Chapter 16: I Am Already on the Right Path
Five days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Hey! Fal, did you hear?"
Fal, who had been working out with two dumbbells, heard the shout. He turned to see Hans sidling up, holding a cup of coffee.
"Keep it down!"
Fal hissed, lowering his voice and jerking a thumb toward a nearby room. "The Captain just got back from Master Port yesterday. He's catching up on sleep. You know what happens if..."
"So what if he is?"
Hans snorted, though he, too, had instinctively lowered his voice. "That bastard Roy... just because he's got some skills, he does whatever he wants. Went on that extra mission without us. I'm telling you, we should team up and take his 'damned' post from him one of these days."
"..."
Fal just gave Hans a long, tired look. He clearly remembered someone crying his eyes out on the warship when Roy left for that "dangerous mission," and someone being the first to run up and greet him when he got back last night.
"What is it? Spit it out."
"It's about that big incident at the Nice-Mayer Kingdom! I dug up some more info!"
Hans muttered, "I heard the guy who stole the Celestial Tribute and almost killed Commodore Lanley... I heard he was wearing one of those 'Sea Beast Head Masks' from our South Blue!"
His voice was... unmistakably proud.
"That means the guy is probably from the South Blue!"
"...That's not exactly something to be proud of, is it?"
Fal's expression turned serious.
Hans was right. The incident at Araheet Island was the biggest news in the world right now.
A Celestial Tribute worth five billion Berries had been stolen. The attacker had destroyed four Marine bases and a watchtower, and had
overwhelmingly defeated the rising star, Commodore Lanley.
The whole thing was shrouded in mystery.
The attacker's identity was unknown. How they'd moved that much treasure in such a short time was also a mystery—no suspicious ships were found in the area.
But one thing was certain: the fallout was massive. Stealing the Celestial Tribute was the same as robbing the Celestial Dragons and the World Government directly.
"And keep your voice down!" Fal warned. "Haven't you heard? They've given orders not to even talk about this."
"What's the big deal? It's too late for a cover-up. The World Economic News already spread it everywhere," Hans said dismissively.
Fal could only shake his head, though he knew Hans was right. The higher-ups were furious. Rumor had it that even Fleet Admiral Sengoku had been reprimanded.
"I heard the top brass is already discussing his bounty," Hans said. "They're saying his first bounty might be over 100 million... Man, a guy that dangerous. Good thing we missed him back at Master Port."
Fal nodded, a shiver of fear running down his spine.
For them, who had just come from Master Port, the news was even more terrifying. It was easy to guess the Araheet attacker was the same person who had hit G-51. If they had run into a monster like that... he didnV't even want to think about it.
"Hey, you think the Captain knows more? He was at Master Port for a few days, investigating," Hans suddenly mused.
"...Are you serious?" Fal was speechless.
Hans puffed his chest out. "Why not? With the Captain's strength, he could have 'escaped with his life' from that guy, right? He must have seen something!"
"Ahem!"
A light cough from behind them made both men freeze.
They turned, stiff as boards, to see Roy standing in his doorway, a dark expression on his face.
"C-C-Captain!?"
Hans snapped to attention. "You're... you're awake!"
"Yeah. My life source is gone," Roy said, his face grim. "I'm heading into town to restock."
"O-oh! Then... don't let us keep you!"
Hans bowed, as if granted amnesty.
"Right."
Roy waved his hand and started to walk away. But just as Hans was about to let out a breath of relief, Roy's voice drifted back.
"By the way... 'escaped with his life' is a poor choice of words. I don't like it."
"Be at the training grounds tonight. I need to see if you've been slacking off... and just how you plan to 'take my damned post'."
Hans's face fell.
A short time later, Roy—now with a "punching bag" scheduled for the evening—was walking through the town on Marineford, 'Peace City.'
This was where the families of the Marines lived.
He walked to a familiar shop called the 'Fresh Fresh Mart.'
