News of the Snake Princess Sisters

No one had expected Kizaru, who was always lazy and loved to cut corners whenever trouble arose, to become unusually diligent this time.

Instead of dawdling as usual, he quickly sorted through the mission report Beiyuan Heng had submitted.

After confirming that there were no errors, he immediately boarded a warship, left the Sabaody Archipelago, and sailed straight toward Marine Headquarters.

Yet Kizaru's departure took far longer than Beiyuan Heng had expected.

He had originally thought that, with the speed of Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit, a round trip to Marine Headquarters would take no more than an instant.

Even factoring in the time needed to recommend him to Zephyr, it should not have taken long. Yet day after day passed, and there was still no news of Kizaru's return.

During the days Kizaru was away, Beiyuan Heng continued to stand guard at the Sabaody Archipelago without the slightest slackening.

However, his range of activity was no longer limited to the areas previously guarded by the Marines. It gradually expanded to cover nearly the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

Whenever he had free time, he would occasionally stop and guide the stationed Marine soldiers in their training.

Watching the soldiers' somewhat clumsy movements during training, a question gradually arose in Beiyuan Heng's mind.

He did not know whether it was just his imagination, but among the Marines, there seemed to be surprisingly few soldiers training in the Six Powers. Most relied only on basic hand-to-hand combat and firearms.

In contrast, Devil Fruit users, who were extremely rare on the seas, were rather common in the Marines.

Before Kizaru could return from Marine Headquarters to the Sabaody Archipelago, the system had already given feedback on what Beiyuan Heng had done to the Sun Pirates.

[Swimming Mastery (Green)] quietly transformed into [Swimming Pinnacle (Blue)], greatly improving his swimming ability and taking his agility in water to another level.

[Swimming Pinnacle (Blue)]: Your understanding of swimming has reached the pinnacle. All kinds of swimming techniques come naturally to you. You will be exceptionally agile in water, consume less stamina, recover stamina faster in water, and may even possess greater strength underwater.

In addition, the system added an entirely new green trait called [Fish-Man Friend (Green)].

[Fish-Man Friend (Green)]: Fish-men are more likely to regard you as a companion when they see you and lower their guard. It also slightly increases your movement speed underwater and marginally improves your combat ability in water.

With [Basking in Spring Breeze (Green)] and [Fish-Man Friend (Green)], Beiyuan Heng could now even get onto Fish-Man Island simply by showing his face.

Unless they were fish-men who were naturally antisocial, he could exchange a few words with any of them.

Combined with the newly advanced [Swimming Pinnacle (Blue)], his movement speed underwater was now almost comparable to that of an ordinary fish-man at full speed. He could travel freely through the sea, coming and going like the wind.

And with the "Life Return Secret Art: Imitation" he had mastered earlier, he might actually be able to pass himself off as a fish-man.

One day, Beiyuan Heng was sitting in his office, studying Armament Haki training techniques, when the Den Den Mushi on his desk suddenly began to ring.

He reached out and answered it. The steady voice of a Marine Headquarters staff member came from the other end.

They informed him that Kizaru was currently carrying out another urgent mission and could not return to the Sabaody Archipelago for the time being.

Headquarters had decided to send another admiral candidate to take charge of the Sabaody Archipelago, assume Kizaru's duties, continue patrolling the islands, and pursue the Sun Pirates.

However, the person on the other end did not explicitly state who this admiral candidate would be. They only said that further notice would follow.

After hearing the report from headquarters, Beiyuan Heng rubbed his brow helplessly.

How long had it been already? With the speed of Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit, even a mission spanning most of the Grand Line should have been completed by now, right?

Countless questions swirled through his mind, but he quickly suppressed them.

"Haki training cannot be rushed. Haste makes waste."

He leaned back in his chair, slowly closed his eyes, and thought to himself:

"Haki cultivation requires steady accumulation and gradual refinement. Only by polishing it little by little can one truly grasp its essence."

"When the time comes to make a stunning debut, the effect will be even better..."

Just as he was preparing to get up and head to the shore for that day's Haki training, the office door was gently pushed open.

