"The Immortal" Ryan Hunter

Roger's Bar, Sabaody Area 5

Named after the Pirate King, this bar was not only a regular gathering place for pirates but also a hidden thread running through Sabaody's underworld.

Each of the six kings of the underworld had planted informants here.

Whispered negotiations over assassination contracts took place in private booths, arms trade manifests were hidden beneath wine barrels, and smuggling deals for all kinds of contraband were quietly completed in the shadows of the bar counter...

Here, as long as one had enough Berries, anything could be found.

Naturally, the pirates stationed here were no insignificant nobodies.

On the surface, the bar's owner was one of the pirate supernovas who had dominated the edge of the New World two years ago—"Immortal" Ryan Hunter, with a bounty as high as 250 million Berries.

He was a user of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Honey Badger, possessing terrifying vitality.

Rumor had it that he had once taken one of "Beasts" Kaido's Thunder Bagua attacks head-on. Every bone in his body had shattered, yet he had survived, forcefully enduring it with his Fruit's regenerative abilities.

The title "Immortal" had spread across the four seas because of that.

After that battle, Ryan Hunter had completely submitted to Kaido's strength, joining the Beasts Pirates as one of Kaido's officers.

Kaido had sent him to the Sabaody Archipelago to guard the underground businesses there while keeping watch on the Marines and other forces.

But Roger's Bar held secrets far beyond Ryan Hunter alone.

Several assassins with concealed presences lurked in the bar's shadows. Their faces were hidden behind masks, with only the chill in their eyes flashing through.

They were subordinates of the assassin king, the Big Hand Funeral Director, specializing in dark businesses such as contract killings and human organ trafficking.

Rumor had it that as long as they received enough Berries, they would dare to try even a target on the level of an Emperor of the Sea.

Besides that, the other kings of the underworld—the king of arms, the king of intelligence, the leader of slave traders, and others—also maintained dedicated business outposts here.

This place could be considered their most vital branch base in the first half of the Grand Line, as well as a stage where all sides secretly competed.

And with Ryan Hunter's strength, barring any accidents, this "Immortal" supernova would surely grow into a top-tier pirate of the Beasts Pirates, on the level of the Three Calamities or the Flying Six.

Then, one day, a crumpled intelligence brief was respectfully delivered to Ryan Hunter by an intelligence agent.

"When did the Marines get so arrogant? Is he some hotheaded fool?"

After scanning the report, he frowned, his tone full of impatience.

The report was simple: a Marine commodore named Beiyuan Heng had been leading his Marine soldiers over the past few days, starting from Sabaody Area 1 and gradually clearing out pirate forces along the way.

Unlike the Marines' usual half-hearted efforts, this commodore struck ruthlessly and killed without hesitation.

By now, Beiyuan Heng had already approached the border of Area 5.

"Choosing this time to uphold justice? He really picked a fine moment."

Ryan Hunter drained his rum in one gulp, a cold sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

The slave liberation incident that had erupted not long ago had caused a huge uproar. Even the underworld's businesses had been forced to halt for a time, leaving everything unusually quiet.

Kaido had specifically issued orders for all his subordinates to keep a low profile during this period, rein in their edge, and not provoke the Marines without cause, lest they step on a landmine and bring trouble upon themselves.

Under normal circumstances, the moment Beiyuan Heng's Marine force entered Area 1, Ryan Hunter would have already led men out to crush those Marines who did not know their place. Why would he have waited until now, allowing them to advance right to his doorstep before hearing of it?

"Who exactly is this Beiyuan Heng?"

Ryan Hunter raised his eyes toward the intelligence agent before him, impatience in his voice.

"Since when did the Marines have someone like him? How come I've never heard of him?"

In his impression, most Marines were cowards afraid of death. There were few who acted so recklessly without regard for consequences.

"This subordinate does not know. We have not yet uncovered his background."

The intelligence agent lowered his head respectfully. "However, according to the information we've gathered, he appears to be a newly appointed commodore. He had no reputation at Marine Headquarters before, as if he suddenly emerged from nowhere."

