Five days later.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Hey! Fal, have you heard?"
Fal, who was working out with two dumbbells, heard the shout.
He turned his head and saw Hans excitedly approaching with a cup of coffee.
"Keep it down!"
Fal lowered his voice and pointed not far away. "The boss just got back from Master Port yesterday and is catching up on sleep. You know, if his sleep is disturbed..."
"So what if he's disturbed?"
Hans snorted coldly. "That guy Roy, just because he's got some skills, he acts recklessly. He didn't even take us on this extra mission. I say we should team up and snatch his damn position sooner or later."
Although he said that, his voice was honestly kept low.
"..."
Fal gave him a helpless look, thinking to himself who it was that had cried his eyes out on the warship when Roy took on that dangerous mission at Master Port, and who was the first to greet Roy when he returned to Marineford last night.
"What is it? Spit it out."
But Fal didn't expose Hans, just said impatiently.
"It's about that big incident in the Nismael Kingdom... I've dug up some more news!"
Hans muttered, "I heard that the guy who stole the Heavenly Gold and left Commodore Lan Li on the brink of death was wearing one of our South Blue's unique 'Sea Beast Head Masks'."
There was a clear hint of excitement in his voice.
"This means that guy is likely from our South Blue."
"...That's not something to be excited about, is it?"
Hearing this, Fal became serious.
That's right.
If one were to talk about the recent major event that shook the entire world, the incident on Arashit Island would undoubtedly be the first.
The Nismael Kingdom's 'Heavenly Gold' for this year, treasure worth a full five billion, had been stolen.
The attacker directly destroyed the four Marine bases and one watchtower on Arashit Island and defeated the Marine supernova Commodore 'Lan Li' with overwhelming strength.
There were many mysteries surrounding it.
For example, the attacker's identity was still unknown, and how the attacker managed to move such a huge amount of treasure in such a short time was also a mystery—after the attack, no suspicious ships were seen in the vicinity.
But one thing was certain—this incident had an unimaginable impact.
After all, stealing the Heavenly Gold was equivalent to directly robbing the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
"Also, keep your voice down. Haven't you heard? The higher-ups have already ordered us not to mention related news in private."
So at this moment, Fal also said cautiously.
"What's there to be afraid of? What's the use of a lockdown? The news has already been spread by the World Economic News."
Hans, however, was dismissive.
So, Fal could only shake his head helplessly.
But he also knew that on this matter, Hans was actually right.
Although the higher-ups of the government were furious, and it was even said that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had been reprimanded for it.
But it was obviously impossible to block the news now.
"I heard the headquarters' higher-ups are already discussing his bounty. It's very likely his first bounty will be over a hundred million... It's a good thing we missed such a dangerous guy at Master Port."
Hans said with emotion.
And Fal, hearing this, was also a little scared in hindsight.
That's right.
For them, the members of the Custody Unit returning from Master Port, this matter was even more terrifying.
Because it wasn't hard to guess that the attacker of Arashit Island and the attacker of the G-51 Branch were very likely the same person, or at least from the same group.
If they had encountered such a powerful person, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Hey, do you think the boss knows more? He was investigating at Master Port for a few days, you know."
At this moment, Hans had another sudden thought.
"...What are you thinking?"
Fal was even more speechless.
But Hans argued plausibly, "Why is it impossible? With the boss's strength, he could definitely escape from that guy's hands, right?"
"Ahem!"
As the two were in a heated discussion, a light cough from behind interrupted them.
The two of them stiffened and turned their heads, only to see Roy walking out of his room with a grim expression.
"B... Boss!?"
Hans tensed up. "You're awake."
"Yeah, my life source is gone."
Roy said with a grim face, "I'm going into town to restock."
"Then... then take care!"
Hans, as if granted amnesty, quickly bowed with a fawning smile.
"Mm."
Roy waved his hand and then walked away.
But before Hans could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Roy's voice in his ear. "By the way—I don't like the term 'fleeing in disarray'."
"Come to the training ground tonight. I want to see if you've been training hard enough lately, and how you're going to snatch my damn position!"
And so, Hans's face instantly turned bitter.
On the other side, Roy, who had prepared a punching bag for the evening, smoothly entered the town above Marineford, 'Peace Town'.
This was the town where the families of the marines lived.
Roy, familiar with the place, came to a shop called 'Fresh Fresh Department Store'.
