A horrifying shriiiing of metal on... something hard... echoed in the stunned silence of the courtyard.
"Hiss…"
Usopp and Merry both gasped sharply, a single, unified sound of pure disbelief.
Their jaws hung open, their minds utterly failing to process the scene before them.
Because… Lancelot was completely, impossibly, unharmed.
Those were blades.
They weren't toys.
Just the cold, deadly gleam of their edges was enough to tell how razor-sharp they were.
Yet, despite those ten blades slashing with incredible force against the Marine's unprotected neck, they hadn't even broken the skin. T
hey'd been stopped dead, as if they had struck a wall of solid steel.
"How... how is this possible?" Kuro, who had been brimming with the absolute confidence of a predator, now exclaimed, his voice cracking in disbelief.
This was his Nuki Ashi, his flawless assassination technique, followed by a killing blow.
It had never, ever failed.
Lancelot's lips curled into a cold, contemptuous smirk.
This was Tekkai, or Iron Body, one of the Six Powers.
It was a technique he now understood intimately.
It was, in its own way, a paradox.
Against the true monsters of the Grand Line, those who wielded advanced armament Haki, using Tekkai was a suicidal gesture, a fool's errand that would only get you killed faster.
But here, in the tranquil, weak East Blue? It was nothing short of a divine, impenetrable technique.
At that moment, Lancelot slowly, deliberately, turned his head to look at Kuro, who was still frozen in his attack pose.
Kuro, in turn, was staring intently at Lancelot's neck, at the point of impact where his blades had been denied. Their eyes locked.
An unprecedented, bone-deep sense of crisis suddenly surged through Kuro's entire being.
This was not a mere Marine captain.
This was a monster.
His face paled, and his assassin's instincts screamed at him to flee.
He instinctively recoiled, taking several rapid steps back, pulling his claws away and raising his guard fully, his mind racing to recalculate an unwinnable situation.
He was too slow.
"Soru…"
Lancelot vanished.
He didn't just move fast; he was there one moment, and then he was gone, leaving behind only a sudden, sharp thump as his foot kicked off the ground ten times in an instant.
Kuro's eyes, which had been narrowed in focus, now widened in sheer, abject terror.
He hadn't just lost track of him; his world-class senses couldn't even perceive the movement.
He felt a sudden displacement of air behind him, a whisper of cold, and then his horrified expression froze on his face.
Because a blade, Frost Demon, was now resting gently against his throat.
The same stance.
The same scenario.
Only this time, their positions were reversed, and the predator had become the prey.
Merry and Usopp were so profoundly shocked that they even doubted their own eyes, both rubbing them instinctively, their minds shattered.
Wasn't he just standing in front of Kuro a second ago? How did he appear behind him in less than a blink? And how... how... did he get his blade against Kuro's neck without anyone seeing him draw it?
"Gulp…"
Kuro swallowed, a dry, painful sound.
The razor-sharp, freezing-cold edge of the blade pressed warningly against his adam's apple.
He finally, finally realized that he hadn't just kicked an iron plate today.
He had kicked a walking, breathing battleship.
This man in front of him—what kind of Captain was he?! Not even Smoker, the famed "White Chase" of Loguetown, possessed this kind of terrifying, instantaneous speed!
What in the hell was this?
Little did he know, Lancelot's rank insignia and uniform were over a month out of date.
The next moment, Kuro felt a heavy, precise blow to the back of his neck—and then everything went black as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Lancelot sheathed Frost Demon with a satisfied click.
He smirked.
Previously, on Black Thorns Island, he and his team had to fight tooth and nail against pirates worth tens of millions.
Now, after his promotion and the integration of the Fishman bloodline, he could crush a 16-million-Beri captain in an instant, without even breaking a sweat.
Indeed, the feeling of rapidly increasing strength, of overwhelming others, was truly and utterly exhilarating.
Lancelot then glanced at Usopp, who was still trembling on the ground.
"I heard from the villagers that you want to become a pirate?"
Usopp, who had been building a fantasy of being a brave warrior of the sea, was now faced with the terrifying reality of what real monsters looked like.
He immediately waved his hands, backing away on his palms.
"No, no! Absolutely not! its just a misunderstanding! I'm just... just a teller of tales!"
As he spoke, he looked extremely guilty and subtly tried to retreat backward.
Lancelot, seeing his pathetic display, pretended not to notice his little movements.
He had no interest in the boy.
Instead, he ignored him completely and turned to the true prize: Merry.
"Your master," Lancelot stated, his voice now calm and professional, "was able to build such a large house and such a sprawling estate. I suppose he was in business before?"
"???" Merry, who had been staring in awe, suddenly became wary.
His body tensed.
This man had just revealed his master's killer and then displayed monstrous power.
Was he here to seize the family fortune as 'evidence' or 'spoils'?
Lancelot, observing his expression, instantly understood what the loyal butler was thinking and smiled, his demeanor shifting from warrior to politician.
"Put your mind at ease, Merry. I won't touch a single Berry of your master's property. After all," he said, tapping his chest.
"I am a Marine."
"Whew…"
Hearing this, Merry immediately relaxed, his shoulders slumping in relief.
He then nodded and bowed deeply.
"Indeed, sir. My master, before he passed, was a notable figure in the East Blue business world. A merchant of considerable renown."
