Black-Haired Roya

[T/N: Five new chapters of One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King! are ready to set sail! 🎉 Enjoy the adventure! I'd love to hear your reactions in the comments, and as always, Power Stones are a huge help! 🙏 Happy Reading! Be sure to explore my other projects, Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise and Young Master, Please Become Hokage! too! 😄

First, a HUGE thank you to everyone reading my translations! Your support and engagement are truly appreciated. ❤️ And for those who want to go even further... Big news! I've launched a Patreon so you can help support the translations and, in return, get even more chapters to enjoy! Regular releases won't be affected. Patreon offers exclusive early access: tiers with 5, 10, or even 20 advance chapters, and higher tiers get access to my entire stockpile! If you'd like to support my work and get early access, check it out: ➡️ patreon.com/Boundless_Beacon]

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"Black Cat Pirates Crushed!"

Within days, the word spread like wildfire: the Marines had caught the Black Cat Pirates! East Blue buzzed with the news.

"That 'Kuro of a Thousand Plans' actually fell into the hands of some small-town Marines!" people exclaimed.

"Can you believe it?"

"'Black-Haired' Roya--who is this guy?" folks wondered.

Kuro of a Thousand Plans was a force to be reckoned with, a nightmare for many. Even other pirates gave him a wide berth. He'd personally taken down dozens of pirate crews, and his hefty bounty of over 15 million Berries proved just how dangerous he was.

And now, Kuro had been beaten by the 153rd Branch, way out in the sticks, and a Marine named Roya was responsible.

East Blue was truly shocked.

----

Somewhere in the West Blue, on a forgotten island...

There was the secret hideout of the Buggy Pirates, one of East Blue's big shots.

Inside, the base looked like a circus tent, and the pirates were having a wild party.

They bounced on giant balls, walked tightropes, jumped through rings of fire, drank upside down, roller-skated while doing acrobatics, and swung from trapezes!

They were as cheerful as ever.

"Cheers to Captain Buggy!" the pirates roared, raising their glasses.

Just the day before, they'd won a battle thanks to Captain Buggy. Celebrating victories with a feast was pirate tradition.

"Gyahahaha, my lads!" Buggy yelled, standing on a platform with his arms wide open. "Drink up and enjoy the thrill of victory! Now give it your all in the next fight!"

"Ooooh!!!" the crew cheered.

Partway through the party, Cabaji, Buggy's right-hand man, rushed over to the table with a newspaper in hand.

"Captain Buggy, something huge has happened!"

"What is it?" Buggy asked, grabbing the newspaper while still tipsy. He saw the news about Kuro's capture and spat out his drink in surprise.

As seasoned pirates in East Blue, the Buggy Pirates had clashed with the Black Cat Pirates more than once, fighting over territory.

It always ended in a tie!

Buggy sobered up instantly.

"Black-Haired Roya!"

The newspaper not only reported Kuro's capture but also praised the 153rd Branch's hard work, especially highlighting the heroic actions of the new recruit, Roya.

"Tch!" Buggy scoffed and threw the newspaper onto the table.

"What a load of garbage!"

Clearly, the Marines wanted to use this as a chance to paint "Black-Haired" Roya as a fearless hero who took down pirates, making the Marines look good.

Cabaji looked at Buggy, waiting for instructions. "Captain, what should we do?"

"Is that even a question?" Buggy grinned, his eyes full of greed and a fierce desire to kill. "We're going to snatch Kuro's territory, of course!"

With the Black Cat Pirates gone, their territory was up for grabs, and other pirates would be fighting over it.

The sooner they moved, the more they could take!

"Captain Buggy, should we find out more about 'Black-Haired' Roya?"

"No need. If he dares to show his face, gyahahahaha, I'll teach him what real cruelty is!"

Buggy's body split apart, and his feet stayed on the ground as his upper half floated into the air, drawing amazed looks from his crew.

"Lads, we're setting sail!"

"Ooooh!!!" they roared.

----

Shells Town.

The town wasn't that big, so any news spread fast.

In just six months, Roya, the tavern worker, had become a Marine Ensign. His amazing rise was now the talk of the town.

The Food Tavern.

It wasn't even noon, but the tavern was packed. Besides the regulars, there were curious onlookers and off-duty Marines.

"Ensign Roya!"

"Mm."

"Ensign Roya!"

"Ahem, keep it down," Roya said.

"That's the legendary Ensign Roya. He looks so tough!"

"..."

Roya was behind the bar, filling in as a bartender and also serving as an attraction for the customers to gawk at.

He was like a celebrity.

Soon, Rika burst into the tavern with a group of kids, their eyes sparkling when they saw Roya.

"It really is 'Black-Haired' Roya!"

"So cool!"

"Rika, can I ask for his autograph?"

"Hmph, of course not!" Rika replied.

The children crowded around the bar, staring at Roya with admiration.

Roya sighed and grabbed a big bottle of juice from behind the bar.

"Here, have some juice," he said.

"Thank you, Roya!" the kids chimed, happily drinking their juice and stealing glances at Roya, their eyes shining with excitement.

So cool! They wanted to join the Marines when they grew up too!

----

Night fell. The tavern ran out of supplies and closed early.

Rika, who had been showing off to her friends all day, was tired. Being a sensible girl, she went upstairs to sleep.

In the main room downstairs, only Roya and Ririka remained.

Roya, finally with some free time, picked up the latest newspaper and sat in the corner to read.

"Why 'Black-Haired'?"

The headline caught his eye.

[Black-Haired Roya]

Roya was glad to be in the newspaper, but he didn't like the "Black-Haired" part. Still, he knew that names in this world were simple and didn't mean much.

There were Whitebeard, Blackbeard, Teabeard, and Peachbeard--lots of pirates named after their beards. And then there were Red-Hair and Straw Hat, named after their most obvious features. It was like naming a dog!

If he wanted a cool title, he needed to become stronger. His goal was to get a "special code name" in the Marines, named after the twelve zodiac animals!

Roya sighed and put down the newspaper, secretly watching Ririka as she cleaned the tables and chairs. His gaze drifted downwards.

Tsk, tsk.

Ririka stiffened. She felt his eyes on her and blushed. That little pervert! she thought.

Roya had been back for days. Maybe because he was now a big shot, he was starting to stare more openly, especially when she was cleaning. He seemed to enjoy watching her from behind.

And where was he looking...?

Ririka blushed and pretended not to notice. As she wiped the tables and chairs, she made sure her back was to Roya and leaned forward even more.

"Gulp..."

Hearing him swallow behind her, she felt even hotter.

By the time she was done cleaning, Ririka was covered in sweat, her damp hair sticking to her neck and her clothes clinging to her body.

So damp and uncomfortable.

"Hoo~ So hot," she sighed.

She wasn't really tired, but her body felt like it was on fire.

Ririka tugged at her collar to get some air, her cheeks flushed as she walked towards the stairs. As she passed Roya, she paused and said almost in a whisper, "I'm going to take a bath."

"Ah, oh," Roya stammered.

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood the hidden meaning in her words as Ririka hurried upstairs.

Things were different now. He wasn't the same ordinary teenager he was six months ago. At least in Shells Town, he was a big shot, with the "charm" of a strong man.

How could he turn down a lady's invitation?

To hell with it, I can't wait any longer!

"Ririka, I'll help you scrub your back!"