"I hope this battle can help increase my Enhancement Energy a little more."
Roya murmured this to himself as he gazed at the now-calm sea, then turned and returned to his cabin.
Zephyr's demonstration of Armament Haki had been clear to Roya, especially since Zephyr had deliberately slowed his movements for observation.
After the detailed explanation and demonstration, Roya felt confident that when he started practicing Armament Haki himself, he likely wouldn't need Zephyr's guidance every step of the way—he could mostly teach himself!
---
The rest of the journey was uneventful.
Among the Four Seas, the East Blue was the weakest region aside from the Grand Line, and it was the homeland of people like Luffy and Zoro. This time, their destination was the South Blue. At full speed, the warship quickly crossed the Calm Belt and entered the South Blue.
The pirate crew targeted in this mission was formerly called the Black Horn Pirates, led by Captain Rhodes, who had once had a bounty of 63 million Berries. After leaving the Grand Line, they had disappeared for a long time.
Recently, the Marines had discovered their presence in the South Blue. Careful investigation revealed that within just half a year, the pirate crew had established a considerable network of influence in the region. Their main base was on a relatively bustling island.
On the surface, the island appeared to host normal commercial activity, but in reality, it was a hub for the pirate crew's illegal dealings—slavery, arms trading, and more.
The Marine Headquarters suspected a hidden mastermind behind the scenes. Just as they were preparing to deploy forces to eliminate the crew, Zephyr had personally taken on the mission.
At this moment, standing on the deck of the warship, Roya and the others could already make out the silhouette of the island in the distance.
"When landing, wear the Marine uniform. If you encounter resistance, the attackers are definitely pirates. How to deal with them doesn't require my instruction."
"Not only does the captain have a bounty of 63 million, but there are also many pirates with bounties exceeding ten million. Moreover, this information is from about half a year ago. Things may have changed, and this will serve as an additional test for you."
Zephyr stood at the front of the deck, solemnly addressing the new recruits of the Elite Camp who were lined up.
Since each ordinary Marine training camp only allowed 10–20 people to enter the Elite Camp, and not everyone wished to remain under Zephyr's guidance for three years—many applied for early graduation—the number of recruits in the Elite Camp was very small. Including Roya and the other newcomers, there were only forty people.
However, among these forty, there were no ordinary soldiers—only officers.
The warship slowly sailed toward the island.
On the island, lookouts stationed in towers saw a large warship approaching in a straight line from the distance. Their expressions changed dramatically.
"That's… a warship!"
"Is it just passing by, or…"
"No matter what, alert the boss immediately!"
The people on the island's outposts quickly acted, their faces pale with alarm.
At the center of the island stood a grand hotel. Its exterior was lavish and imposing, projecting wealth and grandeur. However, beneath the hotel were numerous dungeons, each containing a variety of enslaved people.
Some slaves appeared pale and lifeless; others struggled and wailed in vain, only to be beaten, their cries never reaching the surface.
At this moment, in the deepest basement room of the hotel, two people sat facing each other.
One was a young man with golden curls—Captain Rhodes, the ultimate target of Roya's mission. The other was a burly man, slightly aged in appearance.
"These are the accounts from last quarter…"
Rhodes handed over a ledger with a smile. The older-looking man glanced at it and nodded slightly.
At that moment, Rhodes furrowed his brows, took out a walkie-talkie, and asked:
"What's wrong?!"
"Captain Rhodes, bad news. The Marines are here!"
Upon hearing this, Rhodes' expression changed instantly.
"Are they coming for us?"
"Looks like it."
"So soon? Have we been exposed?"
Rhodes' face darkened. He looked at the older man in front of him and spoke cautiously in a low voice, "This…"
"Since we've been exposed, you must deal with the Marines immediately, then relocate. This isn't entirely your responsibility, and if you handle it well, the Young Master might not blame you."
"Yes."
---
On the warship.
Zephyr's figure had disappeared. Whether he had returned to his cabin or had already landed on the island to monitor the mission remained unknown.
All forty Elite Camp apprentice Marines, including Roya, disembarked onto the island. Immediately upon landing, they were surrounded by over a hundred armed men with firearms.
That such a large group of armed forces could be mobilized in such a short time suggested the island was not exactly as described in previous intelligence.
"It seems the intelligence was wrong… That pirate crew isn't merely hiding on the island for illegal dealings—the entire island is disguised as normal commercial trade. The whole island might be controlled by pirates!"
One veteran on the Marines' side showed a flicker of surprise but remained composed, letting out a slightly mocking smile.
On the other side, the armed pirates, seeing Roya and his group—armed with different weapons, loosely arranged, and few actually using guns—were equally surprised.
"From their attire, they don't appear to be official Marines, and their numbers are so few."
"I've seen these Marine uniforms before… They seem to belong to apprentice Marines."
Although the pirates had seen Marines before, they had never encountered such a disorganized group—appearing like a pile of scattered sand.
Strangely, despite their chaotic formation, they were still aboard a large warship.
"That's odd… but whatever, open fire! Eliminate the Marines!"
The leader of the pirates furrowed his brows, then abruptly raised his head, snorted coldly, and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
At the leader's signal, all armed pirates immediately opened fire on Roya and the others.