Marineford, Attending the Grand Event

The Paramecia Illusion-Illusion Fruit looked incredibly mysterious.

After playing with the Illusion-Illusion Fruit for a moment, Roya directly ate it.

Perhaps because it had no side effects, the fruit did not have the slightest taste.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

In the blink of an eye, a minute had passed, yet Roya did not feel any strange changes in his body.

Could it be that it had no effect?

Just as this thought arose in Roya's mind,

a figure appeared before him.

This figure was precisely Roya's appearance beneath his cloak!

Seeing this, Roya knew that the Illusion-Illusion Fruit had taken effect!

Roya examined the phantom before him, which looked identical to himself, then personally reached out to test it.

The phantom was very realistic and even felt solid to the touch, after all, it possessed a small portion of his strength.

This strength would grow more powerful through continuous development.

Armament Haki covered his arm as Roya decisively smashed the phantom before him.

"Its endurance is pretty good too. As long as it doesn't suffer fatal damage, the phantom probably won't dissipate."

Roya muttered to himself before adding, "Then what about this!"

As soon as Roya's words fell, more than a hundred phantoms appeared across the warship.

These phantoms were all created according to Roya's imagination!

They took the forms of Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, Shanks, and others...

They were all renowned figures of the seas.

If anyone else, or the Marines, saw this, they would probably be scared half to death and think some terrifying conspiracy was taking place between them.

However, Roya frowned slightly as he looked at the hundred phantoms before him.

The bodies of these phantoms were extremely illusory, and each of them looked very weak.

Presumably, it was because that portion of power had been divided evenly among them!

Roya casually waved his hand, and the phantoms immediately vanished like smoke.

On the warship, Roya continuously experimented with all kinds of abilities.

He discovered that the Illusion-Illusion Fruit barely improved his own combat strength at all!

However, its supporting capabilities were terrifyingly powerful!

It could even create illusions to interfere with opponents!

Just as the system had said, this was an exceptionally top-tier fruit. Though it excelled in support, there were no useless fruits, only useless users.

Roya believed that as he continued developing it, he would definitely create even more powerful abilities in the near future!

The corner of Roya's mouth curled up slightly. Over the following days, he frantically developed the fruit's abilities and named these techniques!

Until the fixed Den Den Mushi aboard the warship began to ring.

"Buru buru, buru buru."

Following the sound, Roya arrived at the warship's bridge.

After thinking for a moment, Roya answered the Den Den Mushi.

"Attention, all units. Attention, all units. The Marineford promotion conference has begun. Ensure the conference proceeds safely. Any warship currently at sea that spots pirates or other suspicious traces, regardless of scale, must report them immediately."

"I repeat, I repeat, Marineford..."

Roya hung up the Den Den Mushi, only to hear the system's electronic voice ring out in his mind.

[Ding! Check-in mission issued: Marine Headquarters—Marineford. Reward: Peak Six Powers! Time limit: 7 days!]

At the warship's speed, he could reach it in less than seven days.

However, he certainly could not swagger over there to check in so openly.

Since it was a promotion conference, there would definitely be many high-ranking combat forces present.

If he really went to check in like that, he would definitely be targeted badly.

One slip-up, and he might even be kept there!

That was not the outcome Roya wanted.

However, Roya thought of a fairly good solution.

Thus, over the following days, Roya did not head directly toward Marineford.

Instead, he began hunting pirates across the sea while practicing his abilities!

Every pirate targeted by Roya had a bounty of at least a hundred million Berries!

In fact, over those few short days, news of a mysterious bounty hunter began spreading across the seas.

That news was about Roya.

--

The promotion conference was a grand event marking the Marines' reform and transition!

Because Fleet Admiral Steel Bone had been promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the entire military, Sengoku was taking over as Fleet Admiral. Along with the vacant Admiral positions, numerous Admiral candidates began challenging one another in succession, leaving a great many positions open!

This was undoubtedly an opportunity to advance further!

Countless people began rubbing their hands together, eager to attend this grand event!

A small wooden boat sailed across the sea. As Marineford drew closer and closer before him, Roya's lips curled up slightly.

The sunlight was bright, shining onto Roya's face and making him appear quite gentle.

Yes, Roya had removed his cloak and was openly sailing toward Marineford.

"Vessel ahead, stop advancing!"

"Vessel ahead, stop advancing!"

Before he had even fully approached Marineford, Roya's wooden boat was intercepted by patrolling Marine soldiers.

"Who are you, and why have you come to Marineford?"

Once the warship drew near, a Marine holding the rank of colonel questioned Roya.

"I heard the Marines are holding a promotion conference. I want to participate as well and see what position my strength qualifies me for."

Hearing Roya's words, the Marine colonel frowned. "The promotion conference isn't open to outsiders! Besides, how strong do you think you are? You want to see what position your strength qualifies you for?! In my opinion, you're cannon fodder at best!!!"

Roya did not get angry at the colonel's words. He simply picked up the sack behind him.

"Then what if I use these as the entry fee?"

The Marine colonel developed a trace of disgust toward Roya. "Do you think I'm someone who accepts bribes? I absolutely won't... What is that?!!!"

Before the Marine colonel could finish speaking, he watched as Roya took out a sack and poured out one head after another.

"These are all pirates who committed evil across the seas. Every one of them had a bounty of no less than one hundred million Berries. Do you think I can use these as the entry fee?"

Roya's tone was exceptionally calm, but enormous waves surged through the Marine colonel's heart!

The Marine colonel instinctively swallowed as he looked at the heads, recognizing quite a few familiar faces!

"Scythe Jack, bounty of 170 million!"

"Captain Firework, bounty of 320 million!"

"Th-this is! A pirate worth one billion!! The head of Avery, the Brute-Force Fruit user!!!"

The Marine colonel felt as though his eyes were deceiving him.

Otherwise, why would these great pirates who had run rampant across the seas appear before him?!

By now, the Marine colonel was panicking. How could this be cannon fodder?

If Roya was cannon fodder, then what the hell was he?!

"W-wait a moment. I'll report this to my superior right away."

The Marine colonel was utterly flustered. As nothing more than a minor colonel, when had he ever seen such a scene?

He could barely speak properly, because what was happening before him was simply far too shocking!