The warship surged forward at full speed.
In no time, they arrived near the waters of Syrup Village.
Two smaller Marine ships lay anchored on the sea.
Roya and Kalifa used Geppo to land on the deck of one ship.
Countless Marine soldiers lay fallen in pools of blood.
Among them, the one who caught Roya's attention was a man with a shattered chin and an arm modified into an axe-like weapon.
This man, named Morgan, would soon rise to the rank of Captain.
Morgan lay in the blood, his eyes fixed blankly on the sky, a terrifying sight.
But Roya knew—he must be under hypnosis.
After searching both ships, Kalifa returned to Roya's side and whispered, "Aside from this man, no one else on board survived."[Ding, sign-in mission issued: Syrup Village. Reward: Peak Medical Skills. Time limit: 1 day.]
One day seemed very short.
But given the speed of an Admiral-class Battleship, it was more than enough.
"It seems Kuro must have escaped. Without a doubt, he's headed to Syrup Village."
Roya looked at Morgan lying in a pool of blood and said softly, "But before we go after Kuro, let's heal Morgan first. After all, he's still a fine Marine soldier right now!"
Indeed, Morgan had originally been a Marine soldier with great potential. However, after being hypnotized by Jango, his personality drastically changed, leading to his later violent tendencies.
Roya didn't want to see that future unfold.
"But how can we help him? We don't know anything about hypnosis!"
"I may not know hypnosis, but as long as it's related to the mind, I'm confident I can undo it!"
With that thought, Roya fixed his gaze on Morgan's eyes.
Fruit ability—activate!
Roya projected the illusion he had constructed in his mind directly into Morgan's consciousness through his eyes.
This was one of the advanced applications of the Illusion-Illusion Fruit.
A skill Roya had spent a long time developing.
For now, it could only be used on those with weak mental resistance.
Still, it proved the Illusion-Illusion Fruit had limitless potential!
After about five minutes, the dullness in Morgan's eyes gradually faded.
He looked at Roya and Kalifa with deep confusion.
Then he noticed the pool of blood on the battleship.
Countless soldiers lay dead across the deck.
Morgan's heart clenched in horror.
"What happened here?! Why are they all dead?!"
Morgan stood up from the blood, his pupils shrinking at the shocking sight.
"This isn't your fault. Blame Kuro!"
At Roya's words, Morgan suddenly remembered.
They had been chasing Kuro, but it seemed they had fallen into a trap.
After seeing a man with a hat and white hair, everything that followed became a blank.
"Kalifa, you and Morgan each take a battleship and wait at the nearest Marine branch. Leave Kuro to me. I'll come for you once I deal with them."
The last words were directed at Kalifa.
"Understood."
Kalifa had absolute faith in Roya's strength.
Without hesitation, she and Morgan each boarded a battleship and set course for the Marine branch.
Meanwhile, Roya used his Devil Fruit powers to swiftly pilot the Admiral-class Battleship toward Syrup Village.
——
By now, the Black Cat Pirates, assembled by Kuro, had already arrived at the shores of Syrup Village.
They lowered their pirate flag, avoiding unwanted attention.
Jango looked at Kuro and asked, "Captain, are you really giving up life at sea?"
"I've grown tired of it. I just want to blend into the peaceful life of this island."
Kuro turned to Jango. "In three years, once I've fully integrated into the island under my new identity, come find me then. Understood?"Kuro, known as "Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans."
This moniker signified his extraordinary intellect.
When he desired a peaceful life, he had already planned out the next several years.
Jango, seeing Kuro's determination, sighed and said, "Understood, Captain. I'll come find you in three years."
Kuro nodded, then disembarked from the ship and headed toward the center of the island.
Only after Captain Kuro had vanished from their sight did Jango address the other pirates, "Let's go. We'll set sail as well. From today onward, I am the captain of the Black Cat Pirates!"
"Aye, Captain!"
However, shortly after leaving Syrup Village, they spotted an overwhelmingly massive naval warship on the horizon.
"Captain! Th-there's a warship ahead—a huge one!"
Though Jango wore glasses, his skills were still formidable.
He, too, noticed the incomparably enormous warship.
They had seen many warships before, but one of this size was a first.
Suddenly, it dawned on Jango.
He had recently read in the papers that Marine Admiral White Dove of Marineford had been spotted in the four seas.
Along his path, any pirates with grievous sins were utterly annihilated, while those newly at sea were sent straight to prison.
It could be said he had cut a bloody swath through them.
This iron-fisted approach left many trembling in fear.
At this realization, Jango didn't hesitate for a second. He raised both hands high and shouted to his crew, "Quick! Raise your hands—we surrender!"
Jango couldn't help but feel they'd had the worst possible luck.
He had finally become captain of the Black Cat Pirates, only to encounter Admiral White Dove's warship shortly after setting sail. It was beyond frustrating.
But survival was all that mattered now!
Roya stood on the deck, watching as every member of the Black Cat Pirates raised their hands, shouting, "We surrender!"
Even Roya found the sight somewhat amusing.
Bringing the warship to a slow halt, Roya looked down at the Black Cat Pirates from his commanding height.
The air was thick with tension.
Beads of cold sweat dotted Jango's forehead.
In this world, the strong preyed on the weak.
Roya was stronger than them, and thus held their lives in his hands.
Every heart among them was in their throats.
Then, Roya's voice carried over from afar: "..."