Thanks to the Divine Kingdom's advanced technological modifications, his old hook had transformed into an energy weapon glowing with a mysterious blue light.
That faint blue radiance seemed to hide boundless power within it, enough to make anyone hesitate before looking down on it.
"Listen up, all of you!"
His booming voice spread across the entire fleet through a loudspeaker Transponder Snail.
"These are the three iron rules of our Steel Fleet!"
He raised one mechanical finger, and an energy blade sprang out with a hum.
"First!"
The energy blade turned red.
"We only rob three kinds of people—other pirates, black-market merchants, and World Government ships!"
The captain of the Second Fleet, an ability user, immediately shouted in response.
"That World Government supply ship we hit last week had five whole crates of berries alone!"
A wave of cheers broke out.
"Second!"
The energy blade turned blue.
"When you see civilians—"
He suddenly bent at the waist and gave an exaggerated gentleman's bow toward a small fishing boat passing nearby.
"You greet them properly, damn it!"
The elderly couple trembling aboard the fishing boat froze in confusion.
The young boatswain quickly handed over a basket of fresh fish.
"Old folks, this is a welcome gift from the Divine Kingdom's waters."
"Third!"
The energy blade burst with blinding golden light.
"If anyone dares violate the first two rules—"
He suddenly turned around, aiming his mechanical arm at a pirate crew in the distance that was currently raiding a merchant ship.
"Then let them taste the power of Divine Kingdom technology!"
Boom!
An energy cannon tore across the sea and blasted the pirate ship's mainmast into splinters.
The fleet immediately split off three sleek, beautifully designed speedboats in perfect order.
They shot away from the main formation like agile arrows, racing toward their target.
Amid a rush of excited footsteps, dozens of ability users with unique powers swarmed onto the speedboats.
Their eyes burned with fierce light, full of fighting spirit and determination.
Every one of them carried the power to change their own fate.
Standing on the fleet's command platform, Morris watched the shock on the faces of the new recruits with a satisfied expression.
A faint smile appeared on his weathered face as he slowly said, "Do you know how we went from eight broken-down ships at the start to the massive fleet you see today?"
His voice was steady and powerful, echoing clearly through the sea wind so that every person could hear him.
After saying that, he solemnly tapped the Divine Kingdom badge shining over the left side of his chest.
The badge seemed to carry endless glory and purpose, gleaming brilliantly beneath the sun.
"Because now—"
Morris deliberately drew out the words, building the tension and expectation.
Just then, the first mate suddenly appeared.
He was a mysterious figure with the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit, his body blending into the surrounding air so completely that if one did not look carefully, it was almost impossible to notice him.
He shouted loudly, "The people we rob are the ones who deserve to be robbed!"
His voice rang like a great bell, shaking the sky and carrying an unshakable belief.
Immediately after, the second mate, a Zoan-type Cheetah Form ability user, stepped forward with agile, powerful strides.
He gave off a wild aura, baring his sharp fangs as his eyes flashed with ruthlessness and courage.
"And the ones we kill are the bastards who deserve to die!"
His words were as cold as a blade, enough to send a chill through anyone who heard them.
Morris threw his head back and laughed, his voice filled with bold ambition.
Then he swept his hand forward, as if declaring their resolve and strength to the entire world.
"Now! Let the Marines see what 'righteous pirates' really look like!"
In an instant, three hundred ability users activated their powers at the same time.
The scene was spectacular.
Some bodies burst with brilliant light.
Others released powerful currents of air.
Some controlled the force of the elements themselves. In the blink of an eye, the entire fleet was shrouded in strange and dazzling energy.
Like swords drawn from their sheaths, they cut through the surging waves of the North Blue with unstoppable momentum and charged forward.
Behind them, aboard the merchant ship they had just rescued, the merchant's face was filled with gratitude and awe.
He respectfully bowed toward the Divine Kingdom flag fluttering in the sky, silently praying that these heroes who had saved him would return safely.
...
In the distance, a Marine reconnaissance ship sat quietly on the sea.
The lookout aboard it watched everything through his telescope, his hands trembling beyond his control, fine sweat breaking out across his forehead.
Finally, he stammered a report to the captain.
"R-Reporting… those aren't pirates… They're…"
The captain's face instantly turned as pale as paper.
He knew all too well how powerful and special the fleet before them was, so he hurriedly finished the sentence.
"They're the Divine Kingdom's maritime enforcement force."
Then he made a decision on the spot.
"Retreat! Now! The entire North Blue… already belongs to them!"
The sea breeze gently brushed Morris's graying beard.
He stood quietly at the bow, looking into the distance at the Marine warship fleeing in panic.
His mechanical fingers lightly stroked the first Divine Kingdom appointment letter hidden in his coat.
The gilded words on it appeared and disappeared faintly beneath the sunlight.
Commander-in-Chief of the North Blue Public Security Fleet.
That appointment was not only a recognition of his past achievements, but also the great responsibility of maintaining order across the North Blue.
...
On the cliffs of Onigashima in Wano, the last glow of sunset dyed the entire sea blood-red.
The sea wind carried the smell of smoke and gunpowder as it blew across the cliff, bringing with it a weight and oppression that was hard to describe.
Marco stood at the cliff's edge, blue flames burning quietly on his shoulders.
His gaze pierced through the layers of mist, watching the chaotic battle unfolding on the waters below.
"How ironic."
Marco murmured softly, his voice filled with bitterness and helplessness.
He watched the people below slaughter one another over scraps of so-called "spoils," and an indescribable emotion rose in his chest.
Down on the sea, two fleets flying the flag of the Eternal Divine Kingdom were locked in fierce combat.
Cannon fire thundered, blasting the waves into rain-like sprays of water.
The captain of the fleet on the left, the former "Blood Butcher" Baroque, roared through a loudspeaker Transponder Snail.
"We of the Blade of Justice found those scum first! They have no right to steal our prey!"
On the deck of the fleet on the right, the female captain Rita answered with a cold laugh.
"Bullshit! The town they raided is in the Divine Kingdom's Third Protected Zone. By law, they should be handled by us, the Iron Law Fleet!"
"What right do you thieves have to run your mouths here?"