The first rays of dawn shone on Baterilla Island.
Three days had passed since the night Garp snatched the player away.
During these three days, in order to protect Rouge's safety, Ross moved his residence to Rouge's place and stayed in the master bedroom every day to protect Rouge closely.
Three days later,
Ross and the others packed their things and prepared to leave.
Rouge gently closed the door, not glancing once more at the small building that held more than twenty years of her memories. Instead, she walked resolutely toward Ross and placed her hand in his outstretched palm.
Behind her lay the past, a past she no longer had to bear.
What she held in her hands was her new future.
"Set sail!"
Ross and Rouge quickly returned to the ship. Ace had already been settled by Stella. Everything was waiting for their return so they could set off for the ancestral home of the Jaygarcia family.
The ship slowly sailed away from the harbor, and Ross found Rouge holding Ace at the bow. The sea breeze gently caressed her cheeks; she wore a sun hat and her face was beaming with a bright smile.
"First time at sea?"
Rouge gazed at the vast, boundless sea ahead and laughed, "Yes, the first time in twenty years. Is this the scenery that pirates yearn for? It doesn't look particularly special."
"Actually, the scenery at sea isn't anything particularly special,"
Ross stood beside Rouge, gazing at the azure sea with her. "No one likes to see the same scenery all the time. Whether they are pirates or explorers, they are all looking for surprises that suddenly appear at sea."
"Like that pirate ship?"
Rouge gazed into the distance, a playful smile playing on her lips.
A pirate ship appeared on the sea in front of their vessel at some unknown time.
Calling it a pirate ship is an exaggeration; it's more like a dilapidated wooden boat flying a pirate flag. Pirate crews like this pass by Baterilla Island almost every day, and the pirates on board are even less capable than the island's sheriff.
After her relationship with Ross progressed further, Rouge became more open.
In terms of age, she and Stella were actually the same age.
However, the repression of evading capture, coupled with the constant pain, caused her to unconsciously suppress her true nature.
"That's true, and that's one of the occasional pleasures on the high seas."
Ross chuckled softly, turned around, and called out to those behind him:
"Zane, give me a sword."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Zane's uniquely languid voice rang out, and she appeared beside them like a gust of wind, holding a Marine-issue longsword in her hand.
"Your Highness, would an ordinary longsword be acceptable? We don't have any high-quality weapons like fine swords on board."
"That will do."
Ross took the longsword and flicked it lightly.
Ross finally felt in the mood, so he decided to give it a try.
As the ship moved forward, it got closer and closer to the pirate crew.
The pirate crew wanted to move away, but Zephyr was piloting the ship. Ross usually condoned Zephyr's hunting of pirates, and this time was no exception.
However, Zephyr usually did everything himself, but this time, after leaving Baterilla Island, Ross just happened to be in the mood to take action.
As they got closer, the pirate ship became clearly visible.
It was a very small wooden sailboat with only five people on board, both men and women, who were desperately trying to turn the boat around to avoid their ships.
Recognizing the symbols of the Marine and the World Government was a fundamental skill for any pirate.
If you don't even recognize the World Government insignia on a warship, you'll be laughed at by your peers even if you die.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
A powerful shockwave, like a raging dragon emerging from the sea, burst forth from the sword Ross gripped tightly.
The shockwave, carrying earth-shattering power, stirred up towering waves on the sea, which surged and rolled towards the arrogant pirate ship not far away.
Click!
With a crisp snapping sound, Ross's standard Marine longsword, unable to withstand such immense force, shattered into countless fragments that scattered into the sea.
With weapons of this caliber, unleashing the might of Conqueror's Haki once was already the limit.
Boom!
The shockwave swept straight into the pirate ship with unstoppable force. In that instant, the entire pirate ship seemed to be crushed by an invisible giant hand, turning into dust that scattered in the sea breeze.
The pirates on the ship didn't even have time to react before they were instantly engulfed by the shockwave. Their flesh and bones, ravaged by the shockwave, turned into mottled raindrops that scattered into the sea, merging with the water.
At that moment, the ocean seemed to be stained with blood, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
[Achieved F-rank kill]
[Achieved F+ level kill]
[Finish...]
From the moment Ross launched his attack until the pirate ship was completely destroyed, the ship showed no sign of slowing down, passing straight through the debris of wood chips.
Even after sailing quite a distance, Rouge was still in shock from Ross's attack.
Baterilla Island doesn't have a World Government screen, and given her special status, it's even less likely that she would go elsewhere to watch Ohara's live stream.
Rouge had heard of the power of a Marine Admiral to destroy an island single-handedly, but this was the first time she had ever witnessed such strength firsthand.
Even when Roger was around, he never revealed much strength to her, after all, she was just a weak woman.
So, human strength can really be this great?
"When Ace gets a little older, I will arrange training for him. He should be able to reach this level by the time he is about 10 years old."
Ross waited until Rouge came to her senses before speaking with a smile.
"To reach this level at 10 years old? That's too exaggerated!" Rouge exclaimed.
"It's not an exaggeration at all. Some monsters are born with the ability to do this. If a 10-year-old can't even destroy a small pirate ship, then he really has no talent. Not everyone can accumulate experience and then suddenly unleash their potential." Ross shook his head.
The training system of the Marine and the World Government was completely different from that of pirates, who relied purely on fate.
After systematic training, one's abilities would improve at a very steady pace from a young age, with very few sudden drops in performance.
Such sudden promotions were mostly the result of people who were previously stuck in small places, but suddenly received systematic or high-end training, and their potential was realized.
Of course, not everyone could realize their talent. Even if someone had the potential for Conqueror's Haki, they would most likely never awaken it unless they encountered specific circumstances.
Many talented people were slowly buried in mediocre lives and eventually became just another face in the crowd.
Now that Ace was his adopted son, he was definitely receiving better treatment than Garp's laissez-faire parenting style.
If paired with a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit in the future, it would definitely be a promising prospect.
"So this is the world of pirates...?"
Rouge murmured to herself, feeling that at this moment, she truly understood the reality of this world.
"That's not right."
Ross smiled and wagged his finger, correcting Rouge's words:
"This is not the world of pirates, but another side of the world under the jurisdiction of the World Government."
...
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