"Granny Kara! I'm here to restock!" Roy called out.
"Coming!"
A moment later, a kind-faced old woman walked out from the back.
"Oh, it's you, Roy. Three cases of cola, as usual?" she asked, smiling.
"You know it," Roy said, dead serious. "And an ice-cold one for the road, please."
A moment later, Roy was leaning against the counter, chugging the bottle.
"Hahhh!"
He drained a third of it in one go, letting out a satisfied, carbonated sigh. "Much better."
"You're as carefree as ever, Roy. Hina is disappointed."
The voice from behind him nearly made Roy spit out his drink. That signature verbal tic... he knew exactly who it was.
"Hina!?"
He spun around. Sure enough, the pink-haired Lieutenant Colonel Hina was walking into the store.
"What are you doing here... Wait, don't tell me!?"
Roy's eyes darted around, suddenly panicked, searching for a certain smoke-wielding, cigar-chomping man.
Hina just rolled her eyes. "Relax. Smoker is still in the brig. Did you forget?"
"..."
Roy paused. Right. That had happened.
Still, he said cautiously, "I... don't know what you're talking about. I had nothing to do with that public property damage... Ahem. I mean, I heard about it, of course."
Hina just looked at his shifty expression and sighed. "Hina is speechless."
She walked up to the counter. "Granny Kara, Hina needs her life source..."
"I know, I know. 'Fjeld' brand cigarettes. I'll go get them," Granny Kara said with a knowing chuckle.
As she disappeared into the back, Hina turned to Roy.
"Don't worry, Smoker gave up on recruiting you. He's taking that girl you recommended, Tashigi."
"Oh?" Roy's face lit up. "That's great! That stubborn mule finally saw reason? I knew it! A guy with a one-track-mind needs to be locked in the brig to think straight."
Hina gave him a strange look. "Hina is surprised. You mean... you haven't heard?"
"...Heard what?" Roy was lost.
"It's nothing. Just a rumor. But if it's true, Vice Admiral Viroth will probably tell you soon."
Hina shook her head, not dwelling on it.
She looked at him, her expression turning serious. "But about you, Roy... Hina thinks Smoker was right."
"A man like you shouldn't be in the Detention Unit."
Roy wasn't surprised. He just took another sip of cola. "Oh? Why's that?"
"This sea is getting more chaotic. It needs the strength of Justice," Hina said flatly. "The incident at Araheet Island is proof of that."
Roy gave his standard, practiced answer: "The Detention Unit is also Justice."
"But Hina thinks, with your power... you should want to change more."
Her voice was soft.
"For example... five years ago. If you hadn't joined the Detention Unit... if you had gone to the 35th Action Detachment as planned... Vince might not have died."
Roy went silent.
Vince. A Marine from their class, and the son of the kind shopkeeper, Granny Kara. He and Roy had both been assigned to the 35th after graduation, but Roy had transferred.
Vince was killed in action five years ago.
No one blamed Roy. Hina didn't blame him. He knew she was just making a point.
"Hina believes that those with ability and virtue should be in high positions. That's the only way to change things."
Just then, Granny Kara returned with the cigarettes.
"We should get together soon."
Hina said no more. She paid, took her cigarettes, gave Roy a nod, and left.
Roy watched her go, silently finishing his cola.
His resolve was not shaken in the slightest.
Change the world?
He had no such grand ambition. Not now. He just wanted strength and freedom. The freedom to live as he pleased. The freedom to see this world he had once only dreamed of, on his own terms.
And he knew one thing for certain.
To achieve that, Hina's path was the wrong one.
Join the Marines, climb the ranks, and dedicate your life to their 'Justice'?
Even if you succeed, all the way to Admiral or Fleet Admiral... you're still just a dog of the World Government.
That wasn't freedom. And it certainly couldn't change anything.
Roy's clone drained the last drop of cola.
"I have my own path."
"And I am already on it."