"Too close..."
Hiding in the crowd, Roy watched the members of the Disciplinary Patrol Unit march angrily toward the spot where the fight had just occurred.
He silently let out a sigh of relief.
If he had been caught, not only would his entire month's salary have been wiped out by fines, but he'd have been thrown into the brig for at least half a month.
"Two whole weeks without cola...now that's terrifying."
As for Smoker, who had been left behind with Hina, Roy couldn't care less. Judging by all the premium cigars hanging from the smoker's chest, the guy clearly had plenty of cash.
As for the detention...
"It's best if they lock him up for a while. Otherwise, he'll definitely bother me again."
As for "justice," no matter how righteously it's dressed up, in the end, it's just being a dog for the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. Who the hell cares about that?"
With these thoughts in mind, Roy walked across Oris Plaza and headed into the tall Marine Headquarters tower, the Tenshukaku.
Yes.
Roy did not actually dislike Smoker. He had approached him in the beginning purely because he wanted Smoker's Devil Fruit abimity. But over the course of their time in Marine training, Roy did acknowledge Smoker as a friend.
What Smoker said about how the two of them once chased pirates across an entire sea to help a little girl recover the money she had saved for her mother's treatment was true.
However, as Roy said: That had nothing to do with the so-called "Justice" the Marines claimed to uphold.
The girl's father died early, her mother was sick for years, and she was blind. They survived only on the village's charity and the small amount of money her mother earned sewing garments every day. And those damned West Blue pirates still had the heart to rob them!
Who could tolerate that!?"
Roy didn't think of himself as a saint.
But as someone who'd transmigrated from another world, the basic moral compass he'd carried from his past life had not disappeared.
Without a doubt, his idea of "basic decency" was extremely rare in this world.
That's why Smoker acknowledged him back then. Seeing Roy's actions, Smoker took him as a friend and considered his behavior "justice."
However, Roy's attitude toward the Marines was exactly as he'd thought. After serving in the Navy for so many years, Roy knew that the Marines had genuinely kind and just warriors.
However, that didn't change the core truth: The Marine organization was part of the World Government, and that government was the most corrupt entity in the world.
Roy had never planned to serve the Celestial Dragons, so he could never embrace the Marines' version of "justice."
Naturally, pirates were no better; Roy didn't deny that the seas might have a few heroic individuals among them.
But most pirates in this so-called "Great Pirate Era" were just plain criminals. Roy didn't like either the Marines or the pirates, and he had no intention of joining either faction.
His view of the Marines was simple.
The Navy was merely the company where he hid and harvested Devil Fruit abilities.
The Marine Headquarters Detention Unit was a "critical department" that he would never leave as long as he remained in the Navy.
"But Smoker was right about one thing: freedom really is important."
"There are plenty of Devil Fruit users across the seas whose locations I already know, but the Marine Headquarters regulations keep me from going after their powers."
Thinking of this, Roy couldn't help but show a troubled expression.
At its core, this problem was the same as his urgent need for Beli, something that could only be solved by leaving the Marines or the Marine Headquarters Detention Unit. However, he couldn't leave the Detention Unit at the moment.
"What a pain..." Roy sighed.
"Hah, hah, hah, hah! Even you, brat, think something is troublesome. That's rare!" At that moment, a hearty laugh reached his ears.
Without realizing it, he had walked up to an office. The door was closed, and the laughter was clearly coming from inside.
"Old man, are you using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) to eavesdrop again?" Roy said helplessly as he pushed the door open.
The office was simply furnished with a desk bearing tea and skewered dango, a chair that was often used as a weapon, and piles of newspapers and bounty posters.
Behind the desk sat an elderly man with bulging muscles, happily eating dango.
He wore a Marine coat over a simple shirt. The scars on his body and the medals on his uniform were proof of the deadly battles he had survived.
"Hah, hah, hah! If I didn't listen to gossip every day, I'd die of boredom in this place!" He chuckled shamelessly after hearing Roy's complaint.
"Using Observation Haki to eavesdrop inside Headquarters is strictly forbidden!" Roy rolled his eyes, knowing it was pointless to say that to this old guy.
The man before him was his direct superior, the one in charge of the Marine Headquarters Detention Unit: Vice Admiral Biros.
