Chapter 89: When You're Away from Home, You Give Yourself Your Own Identity!
[Ding!]
[System Notification: Due to the host forcibly performing "Beast Taming Technique: Loving Caress" on a giant Sea King, the skill limit was broken under extreme pressure. "Beast Taming" skill has been upgraded from Beginner to Intermediate.]
[Ding!]
[System Notification: Due to the host forcibly performing "Hypnosis Technique: Hypnotic Flash" on a giant Sea King, the limit was broken under extreme circumstances. "Hypnosis" skill has been upgraded from Beginner to Intermediate.]
The two consecutive prompts in his consciousness made Ralph freeze for a moment.
Skills... upgraded?
It seemed not everything was bad.
As he descended from high altitude, the scenery on the sea surface became increasingly clear.
They were indeed warships—three in total.
White hulls, tidy decks, and tall masts flying the Navy's seagull flags. The sails bore distinct numbers: 8.
"Navy Branch 8..."
Branch 8... one of the Navy branches in the East Blue.
In the original work, Branch 8 did appear, seemingly related to some incident...
While recalling, Ralph adjusted his physical condition.
He still had stamina.
Although he'd been slapped by the Sea King's tail, his Armament Haki defense had neutralized most of the impact. Combined with his enhanced physical strength from "Innate Physical Strength," he hadn't sustained any serious injuries.
Just some simple rest would suffice for recovery.
But now wasn't the time for rest.
He needed a ship.
He needed information.
He needed to know where he was, and more importantly... how Lufia and the others were doing.
"Geppo."
He adjusted his direction, diving toward the central warship.
Simultaneously, his feet began rhythmically stepping on the air, controlling his descent speed and angle.
Finally, Ralph's speed reduced to its minimum.
He landed lightly on the warship's deck, almost "walking" down.
No sound upon landing.
As if he had simply stepped out from the cabin rather than fallen from high altitude.
The deck fell silent instantly.
Time seemed to freeze for three seconds.
Then—
"Enemy attack—!!"
Someone shouted first.
The deck erupted into chaos.
These Navy soldiers were fairly well-trained. Though terrified by this "heavenly descent" entrance, they reacted swiftly.
Swords were drawn, guns were aimed—within two seconds, Ralph was surrounded by over twenty dark gun barrels and a dozen gleaming military swords.
"Who are you?!"
A Navy soldier who appeared to be a squad leader demanded sharply, "State your identity! Otherwise, we'll shoot on sight!"
Ralph didn't answer immediately.
His gaze swept across the surrounding Navy soldiers.
This level wasn't even worth his serious attention.
"I'm talking to you!"
The squad leader, irritated by Ralph's silence, stepped forward with his sword tip pointed at Ralph's chest.
"If you don't speak—"
His words cut off abruptly.
Because Ralph... had vanished.
The next instant, Ralph appeared before a Navy soldier to his left.
The soldier still held a flintlock rifle, finger on the trigger, but hadn't yet pulled it—
Ralph's palm gently pressed against the gun barrel.
Crack!
The steel-forged barrel bent like a fragile twig under bare hands.
The soldier stared in stunned silence.
Without pausing, Ralph's figure vanished again, appearing beside another soldier.
This time, it was a sword.
The soldier gripped his sword with both hands, poised to strike, but before he could even raise it halfway, Ralph's hand had already clamped down on the blade.
His fingers tightened.
Crack!
The military sword snapped in two.
The soldier stared at the broken half in his hand, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Ralph continued moving.
Crunch!
Snap!
Shatter!
The sounds of breaking metal echoed one after another.
In just ten seconds, the weapons held by the more than twenty Navy soldiers surrounding Ralph had all been reduced to scrap.
Gun barrels bent, blades shattered, and one soldier even had his flintlock pistol completely crushed into an unrecognizable lump of metal.
A deathly silence fell over the deck.
All the Navy soldiers stood frozen in place, clutching their broken weapons, their faces blank and eyes wide with terror.
