The stewards aboard Rosinante's ship were all members of the Bloodsword Imperial Guard.
The Bloodsword Imperial Guard was not made up of ordinary fighters. Most of them were once pirate captains with bounties exceeding one hundred million, or highly promising pirate crew members who had been defeated and subdued by Jack's forces, then recruited into the Guard.
After coming to Skypiea, the Five Great Divisions of the Grey Kingdom waged continuous campaigns. Many powerful warriors and exceptionally talented natives of Skypiea were also taken in and became part of the Bloodsword Imperial Guard.
In short, the Guard's ranks were filled either with top-tier pirate captains and Skypiean elites… or with rare prodigies.
Exceptional talent, combined with the past two years of relentless training under Rosinante's guidance and Bins' leadership, had honed them to terrifying heights. Their growth was rapid, their discipline absolute.
To be personally selected by Bins to serve as a steward on Rosinante's own ship was a mark of the highest trust. These were the elite of the elite—every single one was stronger than a fighter worth a bounty of one hundred million.
Now, bullets whizzed through the air. The firearms carried by these World Government troops were superior even to those used by the Marines at Headquarters. The soldiers poured out a storm of lead, each round sharp and lethal.
Bullets streaked toward the stewards, but just as they were about to find their mark, the black-suited figures moved—some tilting their heads ever so slightly, some shifting their stance, each effortlessly avoiding the gunfire as if the bullets had been moving in slow motion.
In the Grey Kingdom, thanks to the "Heart-Net" system, the spread of Observation Haki was far greater than in the Navy. As long as one earned sufficient merit, they could apply for the Heart-Net training manual, progressing from Heart-Net Level 1 up to Level 7. The Bloodsword Imperial Guard, in particular, had direct access to Heart-Net Level 5 training.
Although talent still played a role—there were always some who struggled to awaken Haki—none of the BloodSworn Imperial Guard fell into that category.
To be in the Guard meant you were already a seasoned powerhouse or a prodigious talent. With Heart-Net Level 5 training, all of them were masters of Observation Haki.
Under the sharpened perception of Observation Haki, bullets posed no threat—they simply could not hit their targets.
Some Guard members, having also mastered Armament Haki, simply clad their fists in invisible armor, barreled forward, and in a flash appeared right before the Government soldiers. One hand seized a musket. One punch followed.
Bang! Crack! Smash! The soldiers were sent flying, tumbling over the rail and into the sea.
In less than a minute, every World Government operative who had boarded was dispatched cleanly and efficiently into the ocean's embrace.
"You… who the hell are you people?" The giant man beside Saint Zashika gaped in disbelief as he watched the scene.
He knew very well the caliber of those soldiers—each one was an elite, at least on par with a Marine ensign, with some strong enough to match a Marine major.
Yet against these stewards in black tails, they hadn't been able to resist in the slightest. They'd been swatted aside like flies.
A ripple of unease stirred in the giant man's chest.
He wasn't concerned about the stewards' personal strength—no matter how strong they were, they wouldn't dare attack a World Government ship, not when Marine Headquarters was close enough to summon backup at any moment.
What truly worried him was the identity of the stewards' master.
Anyone who could command so many formidable attendants was no ordinary figure. That was the kind of person one couldn't afford to offend.
But then he glanced at the man beside him.
Who could possibly outrank a Celestial Dragon? He was, after all, the bodyguard of a World Noble!
"Fools! Do you even know who we are? Do you understand what sort of being stands before you? You have just committed a grave offense! This is Saint Zashika of the Celestial Dragons—the most noble blood in the world! And you—you dare behave so brazenly before Saint Zashika? Are you tired of living?" the giant man roared, jabbing a finger toward Ryan and his companions.
"I don't care who you are—be it the World Government or a Celestial Dragon—you've disturbed His Majesty's rest. Leave immediately," Ryan replied calmly, his voice edged with steel.
"Hi–His Majesty? Is your master a king of some nation? If so, then you'd better understand—standing beside me is a Celestial Dragon! If your king knew that Saint Zashika was here, he'd be overjoyed to hand over this ship as a gift! The fact that Saint Zashika has taken an interest in your cruise liner is the greatest honor your king could ever receive!" the giant man said, regaining his smugness.
He had seen it countless times before—monarchs and nobles tripping over themselves to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons, offering treasures, beauties, Devil Fruits, even their own princesses.
If the ship's owner really was a king, surely he would be delighted to grovel and please the Dragons.
Hearing this, Saint Zashika's face lit up with deep satisfaction. The giant man's flattery clearly pleased him—he was basking in it.
"I don't want to repeat myself. If you don't leave immediately, I will destroy you here and now," Ryan said coldly.
"Insolent! Which kingdom do you belong to? Bring your king here at once," Zashika barked.
"Saint Zashika, don't trouble yourself. Clearly, these servants don't know their place. I will personally drag their king here to apologize to you—and have him properly punish these wretches who dared show disrespect to a Celestial Dragon," the giant man assured him.
"Kaden, you've done well. When we return, I'll speak to my father and have you appointed as my personal butler and bodyguard," Zashika said approvingly.
"Many thanks for your favor, Saint Zashika!" Kaden's face lit up with unrestrained joy.
This—this was exactly what he'd been aiming for all along. He had bent over backward to please Zashika for one reason—to secure the coveted post of personal bodyguard and butler, a position that would grant him direct access to a Celestial Dragon.
And now, his dream had come true. How could he not be ecstatic?
Riding that wave of delight, Kaden stepped forward. His body blurred.
"Soru!"
In an instant, he was on the deck of the cruise ship.
The moment he landed, he darted toward a gap between the stewards, intending to slip past them and rush straight toward the ship's master.
Kaden was no ordinary Government operative. He was an elite agent of CP9, fully versed in Rokushiki techniques, his strength on par with a Marine rear admiral—and perhaps even a vice admiral.
Otherwise, he would never have been assigned as the Celestial Dragon's chief guard.