This vice admiral never appeared in any storyline Roy could recall, but he was a veteran who had joined the Marines in the same generation as Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Marine Hero Garp. He had survived countless battles in his lifetime.
Due to his age and declining strength, he had been reassigned to the Detention Unit to "retire in peace," essentially waiting out his last years until official retirement.
His hobby of using Observation Haki to eavesdrop on gossip was well known throughout Headquarters.
"So then... what is it that you find troublesome?"
The old man looked at Roy curiously.
Roy kept his expression unchanged and didn't reveal his true thoughts. Instead, he brought up the earlier situation with Smoker.
"That guy's as stubborn as a mule. I even recommended Lieutenant Tashigi to him..." He complained casually.
"I see." Biros didn't doubt him; he simply handed Roy a skewer of dango while munching on another one himself.
"I think Smoker had a point, though. You are really strong. Keeping you here is a waste of talent."
"I have my justice!" Roy said with a solemn expression.
In the Marines, those words were basically equivalent to a certain red-haired, fox-tailed Jinchūriki saying, "This is my nindō."
So, the moment Roy said that, Vice Admiral Biros naturally dropped the topic.
"How did the mission go?" He asked offhandedly.
"Same as always. I had them sent to the prison already." Roy pulled out his logbook and briefly reported the results of the mission.
"Good. I'll submit the credit for you." Biros nodded, but then suddenly changed the subject and handed over a sheet of information.
"Speaking of which, I just received a temporary mission. Interested?"
"Huh?" Roy reflexively accepted the document but frowned.
"I just got back to headquarters, old man. My guys haven't even warmed their seats yet!"
"I know. Every time you finish a mission, you throw a banquet and give your subordinates a few days off. That's why I'm asking you first." Vice Admiral Biros said casually.
"This one concerns a World Government–affiliated nation, so the rewards are significant." The Grand Military Drill starts in two months. If you get promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade before then, you'll be eligible to participate."
"The Grand Military Drill?"
Roy raised an eyebrow.
The Grand Military Drill, a major event held by the Marines every few years.
Every Marine officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or above, under the age of fifty, could sign up. Essentially, it was the Marines' version of a martial arts tournament.
Anyone who achieved a high ranking would earn additional rank advancement. The top three could be promoted directly to Commodore, instantly joining the Admirals' tier of officers.
Even more famous than the Drill was the nearly legendary World Military Draft, an event that had occurred only a few times in Marine history.
But, as always, Roy wasn't interested in any of that.
A promotion was good, of course. However, a promotion meant there was a high chance he'd be reassigned away from the Headquarters Detention Unit, which was unacceptable.
Yet, Biros's next words sent a jolt through Roy's heart: "Brat, after this year's Grand Military Drill, I'll probably retire."
The old man crunched down on another skewer of dango, but his words hit Roy like thunder.
"Retiring!?"
"That's right. My eldest grandson was just born. I'm planning to retire and train him well so that he can become an excellent Marine in the future."
Biros grinned.
"As for this Detention Unit, I've worked here for many years. You have the most potential out of all of us."
The implication was obvious.
He was retiring, and because of the Detention Unit's special nature, very few ambitious or powerful Marines were willing to work here.
"If you perform well in the Grand Military Drill, I'll personally ask Sengoku to appoint you as a Warden-class Officer of the Headquarters Detention Unit. How about it?"
"..."
How about it?
It was perfect!
Roy could barely contain his excitement.
Becoming a Warden-class Officer of the Headquarters Detention Unit would give him a huge advantage.
Even though the Detention Unit was overlooked within the Marines, it was still one of the organization's core functional divisions.
Moreover, a Warden-class officer enjoyed tremendous freedom and status.
More importantly...
"A Warden-class Officer of the Headquarters Detention Unit is responsible for escorting dangerous criminals to Impel Down, and even has authorized access to inspect the interior of Impel Down."
That was the real prize.
To Roy, Impel Down, filled with countless powerful criminals, was a treasure trove beyond measure.
So...
"Old man, show me the mission!" He said decisively, every word resolute.
"Just a bit of overtime, for justice, I cannot shirk it without dishonor, senior official!"
(End of chapter)