434 Aboard the Warship

In the first half of the Grand Line, a major battle is raging in the waters around Gaya Island, located in the central part of "Paradise," which has become the focus of "Paradise."

The escalation of the war, the great battle between pirates and the World Government, has thrown Paradise into a state of panic, leading to even more pirates and greater chaos.

At least half of the once prosperous Sabaody Archipelago has been transformed into Lawless Zone, rife with black market trade, which the Marine Headquarters cannot control.

With a large number of troops in the New World and the Golden Sea, it would be difficult even to defend the sea areas protected by the Marine Branch, let alone other areas.

In the first half of the Grand Line, far from the Golden Sea and close to Reverse Mountain, the G7 Branch is relatively different from the other Marine Branch located in the Grand Line, which all begin with the letter G and are guarded by Marine Vice Admiral.

The Marine Branch are numbered according to their establishment time, with the first branch located in the New World being established first. G5 Branch are all located in the New World.

Even if these Marine Branch are destroyed, these serial numbers will be retained and restored when they are re-established in the future.

As always, a naval warship departed from the G7 Branch and patrolled the waters it was stationed in, though the area they patrolled was much smaller than before.

The navy has suffered heavy losses. In recent days, at least half of its elite soldiers have been lost. The lack of combat power has forced the navy to switch to a defensive posture.

The patrol area has been shrunk again and again, and it is necessary to preserve sufficient combat power to reduce losses.

Of course, they would not run away from pirates; fighting pirates was something they had to do, and they would not stop chasing after pirates once they had escaped to a certain area.

Beyond that, their patrol area would be outside their reach, the navy's prestige would decline, and they would encounter many pirates outside, which ordinary patrol warships could not handle.

If it weren't for the frequent raids by several Marine Vice Admiral to crack down on pirates and curb their arrogance, those pirates might have even dared to storm the Marine Branch.

Such incidents occur occasionally and are extremely egregious; even though the pirates are eventually wiped out, they still cause considerable losses.

Generally speaking, pirates won't venture into the Navy's territory. Some enthusiasts have even drawn up the Grand Line and the Navy's sphere of influence, marking out which areas are Navy territory, and that's where you're likely to encounter the Navy.

Conversely, the remaining territory is the area where pirates can operate.

They printed out many copies and sold them, which then circulated Underworld. Basically, every pirate crew in the first half of the Grand Line, as well as pirates in the four seas who aspired to reach the Grand Line, had a copy of this sea chart.

This is a disgrace to the Navy, because the area marked as naval activity is only one-sixth of the first half of the Grand Line, which is something that cannot be helped.

It's important to understand that in the past, the Grand Line was the navy's backyard, where they could act with impunity, occupying at least 90% of the area, if not the entire one.

When pirates encounter the Marines, they either run or hide, unlike now.

The warship sailed on the sea, patrolling without a fixed direction or target. After all, the sea is so vast, and there are many islands not recorded on nautical charts, including countless uninhabited and unknown islands.

Furthermore, fixed routes are easily targeted or exploited by pirates who can find loopholes outside of those routes.

Under covert control, the warship sailed toward a target in an arc.

Just as Teach said, he had already made arrangements; the so-called accidents and coincidences were all premeditated.

The warship passed by an island in the distance, seemingly unconcerned. The island was small and uninhabited, clearly an uninhabited island.

Unbeknownst to them, someone on this island had been waiting for a very long time.

"They've finally arrived." Novoya smiled as he gazed at the warship that was keeping a certain distance from the island.

He felt both anticipation and excitement, because he had been waiting for a long time—almost a month.

Teach didn't tell him when the navy would arrive. After being sent to the island, he waited there, always gazing out to sea from the shore so as not to miss his chance.

The rest of the time was spent either training or developing the Steam-Steam Fruit.

As for how to join the Navy, Teach has already given him the opportunity; it's up to him to decide.

Novoya already had an idea, and even prepared his explanation; he was just waiting for this moment.

As soon as he finished speaking, Novoya's body flew directly into the sky, heading towards the distant Marine warship.

He did not intend to wait for the Marine warship to arrive, but instead planned to take the initiative.

On the other side, a man with an ordinary, even somewhat ugly, appearance, wearing a yellow shirt, shorts, and a cloak of justice, lay on a deck chair, holding a magazine in his hand.

