One Piece: The True Codex

After returning to the 16th Marine Branch, Nezumi casually wandered toward the armory as if he were simply strolling about, while Gin avoided prying eyes and quietly made his way to Captain Roy's office.

Captain Heller had already departed for the Grand Line, leaving Roy alone in the office. He stood by the window, observing the soldiers training in the plaza below.

When Gin entered, Roy turned around, pulled a cigar from his pocket, and tossed it over. "What did you hear from Stolt?"

Gin caught the cigar but didn't light it. In a low voice, he replied, "Stolt finally revealed his plan."

Roy, who had been calm and composed, immediately tensed up, his expression growing serious. "What is it?"

"They're planning to promote Nezumi and have him replace you as the commanding officer of the 16th Branch," Gin said bluntly.

Hearing this, Roy let out a derisive laugh. The idea that Nezumi could take his position as commander of the 16th Branch was laughable. Nezumi's rank alone wasn't enough—so long as Roy remained the base's highest-ranking officer, Nezumi wouldn't stand a chance, especially with Roy's current record of achievements.

But as the thought crossed his mind, Roy's expression suddenly darkened. As a shrewd man, he instantly realized the true danger. "They want to use a promotion as an excuse to have me reassigned to the Grand Line, don't they?"

"Yes, sir," Gin replied, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the cigar while his face remained impassive. "Over the years, under Stolt's advice, Nezumi has consistently included your name in his reports of commendation. On the surface, it's because you're the base's commanding officer and can't be bypassed. But in reality, they're preparing to leverage your accumulated achievements, spend a significant amount of money, and have Nezumi's family pull some strings to get you reassigned to the Grand Line."

"How thoughtful of Stolt!" Roy sneered, taking a deep drag on his cigar before letting out a cold laugh.

Roy had been enjoying his reign as the "sovereign" of the 16th Branch in the East Blue. Why would he willingly return to the Grand Line to serve as cannon fodder?

If Vallon's death and William's tendency to eliminate threats weren't a concern, the idea of reassigning Roy might have been a decent strategy.

As it was, Roy didn't doubt Gin's account. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "When do they plan to act?"

"The operation has already begun; they're just waiting for the right excuse," Gin explained. "The major pirates in the 16th Branch's jurisdiction have already been wiped out. However, Stolt recently received news that the Blue Sapphire Pirates, a fairly well-known crew from the Goa Kingdom, have entered Navia Kingdom's waters for unknown reasons. They plan to use the Blue Sapphire Pirates as an opportunity to report merit and execute their plan."

"Damn it!" Roy roared in fury, throwing down his cigar. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Gin lowered his head. "Today is the first time I've heard the full plan."

Roy could no longer sit idly in his chair. Hands on his hips, his brows furrowed deeply as he paced back and forth in the office. "The most urgent task now is to prevent them from claiming this merit."

Roy's position as the "sovereign of the 16th Branch" was largely due to the higher-ups at Marine Headquarters paying little attention to the East Blue. While he often grumbled, he wouldn't dare openly rebel or defy orders from Headquarters.

If Stolt and Nezumi's scheme succeeded, Roy would have no choice but to comply with his reassignment. At most, he could cause trouble for William before leaving to vent his anger, but it wouldn't change the outcome.

To maintain his current carefree lifestyle, Roy's priority was to sabotage Stolt and Nezumi's plan before they could act, and then find an opportunity to deal with them later.

The idea of waiting for Stolt and Nezumi to present the head of the Blue Sapphire Pirates' captain as a merit report—and then suppressing it as the base's commanding officer—was immediately dismissed by Roy. It was too passive and fraught with uncertainties. He decided to take the initiative.

After asking Gin for details about William's plans to target the Blue Sapphire Pirates—when and where the operation would take place—Roy made up his mind.

He ordered Gin to keep an eye on Nezumi while he hastily gathered his trusted subordinates and set sail for the location Gin had provided. If the opportunity arose, Roy wouldn't hesitate to eliminate both the Blue Sapphire Pirates and William's crew in one fell swoop.

...

Onboard the Blue Sapphire Pirates' ship, Captain Bluejam sat idly at the bow, enjoying the sea breeze. Suddenly, the lookout atop the mast shouted loudly. Bluejam turned to look and saw the lookout cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling down to the deck, "Enemy ship spotted!"

Bluejam pulled out a spyglass from his coat and looked in the direction indicated by the lookout. Sure enough, he saw a warship flying the Morgan Pirates' flag approaching his merchant ship without hesitation.

Bluejam grinned wickedly, his hand resting on the revolver at his waist. He barked orders to his crew, "Prepare for battle!"

Meanwhile, aboard the Morgan Pirates' warship, Harden also spotted the Blue Sapphire Pirates disguised as a merchant ship through his spyglass. He let out a deep laugh and issued his own orders to his crew. "Prepare for battle. Remember, leave no survivors."

When the two ships finally came into contact, the scene was unexpectedly calm.

On the Blue Sapphire Pirates' side, they believed their disguise hadn't been discovered. Their plan was to wait until the Morgan Pirates approached to demand a toll, then launch a surprise attack and catch them off guard.

On the Morgan Pirates' side, Harden had resolved not to let the Blue Sapphire Pirates escape. They decided to play along, preparing for a boarding battle to ensure none of the enemy crew could flee.

With these intentions in mind, neither side opened fire with cannons, as pirates typically would when initiating combat.

The Morgan Pirates' warship rammed into the Blue Sapphire Pirates' merchant ship with a violent crash, followed by a flurry of grappling hooks and ropes being thrown onto the merchant ship, securing the two vessels tightly together. The Blue Sapphire Pirates, shaken by the impact and the swaying of their ship, began to sense that something was amiss.

Moments later, the sound of battle cries erupted from the Morgan Pirates' ship. Pirates emerged from behind the gunwales, wielding strange firearms that Bluejam had never seen before. These weapons, longer than pistols but shorter than rifles, unleashed a storm of bullets, forcing the Blue Sapphire Pirates to take cover behind their own gunwales, unable to return fire.

Bluejam wasn't entirely incompetent as a captain. He had spent a considerable sum equipping his crew with the increasingly popular revolvers and bolt-action rifles of the East Blue. However, these weapons were no match for the submachine guns wielded by the Morgan Pirates.

Harden, watching the Blue Sapphire Pirates being suppressed, laughed heartily. With a wave of his hand, he led a group of elite fighters to board the Blue Sapphire Pirates' ship.

The Blue Sapphire Pirates, seeing the Morgan Pirates boarding, attempted to surround and overwhelm Harden's group while their numbers were still small. But they were met with a barrage of shotgun fire from the Morgan Pirates' elite, who cleared the deck with brutal efficiency.

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