"That was close..."
Mingling with the crowd, Roy watched a group of disciplinary squad marines responsible for maintaining order in Marineford march menacingly towards the site of the recent fight.
Roy thought to himself, that was a close call.
If he had been caught, the fine would have cost him a month's salary, not to mention he would be put in confinement for at least half a month.
"Not being able to drink even cola for half a month... that's too terrifying."
As for Smoker, who was left behind with Hina, Roy had no interest in worrying about him—judging by the number of expensive cigars that smoke-fiend hangs on his chest every day, he should be well-off.
As for the confinement issue...
"It would be best if they locked that guy up for a while longer, otherwise he's bound to come and bother me again."
"'Justice'... no matter how noble it sounds, is essentially just being a dog for the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. Who cares about that stuff?"
Thinking this, Roy crossed Oris Plaza and entered the tall headquarters building, the 'Tenshukaku'.
That's right.
Of course, Roy didn't hate Smoker—although he initially approached Smoker just for his Devil Fruit ability.
But during their Marine training, he had genuinely come to see him as a friend.
What Smoker said about them once chasing pirates across an entire sea to retrieve a young girl's money for her mother's treatment was indeed true.
But as Roy had said.
That had nothing to do with the 'Justice' the Marines always boasted about and believed in.
"The little girl's father died early, her mother had been sick for years, and she herself was blind. She painstakingly saved up that money by relying on the village's help and sewing small clothes every day. For those bastard pirates to have the heart to steal it—who could stand by and watch that?"
Roy didn't consider himself some great saint.
But as a transmigrator, he still had the basic conscience he had developed before he crossed over.
But without a doubt, what he considered a basic conscience was already a rarity in this world.
It was because of that incident that Smoker had come to respect him, and from then on, regarded him as a friend and acknowledged his 'justice'.
But in fact, Roy's own attitude towards the Marines was just as he had thought a moment ago.
He had been in the Marines for so many years and certainly knew that there was no shortage of truly kind and just warriors within their ranks.
But that couldn't change the fact that the Marine organization itself was a part of the 'World Government'—and that supreme institution that ruled the world was precisely the most corrupt part of this world.
Roy had never planned on being a dog for the Celestial Dragons, so he would naturally never truly believe in the so-called justice of the Marines.
Of course, the same went for pirates—Roy didn't deny that there might be some pirates on the seas of this world who could be called heroes.
But the fact was, most of the pirates who went out to sea during the so-called 'Great Pirate Era' were nothing but pure villains.
Marines, pirates, Roy disliked them both and had no intention of truly joining either side.
His view of the Marines was simple.
The Marines were just a company for him to hide in and acquire Devil Fruit abilities.
And the Custody Unit was a 'key department' that he would never leave as long as he was in the Marines.
"But that guy Smoker was right about one thing: freedom is indeed very important."
"I know the locations of many ability users on this sea, but right now I'm restricted by headquarters rules and have no chance to acquire their abilities."
Thinking of this, a troubled expression appeared on Roy's face.
This problem, essentially the same as his urgent need for Belly, required him to leave the Marines or the Custody Unit to solve, but he couldn't leave the Custody Unit right now...
"What a hassle..." Roy sighed.
"Hahahaha!? You, my boy, actually find something troublesome—how rare!"
But at that moment, a hearty laugh entered Roy's ears.
Unknowingly, Roy had walked to an office.
The office door was closed, and the laughter was coming from inside.
"Old man, are you eavesdropping with Observation Haki again?"
Roy said helplessly, then pushed open the office door.
The office was simply furnished—a desk with black tea and dango skewers, a chair, and a large pile of newspapers and wanted posters.
And in front of the desk, an old man with knotted muscles was happily eating dango.
He wore a Marine greatcoat over a simple shirt, and the numerous scars on his body and the medals on his uniform were a testament to the life-and-death battles he had experienced.
"Hahaha! This old man is so bored here I could fart. It's hard to pass the time every day without some gossip!"
Hearing Roy's words, he chuckled.
"Eavesdropping with Observation Haki is strictly forbidden in Headquarters!"
Roy rolled his eyes, but he also knew that these words were useless against the old man in front of him.
Because this old man was his direct superior, the Vice Admiral in charge of the Marine Custody Unit, 'Byros'.
