I, Kuro, an Acting Pro!

What a pity. A hero to the enemy was a foe to us!

Akin remained expressionless. After sweeping his gaze around, he looked coldly at Gaza.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Drawing guns on the Navy? Even if you're kingdom nobility, I have the right to execute you on the spot."

As he spoke, an invisible killing intent erupted from Akin, so intense it had practically become visible to the naked eye.

The guards in the harbor felt an inexplicable chill rise from the soles of their feet all the way to the crowns of their heads.

Even their gun-holding hands were visibly trembling, as if what they had aimed at was not a human being, but some beast wearing human skin.

Feeling Akin's killing intent, Gaza broke out in visible goosebumps. Even the fingers hidden beneath her sleeves trembled.

Yet as the harbor lord, she still summoned the courage to meet Akin's harsh gaze.

"What a coincidence. This Navy Lieutenant Commander beside me has just fought a fierce battle with Hundred Plans Kuro at sea."

Gaza's vigilance rose sharply.

Especially toward Akin.

Pirates disguising themselves as Marines to infiltrate ports and launch attacks was not uncommon in the East Blue.

Even the great pirate Krieg, known as the Admiral, had used this tactic to attack several East Blue ports in succession.

She discreetly gave the guard beside her a look.

He immediately understood.

Turning around, he began organizing the patrolling guards in the harbor, evacuating the people still present and setting up a defensive line.

They looked thoroughly prepared for battle.

"This..."

Akin's mouth twitched.

He turned to look at the heavily damaged Warship docked in the harbor, then at the righteous-looking Gawain.

For a moment, he felt as if tens of thousands of alpacas had galloped over his head.

No way.

I just made up an excuse and it actually happened to match? Could this get any more ridiculous?

However.

Remembering what Krieg had said before they set out, Akin quickly calmed down.

Having followed Krieg for years, he naturally understood his style. Calling it flawless might have been an exaggeration, but Krieg would never drag him down over something like this.

Akin reined in his killing intent and spoke.

"I serve under Batt, commander of the 18th Branch base. You may verify this with nearby bases."

"But you..."

He looked at Gawain, his gaze icy.

"I have never seen you before. State your Warship's number and the Branch you belong to."

"Otherwise, I'll kill you on the spot for impersonating a Marine!"

As he spoke.

Akin removed the metal staff with iron balls at both ends from his waist and slowly spun it in his hand.

As the iron balls spun faster and faster, Kuro's expression grew increasingly grim.

Clang!

The Claw Blades hidden in his clothes slid free, flashing with a chilling gleam in the air.

The strange weapon instantly drew everyone's attention. Even Akin's breath caught the moment he saw Kuro's weapon.

"Hey, hey, hey... this feeling isn't good."

Cold sweat had already seeped across Pal's forehead. He instinctively raised his shield before himself with both hands.

"Other than the captain, this is the first time I've felt such terrifying killing intent from an enemy."

"This guy is definitely not a Marine!"

Akin neither confirmed nor denied it. He looked at Kuro with a grave expression.

"So you really are fakes?!"

"Tch, in the end, we still have to rely on..."

Kuro had only gotten halfway through before Gawain grabbed him and held him back. Kuro turned in confusion, only to see Gawain give Gaza an apologetic look and slowly say,

"My apologies, ma'am. Locke cannot tolerate any potential threat."

"When he was young, his entire family was killed by pirates. That was what shaped his extreme personality."

After a slight pause, Kuro understood. Gawain still had something up his sleeve.

He followed along, withdrawing his killing intent and sheathing the claw blades at his fingertips before feigning embarrassed anger.

"Big mouth."

Gawain smiled gently, wearing the expression of someone accustomed to this, while inwardly giving Kuro a thumbs-up.

Wasn't that exactly why he had managed to infiltrate Kaya's home for three years without revealing the slightest flaw?

No script, yet he slipped into character in a second. Those pretty-boy idols and veteran actors alike would all get crushed. After seeing Kuro's performance, every last one of them ought to go back to acting school.

"It's all right. It isn't his fault."

Seeing Kuro's performance, Gaza's eyes misted over. She was clearly deeply moved.

Gawain turned to Akin, his brow furrowing slightly.

"We belong to Navy Branch GL-5. Our direct superior is Vice Admiral Vergo of the Branch."

"Branch GL-5? A Navy Vice Admiral?!"

Akin froze slightly.

He had never heard of this Branch. It was clearly not in the East Blue, and GL was obviously an abbreviation, pointing to only one place...

The Grand Line! A Navy Vice Admiral!

Once those two keywords were linked together, Gawain did not need to say anything more. Everyone present instantly understood the weight behind them.

Akin's expression became even graver, and he found himself hesitating.

Should he keep pressing the issue, or eliminate them here to make the later plan easier?

But Gawain's next words instantly made cold sweat break out on his back...

"I haven't seen you in the East Blue, but I have seen a face resembling yours on a Wanted Poster. A bounty of twelve million Berry. Demon—!"

Whoosh!

Akin sprang into action. The rapidly spinning iron ball trailed an afterimage through the air as it shot straight for Gawain's head...

Clang!

Kuro moved after him but arrived first. His Claw Blades steadily caught Akin's attack as he looked at him with contempt.

"That guy may be a bastard, but he's not someone you can pretend to be. And trying so urgently to silence us... don't tell me you really are pirates?!"

"Tch!"

Akin's face turned incomparably ugly.

His identity had been exposed. Any plan to infiltrate Raven Port and strike from within was clearly no longer viable. His only option was a direct assault.

But sensing the terrifying aura around Kuro, Akin had no confidence at all.

This man called Locke was no weaker than Krieg, perhaps even stronger. As for Gawain, who stood at a distance with a calm expression and Gaza protected behind him, he was even more unfathomable!

After all, even someone as strong as Locke was merely his subordinate.

For a time, Akin was caught between advancing and retreating. His identity was about to be exposed, yet he could not win a fight either.

Krieg's fleet was dozens of nautical miles away. By the time they arrived, his men would likely already be dead beyond saving.

Pal saw this as well. Shield in hand, he stood in front of everyone and asked,

"What do we do?!"

The harbor guards gathered at this moment, dozens of Flintlock Pistols all aimed at Akin and his men...

At that moment, another whistle sounded from the distant sea.

An ominous feeling inexplicably rose in everyone's hearts.

They turned to look.

Another Warship was cutting across the sea, slowly sailing into the harbor.

The bewildered guards all turned toward Gaza. After seeing her nod, they stepped forward to assist the newly arrived Warship into port.

Soon.

A Navy officer who looked remarkably like Rat led a group of soldiers slowly down the gangplank.

His gaze swept over everyone present. Seeing that both Gawain and Akin, the two sides facing off, held lower ranks than him, he lifted his chin and called to Gaza in the distance.

"I have just been through a battle at sea. I need food and medicine replenished now, or my Warship will be unable to reach the nearest Navy base."

"Please cooperate with us fully."