[Updated]
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The Navy captain, tasked with eliminating the Evil Wolf Pirates, turned pale as he realized he had to confront a formidable swordsman that he hadn't anticipated would appear in his mission. It had already been a challenging task to deal with the Evil Wolf Pirates, and facing such a powerful swordsman was an unexpected twist.
"Retreat!" The Navy captain issued the order to fall back and hastily led the way in escaping.
"Captain, our warship has been sunk!" a naval soldier reported.
"Then we'll seize the wolf pirates ship that is in the distance!" the captain ordered.
"Alright, let's go and take it!"
As the Navy began their retreat, Ron sneered. He had no intention of letting them escape unscathed. With his current agility, strength, and the added bonus from his enhanced physique, his movement speed was astonishing. He appeared next to the fleeing Navy almost instantaneously. With a swift swing of his longsword, the Navy soldiers fell, and when he reached the Navy captain, with a single stroke of his blade, and the captain's head rolled.
With that, every soul on the naval warship had met their end.
A heavy silence hung over the battlefield as the surviving pirates stared at Ron in disbelief.
"Is this... still Ron?" one of the pirates who knew Ron well muttered, unable to comprehend the incredible transformation.
"No, that's impossible. This must be someone who looks like Ron but is actually a great swordsman" one of the pirates insisted, shaking his head. "Ron's strength was so feeble; how could he suddenly become this powerful? It's just too unbelievable!"
"Yeah, it's totally unbelievable!" a chorus of pirates agreed. The newfound strength displayed was beyond what they knew Ron to possess.
The leader of the Evil Wolf Pirates stepped forward at this moment, approaching Ron with a respectful bow. "I thank you for your assistance" he said with deep gratitude. "The Evil Wolf Pirates is in your debt. Please, can you share your name so that we may properly express our gratitude for saving our lives?"
"Hey captain Wolf!" Ron responded with a light smile. "Don't you recognize me? It's me Ron!"
"What!!?"
Hearing him openly admit his identity of being Ron, the pirates were once again dumbfounded. Some even fell to the ground in sheer shock.
"How... how can you be Ron?!" Captain Wolf's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Ron had been just an ordinary and weak pirate on his ship; how could he possess such incredible strength?
"As you can see, I've been concealing my true identity and training within your pirate crew," Ron explained, unable to reveal the true source of his newfound power. "Today, the Navy came to destroy the Evil Wolf Pirates, and I had no choice but to reveal some of my strength to help out, because I owe the Evil Wolf Pirates for their care over the past year."
The pirates were stunned by this revelation. And it made sense now that Ron had been a powerful and fearsome swordsman all along, and he had joined the Evil Wolf Pirates to gain experience and to secretly refine his skills.
"I see now!" Captain Wolf breathed a sigh of relief and spoke with deep respect, "It is an honor for the Evil Wolf Pirates to have earned Lord Ron's favor. I regret that we couldn't properly entertain you during this year!"
"It's no problem" Ron reassured the Wolf Captain. "You all have been nothing but kind to me during my time here, and nobody in the Evil Wolf Pirates has ever mistreated me. What I sought was the experience of an ordinary pirate life. Now that this crisis is over, it's time for us to part ways."
"But, Lord Ron, won't you stay with us so we can properly express our gratitude for you saving our lives?" Captain Wolf urged, sensing the incredible potential Ron held. He believed that with Ron's power, the Evil Wolf Pirates could become a renowned crew on the Grand Line.
"No, I have other matters to attend to" Ron replied firmly. He had already made up his mind to leave the Evil Wolf Pirates. "And since we're quite far from Logue Town, could you carry me to Dawn island's Windmill Village."
Ron had arrived in the pirate world three years before the starting of the plot. Since the main storyline hadn't yet unfolded, he intended to take advantage of the opportunity.
While he couldn't claim to be stronger than the Four Emperors, he was certainly not far behind. The primary difference lay in Devil Fruit abilities, which he intended to explore. Ron aimed to gather information about a suitable Devil Fruit. Whether or not he would eventually consume it remained uncertain, given the significant side effects associated with Devil Fruits. With his incredible golden finger, the need for such a risky gamble was limited.