After splitting the Gecko Pirate's ship in two with a single slash, Roya's lips curved into a faint smile. There was something immensely satisfying about cutting a large ship in half with a single strike.
Whoosh!!
Roya sheathed his sword, his figure flashing through the air before landing back on the warship.
The Gecko Pirate's ship capsized in the sea. Some sections were swept away into the depths, while some wreckage floated on the surface, completely devoid of any fighting spirit.
Even the captain of the Gecko Pirate had long thrown down his weapon. He found a small spare boat, boarded it, and desperately paddled away toward the horizon.
Fighting a monster like Roya, who could split a large sailing ship in two with a single strike, was practically a joke!
Under Roya's sword, the Gecko Pirate completely disintegrated.
All surviving pirates scattered in all directions, abandoning everything. Some surrendered outright, giving up resistance.
Without a ship on the sea, how could they hope to battle a Marine warship?
As for taking over the warship—that was an absurd notion. In the eyes of these pirates, Roya was like a terrifying demon. They barely had time to escape, let alone attack the warship.
The Marines aboard the warship, officers and soldiers alike, remained in shock.
At that moment, Roya, having landed back on the warship, glanced at the captain of the Gecko Pirate, now frantically paddling his small boat, and shook his head.
"Still trying to run."
Buzz!!
Another slash—this one even larger, the sword energy spanning nearly a hundred meters—cut a terrifying gash across the sea, splitting the small boat carrying the pirate captain in two.
The Gecko Pirate captain was finally finished. Against Roya's power, he had no chance of resistance. Once falling into the sea, he sank directly to the bottom.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
Seeing the pirate captain vanish into the water without even struggling, Roya shook his head again, sheathed Engetsu, and glanced at the Captains behind him.
"What are you waiting for?!"
"…Yes, sir!"
The officers and Marines, still in shock, finally snapped to attention at Roya's command, understanding what they needed to do.
What followed was total chaos, with fighting and capturing in progress.
After a while, the situation stabilized.
Some of the Gecko Pirate drowned, feeding the fish. Some were killed while resisting. Others were captured and taken to the warship's prison cells.
The Gecko Pirate, who had once defeated the former base commander of the First Branch Base and terrorized the West Blue, was now completely annihilated.
The sea was left with only the Marine warship and scattered debris.
The pirates' previous ship had been thoroughly searched by the Marines. All valuable intelligence, treasure, and other items were confiscated. The wreckage had completely sunk, leaving no trace.
Among the pirates taken to the prison cells were high-bounty officers of the Gecko Pirate, some with rewards over ten million berries. But they no longer carried any ferocious aura. Seeing Roya from afar, their eyes reflected sheer terror.
Even in the cells, they trembled, replaying the scenes in their minds. The memories would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
---
"Report, sir. All pirates have been secured in the cells."
A Marine Captain stood before Roya, saluting with his back straight. His respect for Roya was far greater than ever before, even tinged with admiration.
Roya had single-handedly shattered the Gecko Pirate with one slash and continued to strike decisively during the ensuing battle, not merely observing from the sidelines.
They had faced a pirate crew that had lost all will to fight and was on the brink of collapse, so the final casualties were extremely low. Only a few suffered minor injuries, one was severely wounded, and none died.
It was almost a miraculous battle.
They had faced the Gecko Pirate, which had defeated the former base commander. Many had prepared for certain death, yet not a single one perished, and only one sustained serious injury.
Even now, it felt surreal.
Once they reported the battle to Marine Headquarters, they would receive some combat merit. Facing no real danger, they could still claim merit, leaving them not only in awe of Roya but even grateful.
Of course, the combat merit from this battle went overwhelmingly to Roya. After all, defeating the Gecko Pirate was almost entirely his doing. The combined merit of all others would not equal to what Roya earned.
This pirate crew had a total bounty of over 120 million berries. As the most notorious pirates in the West Blue, additional rewards were likely. Roya's combat merit would exceed 10,000 points.
Roya stood on the deck, hands behind his back, staring at the vast ocean ahead, slightly thoughtful. He nodded to the reporting Captain, acknowledging the update, and then said nothing further.
The Captain respectfully remained aside, not disturbing him.
"There are many pirates with bounties over 100 million berries in these seas. Pirate crews with such total bounties are even more common. If luck is on my side, reaching 100,000 combat merit shouldn't take long."
Roya pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a slight smile.
The Supreme Grade Blade at Marine Headquarters was unlikely to be redeemed anytime soon, but Roya was unconcerned.
100,000 combat merit seemed both little and plenty.
Pirates with bounties over 100 million berries frequently appeared in these seas, but most were concentrated in the latter half of the Grand Line—the New World.
The New World, where the Four Emperors' powers intersect, was extremely dangerous. Pirates with such bounties were formidable. Even Vice Admirals might win a fight, only for the targets to escape.
Moreover, in the vast seas, pursuing a pirate crew could take half a month or even several months.
Combat merit was extremely valuable.
It could be used to exchange for Devil Fruits, famed swords, and other rare items. It also allowed Marines to request protection for themselves or their family—temporary, long-term, or even permanent residence privileges from Marine Headquarters.
Marines like Garp or Roya rarely needed such protection—they were exceptions. Most other officers had family in need of safeguarding.
Bringing family to live at Marine Headquarters, fully provided for, required combat merit.
The higher the merit needed for an exchange, the fewer people attempted it. For swords, even fewer redeemed them. Swordsmen rarely replaced their own weapons. Roya's case, needing to replace a sword that could not handle his strength, was unique.
Perhaps, without even reaching 100,000 combat merit, Roya might still obtain a Supreme Grade Blade. It was uncertain.