Roya's Crew

The Food Tavern had its doors shut for a whole week.

When it finally reopened, Roya, his back screaming in protest, dragged himself back to the 153rd Branch. His body could handle it, sure, but he was worried a few more days of that kind of luxury would soften his resolve.

Living too comfortably was dangerous.

He finally understood how emperors of old could get hooked on wine and women, forgetting their duties and wasting away their kingdoms.

Damn it, what man could resist such temptation!

Wine, women, and everything else... where do I sign up?!

----

Tower, Colonel's Office.

"Ensign Roya, reporting for duty!"

"Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence."

Colonel Rhodes gave Roya a knowing look, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Shells Town wasn't that big, and some things were impossible to keep secret.

The rumors had spread like wildfire.

Tsk, that little rascal!

Colonel Rhodes looked at him with a hint of mock disappointment. "You don't waste any time, do you? What a shame, I was planning to introduce my daughter to you."

"Colonel, you have a daughter?"

Roya looked genuinely surprised.

"Is it so shocking that I have a daughter?"

Colonel Rhodes glared at Roya, a bit annoyed.

His daughter was twelve this year, around the same age as Kaya. Maybe a little young, but Roya wasn't exactly ancient himself, only five years older.

In his eyes, Roya was a promising young man, perfect son-in-law material. But this kid clearly had a wild streak, bold enough to pursue a beautiful widow.

Lucky you!

Roya chuckled, smoothly sinking into the sofa and snatching a big bite out of an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Colonel, what's my next assignment?"

"Of course, there's always work to be done."

Colonel Rhodes grabbed a thick stack of wanted posters and handed them to Roya.

"Ever since the Black Cat Pirates were taken down, a bunch of smaller pirate crews have crawled out of the woodwork. The area under our branch's control is a complete mess."

"Sounds serious."

Roya dropped his playful attitude and started flipping through the posters with a serious expression.

It was a hefty stack, at least twenty of them.

And every single one was a pirate captain, meaning there were at least twenty pirate crews running around.

"Diamond Mace" Alvida, "Iron Hammer" Bejarr, "Skinner" Lamus...

The bounties were mostly between five and ten million Berries, with a few exceeding ten million.

"Oh, hey, this guy."

Roya spotted a familiar face.

"Clown" Buggy, with a bounty of fifteen million Berries!

Seeing Roya holding up Buggy's poster, Rhodes warned him with a grave expression, "Don't go picking a fight with that one just yet."

"I understand, Colonel."

Roya nodded slightly.

After Roger's death, "Clown" Buggy had started causing trouble in the East Blue. It had been over a decade since then, and he was one of the region's established powers, giving the Marines a major headache.

He is strong!

Even though the 153rd Branch, under his leadership, had managed to defeat Kuro, it was with the combined strength of the entire branch.

Taking down Buggy wouldn't be any easier than Kuro.

Colonel Rhodes said in a deep voice, "Roya, the 153rd Branch will be teaming up with the 32nd Branch to form a patrol and wipe out these pirates. You'll be in charge of the whole operation!"

"Me?"

Roya looked surprised.

"Colonel, are you sure you want to give me such an important job?"

"Whether I'm sure or not, it has to be done!"

Colonel Rhodes threw his hands up in a gesture of helplessness. "I was originally going to put Ensign Monka in charge, but he's too stubborn. He'd probably get into a fight with the officers from the 32nd Branch. You're a bit more flexible."

"I understand."

Roya nodded in agreement.

When it came to fighting pirates, Monka definitely had more experience than him. But he was right, Monka's personality was a bit too rigid and he wasn't exactly known for his people skills.

Plus, he had already worked with the 32nd Branch during the Glass Bead Island incident, so at least he wouldn't have to worry too much about earning their trust.

"When does it start?"

"Soon. The 32nd Branch has already sent their people, and they should be here in the next few days. You'll start working together then."

The pirate problem wasn't just affecting the 153rd Branch, it was also causing trouble for the 32nd, which was why they were doing a joint patrol.

