The colonel strode over, gun raised.
"Move. I'm acting under Marine Headquarters orders. Obstruct me, and I'll have you arrested!"
The butler frowned.
"Colonel, this is not a military port. You have no jurisdiction to search civilian vessels. That power belongs to the local government, not you."
In military ports, inspections were routine.
But here? Outside a base? Strictly speaking, Marines had no authority.
Yes, the Navy could patrol seas, repel pirates, even garrison cities.
But not govern them.
That was for kings.
"Searches like this should be done under the kingdom's municipal authority," the butler pressed.
"You're overstepping."
Jin's brows rose. He turned to Reiju.
"Wait—Marines can't just search whatever they want?"
Reiju gave him a look.
"You really didn't know?"
"…I haven't exactly been king that long. How would I know the fine print?"
She sighed, then explained:
"This port isn't like Lunair, which was a Marine base under direct Navy control.
This one belongs to a World Government member nation.
Remember—the world is built on member nations and regions, united under the Government.
The Navy is just one branch of that system.
Its duty is simple: safeguard the seas. Hunt pirates.
But governance? That remains with the nations themselves.
Marines are feared because they're a violent organ of the Government.
If they're allowed to overstep into civil rule, what happens next?
Military dictatorship. A government run by the sword."
"One careless step, and the World Government itself would just become the Navy's government."
Jin could almost picture it—at the Reverie, rows of delegates replaced with nothing but Marine brass.
No nation wanted that.
Even the World Government didn't want that.
"Look at Lunair Port," Reiju continued. "The signs were already there."
So, to prevent such trends—and to preserve the sovereignty of its member nations—the World Government had long ago signed formal statutes. These laid out the limits of Marine authority:
Marines may not interfere in the internal politics of any member state.
Marines may not involve themselves in local governance or economics.
Marines may not threaten territorial sovereignty in any way.
Of course, statutes were statutes. In reality, local branches inevitably exerted pressure over their ports and towns. But there was always a red line. No officer dared openly cross it.
Because the Navy wasn't the only violent arm of the World Government.
Cipher Pol watched them too.
If CP caught a Marine abusing power—even a Fleet Admiral—there'd be consequences: demotion, dismissal, even imprisonment.
And there was another leash. Maintaining the Navy cost trillions of berries every year. Their logistics, their supplies, their very paychecks—all came from the Government's coffers, which in turn came from the nations' tribute.
It was a bloated, lumbering system. A beast that could never fully escape its own chains.
But after Roger lit the fuse on the Great Pirate Era, things only worsened. Nations grew weaker. Taxes still had to be paid. So kings squeezed their people harder, spawning more pirates and criminals in a vicious cycle.
And with inflation eating away at the berry's value, suffering spread even further.
Jin's mind clicked. University economics classes resurfaced in his head.
Checks and balances.
In a way, even the warlords and the Four Emperors were "checks" against Marine dominance.
Berry devaluation? Most likely, the Government's finances were collapsing. To feed the Celestial Dragons and their parasites, they'd simply printed more money. Over-issuance, followed by inflation, followed by crises.
Roger was just the spark. The rot was already there.
"No wonder," Jin muttered. "In Alabasta, Smoker didn't fight Crocodile. He just let Tashigi act freely. In Dressrosa, Fujitora played blind while Doflamingo ran wild."
Those were internal wars of member states—off-limits without authorization. And at the time, Crocodile and Doflamingo were Warlords, technically sanctioned agents of the Government.
If the Navy had interfered, it would have triggered protests from other nations—and direct reprimand from above.
Without official orders, even arresting a Warlord was overstepping. The punishment? Investigation, dismissal, or worse.
It was all a chess match between military and civilian power.
So when the royal butler barred the Marines from boarding, he wasn't bluffing. He had the law on his side.
But the colonel had orders from an Admiral. And his target was a king-slayer.
He didn't care.
One punch floored the butler. Marines stormed the decks.
"You'll regret this! I'll petition the king! I'll report you to the World—"
The butler's protests died in his throat when crates of unmarked gunpowder and rifles were hauled into the open. Smuggled arms.
Caught red-handed.
The colonel sneered, patting his cheek.
"Three years stationed here. You thought I didn't know your little side business? Selling weapons to pirates? That's enough to hang you."
The butler was dragged away.
Performance secured, the colonel's mood improved. When he reached Jin's ship, his tone softened. A king of a member state deserved more courtesy than some noble's lackey.
The search turned up nothing. Clean.
"Your Majesty, be careful. A pirate who murdered a king has been sighted in these waters."
Jin nodded. "Yes, I've heard. And I've heard Admiral Kuzan himself has come, hasn't he?"
"…Yes."
Jin smiled warmly.
"I've long admired the Admirals. Do you know which waters he's patrolling? If possible, I'd feel safer under his protection."
The colonel blinked, then smirked.
Ah. So that was it. Fear.
"Perhaps I can arrange that," he said. "Escort you to Admiral Kuzan himself."
"Wonderful," Jin said with practiced sincerity.
But when news reached Kuzan, he frowned. He was already racing to catch Kuma. Babysitting a king? He had no time.
"I'll go," said Vice Admiral Gion, recently promoted to Rear Admiral candidate.
She had been recognized for her handling of Lunair Port. And she remembered Jin.
"Last year, I met this king at Lunair. He's… not difficult."
Kuzan gave a curt nod. "Fine. Go."
On the deck, Gion looked out at the wide sea. Doubt flickered in her eyes.
Why was this king always wandering?
Tourism?
Seduction?
Or something else entirely?
And what exactly was his tie to Germa 66?
Her instincts—honed from her early days in Naval intelligence, baiting pirates with beauty—whispered of something off. A faint, invisible scent of danger.
Jin, meanwhile, was all smiles.
"Again we meet, Vice Admiral Candidate Gion."
He took her hand with practiced grace. Soft. Warm. Impeccably kept.
A lady who knew her worth.
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