This Vice Admiral was not famous in the story Roy knew, but he was very experienced—he was a veteran who had joined the Marines at the same time as Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Marine Hero Garp, and had fought countless battles in his life.
Due to his declining combat power in his old age, he was transferred to the Custody Unit to live out his days, now just waiting for retirement.
And this old man's habit of using Observation Haki to listen in on gossip was a well-known hobby.
"Tell me, what do you find so troublesome!?"
At this moment, the old man looked at Roy with curiosity.
Hearing this, Roy's expression did not change.
He certainly didn't voice his true thoughts, but instead brought up the matter with Smoker from just now.
"That guy is as stubborn as a mule. I clearly recommended Lieutenant Tashigi to him..." he complained.
"I see."
Vice Admiral Byros naturally had no suspicions after hearing this. He just handed Roy a dango skewer while munching on one himself.
"I don't think Smoker is entirely wrong—you're a strong kid, your talent is wasted here."
"I have my own justice!" Roy said with a serious face.
And it was obvious that, within the Marines, this phrase was similar to a certain red-haired fox jinchuriki's 'This is my ninja way'.
So, as soon as he said this, Vice Admiral Byros naturally stopped trying to persuade him.
"How did the mission go?" he asked casually.
"Same as always. I've already had him sent to the prison."
Roy took out his logbook and briefly reported on the mission.
"Good, I'll report your merits for you."
Byros nodded, but then his tone changed as he handed over an intelligence report. "But speaking of which, I just received a temporary mission—are you interested?"
"Huh?"
Roy subconsciously took the report, but frowned. "I just got back to Headquarters, old man—the boys haven't even had a chance to warm their seats yet!"
"I know. You always have a celebration feast and let your subordinates rest for a few days after every mission, that's why I'm asking you, isn't it?" Vice Admiral Byros said casually.
"This matter concerns a member nation of the World Government, so there are a lot of merits involved. In two months, our headquarters' 'All-Forces Martial Tournament' will begin. If you can get promoted to a commissioned officer of Commander rank or higher before then, you can participate."
"All-Forces Martial Tournament?"
Roy frowned upon hearing this.
The All-Forces Martial Tournament was a major event held by the Marines every few years.
Commissioned officers in the Marines above the rank of Commander and under the age of 50 could sign up to participate. It was considered the Marines' 'martial arts tournament'.
If one achieved a good ranking, they could receive an additional promotion in rank—the top three could even be directly promoted to 'Commodore,' becoming a flag officer in one leap.
And even more famous than the All-Forces Martial Tournament was the 'World Military Draft,' which had only happened a few times since the Marines were founded.
But again—Roy had no interest in these things.
A promotion in rank was of course good, but once promoted, he would likely be transferred away from the Custody Unit, which was very bad.
But at this moment, Vice Admiral Byros's next words sent a jolt through him.
"Kid, after this All-Forces Martial Tournament, I might be retiring."
The old man crunched on a dango skewer, but the words he spoke sounded like a clap of thunder to Roy.
"Retiring!?"
"Yeah—my grandson was born. It's a good time to retire and train him properly, hopefully to become an outstanding Marine in the future."
Vice Admiral Byros said with a grin, "And as for this Custody Unit, I've been here for so many years... You, kid, have the most potential in the team."
His meaning was simple.
He was retiring, and the special nature of the Custody Unit meant that most ambitious and capable marines were unwilling to come here.
"If you can get a good ranking in the 'All-Forces Martial Tournament,' this old man will ask Sengoku to let you stay and take over as the commander of the Custody Unit... What do you think?"
"..."
What did he think?
That would be absolutely perfect!
The excitement in Roy's heart at this moment needed no further explanation.
Becoming the commander of the Custody Unit had immense benefits for him.
Even though the Custody Unit itself was not highly regarded within the Marines, it was still one of the key components of the organization.
The commander of the Custody Unit symbolized a high degree of freedom and status, and at the same time...
"The commander of the Custody Unit is also responsible for escorting powerful criminals to Impel Down... and even has the authority to enter and inspect Impel Down."
This was the key point.
To Roy, that great underwater prison holding countless powerful criminals was a true treasure trove.
Therefore...
"Old man, let me see the mission!"
He said decisively, each word firm and clear.
"It's just a little overtime—for the sake of justice, it's my duty, sir!"