Rorschach was expressionless as he flipped through the next few pages.
Then, he saw a photograph.
In the photo, there was a young man dressed in luxurious robes, with a faint smile, standing at the entrance of the palace hall.
Even from just one photo, it was clear that the young man was a noble with fair skin, delicate features, and graceful demeanor.
The person in the photo was Prince Elia.
As Rorschach listened to Jennifer's somewhat helpless words, he felt dissatisfied and replied harshly:
"So what do we do? We can't move, and we can't ignore it. Does this mean we're helpless against Elia?"
Without requests from member nations or orders from the World Government, the Navy has no right to intervene in the kingdom's internal affairs.
As long as this rule stands, Branch 177 is powerless.
Jennifer smiled at Rorschach and said:
"That's precisely why I called you here."
Jennifer pulled out a den den mushi from her chest and dialed a few numbers.
"Purururu, purururu."
The snail-like creature made sounds as it connected to the other side of the den den mushi.
The den den mushi rang for a short while before being answered.
The pink snail's face gradually turned into that of a man with an X-shaped scar on his chin.
Rorschach felt the face was familiar but wasn't sure.
Jennifer confirmed his suspicions by saying:
"Captain Drake, where are you now?"
"Lieutenant Commander Jennifer, we've crossed the Rubniru Kingdom border and will soon reach the branch. How is the situation in Prince's Kingdom?"
The man's voice was steady and confident.
"So far, things haven't worsened. I'll explain the details once you arrive at the branch."
"Alright, see you soon."
The call ended.
Jennifer looked up and smiled at Rorschach.
"As you said, the Navy can't easily intervene in the kingdom's internal affairs. But this doesn't mean we don't have internal forces to handle such matters."
Rorschach glanced thoughtfully at the den den mushi on the table.
Jennifer continued: "The Navy has a secret special unit called SWORD. SWORD means 'blade.'"
"The SWORD special forces consist of exceptional young marines selected from within the Navy. Members of SWORD are both part of the Navy and not."
"Simply put, SWORD members are marines who have submitted their resignations and returned their military IDs. They don't have to follow any orders and are a 'guerrilla' force that can act freely and engage the Four Emperors without prior approval."
"But in return, the Navy and World Government won't take responsibility for their actions, and they can be dismissed from service at any time, even erased from existence."
"The current situation is perfect for SWORD to step in."
"Rorschach, your strength is not weak, and you've spent most of the past year training at the base. Even when you went out on patrols and encountered pirates, you always captured or killed them."
"Your basic information hasn't leaked out yet."
"So, I'd like you to temporarily cooperate with the incoming SWORD team, secretly infiltrate the royal palace, capture the main culprit of this incident, Prince Elia, and thwart his plans."
"As long as Gruss becomes the king, the Navy in the North Sea won't be in a passive position."
"I know these methods may not be honorable, but they are crucial for justice."
"I agree."
Rorschach gently pulled out the photo, folded it, and put it in his pocket, looking at Lieutenant Commander Jennifer.
"I agree, Lieutenant Commander. As long as I can fight pirates, I have no objections."
Lieutenant Commander Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief.
But her face still showed a clear expression of guilt.
"I'm sorry, in this mission, Branch 177 won't be able to provide overt support to the SWORD team. Everything depends on your actions. If the situation becomes dangerous, always remember to prioritize your safety."
"I will, thank you for the reminder, Lieutenant Commander."
Rorschach nodded seriously.
"Alright, let's head to the port and wait for the SWORD unit to arrive. They should be here soon, and I'll introduce you to their leader."
At Flameheart Island Port, the base was separated from the nearby town to prevent anyone from entering.
Most of the base's soldiers were ordered to return to their quarters in the town.
Only some high-ranking officers remained.
When Rorschach and Lieutenant Commander Jennifer arrived at the port, they saw Lieutenant Bill standing with several soldiers, holding a medium-sized den den mushi and vigilantly watching the surroundings.
Rorschach remembered that this was a jamming den den mushi, usually used to interfere with other den den mushi signals to prevent eavesdropping, photography, or image transmission.
It seemed that Lieutenant Commander Jennifer had taken the secrecy of SWORD's arrival very seriously.
However, Rorschach was still curious about how Jennifer knew about this secret unit.
And also, Rear Admiral Adila had left for the Navy Headquarters for a report a while ago, and he should have returned by now.
After waiting for about half an hour at the port, a ship's silhouette appeared on the horizon.
The ship was moving very fast, much faster than the usual naval ships.
While Rorschach wondered whether it was a single-mast or three-mast ship, he was completely surprised by what he saw.
"It's a submarine."
Rorschach was astonished.
Yes, what he saw was a dark blue submarine.
The color of the submarine was very similar to the sea, making it hard to distinguish.
As the submarine approached the port, its hatch opened, and ten people in civilian clothes emerged, all athletic and agile, jumping onto the dock.
After that, the submarine's hatch closed, and it quickly submerged, disappearing from view.
The young man leading the group was tall, over 2.3 meters.
He had a large X-shaped scar on his chest and a smaller one on his chin.
He wore an eyepatch and a ship-shaped hat, with an axe and a sword on his sides.
The man walked up to Jennifer and extended his hand.
"Hello, Lieutenant Commander Jennifer, I am Captain X Drake of the SWORD unit."
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