In the bathhouse.
Ryan leaned against the pool wall, resting his head on the stone edge, letting out a soft, contented sigh.
"Mr. Ryan, is the strength alright?" Mikita pressed herself almost entirely against Ryan's arm, her fingers working diligently on the muscles of his shoulders and neck. Her lemon earrings shimmered with fragmented light.
Ryan didn't even lift his eyelids, merely uttering an "Mm," but his gaze drifted through the steam, settling on Vivi at the other end of the pool.
"Speaking of which, Princess Vivi was just asking about your background earlier, Mr. Ryan." Mikita followed Ryan's gaze and suddenly chuckled, her voice tinged with mischief. "Looking at it now, could it be that Her Highness intends to break her promise?"
As she spoke, Mikita deliberately moved closer to Ryan, tracing a faint circle on his chest with her finger. "After all, the words 'any cost' came from the princess herself."
Vivi's face flushed bright red. Her hands clenched and unclenched, knowing full well that Mikita was doing this on purpose. Yet Ryan's faint, almost imperceptible gaze felt heavy, pressing down on her until she could no longer avoid it.
After a moment of hesitation, Vivi took a deep breath and slowly inched closer to the two of them. The sound of water was especially clear in the silence. She stopped when she was just half an arm's length away from Ryan, her fingers turning white as she clenched them underwater, too nervous to move.
Mikita snorted with laughter beside her and pressed Vivi's hand onto Ryan's shoulder. "Learn from this, Your Highness. You can't keep Mr. Ryan waiting for nothing, can you?"
The moment Vivi's fingertips touched Ryan's firm shoulder, she flinched as if burned. But in the end, biting her lip, she imitated Mikita and pressed down gently.
Ryan's muscles were as hard as stone, and even through the warm water, she could feel their strength, making her heartbeat grow even more erratic.
"What about the Straw Hat Kid and the others?" Ryan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, his eyes fixed on Vivi's reddened earlobes.
"Mr. Luffy and the others..." Vivi's voice still trembled slightly, but the pressure of her hands grew steadier. "They were exhausted after fighting the Baroque Works agents and are resting in the guest rooms now."
After a pause, as if remembering something, she added, "Mr. Luffy arrived later. When he heard that Crocodile had been defeated, he said... he said that Mr. Ryan stole his opponent."
At this, Mikita burst out laughing. "That kid sure has the nerve to say that. Does he even realize he could never defeat Crocodile?"
He was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. How could a rookie pirate like him claim to defeat Crocodile? If it weren't for Ryan, this country would have been doomed long ago.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ryan's lips, but he didn't respond to Mikita's comment.
In others' eyes, Crocodile was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—not someone a fledgling pirate like the Straw Hat Kid could challenge. But in reality, the Straw Hat Kid truly was capable of defeating Crocodile.
Seeing Ryan's unperturbed expression, Vivi hesitated for a moment before speaking up again. "By the way, Mr. Ryan, where did you go earlier? My father said he wants to thank you properly and even plans to hold a grand banquet, inviting you as the guest of honor."
After all, her father had always been deeply grateful to this powerful individual who helped save the nation from crisis.
Ryan's expression remained unchanged as he replied indifferently, "I'm not interested in banquets."
Being treated as a hero, held in high esteem and showered with admiration—such scenes had never appealed to him. Helping Vivi had never been about national righteousness from the start, nor was it for gratitude or honor. It was all because of that deal.
What he needed had always been the "any cost" Vivi had promised.
Thinking of this, Ryan reached out and pulled Vivi, who was still feeling a bit reserved about the banquet, into his arms. Vivi let out a gasp and instinctively tried to struggle, but Ryan held her firmly, making her heart race like a drum.
Before Vivi could react, Ryan lowered his head and kissed her lips. Her eyes widened instantly, her mind going blank, leaving only the sensation of the man's warm, domineering presence.
"Wait... not here..." After a long moment, Vivi snapped back to her senses, pushing Ryan away slightly as she gasped for breath.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, his thumb stroking her slightly reddened lips, his gaze carrying a hint of mockery and undeniable authority. "Here is just fine."
Vivi was momentarily stunned by the intensity in his eyes. Just as she was about to speak again, he gently pinched her chin with an unyielding strength. "You said, any cost."
"But... but Miss. Valentine is still here..." Vivi's voice was as thin as a thread, her eyes slightly reddened, her blue lashes glistening with moisture, making her look utterly pitiful.
"Don't mind her." Ryan's voice softened slightly, his gaze still fixed on Vivi's flushed cheeks. "She knows better than to get in the way."
As if receiving a command, Mikita immediately turned to face the pool wall, resting her hands behind her head and humming a tuneless melody. She kicked her feet more vigorously in the water, deliberately splashing loudly, making it clear she intended to be nothing more than "background noise."
Only then did Vivi realize she was trapped between the pool wall and Ryan's chest, with no way to retreat. The warm spring water rose past her chest, but it couldn't compare to the heat radiating from the man. When Ryan's kiss descended again, it carried an undeniable aggression, swallowing all her fragmented protests.
