The Marine captain hurried back to the ship's bridge and reported the situation to his superiors via Den Den Mushi.
Meanwhile, Roya stood calmly between the two warships.
He seemed entirely unfazed by the stunned gazes around him, wearing only a gentle smile that made him appear kind and approachable.
But that was precisely what shocked everyone.
How could someone who looked so gentle have so easily taken down a 1-billion-berry pirate? It was beyond their expectations!
The Marines acted swiftly.
As the captain relayed the information up the chain of command, it quickly reached Sengoku.
Sengoku had just assumed the position of Fleet Admiral, and this was the first major event he had organized—a way to make his mark.
This first move was meant to showcase the Marines' strength to the world.
Recently, due to the appearance of a mysterious figure who had snatched victories from both the Marines and the World Government, destroyed a Buster Call with a single sword strike, and wreaked havoc in Mary Geoise, the Marines' reputation had taken a severe hit.
Many now believed the Marines were weak and on the verge of collapse.
To counter this perception, Sengoku had organized this grand assembly.
The message was clear: strength would be rewarded with high-ranking positions.Even a mere Marine foot soldier could directly rise to the rank of Admiral!
When Sengoku heard that among the collected heads was that of the 1-billion-berry pirate Efreet, he was utterly astonished.
Back when he served as a Marine Admiral, Sengoku himself had once pursued Efreet.
He knew all too well that behind Efreet's terrifying monstrous strength lay an extremely cunning personality.
Without overwhelming power or meticulous planning, it would have been absolutely impossible to slay Efreet!
Thus, Sengoku had already begun developing some interest in Roya.
Consequently, Sengoku agreed to let Roya use these collected heads as registration fee to participate in the upcoming promotion assembly.
"Admiral Sengoku has approved your participation. Please board the warship—we need to register your information!"
The Marine Admiral emerged from the cockpit and addressed Roya.
His attitude toward Roya had undergone a complete transformation by now.
The previous disdain in his eyes had vanished entirely, replaced solely by respect and fear.
After all, Sengoku himself had personally called via Den Den Mushi, demonstrating how seriously he regarded Roya!
And here he'd been treating Roya with such contempt—the Marine Captain now felt extremely uneasy.
Little did he know, Roya had never paid him any mind from the beginning.
After completing his registration, Roya boarded the Marine Captain's warship and set foot on Marineford's soil!
As Roya stepped onto Marineford, the system's electronic voice echoed in his mind:
[Ding! Congratulations Host on successful check-in. Reward obtained: Mastery of Rokushiki! Rokushiki is a martial arts style comprising six techniques—Shave, Iron Body, Paper Art, Moon Walk, Storm Leg, and Finger Pistol. These superhuman physical techniques possess tremendous power!]
Hearing the system's voice, Roya's lips curled into a slight smile.
That smile instantly made several female Marines observing him feel their hearts flutter.
"Wow, he's so handsome!"
"That face looks unfamiliar?"
"But he seems so gentle!"
...
Ignoring the surrounding whispers, Roya followed the Marine Captain to his temporary quarters.
"Sir, the promotion assembly officially begins tomorrow, with matches starting then. Please make do here for today. Your accommodations will be upgraded according to your promoted position later!"
The Marine Captain withdrew after speaking, leaving Roya alone in the room.
Approaching the window, Roya gazed at the prominent structure standing at Marineford's center, speculating internally: Sengoku's office must be a notable location too. When the opportunity arises, I'll see if I can check in there for extra rewards!
Meanwhile, Sengoku was investigating Roya's background.
According to Roya's registration details, he was born on Vilmue Island—the very island whose village was massacred by Golden Lion.
Having been traveling abroad at the time, Roya wasn't present during the massacre.
After Golden Lion's atrocity, Roya developed intense hatred for pirates and sought to join the Marines.
Now that Vilmue's village existed in name only with no living witnesses, Roya could fabricate his story freely.
Combined with Roya's numerous pirate kills, Sengoku found no reason to doubt his account.Just quite looking forward to what kind of surprise Roya would bring him.
Among this, there were clearly Sengoku's own plans as well.
——
As dusk approached, Roya stayed in his room for a while before stepping out.
Walking through Marineford, Roya sensed an atmosphere entirely different from that of the open sea.
Unconsciously, Roya found himself at the training grounds.
This training area seemed distinct from those used by ordinary soldiers, with only a handful of people training there.
Among them, the one who caught Roya's attention the most was a blonde woman standing over 175 cm tall.
This blonde woman wore glasses and was continuously practicing the Six Powers.
By now, Roya had already mastered the Six Powers to their peak, so he could naturally discern the level of this girl's strength.
Roya's gaze evidently drew the girl's attention.
"Rude man, where is your uniform? Why aren't you wearing one in Marineford?!"
The girl slowly walked toward Roya, pushing up her glasses as she spoke.
When Roya heard the words "rude man," he became even more certain of the girl's identity.
Without a doubt, this girl should be one of the future CP9 members—Kalifa!
A woman known for her catchphrases like "This is harassment" and "Rude man."
"I'm here to participate in the promotion exam. I just arrived in Marineford today."
Hearing Roya's words, Kalifa raised an eyebrow.
"From what I know, the promotion exam isn't open to outsiders, so you must be lying!"
As soon as Kalifa finished speaking, her long leg shot toward Roya in a kick.
Seeing the high heels that were at least five centimeters tall, Roya's lips twitched.
He had only thought she looked familiar—how did things escalate to a fight so quickly?!
Roya extended his hand, palm open, effortlessly catching Kalifa's ankle and blocking her attack.
Kalifa's face flushed red. "Hey, let go! This is harassment!"
Roya shrugged. "As you wish."
As his words trailed off...