Being Too Conspicuous Is Also a Problem

The Training Camp cadets' combat practicum came to a successful conclusion. This class of cadets had been fortunate—backed by Wright, the ultimate healer, even if he had only been responsible for post-battle recovery, it had been enough to leave them with no worries whatsoever. Such miraculous treatment had been unimaginable in the past!

Zephyr had also set the strongest record since the Training Camp's founding—no casualties among all participants in the combat practicum. Furthermore, they had validated a new tactic suited for lower- and mid-ranking officers and soldiers in actual combat—the Combined Assault Formation. It could greatly elevate the combat power of lower- and mid-ranking personnel, who had previously been scattered forces fit only for cannon fodder and harassment. Its significance for improving Marine combat strength was epoch-making.

This method had first been proposed and tested by the creator of the zero-casualty miracle—Cadet Ensign Wright. Chief Instructor Zephyr, an admiral at Marine Headquarters, had organized, summarized, and personally refined it before reporting directly to Fleet Admiral Kong and applying to draw officers of all ranks from Headquarters to further improve it.

The matter was of great importance, concerning an overall improvement in Marine combat power, and was under strict confidentiality. The participating cadets had already been ordered to keep it secret until Headquarters officially announced it.

As for Wright, the foremost contributor to the matter, after completing his supporting role in the combat practicum, he finally received the personal practicum assignment he had long wished for—pursue and capture the brutal pirate captain with a 75 million Beli bounty who had been entrenched in the middle section of the Grand Line: Daniel Joyce of the Evil Dog Pirates, known as "Evil Dog," and a Dog-Dog Fruit, Pit Bull Model user!

This was still the early days of the Great Pirate Era. The number of pirates flooding into the Grand Line was skyrocketing, but those who could successfully reach the midway transit point of the Grand Line—the Sabaody Archipelago—normally had bounties of at least 50 million. A pirate with a bounty exceeding 70 million was undoubtedly among the best of them.

The Evil Dog Pirates differed from ordinary pirate crews capable of entering the New World. This group had lingered along the route between the Sabaody Archipelago and Water 7 for several months, seemingly in no hurry whatsoever to enter the New World. They had not even coated their pirate ship on the islands!

As the mandatory route to the latter half of the Grand Line—the New World—the Sabaody Archipelago offered two ways to reach the New World:

First, take the official World Government route and apply to pass through the Holy Land of Mary Geoise atop the Red Line. Naturally, pirates could not take this route—were they tired of living?

Second, the virtually only route available to pirates—coat a pirate ship with resin from the Yarukiman Mangroves of the Sabaody Archipelago, dive ten thousand meters beneath the sea, pass through the enormous cavern beneath the Red Line, travel through Fish-Man Island along the "Underwater Route," and reach the New World.

The Evil Dog Pirates had neither coated their ship nor left the route between the Sabaody Archipelago and Water 7 for months. Such abnormal behavior had naturally drawn the Marines' attention. In this era, a bounty above 70 million was already not to be underestimated.

However, with the explosive increase in pirates, Marine Headquarters was increasingly short on manpower. There were only so many flag officers, and even the personnel needed to blockade Paradise's seven routes were insufficient. Worse still, the Evil Dog Pirates were exceptionally slippery, skilled at gathering intelligence, and first-rate at running away.

The moment they spotted a Headquarters flag officer, they fled without a word. Battalion Commanders, meanwhile, were no match for "Evil Dog" Daniel Joyce. Joyce's Devil Fruit ability was quite formidable, and he himself was a master of physical combat. Though he could not use Haki, his combat strength could reliably suppress even Headquarters colonels.

The reason Zephyr had assigned the pursuit of "Evil Dog" to Wright this time was precisely because Wright was a complete nobody on the Grand Line, while "Evil Dog" Joyce was not from Wright's famous East Blue, but from the West Blue.

Therefore, Wright, whose rank was only ensign, would not arouse Joyce's vigilance. Yet Wright was a monster with immense combat power. Zephyr, who had personally trained Wright, knew perfectly well that Wright's strength was solidly at the level of a Headquarters rear admiral. Not to mention that absurd support ability of his—it would be hard for him to die even if he wanted to.

Recently, Marine intelligence had discovered that the Evil Dog Pirates appeared to be engaged in "slave hunting." They captured civilians from nearby islands or weaker pirates passing through, then sold them as slaves to the infamous slave auction houses of the Sabaody Archipelago for huge sums of Beli. This also explained the Evil Dog Pirates' strange movements.

As Marines, Admiral Sengoku and Zephyr both knew perfectly well about the connection between the slave auction houses of the Sabaody Archipelago and the "World Nobles"—the Celestial Dragons. Thus, despite Marine Headquarters being so close to the Sabaody Archipelago, they were utterly unable to eliminate them, or even crack down on the island's slave trade on a large scale.

Therefore, the Marines could only target pirate crews that had "changed careers" into Slave Hunting Groups, raising their bounties accordingly to restrain this dark industry as much as possible.

After learning about the Evil Dog Pirates, Wright naturally accepted the mission gladly. What a joke—in the East Blue, pirates would rather turn themselves in at a Marine base than become part of a Slave Hunting Group. Turning themselves in at least gave them a chance to live. But if they became slave hunters and Wright found them, he would pursue them for thousands of miles. He would not rest until the entire Slave Hunting Group had been exterminated, leaving not a single one alive!

Pursuing pirates in the waters of the Grand Line was no easy task. Even in Paradise, it was unrealistic for one person to put to sea alone to hunt pirates. Thus, Wright had initially considered waiting for them at the Sabaody Archipelago, but unfortunately—

Ashes, Wright's "bound" weapon that had been continuously infused with Holy Light Power for several years, was an important part of his combat strength and could not possibly leave his side. And as Ashes seemed to have inherited one of Holy Light Power's key traits quite well—being flashy!

That was right. As the Movie Emperor's saber, if it was not cool enough, flashy enough, and loaded with special effects, how could it face anyone? Ashes perfectly displayed its attributes as the Movie Emperor's exclusive prop—a hazy golden glow constantly coiled around the blade, breathtakingly beautiful. Even a scabbard could not conceal it, much less wrapping it in cloth or anything of the sort.

If he brought a sword like that to the Sabaody Archipelago, while being an unknown nobody himself, given the nature of those villains, the CP Organization, and any Celestial Dragons who might appear, would that not be forcing him to slaughter his way through the entire archipelago?

He still could not slaughter his way through the archipelago yet... but that was not the point.

His training was still insufficient. Ashes' Holy Light Power could be released but not withdrawn. He would have to do it himself, then... The Sabaody Archipelago was not suitable for waiting for prey, but that did not mean other places were not!

Once the Trainee Warship had finished resupplying before its return voyage, Wright left the warship that was about to return to Headquarters and asked for a spare small boat—

Wright had plenty of experience with small boats. Under the strange gazes of his teacher Zephyr, instructor Gumir, Smoker, Rosinante, and his fellow cadets, he sailed toward an island so distinctive that anyone who had seen it once would never forget it—

The renowned world-class shipbuilding holy land, Water 7.