They hadn't even seen how Ralph had done it.
One moment, their weapons were intact—the next, they were gone, followed by the sound of snapping metal.
"Now, can we talk properly?"
Ralph asked coldly.
He casually tossed the last broken military sword onto the deck, where it landed with a loud clang.
"I don't want to kill anyone," Ralph continued, his gaze sweeping over the faces of each Navy soldier, "but that depends on your cooperation."
The Navy soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
A few seconds later, the squad leader was the first to drop the broken hilt of his sword.
Clatter!
One by one, the others followed, discarding their "scrap metal."
The way they looked at Ralph had shifted from "wary" to "terrified."
Snapping military swords bare-handed, crushing flintlock pistols... This was something no ordinary human could do! Was this young man a monster?!
"Good," Ralph nodded, "Then, first question: Have you heard any news about the 'Straw Hat Pirates'?"
The Navy soldiers froze for a moment.
The Straw Hat Pirates? That rookie Pirate crew causing an uproar in the East Blue lately?
The squad leader hesitated but answered truthfully:
"Y-yes... The latest news is that the Straw Hats are heading for the Grand Line. Colonel Smoker from headquarters has applied to pursue them, but so far... there's no further news."
Ralph pondered this.
Makes sense!
Even if Lufia had really delayed going to the Grand Line for his sake and was still active in the East Blue, news wouldn't travel that fast.
The problem now was that he couldn't get in touch with them...
"Second question," Ralph suppressed his impatience and continued, "What are three warships from the 8th Branch doing here?"
This time, the Navy soldiers exchanged glances, seeming hesitant.
Ralph's expression grew colder.
"E-escorting..."
A young soldier, unable to bear the pressure, stammered, "Escorting a little girl named Apis..."
"Apis?"
Ralph repeated the name.
It sounded familiar.
They needed three warships to escort one little girl?
What, could she read the Poneglyphs too?
Ralph complained inwardly, but outwardly, he remained calm as he pressed on:
"Why are you escorting her?""
"B-because she..."
The squad leader took over, his voice trembling,
"She knows the whereabouts of the 'Sennenryu'..."
Sennenryu.
Ralph remembered now.
In the original story, there was indeed an anime-only filler arc in the East Blue saga about the "Sennenryu."
A little girl named Apis accidentally encountered the legendary creature, the Sennenryu, and was then pursued by the Navy.
The Straw Hat Pirates helped her and eventually returned the Sennenryu to its homeland, the "Lost Island."
The specific details were hazy, but the general outline was roughly like that.
And in this world, this storyline had clearly occurred as well—and was still unfolding.
Ralph's mind raced.
Right now, he needed a ship, he needed information, he needed to wait for news from Lufia and the others...
Or perhaps he could take the initiative to create news, letting Lufia know he was here.
In that case, the current situation might be something he could use.
A plan quickly took shape in his mind.
Ralph took a deep breath, adjusted his expression to appear more "pirate-like," straightened his posture, and swept his gaze over the cowering Navy soldiers around him. Then, in a deliberately raised, somewhat arrogant tone, he declared:
"Very well. Now, allow me to formally introduce myself."
He paused, making sure all eyes were on him.
"I am a member of the Straw Hat Pirates—"
Ralph had originally intended to say "member," but at the last moment, he changed it to a more impactful title:
"—the Vice-Captain. My name is Ralph."
When you're out and about, you make your own identity!
But unexpectedly, several Navy soldiers first froze, then their eyes widened abruptly, their faces twisting into even more terrified expressions.
"T-the Nameless Swordsman, Ralph?!"
The squad leader cried out in disbelief, "The Ralph who defeated Dracule 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk?!"
Ralph: "...?"
For a moment, he couldn't process it.
Nameless Swordsman?
Defeated Hawk Eyes?
Hawk Eyes?!
Good grief, who would've thought you, the usually quiet one, could spread rumors so efficiently!
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