Sniper Joins

"I can accept you joining us." Jin's face lit up with delight, but then he heard Roy continue, "However, I have to place a countermeasure on you. Otherwise, I can't trust you."

Jin thought it over and knew that it could only be this way. No one else would agree to let someone as dangerous as him remain within their fleet.

"I'm going to plant a seed in your soul. I know your Observation Haki has some ability to resist, so if you make any move to resist while I'm planting it, I'll kill you immediately. Don't count on getting lucky."

Roy's Dream Seeds could only subtly influence people under most circumstances. They could be forcibly implanted, but only in the weak. If someone with a strong will resisted, the seed could not be planted—especially someone like Jin, who had awakened Observation Haki.

"Damn, boss, you're a Devil Fruit user too? What kind of ability is that? It sounds creepy as hell." Jin felt a chill run through his heart.

Roy merely looked at him in silence. Jin could only resign himself. "Fine, fine. Guess I'm unlucky. Do it. I won't resist."

It wasn't as if Jin had never considered resisting. But when he thought about how even the Observation Haki he had always taken pride in was inferior to Roy's, and how the gap between them in close combat was like heaven and earth, he knew resisting would bring him nothing good. Better to live badly than die well, so he abandoned those inappropriate thoughts.

Seeing that Jin no longer objected, Roy implanted a portion of the Dream Origin into Jin's dream. Normally, this would provoke fierce resistance from the host, but Jin kept suppressing himself with sheer willpower, making the process remarkably smooth.

"Done."

"That's it?" Jin was somewhat confused. He had felt a little discomfort at first, but after that, it seemed like nothing had happened.

Jin even suspected that Roy was bluffing him and that there had been no countermeasure at all. But Roy was already immensely satisfied. Jin's potential even surpassed Patch's. Now that Dream Origin had been planted in his dreams, after some time, even if someone threatened him with his life, he would never betray Roy.

That was what made the power of dreams so terrifying. It was not as direct and brutal as the Shadow-Shadow Fruit or the String-String Fruit, but it quietly changed a person like spring rain soaking into the earth. Even Jin's personality would not change in the slightest. The only change would be his attitude toward Roy, shifting from outward cooperation and inner estrangement to friendliness, respect, and ultimately, absolute loyalty.

With Jin's matter resolved, Roy was in high spirits. He had not only awakened Observation Haki, but also gained another powerful subordinate. Still, that did not lessen his killing intent toward the manager.

After his initial shock and fury had passed, Roy was no longer all that angry. On the sea, people killing people was far too common. Roy never liked to condemn others from some moral high ground, because he himself was hardly a good person.

But no matter how one put it, people had to pay for what they did. Since that manager had tried to kill him, he had to be prepared to be killed himself. That was the law of the sea.

Clearly, however, the manager did not understand that. Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury, he cherished his life immensely. The moment he saw Roy's group storm in with unstoppable force, he dropped to his knees, weeping and sniveling.

"I was wrong! I really was wrong! Lord Roy, please spare my miserable life! I still have a great deal of wealth, and I can offer it all to you! Besides, there's no benefit in killing me. You'll only completely fall out with the Vinsmoke Family, and then you won't be able to survive in the North Blue!" Mentioning the Vinsmoke Family seemed to restore some of the manager's confidence, and his tone became both pleading and threatening.

"The Vinsmokes? Then let them come. The North Blue has been peaceful for too long. It's time for a real war." Roy spun the pistol around his index finger as he spoke without restraint.

Only then did the manager realize what kind of madman he was facing. The Vinsmoke Family was a terrifying force that had once ruled the North Blue through military might, yet Roy actually dared to speak so arrogantly of starting a war against them.

"If those are your last words, then they're rather boring." Roy stopped spinning the gun, gripped its handle, and fired two shots at him. Bang! Bang!

Roy tossed the pistol to a pirate standing rigidly nearby and strode out of the arena. "Burn it down. Let this arena become history."

The flames dyed half the sky red, like a magnificent evening glow.

Bang! "What? Say that again!" A middle-aged man wearing a metal helmet, an orange cape, and a black combat suit roared in fury. He was the current head of the Vinsmoke Family, Vinsmoke Judge.

The soldier standing before him also appeared rather strange. His expression was stern, as if he did not take the man's fury to heart, yet he remained utterly respectful.

"Yes! Several days ago, Flavie Arena was captured by a group of pirates and subsequently burned down. The incident began when those pirates achieved a thousand consecutive victories in the arena and came into conflict with its manager. The manager dispatched the First Assassin, Tolstoy King, to assassinate them. The assassination failed, and the enraged pirates killed him. The pirates responsible were the Phantom Sword Pirates, a rookie pirate crew. Their captain is Phantom Sword Roy, formerly a somewhat renowned Pirate Hunter. Report complete. Awaiting instructions."

"Idiots! Bastards! Every last one of you is useless! Such a massive arena was actually taken by a rookie pirate crew!" He could not help being furious. His scientific research consumed an enormous amount of money, and Flavie Arena had been one of his steady sources of income. Now that it had been burned down, even if it were rebuilt, it would never regain its former reputation.

"Looks like I'll have to start wars in a few more kingdoms. Only by making more profit from war can I make up for the arena's losses. Damn it, this has disrupted my plans."

"I never expected even Jin to fail. Unbelievable." Jin's failure was no less of a loss to him than the destruction of the arena. After all, the Vinsmoke Family was an assassin organization, and Jin was their top assassin—the face of the entire organization.

Even Judge had to admire Jin's talent in Observation Haki. With his marksmanship combined with Observation Haki, almost no one in the North Blue could evade his assassinations.

"No matter the reason, these Phantom Sword Pirates must be punished. Otherwise, where would the Vinsmoke Family's prestige be?"

"Father, let me handle it." A green-haired man with a seaweed-like head spoke with a disdainful expression.

"Yonji, are you confident? They may be a rookie pirate crew, but their strength cannot be underestimated. Even Jin fell to them."

"That Jin was just trash who only dared to fire cheap shots from behind. I am Vinsmoke Yonji, born of noble blood. With our technological equipment, there can't possibly be anyone in the North Blue capable of defeating us."

"Very well. I'll give you 3,000 Elite Germa 66 Soldiers. Wipe out those madmen and make the North Blue fear the Vinsmoke name once again."

"A trivial matter. Just wait for my good news."

Elsewhere, an intellectual, mature beauty with short pink hair and long, smooth jade-like legs exposed was resting her cheek on one hand, deep in thought.