Rosha kept a stoic expression as he continued flipping through the papers. Then, he came across a photo.
The photo depicted a young man dressed in luxurious robes, standing at the entrance of the royal palace with a faint smile on his face. Even from the photo, it was evident that this young man had a fair complexion, and delicate features, and carried himself with an air of nobility.
The person in the photo was Prince Ilia.
Listening to Jennifer’s somewhat resigned explanation, Rosha felt a surge of irritation and spoke bluntly:
“So what do we do? We can’t act, but we can’t ignore it either. Are we really powerless against Ilia?”
Without a request or order from the member state or the World Government, the Marines had no right to interfere in a kingdom’s internal affairs. As long as this rule remained, the 177th branch was helpless, no matter how much it wanted to intervene.
Jennifer, however, smiled at Rosha’s words.
“That’s precisely why I called you here.”
With that, Jennifer pulled out a Den Den Mushi from her ample chest and dialed a few numbers.
The snail-like creature immediately made its characteristic sound, indicating it was connecting to the other Den Den Mushi.
After a moment, the call was answered, and the pink snail’s face gradually transformed into a man with an X-shaped scar on his chin.
Rosha found the face familiar but couldn’t immediately place it.
Jennifer’s next words confirmed his suspicions.
“Captain Drake, where are you now?”
“Lieutenant Commander Jennifer, we’ve crossed the Rubneuro Kingdom’s border and will soon reach the branch. What’s the situation in the Kingdom of Prince?”
The man’s voice was steady and confident, indicating he had great self-assurance.
“Nothing has worsened yet. I’ll give you a detailed update once you arrive.”
“Understood. See you soon.”
Click.
The call ended.
Jennifer looked up, smiling at Rosha.
“As you said, the Marines can’t easily intervene in a kingdom’s internal affairs. However, this doesn’t mean the Navy lacks the means to handle such situations.”
Rosha glanced at the Den Den Mushi on the desk, thoughtful.
Jennifer continued, “There is a secret special forces unit within the Navy, not part of the official roster, called SWORD. SWORD stands for ‘blade.'”
“The SWORD unit is composed of outstanding new-generation Marines selected from within. Members of SWORD are both part of the Navy and not.”
“In simple terms, SWORD members are Marines who have already submitted their resignations and returned their Marine IDs. They don’t have to follow any orders and act as a ‘guerrilla force’ capable of engaging the Yonko without higher-up permission.”
“However, the Navy and the World Government won’t be held responsible for their actions and can revoke their Marine status or even erase their existence at any time.”
“The current situation calls for the deployment of SWORD.”
“Rosha, you’re strong, and over the past year, you’ve mostly stayed at the base for training. Even when you went out on patrols, you captured or killed every pirate you encountered.”
“Your basic information hasn’t been leaked outside yet.”
“So, I hope you can temporarily cooperate with the SWORD unit that’s about to arrive, infiltrate the royal city secretly, and capture Prince Ilia to thwart his plans.”
“As long as Gruss becomes king, the Navy in the North Blue won’t be put in a passive position.”
“I understand this method might seem less honorable, but it’s crucial for justice, so…”
“I agree.”
Rosha gently folded the photo and put it in his pocket, looking at Lieutenant Commander Jennifer.
“I agree, Lieutenant Commander. As long as it means fighting pirates, I have no objections.”
Jennifer visibly relaxed, though a hint of guilt lingered on her face.
“I’m sorry, but the 177th branch can’t openly support the SWORD unit this time. You’ll have to rely on your judgment. If things become untenable, remember to prioritize your safety.”
“I will. Thank you for the reminder.”
Rosha nodded solemnly.
“Good. Follow me to the port to await the SWORD unit’s arrival. They should be here soon. I’ll introduce you to their leader.”
At the Chikui Island port, branch soldiers cordoned off the area between the base and the town to prevent intruders at this critical time.
Most of the base’s soldiers were ordered back to the residential quarters, leaving only a few high-ranking officers.
When Rosha arrived at the port with Lieutenant Commander Jennifer, he saw Lieutenant Bill, the logistics officer, with about a dozen subordinates, holding a medium-sized Den Den Mushi, stationed vigilantly around the base.
Rosha recognized it as a jamming Den Den Mushi, typically used to interfere with other Den Den Mushi’s signal wavelengths, preventing eavesdropping, photography, or video transmission.
It seemed Lieutenant Commander Jennifer had done an excellent job ensuring secrecy regarding the SWORD unit’s arrival.
Still, Rosha was curious how Jennifer knew about such a classified unit as SWORD.
And why hadn’t Rear Admiral Adila returned from his report to Marineford yet? He should have been back by now.
After waiting for about half an hour at the beach port, a shadowy figure appeared on the horizon.
The vessel moved quickly, far faster than the single-masted Marine ships Rosha usually took.
As Rosha speculated whether the SWORD unit’s ship would be a double-masted or triple-masted vessel, the approaching ship gradually slowed down, surprising him with its nature.
“It’s a submarine.”
Rosha was astonished.
Indeed, a deep blue submarine came into view.
The submarine’s color closely matched the sea, making it hard to discern without careful observation. It looked like a wave cresting on the ocean surface.
Its appearance was somewhat reminiscent of Trafalgar Law’s submarine in the manga but much larger.
As the submarine docked, its hatch opened, and about a dozen men and women in civilian clothing agilely disembarked, landing in front of Jennifer.
The submarine then submerged quickly, disappearing from view.
The tall young man leading the group stood over 2.3 meters tall, with large and small X-shaped scars on his chest and chin. He wore a black eye patch and a ship-shaped hat and carried an axe and a sword on his belt.
The tall man approached Jennifer and extended his hand.
“Hello, Lieutenant Commander Jennifer. I’m X Drake, the captain of the SWORD unit.”
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