These kinds of situations were pretty common, since pirates tended to wander around and not stick to one area.

Colonel Rhodes smiled. "You can pick your own team, up to twenty-five people. You're an Ensign now, time to start building a crew you can trust."

"Thank you, Colonel!"

Roya felt a surge of gratitude.

A mission like this meant a chance to earn recognition and build a Royal team - a real step up for a Lieutenant.

He's grooming me to be his successor!

Colonel Rhodes added with a wink, "Oh, and head over to Syrup Village tomorrow. I think there's a surprise waiting for you there."

"Understood!"

Surprise?

Roya was intrigued.

Could it be that the Syrup family has taken a liking to my handsome face and wants me to marry their daughter?

Even though he was just a small-time Ensign right now, youth was his greatest asset. His future was bright enough to be worthy of Kaya.

Heh heh, now that would be a surprise indeed!

"Oh, right!"

Colonel Rhodes grabbed a set of keys from the wall and tossed them to Roya. "Here, these are the keys to your office and dorm. Go take a look."

"Thank you, Colonel!"

Roya practically skipped out of the office.

He was officially a Marine Ensign, with his own office and dorm, which meant no more sharing a room with Marines with stinky feet.

"Third floor."

Colonel Rhodes' office was on the top floor, the fourth floor of the Tower, and his office was on the edge of the third floor.

Roya arrived at his office.

It was about forty square meters, fully equipped with a desk and sofa. It was a little worn, but very clean, and from the window, he could see the training grounds and the town below.

The view is great.

"Hah, this is the life."

Roya plopped down in the boss's chair, propped his feet up on the desk, laced his fingers behind his head, and leaned back comfortably.

He had been wanting to do that for a long time.

"Knock knock!"

A knock echoed on the door.

"Come in!"

Fullbody pushed open the door, followed by Jango, who had been released from custody.

"Ensign Roya!"

"No need to be so formal, come on in and sit down."

The three of them settled onto the sofa.

The return of his friend brought a long-lost smile to Fullbody's face.

"Roya, the court dropped all the charges against Jango and let our branch handle it. I just went to see Colonel Rhodes with Jango, and he said it was up to you."

"Mm."

Roya nodded with a smile, not surprised by the verdict.

Voluntarily joining the Marines was a great way to reduce his sentence, and Jango had made valuable contributions.

Roya looked at Jango.

"Congratulations on getting your freedom."

"Thanks."

Jango didn't seem very happy, and even looked a little lost.

After being a pirate for so long, his family was long gone, and he couldn't even remember what his hometown looked like.

Even though he was free, he had nowhere to go. Besides going back to sea as a pirate, he didn't know what else he could do.

I should leave here first.

Jango stood up, ready to leave.

"Leave? Where are you going?"

Roya chuckled and glanced at Fullbody.

"Hold on, take Jango to get a set of new recruit gear. From today on, he's a Marine recruit in the 153rd Branch!"

"Ah!"

Both of them were stunned.

Fullbody's face lit up with joy.

Jango looked anxious and slammed his hand on the table. "Hey, that's not fair! You said you'd give me my freedom! I don't want to be a Marine!"

"Freedom isn't about running wild. You can still be free as a Marine."

Roya chuckled.

Freedom without order and morality was a path to chaos. Besides, he was short on manpower.

"Fullbody, what are you going to do?"

Roya turned his attention to Fullbody, his expression serious. "I know you want to go to headquarters and try to get ahead, but I promise you, if you stay under my command, you'll go even further!"

"I..."

Fullbody was speechless.

He knew Roya wasn't just saying empty words.

After getting to know each other for over half a year, he was sure Roya was going to be a big shot someday. By following him, he would definitely surpass his parents.

If he had a choice, he didn't want to be a useless good-for-nothing relying on his parents' influence.

"Huff..."

After struggling for a long time, Fullbody stood up.

He saluted!

"Sergeant Fullbody, reporting for duty!"