Loose Lips Cost Lives

The next day found Commodore Murak's office in disarray.

BANG!!!

The commodore's desk shuddered, losing a bit of its dignity.

"Bastard!" Murak roared, his face twisted into a mask of fury. "This is too much!"

Shiro, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, tried to calm him. "Calm down, Commodore Murak, calm down."

The Hot Gorilla Casino, Murak's pride and joy, had been raided and shut down the previous night, a stark seal plastered across its doors. While the staff were merely cooling their heels in the Branch Prison--easily released at his whim--the symbolic blow was undeniable.

The news will spread like wildfire, he knew. Every lowlife in the underworld will be talking.

"Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down!" Murak's eyes were bloodshot. He ground his teeth. "If I don't get rid of that kid, who will ever take me seriously again?"

Shiro nodded, bobbing his head like a puppet. "Yes, Commodore Murak is right."

Since we can 't control him, Shiro thought, we have to eliminate him.

They couldn't risk getting their hands dirty themselves. Killing a fellow Marine, especially one with Roya's reputation, was a crime that would bring the full force of the Marines down on them.

We'll have to rely on someone else, Shiro realized. But who?

Major Roya had made a name for himself, taking down two Super Pirate Crews in the East Blue. Only a handful of people in Logue Town were strong enough to take him on.

Bartolomeo!

Shiro briefly entertained the idea of hiring the notorious, unpredictable supervillain, but quickly dismissed it. Bartolomeo was too wild, too unpredictable. He might just turn on them.

No one else is good enough! he lamented.

Murak understood the problem all too well. Roya's promotion to Major was based on pure combat ability, a stark contrast to officers who climbed the ranks through connections or seniority.

Strength is his biggest advantage, Murak thought grimly. He rested his chin on his hand, his gaze turning cold.

"Contact Erick!"

Shiro gasped. "What!"

"Whirlwind" Erick was a notorious assassin in the East Blue underworld. For the right price, he could eliminate anyone.

"Commodore, the money..."

"Ten million Berries!"

"Understood! I'll contact him immediately!"

Ten million Berries! That kind of reward should be enough to get Erick's attention, Shiro thought with a sliver of hope.

----

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

After Roya had sent more than a dozen underworld gangs to prison, it was common knowledge in Logue Town that a Marine Major had arrived who dared to defy Commodore Murak.

"Black Hair" Roya, they called him.

Down the street leading to the Food Tavern, the night was dark and quiet. Shops were closed, and lights were scarce.

Roya, Fullbody, and Jango walked down the deserted street.

Fullbody and Jango were excited. The past week had been a whirlwind of fights and arrests.

They hadn't had this much fun in ages.

But they were also worried.

They had arrested plenty of criminals, but after a few days, those thugs were released by the Branch on the grounds of "insufficient evidence."

"Major Roya," Fullbody asked, "is what we're doing really making a difference?"

"Of course, it's effective." Roya stopped walking.

These arrests might seem pointless, but they were part of a larger game between him and Commodore Murak.

Murak was ignoring him, trying to force him to submit, to become another one of his lapdogs, content with scraps.

But Roya hadn't come to Logue Town to lick boots. He had come to be the boss.

And I have no interest in your meager bribes, Roya thought.

Arresting criminals was just a means to an end.

Once lost, prestige is hard to regain! he mused.

The Logue Town Branch was huge. Roya didn't believe that every Marine had fallen under Murak's sway, especially those at the bottom.

Now, it 's Murak who's getting anxious, Roya realized.

"He's here." Roya stared ahead.

A thin figure stepped out of the shadows, blocking their path.

"'Black Hair' Roya, right?" the figure asked.

"Who are you?" Roya asked, studying the man with interest.

He was thin, with slicked-back hair and a pair of unusual, slender black glasses.

The assassin Murak sent? Roya thought. How pathetic.

The man pushed up his glasses, a confident smirk playing on his lips. "I'm Erick. You should have heard of me."

Roya looked at Fullbody and Jango, who shook their heads.

They had never heard of him.

An awkward silence settled over the street.

Erick began to sweat.

"Erick! Erick the Whirlwind!"

"Sorry, never heard of you." The three of them waved their hands in unison.

A vein popped in Erick's forehead. They haven 't even heard of me...

"How dare you underestimate me!" Erick sputtered, bringing his index and middle fingers together. "Someone offered five million Berries for your head! You should just accept your fate and die quietly by my wind blades, powered by the Scythe-Scythe Fruit!"

"Scythe-Scythe Fruit?" Roya's expression turned serious. "You're a Devil Fruit user?"

"That's right." Erick puffed out his chest, pleased with Roya's reaction. "I ate the Scythe-Scythe Fruit. The wind I create with my fingers is as sharp as a blade. No matter how strong you are, my power can easily tear you apart."

"Prepare to face your doom!" Erick wiggled his fingers, sending several invisible slashing airflows toward them.

"Scythe: Whirlwind!"

Swish!

A strong gust of wind swept past. The hem of Roya's sleeve tore open, and bloody cuts appeared on his skin.

Fullbody and Jango also cried out, clutching at cuts that had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

Boom!

Even the ground and walls were scored with deep gashes.

"What's going on?" Fullbody and Jango exclaimed, bewildered.

But Roya had already moved, charging forward the moment the attack landed.

In a blink, he crossed the distance and stood before Erick, gripping his sword and slashing horizontally!

Now that I know your power, Roya thought, I can't waste a second.

The Scythe-Scythe Fruit, which could emit slashing waves with a flick of the fingers, was obviously suited for ranged combat. Closing the distance was the natural response.

"So fast!" Erick gasped, staring at the blade closing in. He scrambled back on his butt.

Swish!

The blade grazed his scalp!

His proud, towering hairstyle went flying into the night!

Erick scrambled back, desperately trying to create distance. He touched his bald head in disbelief.

"Damn it, you even st--"

Roya appeared in front of him again, his eyes cold, the tip of his sword aimed at Erick's neck, giving him no room to breathe!

Erick's pupils constricted. He wildly waved his hands in front of him.

"Scythe: Wild Dance!"

A storm of slashing waves flew in every direction!

Pfft!

Roya, caught in the middle of his swing, was hit head-on. His clothes shredded, and a spray of blood burst from countless cuts all over his body.

His swing faltered.

"Hahaha! Serves you right!" Erick laughed, looking at the blood-soaked Roya. "As expected of the rumored Black Hair! An ordinary person would have been torn to shreds by wind blades at this range! But your fate ends here! Consider this your final destination!"

Confident in his victory, Erick waved his fingers again, unleashing an even stronger, more concentrated gust of wind.

"Scythe: Wind Blade!"

Roya stared coldly at Erick, raised his arm, and braced himself.

"Iron Body!"

Boom!

The Wind Blade shattered.

"What?" Erick's face was a mask of disbelief.

Roya walked slowly toward the stunned Erick, raising his sword.

"In your next life," Roya said, "talk less."

A flash of steel, and blood splattered into the night!

Roya raised his sword again, the blood dripping from the blade, painting the ground.

"Fullbody, Jango."

"Hang this guy's corpse under the execution platform in the center of Logue Town!"

***

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[T/N: Hi everyone! That's it for One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King! updates today! Current Power Stones: 21 this week. We need 29 more for the first +50 bonus! Let's go! 🙏 Power Stones help weekly rank📈/visibility. Weekly Goal: Every +50 Power Stones = 2 bonus chaps next day!🚀 Don't forget my other projects: Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise & Young Master, Please Become Hokage!. Thoughts? Leave a comment or review! Catch you tomorrow! ✨

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