Ryoma stilled his hands. Since he couldn't avoid this, he simply wouldn't try.
He knew very well that no matter how fine his little sloop might be, it could never outrun a standard Naval Warship.
Letting his boat drift with the current, Ryoma straightened up and waited calmly for the uninvited guest to arrive.
He wanted to see what the Mariness of Branch 16 were up to.
The Warship was fast, it quickly cut across Ryoma's path and forced the small vessel to stop, its huge hull casting a shadow that swallowed the tiny sailboat.
Screeech—
A lanky figure leaned over the rail of the Warship's side.
The man wore a Marines officer's cap adorned with mouse ears. His shifty face and thin mustache gave him a sly, despicable air.
It was Captain Nezumi of Marines Branch 16.
Behind him, two rows of seamen with rifles lined the deck, their black muzzles silently trained on the tiny sailboat below.
Nezumi's gaze swept over Ryoma and his craft, filled with condescending scrutiny and unconcealed greed.
Through his intel net, he'd learned that the Arlong Pirates haunting these waters had been wiped out by a mysterious person. That was Arlong—he'd have amassed a fortune.
In his view, Arlong was someone he couldn't afford to provoke, but some unknown stranger surely wouldn't dare defy the Marines.
So he'd led a patrol here under the banner of hunting pirates, but in reality he was scavenging for leftovers.
"Squeak-squeak—"
Nezumi let out an ugly laugh and struck first.
"Boy, why run when you see a Marine ship? Are you a pirate, or is there something on your boat you don't want seen?"
He slapped that label on Ryoma straight away—his usual trick to crush the other party's morale.
Ryoma couldn't even be bothered to answer such a crude interrogation. He simply stood at the bow, letting the sea breeze tug at his coat.
A sharp-eyed Marine beside Nezumi seemed to notice something. He leaned in and whispered rapidly into Nezumi's ear while covertly pointing toward Ryoma's open cabin.
Nezumi's beady eyes flickered in puzzlement. Following the man's hint, he squinted into the cabin.
When he spotted the two fish-men's heads carelessly tossed in the corner, eyes wide in death, he froze for an instant.
That was… Arlong!
And that octopus fish-man officer!
The shock lasted less than a second before it was replaced by wild elation and overwhelming greed. A mix of malice and delight twisted his already sly face even further.
I'm rich! This is a reward worth tens of millions of Berries.
His expression flipped instantly. The spitefulness vanished, replaced by an insincere smile.
"Squeak-squeak, so you're the hero who wiped out the Arlong Pirates."
Nezumi slapped the rail and praised with a chuckle, as though the overbearing officer moments ago had been someone else.
Rubbing his hands together, he said, "My good man, a thousand apologies. Come aboard the warship so we can file a full report on your magnificent feat."
He issued the warm invitation, hoping to lure Ryoma onto his own turf. Once on the Warship, the man would be completely at his mercy.
"This is a colossal credit." Nezumi continued to coax.
"Hand those pirate heads over to me and I guarantee the bounty will be paid out quickly. I'll personally see you get a big cut."
His implication couldn't be clearer: the so-called share would depend entirely on his mood.
Ryoma watched his clumsy performance without the slightest ripple—he almost felt like laughing.
A share, really?
More like he'd pocket the whole bounty and claim Arlong's treasure for himself as well.
"No need." He declined flatly.
"I'm on my way to 77th Branch to file. I won't trouble you, Captain."
The words made Nezumi's grin freeze instantly.
77th Branch?
That stubborn stiff at 77th Branch?
If the kid delivered the heads there, Nezumi wouldn't even get the soup—he wouldn't even smell the aroma.
Nezumi's patience ran out and his fake smile vanished, replaced by viciousness and menace.
Since soft tactics failed, he'd go hard.
Click.
He whipped out his pistol, the black barrel pointing straight at Ryoma.
Nezumi's voice turned shrill and savage, "I suspect you're in cahoots with the Arlong Pirates. I order you to cooperate with the inspection—now!"
Ryoma stared at the muzzle pressed between his eyes, his expression darkening, then let out a soft sigh.
To Nezumi, that sigh sounded like surrender and fear. His smirk widened, cold laughter echoing in his mind.
"Trying to back down now? Too late."
"The bounty's mine, and Arlong's hidden treasure must be on you. If I don't squeeze you dry today, I'm not Nezumi."
He flicked off the safety with a crisp metallic click and sneered.
"You've been sneaking around from the start—suspicious as hell. I'm certain you're hiding crimes you can't confess."
"Men!"
Nezumi shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"Seize his ship! Drag him here to the brig for a proper interrogation—everything aboard is contraband!"
The Marines on the Warship exchanged uneasy looks. They were used to Nezumi's ways, but this was over the top.
The man had just wiped out the notorious Arlong Pirates, and now he was being treated like a criminal?
A young Marine finally stepped forward and muttered, "Captain, isn't this off? After all, he's the one who—"
Smack!
A sharp slap cut the young Marine off mid-sentence.
Nezumi's face twisted as he withdrew his hand, spittle flying as he roared.
"Off? I am the rules here! My word is law! Questioning me?"
The young Marine, cheeks burning, retreated in silence, head bowed.
Nezumi barked again, "What are you waiting for? Move!"
A languid voice sliced cleanly through the tirade.
"If you're not using your brain, donate it."
Nezumi froze, he couldn't believe someone dared interrupt.
He spun and glared down at Ryoma, rat-like face contorted with rage.
"Wh-what did you say? You've got a death wish, insulting a Marine Captain!"
Ryoma actually laughed at the apoplectic display, the sound rich with mockery.
"Just curious."
He tilted his head, as if posing a profound question.
"You already know I wiped out the Arlong Pirates—where do you find the guts to aim a gun at me?"
He paused, adding playfully, "Do you think I'm just some lucky civilian who'd kill Arlong but never touch a Marine Captain?"
The instant the words landed.
Crack—
A crystalline shatter exploded out of nowhere.
Not from the Warship, not from Ryoma's skiff, but from the vast sea beneath them.
Centered on Ryoma's tiny sailboat, biting cold spread in every direction. In less than a heartbeat, the blue surface turned a stark, heavy white.
The rolling waves froze mid-motion, becoming sculptures of ice crystal.
The massive Marine Warship lurched, metal groaning, and locked fast in the sudden ice field—utterly immobilized.
The world seemed to hit pause.
Icy chill shot through deck and boot straight into every man's skull.
"C-cold!"
Nezumi felt the cold shoot from soles to scalp and couldn't stop shivering. That shiver jolted his muddled brain awake.
He finally realized.
This man… he's no lucky civilian.
His gaze dragged away from Ryoma and swept the surroundings.
Nothing but blinding white met his eyes.
The once-rolling sea had become an endless, pristine ice plain.
Their steel warship was now frozen fast—helpless.
Nezumi's lips quivered, muscles spasming.
A Logia… Devil Fruit user?!