Roya stood silently, staring at the vast ocean, lost in thought for a while.
Snapping back to his senses, he turned to the Captain and said, "Since everything's taken care of, let's head back."
"Yes, sir."
The Captain nodded respectfully.
The warship began its return voyage. Roya remained on deck, leaning against the railing and enjoying the sea breeze, showing no intention of returning to his cabin.
No one dared disturb him. Even the Captains felt an almost palpable pressure in Roya's presence and refrained from approaching casually.
They all knew that someone like Roya, and at such a young age, could not be confined to a single West Blue branch. Eventually, he would be transferred to the Grand Line, rise to Vice Admiral, and perhaps, in the future, even Admiral!
The enormous gap in power made them all feel restrained.
After some time, just as Roya was about to return to his cabin, he suddenly paused, sensing something, and gazed in a distant direction.
A shadow faintly appeared on the horizon.
Soon, the other Marines on the warship noticed it as well. It wasn't an island—it was a ship, heading directly toward the warship.
Though the distance was still considerable, it was clear enough to make out that it was a merchant ship.
The merchant ship had clearly noticed the warship. To avoid a collision, it adjusted its course slightly.
But the degree of avoidance made Roya frown.
The deviation was unusually large. To avoid a direct collision, a small shift in course would suffice. Yet this merchant ship made a wide arc, as if it didn't just want to avoid contact—it wanted to keep a safe distance from the warship altogether.
"Interesting."
Roya stroked his chin with a playful smirk. "Change course. Target that merchant ship."
"Yes, sir!"
It wasn't only Roya who sensed something wrong. Initially, the three Captains didn't pay it much attention, but soon realized the merchant ship's evasive maneuver was excessive.
It could have been a mistake by the helmsman, but as Marines, they were obligated to investigate anything suspicious.
The warship altered its course, heading toward the merchant ship.
The merchant ship, noticing the warship closing in, appeared to accelerate slightly, increasing its evasive maneuver.
This only confirmed that something was wrong.
"Trying to escape?!"
"It seems there's definitely something off."
The three Captains exchanged wary glances.
Roya, who had no intention of returning to his cabin, chuckled at their observations. "Or perhaps it's trying to avoid our extortion. Some unscrupulous Marines prey on merchant ships. Could be avoiding that."
"…Sir, you must be joking…"
The three Captains were embarrassed. Even as Captains, they had heard of such corrupt Marines.
Roya casually glanced at them, then returned his attention to the merchant ship.
Although the merchant ship was moving quickly, it could not match the speed of a warship. Soon, the Marines caught up and intercepted it.
"Stop your ship. We need to inspect it."
A Captain shouted from the deck toward the merchant ship.
A man resembling a merchant came forward, smiling apologetically. "Officers, we're just a regular cargo ship. Inspection isn't necessary, right?"
"Enough talk."
The Captain, seeing this evasive attitude, was not polite. He boarded the merchant ship with armed Marines.
One Captain followed, another stayed behind on the warship next to Roya.
"Sir, do you think there's something—"
"There is."
Roya answered calmly, cutting off the question. His tone left no room for doubt, causing the Captain to narrow his eyes and look more seriously at the merchant ship.
Meanwhile, the two Captains on the merchant ship led a squad of Marines onto the deck.
The "merchant" smiled politely as he approached. At the same time, he subtly slid a stack of money into the pockets of the two Captains in front of him—an action only they noticed.
Seeing this, one Captain hesitated, but the other drew his sword, pointing at the man: "Don't move. Wait for the inspection. What's on this ship?"
The merchant's expression darkened instantly.
"Must you investigate?!"
"Do you wish to resist?"
The Captain who draw his sword demanded sternly.
"No…"
The merchant lowered his head slightly, eyes flashing with a murderous glint. In a swift motion, he drew a sword from his clothing and slashed fiercely.
The Captain's face changed. He blocked, but the force of the strike sent him staggering back several steps!
"Incredible!"
Both Captains were shocked. Even together, their combined strength couldn't overwhelm the seemingly unremarkable merchant.
At the same time, the ship's hatches burst open, and a group of armed men emerged, brandishing guns and swords.
This was no merchant ship—it was a pirate ship!
The "merchant" attacked with astonishing speed. One strike sent a Captain reeling, yet his true strength lay not in power, but in speed.
Clang! Clang!
Before his subordinates could engage, he knocked the Captain's sword from his hands. The next strike would have killed him. Another Captain was pushed back, unable to assist in time.
Then, in a shocking instant…
A figure appeared like a flash, extremely abrupt in the chaos.
Even more terrifying, the figure pinched the pirate's sword midair with just two fingers. The sword, glowing with a dark oily sheen, could no longer move an inch between them.