A smile occasionally crept across his face, and the naval soldiers around him, who were clearly engaged in combat, secretly turned their gazes to the magazine in his hand, their faces slightly flushed, seemingly a little shy, but unable to suppress their curiosity.

"No wonder he's Kake Rear Admiral; he even managed to get his hands on such a limited edition magazine." A marine muttered in the shadows, his eyes filled with undisguised envy and longing.

"After Kake Rear Admiral finishes reading it, we might even be able to have a proper critique."

Kake is now only one step away from becoming Marine Vice Admiral. As a rising star in the Navy, he is powerful and his promotion speed has surpassed that of many of his predecessors from previous years.

Before long, he will be promoted to Marine Vice Admiral and become a true high-ranking officer in the navy.

At the same time, Kake is very approachable and down-to-earth, earning the trust of other naval personnel. Kake is also widely known in the navy; at least it is common knowledge that he proposed to Gion, now known as the "Flower of the Marines Rear Admiral," more than twenty times without success.

"Kake Rear Admiral, something's wrong! It looks like someone's flying over here!" A naval officer on lookout spotted Novoya flying from the island in the distance and shouted.

This shout immediately alerted all the marines, who prepared for battle as if an enemy was attacking.

Kake reacted quickly, put down the magazine in his hand, gently closed it, and then placed it at his waist.

"Where?" Kake asked.

"He's coming from that island; he can fly, and he's getting closer very quickly."

"Oh?" Kake somewhat surprised. It seemed they were heading towards the warship. At the same time, Kake also a little curious and didn't panic like the other marines.

Many people are stranded on desert islands, and the navy, sailing the high seas, often rescues some of them.

However, it's rare to see one come on its own initiative, and given that it can fly, it seems to be quite strong. I wonder what its ability is.

He was well aware of the Navy's current situation and its urgent need for fresh, powerful blood to replenish its ranks. If possible, he would invite him to join the Navy.

This way, he could also make a friend and expand his connections within the Navy. Of course, this only applies if he finds someone suitable. If someone only has the ability to fly without any special skills, he wouldn't care.

This can also help pass the time when you're bored.

He did not participate in the Golden Sea Battle or the war in the New World, which could be seen as the Marine Headquarters protecting them or giving them some time to grow.

Only by becoming stronger can you protect yourself.

Just as the Navy targets pirates with high potential, pirates also target the Navy's Supernovas.

Kake is clearly on the list now, along with other outstanding Navy personnel who have emerged from Zephyr's elite training camp.

The current situation is extremely urgent. Not to mention the Golden Sea, the Navy no longer wants to intervene and has handed over the initiative to the World Government's Army.

The wars in the New World are far too brutal, with many powerful individuals; a moment's carelessness can lead to death.

Right now, I'm just using the pirates on the Grand Line to hone my skills and gain experience, preparing for my future promotion.

"No need to rush, let's wait for him to come over." Kake said, sitting very leisurely in his chair, his gaze and Observation Haki already extending to the direction where Novoya was constantly approaching.

"Have I been discovered?" Although Novoya had not Awakening Observation Haki, his intuition, based on his training in Observation Haki, told him that he had been discovered.

It seems the officers on this warship are quite capable.

Novoya narrowed his eyes and unconsciously increased his speed. Steam enveloped Novoya, providing powerful propulsion as he surged forward.

In just one month, Novoya had become very proficient in developing the Steam-Steam Fruit, possessing a complete development plan and notes. As a nobleman, Novoya's comprehension ability was naturally first-rate.

Novoya has some of his own insights into the development of the Steam-Steam Fruit. As his understanding of the ability deepens, although he has a notebook, his own development is even more important.

He had completely burned that notebook. After reading it once, he had only gained an impression and a general understanding. He would remember some important things, but he would forget many others.

Teach didn't want Novoya's development of his Devil Fruit ability to be too much like that of Birka. Everyone is unique, and the same goes for the development of abilities. You can learn from others, absorb their strengths, and study their methods, but you can't imitate them.

Besides that, there's the existence of the Steam-Steam Fruit, which only a very few Night Pirates know about, but many veteran members of the Night Pirates have witnessed Birka using the Steam-Steam Fruit's abilities.