"Granny Kara, I'm here to restock!"
Roy shouted into the shop.
"Coming."
A moment later, a kind old woman walked out of the shop.
"It's Roy... still three cases of cola?"
She looked at Roy and asked with a cheerful smile.
"That's right."
Roy said with a serious face, "And open an iced one for me now, thanks."
Not long after, Roy was leaning against the counter, chugging a bottle of cola.
"Ah!"
After downing a third of the bottle in one go, Roy let out a satisfying burp of carbon dioxide. "That's better."
"You're as carefree as ever, Roy. Hina is disappointed."
A voice from behind almost made Roy spit out his cola.
With that signature way of speaking, Roy knew who it was without even turning around.
"Hina?!"
He immediately turned his head and, as expected, saw the pink-haired Commander Hina walking into the shop.
"What are you doing here... could it be!?"
Roy's expression instantly became vigilant, and he began to look around for a certain suspicious smoke-and-cigar man.
But seeing his reaction, Hina rolled her eyes at him. "Stop looking, Smoker is still in confinement. Have you forgotten?"
"..."
Hearing this, Roy finally remembered that seemed to be the case.
But he still said cautiously, "I don't know what you're talking about... The matter of damaging public property at headquarters last time had nothing to do with me... ahem, I mean, I also heard about it."
Looking at the guilty-looking Roy, Hina could only shake her head helplessly. "Hina is speechless."
As she spoke, she also walked to the counter. "Granny Kara, some life source..."
"I know, I know, Phil brand ladies' cigarettes. I'll go get them."
Granny Kara said with a chuckle upon hearing this.
After Granny Kara left, Hina and Roy started chatting.
"Don't worry, Smoker has given up on making you his second-in-command. He has already chosen the girl you recommended, the one named Tashigi."
Hina said.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Roy's face lit up with joy. "That's great! That stubborn guy actually thought it through? I told you that single-minded guys need to be put in confinement for their brains to work properly, right?"
But hearing Roy's words, Hina gave him a strange look. "Hina is surprised. It seems you don't know yet?"
"...Know what?"
Roy looked bewildered.
"It's nothing, I just heard—but if it's true, then Vice Admiral Byros should be notifying you soon."
Hina shook her head, not dwelling on the matter.
She just looked at Roy seriously. "But regarding you, Hina thinks Smoker is right."
"A person like you really shouldn't be in the Custody Unit."
Roy didn't seem surprised, just took another sip of cola. "Hic... why do you say that?"
"This sea is getting more and more chaotic. It needs the power of justice."
Hina said calmly, "The incident on Arashit Island this time is proof."
Roy, as usual, gave his standard answer. "The Custody Unit is also justice."
"But Hina believes that with your power... you should want to change more things."
Hina said softly.
"For example, five years ago, if you hadn't joined the Custody Unit and had entered the 35th Action Detachment according to the original plan, then Vince wouldn't have died."
And so, Roy fell silent.
Vince Sita, a marine from the same batch as him and Hina, and also the son of Granny Kara, the owner of this shop.
He and Roy were originally assigned to the 35th Action Detachment after graduating from the training camp, but Roy voluntarily joined the Custody Unit.
And Vince was killed in a mission five years ago.
Of course, no one would blame Roy for this, and neither would Hina.
Roy understood that Hina was just stating her own thoughts.
"Hina believes that people with ability and virtue should be in high positions to be able to change everything."
As Hina said this, Granny Kara happened to walk out with the cigarettes.
"Let's get together sometime."
So she didn't say any more, just waved to Roy, paid, and then took the cigarettes and left the shop.
Roy watched Hina's departing figure and silently took a sip of cola.
But at this moment, there was no wavering in his heart.
Change the world? Change everything?
At least for now, he didn't have such great ambitions or desires.
He just wanted strength and freedom, to live the life he wanted freely.
He wanted to see the various strange sights of this world he had once longed for, without any constraints.
But without a doubt.
Whether it was the former or the latter, the correct path for him to achieve it... would not be the one Hina spoke of.
"Join the Marines, genuinely capture criminals, and give everything for my own justice?"
"Even if I get promoted smoothly to the limit, which is a Marine Admiral or Fleet Admiral—I'd still be a dog of the World Government."
That would not bring freedom, nor would it change anything.
Muttering in his heart, Roy downed the last of his cola.
"I have my own path."
"And... I'm already on it."