"That was close…"
Blending into the crowd, Roy watched as a squad of disciplinary Marines charged toward the place where the fight had just occurred, full of murderous intent.
Roy silently let out a sigh of relief.
If he had been caught, not only would his entire month's salary be gone in fines, he'd also be thrown into solitary confinement for at least half a month.
"Half a month without even being able to drink cola… that's too horrifying."
As for Smoker, who was still stuck with Hina, Roy had no interest in worrying about him—after all, judging by the number of high-quality cigars the smoker kept tucked into his chest every day, he was probably well off.
As for confinement…
"Best if they lock him up a little longer. Otherwise he'll definitely come mess with me again."
"Justice… no matter how dignified they make it sound, it just means being a dog for the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. Who actually cares about that?"
Thinking this, Roy walked across Oris Plaza and into the tall Marine Headquarters building, Tenshu.
That's right.
Roy didn't hate Smoker—though he had sought Smoker out at the beginning only for his Devil Fruit ability.
But throughout Marine training, he had come to genuinely acknowledge Smoker as a friend.
And what Smoker said earlier was true—they had chased pirates across an entire sea to recover the money needed to save a little girl's dying mother.
But just as Roy said:
That had nothing to do with the "justice" the Marines constantly brag about.
"The girl's father died early, her mother had been sick for years, and she herself was blind. They survived only through the village's charity and her mother sewing tiny garments every day to save money. And those bastard pirates still had the heart to steal it—who the hell could watch that happen?"
Roy didn't think of himself as some great saint.
But as someone who'd crossed over from another world, he still had the basic moral bottom line he grew up with.
Unfortunately, the common sense of morality he considered "basic" was already rare in this world.
Smoker recognized Roy because of that incident, seeing him as a friend—and seeing that as Roy's "justice."
But in truth, Roy's attitude toward the Marines was exactly what he'd just been thinking.
After all these years in the Marine, he understood very well—the Marines did have genuine, kind, and righteous warriors.
But that couldn't change the truth: the Marines were a part of the World Government—and that government, which ruled this world, was its most rotten core.
Roy had never intended to be a dog for the Celestial Dragons. So of course he didn't believe in Marine "justice."
The pirates were the same—he didn't deny that the seas held a few heroic figures.
But the reality was that most pirates sailing in this so-called "Great Pirate Era" were nothing but criminals.
Marines, pirates—Roy disliked both, and had no intention of truly joining either side.
His view of the Marines was simple:
The Marines were just a company—one he could hide in and use to obtain Devil Fruits.
And the Detention Unit was a "critical department" he absolutely couldn't leave as long as he stayed in the Marines.
"Though Smoker was right about one thing—freedom is important."
"There are plenty of ability-users in this sea whose locations I already know… but because of Headquarters regulations, I can't go get their abilities."
Thinking about this made Roy frown.
This problem was just like his shortage of Berries—it could only be solved if he left the Marines or left the Detention Unit.
But he couldn't leave the Detention Unit right now.
"What a headache…"
He sighed.
"Hahahaha!? Even you have things you find troublesome? Now that's rare!"
A bold laugh suddenly echoed in Roy's ears.
Without realizing it, Roy had arrived in front of an office.
The door was tightly shut—but the laughter was coming from inside.
"Old man, were you using Observation Haki to eavesdrop again?"
Roy complained helplessly, then pushed the door open.
The office was simply furnished—a desk with black tea and dango skewers, a chair, and a huge pile of newspapers and bounty posters.
At the desk sat an elderly man with muscles knotted all over his body, happily munching on skewered dango.
He wore a Marine coat draped over his shoulders, with only a shirt underneath. The scars covering his body and the medals on his uniform made it clear how many deadly battles he had lived through.
"Hahaha! This old man is bored to death in this place—if I don't pass the time by eavesdropping on gossip, the days go by way too slowly!"
Hearing Roy's words, the old man chuckled.
"Using Observation Haki to eavesdrop in Headquarters is strictly forbidden!"
Roy rolled his eyes, but he knew all too well that saying this meant nothing to the old man in front of him.
Because this old man was his direct superior—the Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral in charge of the Detention Unit, Bilos.