He paused for a moment before adding, his voice thick with gratitude.
"Since you've avenged my master and his wife, if there's anything you or the Marines need, just say the word. I am in your debt."
"Good…"
Hearing this, Lancelot felt a surge of joy.
This was the opening he needed. "I do need something. I need you to help me with a business. I will provide the capital, all of it. You will handle the connections, the networks, and the operations. We'll split the profits 90-10. I take 90, you take 10."
He held up a hand as Merry's face fell.
"Of course, don't think that 10% is too little. Because from today onward, I, the Inspector General of the East Blue, will be your backer."
"Uh…" Merry showed a deeply troubled expression.
To be honest, he was tempted.
He was sorely tempted.
Although Lancelot's proposed 90-10 split was harsh, almost predatory, the rest of the offer was... staggering.
As Lancelot said, they would have a powerful, official backer from now on.
In the world of business, having a backer versus not having one was a world of difference.
A backer like the Inspector General of the Marines didn't just mean protection from pirates; it meant customs forms were approved instantly, port taxes were... 'negotiable'... and competitors would mysteriously find their own shipments delayed.
That 10% could, he realized, very well exceed their previous total earnings.
Moreover, these connections and networks his master had built... they were a fading legacy.
They required constant use to maintain.
He had originally wanted to maintain them, but as just a butler, he lacked the influence.
A servant was just a servant
. To rebuild them, the young lady, Kaya, would have to step in personally.
But his young lady had been frail and sickly since childhood.
Forget inheriting her father's complex business empire—just staying alive and healthy was a blessing.
Her going into business was absolutely impossible.
So, he could only watch, pained and helpless, as the connections and networks his master had painstakingly built over a lifetime gradually withered away.
But… he glanced back at the mansion, at the window where Kaya was watching, pale and trembling.
He couldn't bear to leave her, especially not now, after such a trauma.
If he agreed, he would have to be away for long periods, rebuilding those trade routes.
Lancelot, reading the man's hesitation perfectly, played his trump card.
"Your young lady has always been in poor health, correct? If you're willing to work for me, I can send her to the best Marine hospital in the East Blue for treatment."
Merry's head snapped up.
Lancelot pressed on. "And if even that doesn't work, I can personally arrange for her to receive treatment at the Marine Headquarters hospital on the Grand Line."
"Really?!" Merry's eyes lit up instantly.
This was an impossible dream.
Marine hospitals weren't accessible to just anyone.
They were for Marines and their families.
Even with his master's vast wealth and status, they hadn't qualified back then.
Otherwise, they would have already tried to send the young lady there years ago.
Let alone Marine Headquarters—that was a place of legends.
But… his hope quickly soured into skepticism.
He looked at Lancelot's uniform.
No matter how strong this man was, he was just a Captain.
Did he really have that kind of authority? That kind of pull?
Seeing the doubt on his face, Lancelot smiled knowingly.
It was time for the final reveal. "Let me formally introduce myself. I am Lancelot, newly promoted to the rank of Captain. And, more importantly, I have been appointed as the East Blue Inspector General." He gestured back toward the harbor.
"My new warship and my promoted crew are already at the harbor now. You can go and verify it yourself."
"Inspector... General?"
Merry's eyes instantly lit up.
He wasn't an idiot.
He fully understood the weight that title carried.
A Captain was just a rank. An Inspector General was authority.
It meant he was the boss of all other inspectors and had oversight over all Marine bases in this sea.
This... this was a backer on an entirely different level. He couldn't help but glance at Kaya.
Lancelot also turned his gaze to Kaya, his voice softening just enough to be reassuring.
"Miss Kaya, I understand you've always wanted to become a doctor, correct? If you agree to this arrangement, I can arrange for the best doctors in the East Blue to mentor you... and your illness will be treated by the very best, as my personal guest."
Kaya, who had been watching in a state of terrified, grief-stricken shock, was immediately swayed by his words.
Her illness... her dream... Due to her frail health, she had been a prisoner in this manor all her life.
She yearned deeply for the world beyond these walls, a world she only knew from Usopp's wild stories.
This was an escape.
A new life.
She nodded eagerly, her voice small but firm. "Yes! I... I accept!"
Seeing Kaya agree, Merry's last reservation vanished.
He bowed deeply, no longer a servant, but a business partner.
"I would be honored to serve you, Inspector General."
Lancelot smiled. "Good."
He immediately pivoted to logistics. "I can provide the funds immediately. What about you? When can operations officially begin?"
After a moment's thought, Merry replied, his mind already shifting into a business-like focus.
"The most crucial element for trade is ships, sir. And I... we... only have one small vessel. Initially, we'll have to rely on connections. But to start proper, large-scale trading, we'll need to establish our own fleet. At least three to four medium-sized ships, or larger."
Lancelot nodded. "I'll handle that."
He looked back toward the harbor.
"My warship is a large-class vessel, the Dreadnought Saber. It's far too large for my inspection duties. We can... swap it... with your small vessel, for now. Also, after raiding Black Thorns Island, I seized three medium-sized pirate ships and four large ones. They're slightly damaged, but my new men are repairing them as we speak."
Merry's eyes brightened, his mind calculating the value.
"Sir... if that's the case... then there's no problem at all. We can begin operations within the week."