They didn't know that Birka's power was the Steam-Steam Fruit, and Teach didn't want them to know either.

Therefore, Novoya needs to develop a different Steam-Steam Fruit, even though Birka is very powerful in developing Steam-Steam Fruit.

"They've arrived."

Someone said it.

Previously, we needed a telescope, but now we can clearly see Novoya's figure and the white steam rising from Novoya body.

"Hmm, somewhat similar to that kid's abilities." Novoya's appearance reminded Kake of a troublemaker in the Marine Elite Training Camp.

Smoker Logia Fruit Devil Fruit User.

Kake had naturally paid attention to this; he himself had come from the elite training camp. Moreover, those who performed exceptionally well in the elite training camp were basically the future high-ranking officers of the Navy.

The Marine Headquarters is rife with factions, and many people are secretly watching them.

"Thump!" Novoya's figure descended from the sky, landing directly on the deck of the warship, a smile on his face and a hint of excitement in his eyes.

"Finally, someone's here! I don't know how long I've been waiting!" Novoya laughed loudly.

Novoya looked somewhat disheveled; her clothes were worn and faded, but Novoya was still very clean, having washed them regularly to keep herself looking fresh.

"Excuse me, where is this place?" Novoya asked a navy officer standing very close to her.

"The Grand Line." Although somewhat puzzled, the navy officer said it anyway.

"Oh, so you've come to a place like this." Novoya seemed somewhat surprised.

Kake also realized that this person didn't know where they were. What was going on?

"Navy, please take me to the nearest island. Thank you." Novoya glanced around before his gaze fell on Kake to be the captain of the warship, his tone relaxed and tinged with gratitude.

These words angered the surrounding sailors. Who did this guy think he was? What did he take them for? He gave them orders without saying a word, even though they were sailors.

The sailors looked at Novoya with somewhat hostile eyes.

"I'm very sorry, but our navy doesn't just pick up people of unknown origin. Tell me what's going on with you?" Kake spoke, looking at Novoya. Just from Novoya's tone, it was clear that Novoya had no respect for the navy whatsoever.

Conversely, he's not a pirate either; otherwise, he wouldn't have come here.

"Oh, no problem." Novoya nodded. "But before that, I'm also your guest, right? I haven't had a proper meal in a long time. Let's eat and talk."

He was very outgoing, acting as if he owned the ship. Although the other navy personnel were somewhat dissatisfied with Novoya, they didn't dare to cause trouble for no reason.

Although Novoya's origins are unknown, he is clearly a user of special abilities.

They are waiting for orders to Kake.

"Perfect timing, I'm hungry too, let's prepare some food." Kake and smiled.

"This is delicious! I haven't had anything this good in ages," Novoya sighed, a toothpick dangling from his mouth.

During the meal, Novoya recounted his experiences, making everyone marvel at his luck.

Born into nobility, he suffered misfortune and wandered from the North Sea to the West Blue. He accidentally became a slave and was transported to the Grand Line. During this time, the slave ship encountered a shipwreck and sank to the bottom of the sea.

Novoya was incredibly lucky to survive, ending up on a deserted island where he found the precious Logia Devil Fruit, the Steam-Steam Fruit.

All previous experiences were traceable and could be easily traced Kake investigated. During this period, Kaji had already had the Marine Headquarters investigate this intelligence and reported Novoya, since he was a Logia Devil Fruit User.

If properly nurtured, they won't be weak.

"So what are you going to do next?" Kake asked.

"Now that we have the strength, it's time for revenge. Let's kill that nobleman first." Novoya's eyes widened, revealing his ruthlessness.

"Even if you have a personal grudge, the Navy will not allow you to do such a thing," Kake said seriously. The nobleman in question was from Affiliated Nation.

If killed by Novoya, he would likely be wanted by the Affiliated Nation, have a bounty placed on his head by the navy, and be pushed to the opposite side of the navy.

"What if I become a Marine? I can act covertly, using my Marine identity as a cover, and then nothing will happen, right?" Novoya laughed nonchalantly.

Upon hearing this, Kaji's pupils Kake, and he immediately labeled Novoya as someone who broke the rules and acted recklessly, actually trying to use his identity as a Marine to do such a thing.