Though Bilos never appeared in the storyline Roy knew of, his seniority was extremely high—he was a veteran who had joined the Marines in the same era as Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Marine Hero Garp, having experienced countless battles throughout his life.
Because age had weakened his combat ability, he had been reassigned to the Detention Unit to essentially retire in peace, now simply waiting for his official retirement.
And this old man's hobby of using Observation Haki to eavesdrop on gossip was practically common knowledge.
"So then, tell me—what's the matter that you find so troublesome!?"
At this moment, the old man looked at Roy with curiosity.
Hearing the question, Roy's expression didn't change.
Naturally, he didn't reveal his true thoughts. Instead, he brought up the matter with Smoker from earlier.
"That guy is really stubborn. I even recommended Lieutenant Tashigi to him…"
He complained.
"I see."
Vice Admiral Bilos didn't doubt him. While speaking, he handed Roy a skewer of dango and munched on one himself.
"I think Smoker has a point though—kid, you really are strong. Staying here is a waste of your talent."
"I have my own justice!"
Roy said with full seriousness.
And clearly, in the Marines, this sentence held the same weight as that red-haired fox jinchūriki's "This is my ninja way."
So upon hearing it, Vice Admiral Bilos didn't try to persuade him anymore.
"How'd the mission go?" He asked casually.
"Same as always. I already had him sent to the prison."
Roy pulled out his logbook and briefly summarized the mission.
"Good. I'll report the merits for you."
Bilos nodded, but then shifted topics and handed Roy a new sheet of intel.
"But speaking of that, I just received a temporary assignment. Are you interested?"
"Hah?"
Roy instinctively took the document, frowning.
"I just got back to Headquarters, old man—my men haven't even warmed their seats yet!"
"I know. Every time you finish a mission, you throw a celebration and let your subordinates rest for a few days. That's why I'm asking."
Bilos spoke casually.
"This involves a member nation of the World Government, so the achievement points will be considerable. And in two months, Headquarters' ''All-Forces Martial Tournament' will begin. If you can be promoted to a rank of Captain or higher before then, you can participate.
"All-Forces Martial Tournament?"
Roy furrowed his brows.
The All-Forces Martial Tournament was one of the Marine's major recurring events.
Every Marine officer of Captain rank or higher—and under the age of fifty—could sign up. It was essentially the Marines' version of a "fighting tournament."
Achieving a high placement granted additional promotions—those who made the top three could even be promoted directly to Rear Admiral, becoming flag officers in a single leap.
Even more well-known than the Tournament was the "World Military Draft," something the Marines had only held a handful of times since their founding.
But again—Roy had little interest in such things.
A promotion in rank was nice, sure—but getting promoted also meant he might be reassigned and forced to leave the Detention Unit.
And that would be a serious problem.
But at that moment, Vice Admiral Bilos's words sent a jolt through Roy's heart.
"Kid, after this All-Forces Martial Tournament, I might be retiring."
The old man bit into his dango with a loud crunch, but the words coming out of his mouth hit Roy like thunder.
"Retiring!?"
"Yep—my first grandson was just born. I figure I'll retire and train him properly, try to make him a fine Marine in the future."
Bilos said with a cheerful grin. "And I've been with the Detention Unit for so many years… you're the most promising one in the unit right now."
His meaning was simple.
He was going to retire—and because of the unit's special nature, most ambitious and powerful Marines didn't want to be assigned there.
"If you can get a good ranking in the 'All-Forces Martial Tournament,' this old man will request Sengoku to let you stay on and take over as the Commander of the Detention Unit. What do you think?"
"…"
What did he think?
It was fantastic!
Roy's excitement needed no explanation.
Becoming the Commander of the Detention Unit would bring enormous benefits.
Even though the Detention Unit wasn't highly regarded within the Marines, it was still a critical component of the organization.
And its Commander held immense freedom and authority—and more importantly:
"The Commander of the Detention Unit is responsible for escorting high-level criminals to Impel Down… and even has authorization to enter the prison for inspections."
That was the key point.
For Roy, that underwater prison filled with countless powerful criminals was a true treasure vault.
So…
"Old man, let me see the mission!"
He answered decisively, every word firm.
"A little overtime? For Justice, it's my duty, sir!"