One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Quick! Turn! Turn now!"

"It's Commodore Wright from G-3! That madman who leaves no survivors!"

"Run! Even pirates with bounties of 100 million berry can't withstand him!"

Whoosh! Boom!

The Navy's standard procedure against pirates was simple: get within visual range and unleash a barrage of cannon fire. While their accuracy was often questionable, sheer volume made up for it. As long as a few cannonballs hit, the weaker pirate ships would either lose mobility or be on the verge of breaking apart, leaving them stranded and vulnerable to a boarding battle.

For most naval officers leading such assaults, capturing pirates alive during a boarding battle was the norm. However, for more extreme officers like Sakazuki, Onigumo, or Doberman, their hawkish tendencies often led them to bombard pirate ships from a distance, sinking them outright. Only when dealing with exceptionally strong pirates who could withstand cannon fire would they resort to close-quarters combat.

Thanks to the combined assault formation proposed by Wright and Zephyr during their training days, which had been refined by naval tactical experts and widely implemented in recent years, the Navy's overall combat effectiveness had seen a dramatic improvement.

For Wright—and by extension, the modern Navy—boarding battles were no longer desperate measures but valuable opportunities for marines to hone their combat skills. If a pirate crew's officers could be killed or captured, Wright made sure the military merits were appropriately distributed, without taking any credit for himself.

"We've been hit!"

"Captain! The main mast has been taken out by Navy cannon fire! We're dead in the water!"

"Damn it! Grab your weapons and prepare for a boarding battle! If we're going down, we'll take some marines with us!"

The pirate captain's bold proclamation quickly proved futile as he and his crew were taught a harsh lesson in reality: taking down even a few marines was far harder than they imagined.

Following standard protocol, Wright assessed whether the pirates had harmed civilians or navy personnel. Judging by their ferocity, it was clear they had. With this determination, Wright declared their sentence: death.

"Boarding party! All units, advance! Surrender and you will live; resist, and none shall be spared!"

Wright's voice rang out, commanding absolute authority. Unlike before, Wright no longer adhered to the philosophy of annihilating every guilty individual. It wasn't because he'd grown soft. Rather, witnessing his subordinates' grueling training sessions had given him an epiphany:

For some criminals, a swift death was a mercy. But for others, true justice lay in ensuring they suffered punishments worse than death. Impel Down's torturous sentences were far more fitting for such heinous offenders. Wright's role was to ensure the truly irredeemable faced their deserved fate, while the worst of the worst lived to regret their crimes.

As someone who frequently escorted prisoners to Impel Down, Wright was well-acquainted with Deputy Warden Magellan. Over time, Wright's knack for helping alleviate Magellan's chronic stomach issues had earned him a friendly rapport. With this relationship, Magellan was more than willing to accommodate Wright's requests regarding sentencing.

With a precise and efficient operation, the pirate crew was swiftly subdued. After looting the remaining supplies from their ship, Wright unleashed several massive golden sword slashes, sending the wreckage to the ocean floor.

"Report to Commodore Wright!" One of Wright's captains stepped forward. "In this operation, we seized goods valued at approximately 50 million berry, captured three senior officers and thirty-seven regular crew members, and eliminated sixty-three pirates. Casualties on our side: none killed, forty-six lightly injured, no severe injuries. Awaiting your orders, Sir!"

"Bah… just a bunch of paupers," Wright muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Standard procedure: half the supplies go to the branch, the other half is yours to divide. Deliver the captured pirates to the branch and consolidate them for transfer to Impel Down at the end of the month.

"Also, have the ship's doctor check on those forty-six injured. If there are any overlooked serious injuries, call me."

"Yes, Sir!"

Having his own dedicated warship gave Wright more flexibility in managing spoils of war. While the branch handled most maintenance and personnel expenses, commanding officers were allowed to allocate a portion of the loot as they saw fit.

In the past, Wright used most of his rewards on training equipment, high-quality food like Sea King meat, or travel expenses. With little else to spend on, he rarely cared about hoarding wealth. But now, he saw value in providing benefits for his crew.

Moreover, Wright had relinquished his "caretaker" role. The warship had to remain combat-capable even in his absence. By training medics to handle treatment, Wright reserved his abilities for life-threatening injuries. Of course, crew members could still use their military merits to request his healing—even for minor injuries or cosmetic concerns. This perk motivated many to fight harder, eager to earn enough merit for such rewards.

Buru-buru-buru… Buru-buru-buru…

The Den Den Mushi rang, pulling Wright from his thoughts. He picked it up, recognizing the voice immediately—it was Garp.

"Yo, old man! What's up? Took down another pirate crew today. Want me to bring you some donuts?"

"Mm, mm… as expected, you're the only one who understands me…" The Den Den Mushi mimicked Garp's grin.

"But listen, brat. Sengoku just told me about a mission in the North Blue. It's related to Rosinante, who was in the same batch as you."

Wright's expression turned serious. Could it be—?

"It's a highly classified mission, so even I don't know the details. Everything seemed fine at first, but now things have taken a turn. Rosinante's situation has become… abnormal."

Abnormal? Not dead, then? That meant there was still time!

"Old man, did Sengoku give Rosinante one of my Lightcast Beacon Crystals? This is crucial!"

There was a pause on the other end before a different voice spoke—it was Sengoku himself. Apparently, Garp had wandered into Sengoku's office yet again.

"Wright, this is Sengoku. I'll explain. My relationship with Rosinante is not ordinary. He did receive two Lightcast Beacon Crystals. That's why I'm contacting you now."

Sengoku continued, "Vice Admiral Tsuru's fleet is currently in the North Blue, pursuing the notorious 'Donquixote Family.' Rosinante was assigned to gather intelligence on their movements. But recently, Tsuru has lost contact with him."

"Just moments ago, I had a final communication with Rosinante. But… something about him felt off."

"Wright, both the mission and Rosinante himself are of critical importance. As one of his few trusted friends with the strength to assist, I'm asking you to head to the North Blue immediately."

"Understood, Admiral. I'll return to HQ at once. Reaching the North Blue will take time, but once I'm in the area, I'll need the coordinates of Rosinante's last known location to proceed effectively."

"Good. I'll arrange for your immediate transfer to G-1 in the New World. From there, a warship will take you across the Calm Belt to the North Blue."

"Understood!"

Wright's tone was resolute. He knew just how deep Sengoku's bond with Rosinante ran. The fact that Sengoku had given Rosinante two of the rare Lightcast Beacon Crystals spoke volumes about the mission's gravity.

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