Three days later:
Water 7, the harbor.
The shipwrights were repairing the damage caused by the previous battle, chatting casually with the Marines beside them and saying, "Thanks for the trouble."
"Don't worry, trust Galley-La's craftsmanship! We have the best shipwrights in the company. Your ship's damage isn't too severe; we'll have it fixed by today."
The lead shipwright, shouldering a hammer, hammered away while curiously glancing at Hans.
"Speaking of which, your senior official… uh, I mean Lieutenant Commander Roy, did he really fight the Warlord of the Sea?"
"Of course it's true!"
Hans, who had heard this question countless times in the past three days, blurted out, "Our boss is former Admiral Zephyr's disciple! You know 'Fire Fist' Ace? He fled in terror before our boss! Even that Warlord was..."
"Cough, cough."
As he reached this point, Fal coughed lightly beside him.
Hans immediately changed the subject. "He was even forced to fight our boss to a draw! You wouldn't believe it, the entire sea was..."
He launched into more bragging, drawing astonished exclamations from the surrounding shipwrights.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Battleship:
"The government really knows how to seize an opportunity with this Three-Forces Military Exercise."
Roy lay back in a deck chair with his cap pulled down over his face. A long straw hung from his mouth and was connected to a cola bottle beneath the chair.
In his heart, he was thinking,
Yes, he thought to himself.
Three days earlier, shortly after learning about the newspaper reports at the Buffalo Bar, Roy had received a personal call from Vice Admiral Biros at Marine Headquarters.
"Kid Roy, what's in the papers is exactly what the higher-ups intended. Don't take it to heart. Just treat it as publicity for our Marine Detention Unit."
Not long after that, Zephyr called him specifically.
"Boy, don't let fame go to your head. Even when you're on missions, you must continue your training diligently. I heard you've developed two new Shockwave Fist techniques? Come demonstrate them for me at headquarters when you return."
Through these two old veterans, Roy finally learned what had really happened.
Simply put, the root of the matter was himself, or, more precisely, "Youji" and "Shinryu."
After Youji stole the Heavenly Tribute, the World Government was shaken.
While not everyone was living in fear, quite a few kings were worried that their countries might suffer the same fate as the Nismail Kingdom, a nation affiliated with the World Government.
This led the World Government to pressure the Marines, resulting in the launch of the "Three-Forces Military Exercise." But before that matter had settled, Shinryu caused another major incident.
He killed one of the Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile.
This dealt another blow to the World Government's prestige. After all, the Warlords were touted as a force meant to check the Yonko, one of the three great powers ruling the seas.
Under these circumstances, Roy's victory over Hanafuda became a delicate matter.
If news of a "Marine vs. Warlord Clash" or "Warlord Defeated by Marine Lieutenant Commander" were reported, the Warlord's prestige would plummet to an all-time low.
Moreover, as the Marine was a subordinate organization of the World Government, publicizing battles with Warlords was inherently problematic.
Yet, somehow, thanks to the efforts of a mastermind within the World Government, this article came to be.
"My battle with Hanafuda has been framed as a 'warm-up match' before the Three-Forces Military Exercise, with the result declared a draw. The report includes some combat footage, naturally shifting public focus to the exercise itself."
"The World Government undoubtedly intended to use this military exercise to showcase its strength to the world and reassure the public. After all, they are indeed the strongest power in the world."
Hanafuda kept his title as a Warlord.
Headquarters promoted a rising star, restoring the people's confidence in the Marines. The World Government promoted the joint military exercise to preserve its dignity.
Although Morgan did not report the full truth, he still got himself some "big news."
It was a four-way win.
The only one who lost out was... was me."
Roy scratched his head.
Although he had gained tremendous fame, he now had quite the headache because of it.
Thanks to the Marine and the government's promotion, Roy had become the focal point of the Three-Forces Military Exercise!
According to the recent wave of publicity, he had practically secured a spot in the top three.
But the problem was...
"I originally just planned to participate, secure a top ten spot, and return with a Commodore Rank to inherit Old Man Billows' Warden-class Officer position in the Marine Detention Unit," Roy muttered to himself.
But then he reconsidered—it seemed his plans for a low-profile approach had become impractical the moment he clashed with Hanafuda.
So...
"It's all Hanafuda's fault for being so weak," Roy grumbled. "Two billion Beli and two Devil Fruits? He got off easy."
By the way, the Headquarters would advance the promised two billion Beli to Roy immediately upon his return. The two Devil Fruits would be delivered within two weeks at most.
As Roy was pondering these thoughts, he heard Hans calling from below.
"Boss!"
"Hmm?" Roy grunted through his nose.
"Boss, the shipwrights want your autograph. Also, the Black Cola Roy is basically repaired! We can set sail back to headquarters tonight!"
Only after hearing this did Roy finally lift his Marine hat off his face.
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "We can return tonight?"
A cold glint spread through his eyes.
'Since we can return, it's time to put my plan into motion.'
But...
"Wait, what did you call the ship just now?"
"The Black Cola Roy! Didn't we decide on a name? I figured this was your personal battleship, so it should naturally be named after you, boss!"
"Petty Officer First Class Hans, have you forgotten that I am the commanding officer of this ship?"
Roy ground his teeth, the coldness in his eyes deepening.
"No matter what, naming the ship is something I should do personally, right?"
He'd already tolerated the ship looking like a cola bottle. Now, even the name was going to kill him socially?
This kid could not be left alive!
That very night.
The battleship, renamed Black Loyalty, set sail from Water 7, officially beginning its return voyage. Hanging from the prow was Hans, a humanoid "bait" whose excited cheering had already gone hoarse.
What no one knew was...
Just a few hours after Roy left the island.
At the harbor, a shipwright responsible for routine patrols voiced his confusion.
"What's wrong?"
His yawning companion asked casually.
"No, nothing. I just thought I saw someone over there... no, wait, maybe it was a rat?"
The shipwright glanced at the empty spot and scratched his head.
"What are you talking about? A person or a rat? You've only had two drinks today. You're not drunk already, are you?"
"Hah? Are you questioning my drinking capacity? Come on! After patrol, let's go to the bar and have a few more!"
"Like I'd be afraid of you, but it's too bad the Water Buffalo Bar is closed tonight. We'll have to go somewhere else."
After talking like this, the two shipwrights soon left.
Naturally, they had no idea that, after they left...
"The Water Buffalo Bar is closed?"
A figure appeared from nowhere.
His entire body was shrouded in a pitch-black robe, and he glanced in the direction of Water 7.
"Then that's perfect." Murmuring softly, he stepped forward.
"Ka!"
Suddenly, a door appeared out of thin air.
He stepped through it and vanished. In the instant he entered the door, moonlight happened to spill across his face, illuminating the mask he wore.
It illuminated the mask he wore... a rat-faced mask.
(End of Chapter)
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