Heading to Marine Headquarters

"...Grandma."

Hancock stammered as she called out to Gloriosa before her.

Her two younger sisters beside her, Sandersonia and Marigold, were stunned at first. A moment later, they came to their senses and followed suit, calling her the same.

Gloriosa's brows relaxed, and the corners of her mouth kept rising. Gentle joy welled up within her, warmth already surging through her heart as her smile fully bloomed.

The regret she had never been able to let go of in this life was how, in her youth, she had been impulsive and abandoned all of Amazon Lily to venture out to sea alone, leaving behind her homeland and people.

That guilt had weighed on her heart from the day she left, never fading in the slightest over the decades.

Years later, when she finally returned home, even though the current Empress publicly pardoned her for fleeing the country and exempted her from all punishment, she had never truly let go of the self-reproach and torment in her heart.

Sometimes, when her people secretly regarded her as a traitor who had forsaken the nation and others treated her coldly and distantly, she actually felt a little better.

At least their condemnation could offset a small part of the sins she had committed through her willfulness back then.

And at this very moment, even if they were merely following the plan and pretending to be family, she could not help feeling stirred.

At last, she had a chance to make up for some of her past regrets.

Gloriosa was immersed in this rare warmth when Rayleigh's casual, carefree voice reached her ears at the most inopportune moment.

"Yo, old lady."

Hearing that familiar, punchable tone, Gloriosa instantly withdrew the warmth from her eyes. She turned to glare fiercely at Rayleigh, who was leaning against the ship's rail, clearly annoyed.

This old bastard had lived more than half his life and was still so frivolous, without a shred of propriety. He even dared call her an old lady so casually.

Old memories surged up in an instant. Gloriosa quietly looked away and sighed softly to herself.

She wondered whether Shakky was living peacefully and well these days.

Back when she had served as captain of the Kuja Pirates, Shakky had always been by her side, her most trusted and dependable vice-captain.

Their bond ran deep. How could there have been no lingering ties between them?

It was only because she had been too impulsive and headstrong back then, stubbornly abandoning everything and throwing the burden of an entire nation onto Shakky while she left alone for distant lands.

She had left Shakky to weather every storm alone. This was another debt she had carried for a lifetime.

"Shakky's doing well now. Her life is peaceful and comfortable, and everything is fine."

Rayleigh saw through the loneliness and guilt in Gloriosa's eyes at a glance. In an even tone, he spoke a few simple words that precisely addressed what weighed on her heart.

Hearing this, Gloriosa remained silent for a long while before finally nodding lightly without saying another word.

In an open area of the deck, Beiyuan Heng stood quietly to the side. Watching the heartwarming scene of "grandmother and grandchildren" recognizing one another and old friends reuniting, he slowly nodded, his eyes full of gratification.

He could not help calculating to himself how much his recognition would rise in two years if Hancock successfully became the new Empress of Amazon.

After a moment, Beiyuan Heng slowly withdrew his gaze and turned to Rayleigh, his thoughts immediately returning to reality.

However...

In the original story, with Rayleigh, Shakky, and Gloriosa giving Hancock their full support, she returned to Amazon Lily without incident. To the outside world, she only claimed that she had slain Demon Serpent Medusa alone and had taken on its unique curse.

From beginning to end, she had not revealed a single word about Rayleigh to the public.

Beiyuan Heng pondered to himself, wondering whether, since he had accompanied and helped them this time, all traces of his involvement would likewise be deliberately erased in the future.

But regardless of how things turned out, his help and protection along the way had surely already left a deep impression on the entire Kuja Pirates and on Hancock herself in the future.

This current degree of "recognition" alone had already made it worthwhile.

He was curious about the Empress who was now consumed by longing year after year and would eventually die with regrets.

Back when he used to browse the internet and chat casually, quite a few One Piece fans had analyzed and secretly speculated that this Empress, who died young, was Luffy's biological mother, though there had never been any evidence.

The "grandmother and grandchildren" who had reunited after so long did not waste time on needless pleasantries.

After a brief rest, the group set off in tacit understanding and climbed onto the broad head of the sea serpent beside them. Carried by the giant snake, they smoothly returned to the ship anchored in the distant Calm Belt.

Rayleigh also claimed to be Hancock's father and followed the sea serpent over.

As for how he would return to Sabaody, he could simply swim back.

After all, Rayleigh was the Dark King. He was just that strong.

Beiyuan Heng's naval fleet also recalibrated its course and slowly returned to its proper route, setting out along the planned course toward Marine Headquarters at Marineford.

"Commodore Beiyuan, the previous military order clearly required us to return to Marine Headquarters within three days..."

"Now that our journey has been delayed, how are we supposed to explain this to headquarters?"

Hina asked in a serious tone.

She had always disdained the World Government's way of doing things.

But as a Marine, Hina still had to follow the rules on the surface.

Otherwise, she would end up like Smoker, still only a major even now.

Hearing this, Beiyuan Heng sighed helplessly.

He raised a hand and loosened the button at his suit collar, then pulled a certificate from inside his jacket—the official document exclusive to CP9 agents that symbolized his secret identity.

"A CP9 agent is carrying out a top-secret mission for the World Government. This change in itinerary is not a private violation of orders."

He lowered his voice, his tone calm and firm, leaving no room for negotiation as he casually instructed the two beside him:

"This is a secret order directly from the World Government. Not a word of it may be leaked. Once we return to headquarters, remember to keep your mouths shut and make no announcement."

Hina and Smoker froze instantly, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

Yet Beiyuan Heng knew exactly what situation he was in.

On the surface, he was a promising Marine commodore. Since officially taking office, he had always followed the rules meticulously and obeyed every order from Marine Headquarters.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was unquestionably a rising Marine star with a clean background, limitless prospects, and the full confidence of his superiors. His future seemed bright.

But he knew perfectly well that Sengoku was cautious and meticulous. He would never fully trust someone like him, a special operative transferred from CP9 intelligence to the Marines.

His rank of commodore was stable for now, but advancing further and reaching the vice admiral level would be extremely difficult. There was even a high chance that he would never receive another promotion.

Meanwhile, his position within CP9 had long since reached its limit, leaving no hope of advancement.

The current supreme commander of CP9 was Spandine, a man who favored his relatives and held an intense thirst for power.

The next commander's position had long been reserved for his son, Spandam. The upper hierarchy was set in stone, with absolutely no room for change.

If he wanted to break this deadlock within the Marine system and rise smoothly through the ranks, relying on conventional military achievements and proceeding step by step simply would not work.

He could only seek another special shortcut and take risks to carve out a path forward.

For example, becoming Zephyr's disciple.

So revealing his special identity to them now did not make much difference to him.

It might even raise their recognition of Beiyuan Heng.