The Decision for the Future

After killing every mafia member in the castle, Nangong Yan began looting the place. After about half an hour of searching, he found over five million Berries.

That money was enough to last Nangong Yan a long time. There might have been other places in the castle where gold was hidden, but Nangong Yan could not be bothered to spend so much more time searching.

Now that he was all alone, having enough money was sufficient. Carrying too much on him would only be inconvenient.

He packed the Berries into a backpack before entering through the iron gate. Amid the crowd's tearful gratitude, he released everyone who had been captured and gave each of them some Berries, telling them to flee for their lives.

Once everyone had left the castle, Nangong Yan set it ablaze. Roaring flames surged through the castle, thick smoke billowed out, and before long, the entire place had become a sea of fire.

What was the difference between killing people without setting fires and being a salted fish? This was standard procedure!

After putting on his sunglasses, Nangong Yan did not hurry to leave. Instead, he entered a tavern, ordered a bottle of red wine, and sat in a corner. Ignoring the noisy surroundings, he quietly considered what path he should take next.

There was no doubt that he had to continue studying the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Golden Crow Fruit. Aside from those two, mastering Haki was also essential.

Even without Haki, the Golden Crow Fruit could still hurt others, including Logia users. However, Haki was an indispensable hallmark of the strong. With Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and even Conqueror's Haki, his strength would undoubtedly undergo a qualitative leap.

Nangong Yan figured that Observation Haki would not be difficult to learn. With the terrifying perception of the Mangekyo Sharingan to guide him, grasping it by analogy should not be too hard. The two complemented each other, and Nangong Yan believed that once he mastered Observation Haki, his eye power would definitely improve considerably as well.

To put it plainly, Conqueror's Haki was a form of spiritual power. It was merely rarer, and like Observation Haki, it was simply a different way of using spiritual power.

If he had the aptitude to awaken Conqueror's Haki in the future, the Mangekyo's eye power should increase once more.

Nangong Yan did not dare use the Mangekyo Sharingan without restraint. In this world, the chance of evolving it into Eternal Eyes was practically nonexistent. What if overusing it blinded him?

Unless there was something important at stake and he needed to end things quickly or go all out, he would not use the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Armament Haki was equally important. It could play a major role in both offense and defense. Although he could use the power of Kamui to nullify all attacks, he could not possibly rely on that ability forever.

Aside from the fear of going blind, there was another reason: it was simply too cowardly. It did not suit Nangong Yan's style, nor did it suit the style of the One Piece world.

The world of One Piece was different from the world of Naruto. Battles here were open and aboveboard, grand and imposing. During fights, people disdained schemes and tricks; it was always a direct clash of personal strength.

After thinking it over, Nangong Yan decided that he absolutely had to learn Haki. But once it came to learning Haki, he found himself troubled again. It was not that he feared hardship—he simply had no way to learn it.

Nangong Yan did not believe he was some genius or monstrous prodigy who could awaken Observation Haki and Armament Haki on his own through sheer brilliance.

That meant he needed someone to teach him. Yet neither Nangong Yan nor Blair had any background in this world, nor did they know any Haki masters. Unlike Luffy, who had no shortage of people willing to teach him Haki.

Having no avenue to learn Haki was what troubled Nangong Yan the most.

"Could it be that I really have to join the Marines in order to learn Haki?" Nangong Yan drained the crimson wine in one gulp and murmured softly.

After a long silence, Nangong Yan smiled in relief. "Forget it. I'll join, then. If I don't like it there, I can always defect from the Marines. If I do like it, I'll stay."

"A lone wolf cannot make it in this world. Even the legendary pirate Red Count was eventually imprisoned in Impel Down after exhausting his strength, losing his freedom, wasn't he?"

Having made up his mind, Nangong Yan rose from his chair, took the wine bottle, and walked out of the tavern toward the town's harbor.

Since he had decided to join the Marines, he needed to find out when they would next recruit. Nangong Yan planned to head to an island with a Marine branch stationed there and ask around. If the timing worked out, he could enlist right away.