After a pause, the intelligence agent added:

"Also, I have confirmed that he is not a Devil Fruit user. The techniques he normally uses are mostly the Marine Six Powers, and his physical abilities are exceptionally strong."

Ryan Hunter nodded slightly at that, and some of the doubt in his eyes faded.

In his view, Beiyuan Heng's background was unimportant. What mattered was how strong he was.

Still, even if this Marine had some ability, openly provoking the Beasts Pirates like this was far too arrogant.

He picked up the intelligence brief from the table and read it carefully once more. It contained information on Beiyuan Heng's warship, the number of soldiers under his command, and detailed records of the pirates he had cleared out and the trade sites he had destroyed over the past few days.

"He's truly a fledgling Marine,"

he said slowly, his tone filled with contempt.

"He only wants to uphold his so-called justice, yet he knows nothing of the rules of this sea. The strong devour the weak. Strength is the only true law. So-called justice is nothing more than an excuse weaklings use to deceive themselves."

"We let him swagger around for a few days because no one bothered to deal with him. Now, it's time to show him what reality is!"

Ryan Hunter's gaze instantly turned vicious, and silver-gray fur began growing across his body.

"Lord Hunter,"

the intelligence agent hesitated for a moment before gathering his courage to remind him,

"Lord Kaido specifically instructed us to keep a low profile during this period and not provoke the Marines. If things get out of hand and alert an admiral from Marine Headquarters, it will be difficult to clean up..."

"Shut up!"

Ryan Hunter slammed the table. The wooden tabletop in the booth instantly shattered, and liquor splashed all over the floor.

"How much commotion can teaching a mere Marine commodore a lesson cause? Besides, if we don't act now, he'll be shitting all over the heads of the Beasts Pirates!"

Every word dripped with disdain for the Marines, as though Beiyuan Heng was nothing more than an ant he could crush at will.

As he spoke, Ryan Hunter bent down and picked up the weapon leaning beside the booth.

It was a jet-black spiked club covered in razor-sharp studs.

This had not originally been his weapon. But ever since Kaido defeated him and he submitted to Kaido, he had deliberately begun imitating Kaido's style. He had specially forged this spiked club, even copying Kaido's techniques—brutal and domineering.

Though he had failed to learn even a fraction of Kaido's true strength, his appearance and bearing had come to resemble Kaido's somewhat.

Several days later, outside Sabaody Area 5.

Beiyuan Heng wore a white Marine cape, the word "Justice" on its back particularly eye-catching among the crowd.

There were many pirates on the Sabaody Archipelago, but there were also quite a few civilians.

Every area had numerous civilians running all kinds of shops: snack stalls, general stores, tailor shops, and taverns.

They appeared ordinary, but in truth, those who could safely run businesses in places where pirates gathered all had some connection to pirates or underground forces. Either they paid exorbitant protection fees, or they were personally involved in gray-market dealings.

Of course, Beiyuan Heng did not concern himself with such people, nor could he possibly manage them all.

Just as Beiyuan Heng was preparing to end this probing patrol and return to the warship to discuss today's operational plan with his soldiers,

a group of figures suddenly flooded out of the surrounding alleys and storefronts, instantly surrounding him from all sides.

These people carried the heavy air of pirates. Their gazes were fierce as they watched Beiyuan Heng like tigers eyeing prey, sealing off every possible route of retreat.

One pirate with a scar across his face stepped forward, his tone arrogant.

"You're Beiyuan Heng, the one who's been clearing out pirates everywhere, right? Your arrogant days end today! My lord will show you what a real pirate is!"

Beiyuan Heng raised an eyebrow, calmly sweeping his gaze over the pirates before him before asking flatly, "Who is your lord? Tell him to come out and speak for himself. Don't send little lackeys like you to waste my time."

At those words, the scar-faced pirate's eyes flew wide with rage. He pointed in the direction of Roger's Bar, raising his voice even higher.

"My lord is the big boss of Roger's Bar, a member of the Beasts Pirates, a pirate supernova from two years ago, a Devil Fruit user, the man with a bounty of 250 million Berries—Lord 'Immortal' Ryan Hunter!"