A soldier in a Marine uniform walked in and reported loudly:

"Report, Commodore Beiyuan Heng! Our fleet on the outskirts of the Sabaody Archipelago has discovered a group of suspicious people in Area 30 and has come to report it to you."

Beiyuan Heng opened his eyes, nodded slightly at him, and said calmly:

"Go on. What exactly happened?"

The soldier acknowledged the order, quickly stepped forward, and gently placed a compiled intelligence report on Beiyuan Heng's desk.

Beiyuan Heng picked up the report and carefully read through it, his eyes swiftly scanning every word.

A moment later, he slowly raised his head, a glimmer of understanding flashing through his eyes.

The contents of the report were quite simple. A patrol had discovered a group of strangers who had just arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago in Area 30. They looked ragged and miserable, like displaced refugees.

Though these people appeared to be refugees, they were more likely slaves who had been rescued by the Sun Pirates and had only recently gained their freedom.

After all, such things had long been commonplace throughout the Sabaody Archipelago and the Four Blues.

Almost every month, slaves who had escaped from somewhere or been freed would appear.

But what truly caught Beiyuan Heng's attention was not these refugees who were suspected slaves, but the words "three sisters" in the report.

Three sisters in the world of One Piece?

Weren't the most famous ones the Snake Princess Sisters of Amazon Lily?

These three were important figures on Amazon Lily Island.

Boa Hancock in particular was not only the queen of Amazon Lily, but also known as the "World's Most Beautiful Woman," possessing enormous fame and formidable strength.

If his name could spread through their country, other people's awareness of him would undoubtedly rise rapidly. Perhaps it might even generate a new high-quality trait.

Moreover, if he remembered correctly, Dark King Rayleigh was Boa Hancock's savior, and the two shared a significant connection.

In other words, if he could get in touch with the Hancock sisters now, he might have a chance to meet Rayleigh.

As the vice-captain of Pirate King Roger, Rayleigh's strength was unfathomable.

If he could make an impression in front of him and convince him that he was a capable Marine, the awareness he gained would be worth as much as that of a small country.

Beiyuan Heng had always been happy to participate in anything that could help him gain more awareness from others and advance his cultivation.

He put away the report, stood up, and ordered:

"I'll handle this personally. I'll go to Area 30 and see what's going on."

Then he looked at the soldier again and added gently:

"You can continue training on the warship. There's no need to follow me. Just maintain your usual posts. Aside from the routine patrols in Areas 1 through 5, leave the matters in the other areas to me."

The soldier hurriedly nodded. There was not the slightest trace of doubt on his face, and he felt even more admiration for Beiyuan Heng.

In his eyes, his superior was excellent in every way—capable and steady-minded.

His only "flaw" was that he was too hands-on. Especially when it came to civilians and refugees, he always stepped in to negotiate personally and never handled matters perfunctorily.

Beiyuan Heng smiled and said nothing more. He turned to the desk, gently drew the famed blade Demon Cutter from beside it, and skillfully fastened it at his waist.

He then picked up the conspicuous Marine cape draped over the back of his chair, threw it over his shoulders, and headed straight toward Area 30 of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Area 30 of the Sabaody Archipelago was not usually a bustling place. It mostly consisted of abandoned docks and dilapidated houses.

Yet today, it seemed especially unusual.

A strangely shaped ship had suddenly appeared by the docks. It flew no flags and did not even have sails.

Yet this seemingly crude ship could move without wind and had steadily docked along the shores of the Sabaody Archipelago.

News of this quickly spread through the nearby area, drawing many onlookers and sparking plenty of discussion.

Some claimed that when the ship docked, they had vaguely seen fish-men swimming beneath the water, as though they had been pushing the vessel forward.

But rumors were only rumors. No one could produce any evidence to prove it, and most people simply treated it as a curiosity, watched for a while, and left.

Not far from the sail-less ship, in a dark and damp corner,

three young girls in ragged clothes were tightly huddled together, clinging to one another as they stared warily and fearfully at the onlookers and pirates outside.