One Piece:The Fruit of Evolution

"Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Commodore Sakazuki, and another Vice Admiral I don't know, plus me as the Rear Admiral."

A few days later, I watched the warships converging on the sea. Ron clicked his tongue slightly.

One Admiral-level powerhouse, two Vice Admiral-level powerhouses, plus Sakazuki, whose strength is comparable to that of Marine Vice Admirals with his Logia Devil Fruit power. And then there's Ron, a Rear Admiral on paper, though his combat prowess rivals that of an ordinary Vice Admiral.

This lineup—practically a full-fledged Buster Call. No, in fact, even a real Buster Call doesn't feature this level of firepower. After all, his undead battleship was akin to a castrated version of Buster Call-level firepower.

In addition to these high-ranking combatants, nearly 10,000 elite Marines had been drawn from Naval Headquarters. The number of Marine battleships alone exceeded a hundred.

To take on the Ward Pirate group, such a massive force had to be deployed. It showed just how much importance the World Government placed on capturing Byrnndi World.

"If he still manages to escape, then we must have a spy among us," Ron muttered to himself.

Facing the Ward Pirates with Buster Call-level strength, coupled with an undercover agent inside the crew, if they couldn't win against Byrnndi World, then it felt like they were being toyed with. After all, Byrnndi World wasn't Roger—accidents always seemed to occur at critical moments.

Did they really think that in this world, everyone had the same luck as the protagonist?

"There are no spies here, but accidents can happen at any time. Stay vigilant," Tsuru Vice Admiral said softly, her tone calm yet heroic.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru, if I recall correctly, you're not married yet, are you?" Ron asked, looking at her intellectual face.

"Why, are you planning to court me?" Tsuru looked at Ron with amusement, noting the age difference between them.

"If we successfully capture Byrnndi World, Vice Admiral, perhaps you'd consider dating me," Ron said nonchalantly.

In her youth, Tsuru had an indescribably mature and intellectual charm. Whether it was in terms of strength or status, she seemed a perfect match for him. His pursuit was open and straightforward; it was the instinct of a man and biological reproduction. 

He hadn't been interested in women before because he wasn't fond of common people, but that didn't mean he was entirely without desires. In fact, desire often drove progress.

He climbed the ranks desperately, not to be mere cannon fodder, but to leave his mark on the world. Killing pirates was simply part of that process, since as a Marine, he needed merits to rise in rank.

And what was the best way to gain merit? Killing pirates, of course!

It's not that he sought out pirates just for the sake of doing so; he truly despised those who behaved like thugs, which is why he pursued them ruthlessly. But at the end of the day, his actions served his own ambitions and desires, not some idealistic notion of justice for the World Government or the Marines.

The World Government's sense of justice? It was a farce. Ron wasn't as brainwashed as Akainu, who truly believed in Marine ideals. In his eyes, the World Government was the greatest evil. 

After centuries of power, the Government had rotted to its core. No matter how glamorous its exterior, inside it was completely corrupt. If he truly wanted justice, the first thing he would have to do is destroy the World Government.

That goal was a bit far off, but as for pursuing Tsuru Vice Admiral, he was more than capable.

"If you survive, we'll talk," Tsuru responded, shaking her head.

Over the years, many within the Marines had pursued her, but none had ever won her over. She was from the same generation as Sengoku and Garp, having lived through the most challenging periods of Marine history. She had faced dangers and hardships far beyond the comprehension of these younger Marines. She wasn't the kind of woman who could be swayed by mere words.

To become her husband, a man would have to be as strong as Sengoku or Garp. 

Ron, who had been politely turned down, wasn't fazed. At the moment, he lacked the strength and status of a veteran Vice Admiral like Crane, but that was temporary. Given time, he knew he would stand at the top of this era, becoming an insurmountable force in the world. Eventually, she would bear his mark, transformed completely by his presence.

"We're almost there! Prepare the entire fleet!" Sengoku said suddenly in a deep voice, interrupting the conversation.

Ron glanced at him, sensing that Sengoku's timing was intentional, as if he deliberately wanted to interrupt the moment. Was it because Sengoku, a lifelong friend, couldn't stand seeing someone finally get out of the single life? 

If so, why not help instead of interrupting? What was he playing at?

If Ron recalled correctly, Sengoku had been married with children, much like Garp. Was he planning to take their camaraderie to the next level?

"Ugh, disgusting," Ron thought to himself.

If Sengoku dared to compete for Tsuru, even being a Marine Admiral wouldn't save him. No one, not even the highest-ranking officers, could take what Ron wanted.

Meanwhile, Sengoku looked at the sea with a serious expression, without a trace of the thoughts Ron imagined. Sengoku simply didn't like Ron's reckless, aggressive nature. As part of the balanced faction, he preferred to pit pirates against each other, using subtle tactics to weaken their power while maintaining peace and allowing the Marines room to grow.

People like Ron, who were always stirring up fights and trying to wipe out pirates, were a headache. Along with Sakazuki, Ron was one of the rising stars of the hardliners, and Sengoku naturally didn't want his friend Tsuru to get involved with someone so extreme and dangerous.

As the tension rose, a massive pirate ship appeared in the distance, speeding toward them.

"Marines! Why are there so many Marines here?" Byrnndi World's eyes narrowed at the sight of the massive fleet ahead.

It was baffling to him—how had they come across this many Marines?

Coincidence? Or was there a traitor on ship?

"Impossible. Only my closest confidants know the route. They would never betray me. This must be a coincidence." He shook his head.

Unfazed by the massive Marine presence, Byrnndi World laughed loudly. He was the World Destroyer, Byrnndi World! Did they think a mere hundred warships could catch him?

"Speed up! Let's show these Marines what we can do!" he shouted.

Standing on the ship's railing, the massive figure aimed his gun at the warships ahead. "The World Government should have been destroyed long ago."

Boom!

The gunfire echoed as a bullet shot from the barrel, its size increasing a hundredfold in an instant, creating a deafening sonic boom. The sea trembled from the force.

The enormous bullet, now moving at tremendous speed, flew directly toward the Marine fleet.

Boom!

Flames erupted as a warship exploded.