On the warship, Sambidi stood frozen in place.
Zephir Kingdom?
It really was Zephir Kingdom?!
"How is this possible…"
His eyes were filled with disbelief, as if thunder had exploded inside his mind.
Could it be…
Had he seriously underestimated the Zephir Kingdom?
"That's him!"
At that moment, Momousagi's eyes locked onto the ANBU member. Her expression turned grave as she whispered to Sambidi,
"He matches the intelligence reports perfectly. An ability similar to a Logia-type attack, wearing an animal-shaped mask…"
"He's a member of Zephir Kingdom's Ninja Assassination Tactical Unit."
"The Ninja Assassination Tactical Unit…"
Hearing her words, Sambidi looked at the towering walls of water surrounding the entire warship and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He understood now.
He had been wrong.
And completely wrong.
At first, he had thought the reports about Zephir Kingdom were exaggerated.
But now…
It seemed the reports might actually be understatements.
The ability to control seawater—
In a world almost entirely covered by ocean…
Such a power was terrifying.
At that moment, Sambidi finally understood the deeper meaning behind what Admiral Sengoku had told him before departure:
"If necessary… withdraw from Zephir Kingdom immediately."
A bitter smile appeared on his lips.
Then Sambidi quickly composed himself.
He wasn't a fool.
Facing a kingdom far stronger than he had expected, he knew exactly how he should respond.
Raising his voice, he shouted:
"I am Vice Admiral Sambidi of Marine Headquarters!"
"By order of Marine Headquarters, I have come to discuss the recent 'Fall of the Kingdom of Ruse' incident with King Zephir Arthur!"
"We have no hostile intentions!"
The ANBU operative remained expressionless.
His cold gaze swept across them.
He offered no response.
Time passed.
Just as Sambidi was about to report the situation back to headquarters—
The ANBU member finally spoke.
"His Majesty has issued an order."
"You may enter the territory of the Zephir Kingdom."
"However, all your armed personnel and your warship will be placed under our supervision."
"Only the two of you may enter the palace to meet His Majesty."
The voice was cold and emotionless.
Sambidi frowned slightly and glanced at Momousagi.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
"Very well. We agree."
The ANBU operative said nothing further.
His hands quickly formed seals.
BOOM!!!
With a deafening roar—
The towering water walls surrounding the warship collapsed instantly.
The ANBU operative and the water walls dissolved back into seawater and crashed into the ocean.
Massive waves rolled outward, causing the warship to shake violently again.
At the same time—
The water ceiling above them also collapsed.
A torrent of seawater crashed down, washing over the entire warship from top to bottom.
Neither Sambidi nor Momousagi escaped.
Both were soaked from head to toe.
"Damn it!!!"
Even Sambidi, who rarely lost his temper, turned livid as water dripped from his clothes.
His eyes burned with anger.
"A show of force, huh?"
"Good… very good!"
At that moment, Sambidi fully understood the intention of Zephir Kingdom.
His face darkened as he clenched his fists.
Powerful Haki leaked from his body unconsciously, cracking the deck beneath his feet.
"Vice Admiral Sambidi, please calm down."
Momousagi, equally soaked, spoke with a grim expression.
"You've seen the strength of those Ninja Assassination Tactical Unit members."
"Before we understand them completely, it's best not to provoke them."
After saying that, she walked toward the cabin to change clothes.
"Damn it…"
Sambidi muttered angrily before heading inside to change as well.
Soon, the warship resumed its voyage.
About fifteen minutes later—
The ship slowly reached the coastline of Zephir Kingdom and began docking procedures.
"Greetings."
"I am Stanley, Legion Commander of the Zephir Kingdom."
"You have now entered our national territory."
"From this moment onward, all your armed personnel and your warship will temporarily fall under our supervision."
The moment the warship docked, Stanley approached with a squad of soldiers and spoke calmly to Sambidi.
"Hmph."
Sambidi's expression remained dark.
He snorted coldly before turning to his Marines.
"All personnel remain aboard the warship."
"No one leaves without permission!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines—still soaked and without spare clothes—responded in unison and saluted.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Stanley nodded slightly.
Then he waved his hand.
Large numbers of soldiers quickly deployed around the warship, establishing a tight perimeter of surveillance.
This scene made Sambidi's expression grow even darker.
Even Momousagi's face changed slightly.
Wherever the Marines went, they were always the dominant authority.
Any force would normally treat a Marine Vice Admiral with utmost respect.
Yet here—
They had been treated coldly from the start.
Even a mere Legion Commander seemed indifferent toward them.
Now their entire Marine force had been placed under supervision.
If they weren't here on a mission—and if they hadn't seen the strength of Zephir Kingdom—they would have already taken action.
"Gentlemen of the Marines, please follow me."
"His Majesty the King has been waiting for you in the palace."
Stanley spoke calmly.
He neither noticed nor cared about Sambidi and Momousagi's thoughts.
After all—
He only remembered one thing the King had told him:
"When dealing with the Marines… be as cold as possible."
Sambidi and Momousagi remained silent.
They simply followed Stanley toward the royal palace.
As they passed through the town—
Residents stared at them from afar, pointing and whispering.
Their eyes showed undisguised disgust.
"Look… it's the Marines…"
"What's wrong with this country?"
Momousagi frowned slightly.
"Why do these people seem to hate the Marines so much?"
Feeling the anger, disgust—even hatred—in those gazes, she couldn't hide her displeasure.
Sambidi noticed her expression and shook his head with a bitter smile.
Momousagi had not yet truly entered the upper ranks of the Marines.
Naturally, she couldn't fully understand the reason.
But Sambidi, as a senior Marine officer, knew it very well.
If a nation did not join the World Government—
Then it would receive no protection from the Marines.
Perhaps…
That was the true reason why this country treated the Marines with such cold indifference.
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