Nangong Yan did not have a ship, but the weather in the Four Seas was nowhere near as extreme as that of the Grand Line or the New World. Aside from warships and pirate ships, there were plenty of merchant vessels and passenger ships.

After paying some Berries, Nangong Yan boarded a merchant ship bound for Kegufu Island to conduct business. There was a Marine branch there.

Because Nangong Yan had paid generously, the merchant ship's owner arranged a rather nice room for him. Nangong Yan quietly remained in his room, developing the Golden Crow Fruit and practicing control over the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Aside from the eye techniques hidden within the Mangekyo Sharingan itself, Nangong Yan had already tested its perception eye. As for its illusion eye and copying eye, he looked forward to seeing them shine.

Once he joined the Marines, Nangong Yan believed that the copying eye would definitely prove its worth.

A week later, they arrived at Kegufu Island. It was far larger than the town he had left behind, an archipelago with three satellite islands surrounding the main island.

The moment Nangong Yan stepped onto the island, he headed straight for the Marine garrison with a clear goal in mind.

"Military base. Unauthorized persons must leave immediately, or bear the consequences." A sailor standing guard at the entrance aimed his long musket at Nangong Yan, his expression stern.

"I mean no harm. I only wish to ask you two when the Marines will recruit next. I want to become a Marine like you two." Nangong Yan removed his extremely punchable sunglasses and smiled faintly.

Upon hearing his words, the two sailors smiled and lowered their muskets. One of them said with regret, "Brother, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a long time. The last recruitment drive was only two months ago. The next one is still a long way off."

Nangong Yan's expression froze. Seriously? Was he really this unlucky?

The two sailors felt some sympathy when they saw his expression, but there was nothing they could do.

Nangong Yan's eyes shifted, and an idea immediately came to him. He refused to believe that the Marines would let talent slip away!

He raised his right hand, and Solar True Flame blazed to life. The terrifying heat released by the pale golden flames instantly made the surrounding air unbearably hot. Smiling, Nangong Yan pulled out two thousand Berries with his left hand. "Please inform your branch commander. You two can use these Berries to buy yourselves drinks. I believe the Marines will be willing to take me in."

"A Devil Fruit user?" The two sailors' eyes widened as they stared at Nangong Yan in shock. After recovering their senses, they accepted the Berries with broad smiles. "Please wait a moment. We'll inform the commander."

Nangong Yan nodded, withdrew the Solar True Flame, and waited quietly.

Before long, a handsome Marine in a gray suit arrived at the entrance with seven or eight sailors. He wore a Marine justice cape, with a long sword hanging at his waist. One of the departing sailors introduced him to Nangong Yan. "This is our commander, Colonel Mei Feng."

"Hello. My name is Nangong Yan. I am a Zoan-type Mythical Zoan Golden Crow Fruit user. I hope Colonel Mei Feng will allow me to join the Marines, preferably by recommending me to Marine Headquarters." Nangong Yan spoke calmly as Solar True Flame erupted all over his body. The pale golden flames were tyrannical and scorching, drying the air until waves of heat rolled outward. Some of the weaker Marines had already begun sweating and instinctively moved away from Nangong Yan.

When they heard that Nangong Yan was a Mythical Zoan user, everyone was stunned, including Colonel Mei Feng. Mythical Zoans were even rarer than Logias. The current Marine Admiral Sengoku was a Mythical Zoan user.

Marco the Phoenix, the First Division Commander of Whitebeard's Pirates in the New World, was also a Mythical Zoan user. None of them were simple figures; all were important people.

Colonel Mei Feng asked in disbelief, "Are you really a Mythical Zoan user?"

Nangong Yan nodded.

After receiving confirmation, Colonel Mei Feng was both shocked and delighted. If he recommended such talent to headquarters, not only would he receive substantial benefits, but it would also greatly help his future career.

"Please, come in quickly. I'll call Marine Headquarters immediately. Stay here for a few days first. A dedicated warship should arrive to pick you up soon." After calming down, Colonel Mei Feng promptly made arrangements and ushered Nangong Yan inside.

Nangong Yan did not refuse. He withdrew the Solar True Flame covering his body and stepped into the Marine branch.