Through his Observation Haki, Raleigh could "see" the structural damage clearly.
The keel was snapped, and water was rushing into the hold at a terrifying rate. The ship was riddled with holes from the cannon fire and the brutal battle.
"It's over," Raleigh calculated. "This tub will be at the bottom of the ocean within three minutes."
If they didn't leave now, they would soon be treading water or clinging to floating debris like rats.
"Everyone! Move! Back to the ships!" Raleigh commanded.
He didn't panic. With the ease of someone picking up groceries, Raleigh casually scooped up two injured Marine soldiers who couldn't walk.
Whoosh!
He kicked against the air, using Moon Walk to leap across the widening gap of ocean, landing gracefully on the deck of his paddle-ship.
Behind him, the lanky Marine Captain followed suit.
He hoisted two of his own wounded men onto his broad shoulders.
With his long legs, he sprinted to the edge of the railing and leaped, landing safely on the deck of the warship.
In less than ten minutes, the evacuation was complete.
As the pirate ship finally slipped beneath the waves with a loud gurgle, the Marines were safe.
...
The paddle-ship docked alongside the Marine warship. Raleigh crossed the gangplank, followed by Gion.
"Well done," Raleigh said, walking up to the lanky Captain.
Raleigh looked at the man closely.
He was tall, thin, and had limbs that seemed to go on forever. Raleigh was growing more and more satisfied the longer he observed him.
"What is your name, Captain?" Raleigh asked this because the man's techniques earlier had been exceptional.
The fluid, dance-like movements were not something you learned in basic training.
Clearly, this man had practiced that set of moves for years.
Moreover, his mastery of Armament Haki was remarkable.
This was actually quite puzzling to Raleigh.
In the Four Seas, very few people could use Haki.
Generally, those who learned it were people who had returned from the Grand Line. It was extremely uncommon to find a native of the North Blue who hadn't entered the Grand Line yet but could already coat his legs in Haki.
The Captain was wiping sweat from his forehead. When he heard Raleigh's voice, he looked up.
He stared at Raleigh's face. Then he stared at the white Justice coat draped over Raleigh's shoulders.
Suddenly, a look of absolute shock washed over his face.
Smack!
He slapped his own forehead hard.
"My Gods!" the Captain exclaimed, his voice cracking. "You... You are Rear Admiral Raleigh!"
The fierce warrior who had just broken a lizard-man's back suddenly looked like a schoolboy meeting a superhero.
He was practically vibrating with excitement.
Raleigh blinked, feeling a bit bewildered. "Uh, yes. That's me."
"Rear Admiral Raleigh!" the Captain shouted, standing at attention but failing to hide his grin. "I am Bessermer Reginald! It is an honor! Although you've never met me, I've considered you my idol from the very beginning!"
Reginald took a step closer, his eyes shining.
"I still remember a few months ago when you took down the Mafia families in the North Blue. My hometown was one of the islands you liberated."
Reginald clutched his chest. "Even though the Donquixote Family later took over our island, the rules you established remained. Because of you, the villagers have been living much better. The crime rate dropped, and people could finally walk the streets at night."
Reginald chattered on for a long time. He praised Raleigh's strategy, his strength, and his looks.
Then, miraculously, Reginald produced a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket.
He looked at Raleigh with a serious, pleading expression.
"Raleigh-sama, please... could you give me your autograph? When I return home to visit my family, I'll show it to them. They won't believe I fought alongside the Hero of the North Blue!"
His words were filled with pride. It seemed that getting Raleigh's signature would make him the envy of everyone back in his hometown.
Raleigh chuckled. This was his first time encountering a genuine "super-fan" in the Marines.
"Alright, alright," Raleigh smiled. "I'll sign for you. But stop shaking."
Naturally, he couldn't disappoint a subordinate.
Raleigh took the paper and pen. He leaned against the railing and carefully wrote his name in bold letters: Christian Raleigh.
To make it official, he even took out his personal seal and stamped it on the paper in red ink.
"Here."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Bessermer Reginald treated the paper like a holy relic.
He carefully folded it and tucked it deep into his uniform pocket, close to his heart.
After composing himself, Reginald asked, "Raleigh-sama, why have you appeared here? Shouldn't a big shot like you be at the main Base?"
In Reginald's mind, important figures like Raleigh usually stayed at the Headquarters, commanding from a desk.
They never left unless it was for a Buster Call or a major war. That was how Vice Admiral Borsalino had operated.
Raleigh leaned against the railing, looking out at the sea.
"The world situation has been getting worse recently," Raleigh said, his tone turning serious.
"Pirates in the North Blue are increasing day by day."
"I can't rely solely on ordinary Marine soldiers to confront them anymore. Too many pirates are Devil Fruit Ability Users now. Regular soldiers don't have the strength to face such dangers. They just die."
Raleigh's words were half-truths.
First, the situation was getting worse. Although Raleigh had organized the Mafia to keep order, the North Blue was vast. Many young men, inspired by the approaching pirate era, were setting sail. Unless a pirate crew was incredibly weak, local law enforcement couldn't handle them.
That was why Raleigh was traveling—to hunt the strong ones.
But the second reason, which he kept to himself, was ambition.
Raleigh was striving for the unification of the North Blue.
The North Blue had a large number of "non-affiliated countries."
These were poor nations that couldn't afford to pay the "Heavenly Tribute" to the World Government. Because they didn't pay, the World Government ignored them. They had no Marine protection and no laws.
Raleigh planned to bring these lawless places under his control. He intended to travel the sea route with Gion, strengthening his bond with her, recruiting talent like Reginald, and eliminating any pirate who dared to wave a flag in his ocean.
....
The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the wooden deck of the warship.
Clang!
Clang!
The sounds of collision rang out continuously. Two rapidly flickering figures moved across the deck, sparks flying swiftly during their exchange.
It was a sparring match.
Raleigh's figure flashed, using his high-speed movement to appear directly in front of Reginald.
"Hah!"
Raleigh's right fist swung out fiercely. It was a simple, brutal punch.
But Bessermer Reginald remained calm and unhurried.
He didn't block. He began to dance.
His movements were extremely agile and bizarre. He swayed his hips, and his upper body rippled like water. He evaded Raleigh's attack in an unimaginable way, bending his spine backward at a ninety-degree angle.
"War Dance!"
His body abruptly sank downward.
Reginald used his left leg as a pivot, planting his hand on the deck. He rotated his body backward like a spinning top, while his right leg kicked up from behind like a scorpion's tail.
Whoosh!
The kick aimed for Raleigh's chin.
Raleigh didn't dodge.
He stood firm. His right arm turned black, condensed with extremely hard Armament Haki. He held it horizontally in front of his face.
CLANG!
The kick connected with the arm. A burst of sparks erupted, illuminating their faces.
Reginald flipped back to his feet, breathing heavily. Raleigh lowered his arm, smiling.
"Raleigh-sama," Reginald complained, straightening his uniform. "Your Observation Haki is truly monstrous. It's like cheating!"
Reginald wore a helpless expression.
In the past, during battles, no one could predict his moves.
The unique combat techniques inherited from his tribe—the Long-Limb Tribe—allowed him to attack using every part of his body from weird angles.
Those who lacked Observation Haki would often end up questioning their life choices when facing Reginald's "War Dance."
They would think he was dancing, only to get kicked in the face.
However, Raleigh was certainly not among them.