"I'll leave after tonight," Ryan murmured hoarsely between kisses, his hand sliding down her waistline, his fingertips brushing the water's surface and sending a shiver through her. "Now, fulfill your promise."
Vivi's fingers clenched tightly, able to feel the tension in every inch of Ryan's muscles, like a leopard poised to strike—and she was the prey in its sights.
Shame and panic churned within her, but the words "any cost" lodged in her throat, slowly draining her of the strength to resist.
........
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Truly unexpected..." Sengoku held the battle report from Alabasta, his porcelain-white goatee trembling slightly with his heavy breaths. "That Crocodile actually fell at the hands of a young brat."
As he spoke, Sengoku tapped his finger on the name "Ryan," his eyes filled with gravity. "Even though I knew he was an Artificial Dragon Fruit user, I still underestimated him. That kid's abilities run much deeper than I anticipated."
"That's no ordinary rookie." Vice Admiral Tsuru set down her teacup, fingertips lightly tapping the rim, her gaze calm as still water. "There's a more noteworthy document here."
She pulled a yellowed report from the files and slid it toward Sengoku. "The follow-up investigation into the floating island crash from a few months ago has yielded some leads."
"Ryan? This name..." Sengoku frowned as he opened it, then his pupils abruptly contracted. "Wait, the floating island?"
"Precisely." Tsuru's voice remained steady. "We located surviving members of the Flying Pirates. According to them, this man named Ryan has been training on the floating island for the past two years."
"More importantly..." She looked up at Sengoku, her tone gaining weight. "Golden Lion Shiki was killed by him."
"What?!" Sengoku's eyes filled with shock.
Golden Lion was a legendary pirate on par with Roger and Whitebeard. Back then, it took both him and Garp working together to barely subdue him during his rampage at Marine Headquarters, eventually imprisoning him in the deepest level of Impel Down.
"So that means..." Sengoku's fingers rapidly scanned the report before suddenly stopping as if realizing something. "After that kid escaped from Punk Hazard, he must have landed on the floating island. These past two years, he's likely been 'training' with Golden Lion! To learn from that old monster - no wonder he had the capability to deal with Crocodile!"
Tsuru gave a slight nod, taking a sip of her tea. "Hina's frontline report also confirms his strength. It specifically mentions that Ryan not only possesses considerable Armament and Observation Haki, but also... Conqueror's Haki."
"Conqueror's?!" Sengoku drew a sharp breath.
Those who possess Conqueror's Haki are born with the qualities of a king. For someone so young to have both Golden Lion's legacy and Conqueror's Haki made him a veritable time bomb.
"Hina recommends immediately elevating his threat level." Tsuru added, her tone carrying undeniable precision. "Otherwise, misjudgments could lead to unnecessary Marine casualties."
"Has Hina fought him?" Sengoku silently stroked his beard, thumb brushing against the stubble on his chin. "What were the casualties?"
"She didn't provide specific details, but Hina said he showed restraint, and her subordinates suffered minimal injuries." Tsuru set down her teacup, her gaze behind her glasses sweeping over Sengoku's tense profile.
Truth be told, Tsuru had her doubts about this, but since Hina remained tight-lipped as if avoiding something, and considering there were no casualties, she didn't dwell on it further.
"Rather reminds me of that Hawkeye fellow." Sengoku suddenly spoke, his tone somewhat eased. "A lone wolf with his own principles, yet following his own whims."
His knuckles tapped a steady rhythm on the desk. "But we absolutely cannot leave him unchecked. Golden Lion's disciple, plus Conqueror's Haki - if he decides to cause trouble, he'd be more dangerous than Crocodile!"
Tsuru picked up her teacup, a glint flashing behind her glasses. "With Crocodile dead, his Seven Warlords position is vacant. The government will surely seek to fill it quickly to maintain balance on the seas."
"Are you suggesting we have Ryan replace Crocodile?" Sengoku's eyes lit up as he abruptly looked up.
"He possesses the capability to kill Crocodile, so he naturally qualifies for this position." Tsuru nodded slightly, her tone methodical and clear. "Granting him legal status is equivalent to placing restraints upon him. Since he has his principles, he won't easily break the agreement. At the very least, it allows us to ascertain his background, which is far better than leaving him unchecked and risking him suddenly causing a catastrophic incident someday."
"That's a prudent approach." Sengoku pondered for a moment before nodding firmly. "I will report this matter to Mary Geoise. The position of the Seven Warlords is ultimately decided by the World Government. We will submit our recommendation and attach details of his background—the legacy of the Golden Lion, his Conqueror's Haki, and Hina's report about him 'holding back.'"
Tsuru's hand, holding the teacup, paused briefly before she nodded gently, her gaze behind her glasses reflecting a degree of approval.
Given Ryan's strength—capable of killing a legendary pirate, subduing a Warlord, and possessing Conqueror's Haki—the Five Elders had no reason to refuse.
After all, Crocodile's vacancy couldn't remain unfilled; they needed someone like him to fill it.