didn’t look surprised at all; he merely took another sip of Cola.
“*Burp…* Why do you say that?” “This sea is getting chaotic.
It needs the power of justice,” Hina said calmly.
“The incident on Arasheet Island this time is proof.” Roy gave his standard answer as usual: “The Custody Unit is also justice.” “But Hina believes that with your strength, you would want to change more things,” Hina said softly.
“For example, five years ago, if you hadn’t joined the Custody Unit and had joined the Thirty-Fifth Operational Detachment according to the original plan, Vince wouldn’t have died.” Roy fell silent.
Vince Cita, a Marine from the same class as him and Hina, and also the son of Granny Kara, the owner of this shop.
He and Roy were originally assigned to the Thirty-Fifth Operational Detachment upon graduating from the training camp, but Roy actively joined the Custody Unit.
And Vince had sacrificed his life during a mission five years ago.
Of course, no one blamed Roy for it, including Hina.
Roy understood that Hina was merely stating her perspective.
“Hina believes that people with capability and virtue should occupy high positions to change everything.” As Hina reached this point, Granny Kara happened to come out carrying the cigarettes.
“Let me know when you have time to get together.” She said no more, simply waving at Roy before paying, grabbing her cigarettes, and leaving the store.
Roy watched Hina’s departing figure and silently took another sip of Cola.
Yet at this moment, there was no wavering in his heart.
Change the world?
Change everything?
At least for now, he had no such grandiose ambitions or desires.
He simply wanted strength and freedom—to live the life he wanted, freely and unconstrained.
He wanted to see the strange and wonderful sights of this world he once yearned for, without restraint.
Yet without a doubt…
Whether it was the former or the latter, the right path to achieving what he wanted…
was never the kind Hina spoke of.
*Join the Marines, earnestly capture criminals, and give everything for your justice?* *Even if I smoothly rise through the ranks to the limit—becoming a Marine Admiral or Fleet Admiral—I would still be a dog of the World Government.* A promotion and raise were certainly nice, and he didn’t dislike them, but that wouldn’t be the foundation of his path.
Because that wouldn’t bring freedom, nor could it change anything.
Muttering silently in his heart, Roy drank the last drop of Cola in one gulp.