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Roy encountered no obstacles and quickly made his way to the G-51 Branch Headquarters.
When he arrived at the office marked "Branch Chief -- Colonel Aster,"
His enhanced hearing, granted by the Snow Rabbit Fruit, allowed him to hear the voices inside.
"Colonel, sir, we really must trouble you this time!" One voice said courteously.
Another voice burst into hearty laughter. "Chief Steward Mantall, what are you saying? Our G-51 branch has always been under the gracious care of your kingdom. Helping you deal with trouble is the least we can do!"
"That's different. His Majesty the King's care for your branch is one matter. I am expressing my personal gratitude. After all, the payment for this shipment will become part of the World Government's Heavenly Tribute."
"I heard you made quite a haul at Sabaody this time. You even got your hands on a rare Devil Fruit, didn't you?"
"Exactly! The fact that you helped us capture that pirate, allowed us to store the treasure at your branch temporarily, and will escort us in a few days is a tremendous favor. You must accept this!"
"Aiyo, no, no, I couldn't possibly... How could I accept such a thing?"
Roy: "..."
'Could you not talk so loudly while taking bribes?'
'In broad daylight... absolutely shameless!'
But the content of the conversation clearly caught Roy's attention.
"Part of the Heavenly Tribute and a Devil Fruit?" Muttering to himself, Roy pushed open the office door.
And as expected, he immediately saw a fat man dressed in luxurious attire stuffing what was obviously an expensive gemstone ring into the pocket of the Marine before him.
The burly, muscular Marine, built like a tank, was giving the classic three refusals and five protests. It was clear, however, that he was about to give in to the man's insistent strength.
However, Roy's entrance abruptly interrupted their little show.
"Who are you?!"
The G-51 Branch Warden Officer Colonel Aster stared at Roy in shock and suspicion.
"Headquarters Marine Detention Unit Captain, Roy Amos... under orders from Headquarters to take custody of the criminal."
Roy replied without changing his expression.
"Marine Detention Unit of Headquarters?" Colonel Aster immediately straightened up. "I am Aster. This is Steward Mantall of the Nismail Kingdom, the representative of the merchant ship that was attacked."
As he introduced Mantall, the fat man gave Roy a beaming, overly friendly smile and nod.
"Captain Roy, I believe you've already heard. This evening, I will be hosting a banquet at the branch. Perhaps you would do me the honor and attend?"
He spoke warmly, but Roy didn't even spare him a glance.
He simply ignored him and addressed Colonel Aster.
"Colonel, I'm here for the prisoner handover. My time is limited. Please lead the way."
"..."
Both Colonel Aster and Steward Mantall frowned, clearly displeased by Roy's cold and blunt attitude.
After a moment, Aster snorted and nodded: "Since Captain Roy is in such a hurry, then let's go."
With a cold grunt, Aster led Roy to the branch prison.
And inside, Roy finally met the so-called "pirate" who was accused of attempting to attack the Nismail Kingdom merchant ship.
He was a young man, his entire body covered in blood.
He looked no older than twenty and was extremely thin. His arms and torso were wrapped in bandages. His condition was miserable and clearly the result of severe torture.
Yet, when Roy and Colonel Aster stepped into the cell, the young man's gaze remained sharp. His teeth were clenched as he refused to utter a single word.
"This is the guy." Colonel Aster glanced at the man and spoke casually.
"We've already investigated him. There's no bounty poster on record. He's most likely a rookie pirate from a small, unknown island... though he's got quite the stiff mouth. He refuses to say his name no matter what."
"His strength is pathetic, too. I have no idea where he found the courage to attack a merchant ship from a World Government-affiliated nation."
He spat on the ground, speaking with disdain.
In this world, there is no house registration system or ID cards.
Aside from large or prosperous countries, commoners in most small nations or islands essentially don't exist on paper.
So investigating pirates' identities has always been a notorious headache. Except for famous pirates who've already made a name for themselves, no one bothers to trace the origins of ordinary, small-time pirates.
