Chapter 79: The Ingenious Ideas of Sengoku
"Ah—!"
Sengoku took a clean hit to the face. Roy's punch landed squarely, sending him tumbling across the ground, rolling through dust and dirt until he came to a stop.
Roy didn't even press the attack, but Sengoku still cried out in pain.
"Ahem—don't interfere! We're just sparring!" Sengoku quickly waved off the marines who had begun to approach, forcing himself to stand again. His fists trembled, but his eyes still burned with fighting spirit.
"What terrifying power…" he muttered, then straightened his back. "I've lost. Say what you want—make any demand you like!"
The method the base commander had suggested to make friends with Roy had clearly failed. Sengoku realized Roy had seen through their intentions from the start. Still, if he could figure out what the boy truly wanted, maybe he could uncover his weakness.
"Hey, what's your request?" Sengoku called as Roy turned to leave. "I, Sengoku, keep my word. Whatever you want, I'll make it happen!"
"Really?" Roy asked, amused.
"Really!" Sengoku affirmed firmly.
Roy had been planning to walk away without asking for anything—he'd only wanted to beat the guy up. But since Sengoku insisted, he might as well play along.
No harm in that.
Roy smirked. Before arriving in the South Blue, he had met another boy on the Grand Line—a purple-haired kid who fought pirates in town, dreaming of becoming a hero.
Roy had saved him once, never expecting the boy's name to be Zephyr.
Back then, Zephyr was already famous in his hometown—a fourteen-year-old prodigy admired by sailors and soon to be sent to the Naval Academy. When he witnessed Roy's strength, he'd tried to recruit him to the Navy too.
Naturally, Roy beat him up.
Teasing Toki, saving Zephyr, and punching Sengoku—not a bad list of achievements, he thought with a grin.
"Alright then," Roy said. "I'll make a simple request."
Sengoku nodded eagerly, hoping to turn this loss into an opportunity.
"I met a naive fool on the Grand Line," Roy said. "Wants to be a hero. His name's Zephyr. From now on, I want you to protect him."
"Why?" Sengoku blinked.
"Because he's too naive."
"And another thing," Roy added casually. "If you ever meet a kid named Garp, beat him so badly his father wouldn't recognize him. Oh, and there's a girl named Tsuru—make sure no one ever bullies her."
"Isn't that a bit much?" Sengoku said, exasperated. "That's already three requests!"
Roy shrugged. "They're all headed for the Naval Academy anyway. Just do it."
He didn't explain further, but deep down, he knew what he was doing.
Zephyr was a good man—someone who fought for justice his whole life, only to be broken by tragedy. If changing a few events could keep him from losing his way, Roy didn't mind nudging fate a little.
As for Garp… well, that guy smashed Chinjao's head in someday, so he deserved a preemptive beating.
And Tsuru… Roy didn't even want to think about that. She'd be fine. She always was.
After all this, he'd soon be traveling to the future anyway. If he couldn't be there, the least he could do was leave behind a bit of protection.
Sengoku sighed. "Will you really come with me? The Navy is still investigating you, but… I apologize for that. Truly."
Roy chuckled. "I already know they're watching me."
Then, as he climbed onto Horus, he looked down at Sengoku and grinned. "You asked what I really want, right? It's simple."
He leaned back, smiling lazily.
"I want a beautiful girl who likes me—and I'll like her too. Then we'll build a happy family together."
He threw his head back and laughed. "Power doesn't matter. My ambition is love and pretty girls! Hahaha!"
Horus rose swiftly into the air, soaring toward the Calm Belt as Roy's laughter echoed behind him.
Sengoku stood frozen, staring into the sky with his jaw slightly open.
He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
A man blessed with such strength, driven not by glory or ambition—but by love?
"This is… absurd," Sengoku muttered, rubbing his aching jaw.
But then, something clicked.
Every time Roy was approached—by himself, by Tsuru, by Zephyr—he'd rejected them, but never with malice. He wasn't evil. He simply didn't care for the Navy's ideals.
Maybe Tsuru was right, Sengoku thought. Roy isn't a bad person.
Then, suddenly, inspiration struck.
He snapped upright, his mind racing.
"Wait… that's it!"
He dashed off toward the base, shouting as he ran.
"If Roy wants love—then the Navy will give it to him!"
At the base commander's office, he knocked briskly.
"Knock, knock!"
"Come in!"
Sengoku saluted sharply as he entered. "Reporting, sir! I've found a way to recruit Roy—it's very simple!"
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