But obviously, Colonel Aster didn't care anyway.
"The transfer procedures are finished. You can take him away anytime."
After saying that, he shot Roy another glance, then turned and left.
As he walked away, Roy's sharp hearing picked up faint mutterings from Colonel Aster: "Ungrateful," "Stubborn brat," "Just a lowly captain," "Marine Detention Unit (Headquarters)," and other complaints.
But Roy no longer paid any attention to him.
He was staring intensely at the young prisoner in the cell, excitement flashing in his eyes.
After a moment, however, he suppressed the feeling and turned toward the Marine at the cell door.
"Begin the transfer. Now."
Soon after, Roy brought the young pirate, who stubbornly refused to reveal his name back to his battleship.
"Hans, Fal, notify Headquarters that we've secured the criminal and are returning. Same routine as always. I'll personally take the first watch over him."
After instructing Hans and Fal, Roy led the prisoner alone into the battleship's temporary holding cell.
He sat down on the familiar sofa and casually placed an hourglass on the table.
Then, he fixed his eyes on the young man in the cell and said nothing.
"..."
The young man's heart crawled with unease under that gaze.
"What are you staring at?" He barked like a wounded beast.
But what he didn't expect was that Roy didn't beat him like the Marines before. Instead, Roy smiled.
"What's your relationship with the slaves on the merchant ship?"
The first question made the young man shudder violently.
"Y-you… what are you talking about? I don't understand!"
It took him a moment to collect himself before answering. However, Roy didn't care about his answer. He continued on his own:
"Let me sort it out. You sent a pirate threat letter ahead of time to scare them so they'd voluntarily dock at the G-51 branch, right?"
Then you let yourself be captured? That naturally lowered their guard... They did lower it. Tonight's banquet is proof."
"The merchant ship's treasure has already been moved into the branch, so no one would ever suspect that your real target was the leftover, 'worthless' slaves on board."
By the time Roy reached this point, the young man was trembling all over.
"Y-you're talking nonsense…"
He tried to deny everything, but his voice had become hoarse.
At this moment, the shock in his heart was unprecedented.
He didn't understand.
'How could this Marine in front of him state his entire plan word for word? He didn't understand where he had slipped up.'
"H-how could I possibly save any slaves when I'm locked up here by you? Marine, if you want to kill me or torture me, go ahead, but don't say things I don't understand!"
His voice was almost stuttering. But upon hearing that, the smile on Roy's face only grew wider.
"Yes, you're right... you're here, taken onto my battleship under everyone's watch. No one would ever suspect you."
"That's the most brilliant, and useful part." Roy said calmly and his eyes remained fixed on the young pirate.
But within his vision, the translucent screen silently revealed the entire truth.
[Devil Fruit user detected: 'Alan (Slice Clone)']
[Devil Fruit confirmed: Paramecia-type — Slice-Slice Fruit. Parsing and storing in "Fruit Encyclopedia."]
[Fruit Ability — Can create a "Slice Clone" identical to the user's current state; clones cannot create further slices.]
[Note: The Slice Clone shares consciousness and memory with the original. Clone death is irreversible, and the original will suffer some degree of damage.]
[The original can retrieve a clone or refresh a clone by touch.]
[If the original dies, all clones disappear simultaneously.]
[Effects by Level]
LV1: Gains weak fruit ability; can create one Slice Clone.
LV2: Gains partial fruit ability; can create three Slice Clones (requires 500 million Beli to unlock).
LV3: Gains full fruit ability; can create seven Slice Clones (requires 3 billion Beli to unlock).
LV4: Deep fruit development; can create twelve Slice Clones. The original can swap positions with any clone at any time, retrieve clones regardless of distance, and re-summon them (requires 6 billion Beli to unlock).
LV5: Awakening — Endless Slicing. In addition to the twelve main clones, the user can create an unlimited number of weakened Slice Clones, though each clone possesses only a small fraction of the original's power (requires 12 billion Beli to unlock).
[Analysis Progress: 21%]
(End of Chapter)
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