"Just say what's on your mind," Ryu said, lounging in a deck chair.
"Sir, are we really okay to just leave like this? Fleet Admiral Sengoku did express that he wanted you to stay at headquarters for a while," Lena finally voiced her concern.
Ryu nodded, replying, "I understand. I was planning to stay for a bit, but if this situation goes unchecked, it could cause a huge problem."
Lena nodded in silence, knowing Ryu rarely explained his reasons, though she had come to trust his judgment implicitly. Up until now, he had never been wrong, and many in the Navy believed he was one of the strategists among their ranks.
A few days later, Ryu had been following Ace's Vivre Card, using it to track his direction, but he still hadn't found any trace of him.
"If Ace does get caught by Blackbeard, then what? Should I talk the old man into becoming a pirate? With myself, Luffy, and Whitebeard, we might just be able to protect Ace," Ryu mused, considering all the possible outcomes.
"But, the old man wouldn't go for it. After a lifetime of capturing pirates, he'd find it odd to suddenly become one himself! Maybe I could talk him into joining the Revolutionary Army? Speaking of the Revolutionary Army..." Ryu let his mind wander as he stared at the clear blue sky.
"Report, Rear Admiral! Pirates sighted ahead—it's the Kid Pirates!" The lookout's sudden report snapped Ryu out of his thoughts.
"The Kid Pirates? That name sounds familiar." Ryu frowned, thinking.
"Sir, the Kid Pirates are a crew from the South Blue, notorious for their brutality. Their captain, Eustass Kid, has a bounty over 100 million berries, and the combat captain, Killer, has a bounty exceeding 30 million," Lena reported.
"Oh, now that's an interesting catch. Close in on them!" Ryu finally recalled who they were—pirates who earned the "Supernova" title alongside Luffy, with Kid holding a higher bounty than Luffy at the time. Kid was a user of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit.
On the other side, the Kid Pirates had also spotted Ryu's Navy ship. But for Kid, who had only recently entered the first half of the Grand Line, a Marine ship didn't seem all that intimidating.
"Boss, it looks like they've noticed us. Should we retreat?" asked a crewmember, Heat.
"Retreat? Why would we do that? It's just one measly Marine ship! If they come our way, we'll sink it!" Kid replied, dismissively.
"Kidd, that's Rear Admiral Ryu from Navy Headquarters. It'd be wise to avoid him," said Killer, the combat captain.
"Huh? You mean the so-called 'Pirate Hunter' Marine Supernova?" Kid's expression turned serious. Though arrogant, he wasn't foolish.
"Yes. He captured Crocodile, a former Warlord of the Sea, in Alabasta and was promoted to Navy headquarters brigadier general as a result," Killer explained.
Kid scowled, grumbling, "What a pain. We ran into a tough one. Fine, it's not the time to clash with the Marines just yet. Let's fall back!"
"Sir, it looks like they're trying to escape!" A Marine on Ryu's side reported, noticing the Kid Pirates' movements.
"Run? I've yet to see a pirate ship that can outpace a Marines warship. Full speed ahead—let's sink them first!" Ryu smirked, giving the order.
Marine warships held a clear advantage in both speed and firepower compared to pirate vessels, especially Ryu's Huaxia. However, in terms of individual combat ability, pirates generally held the edge.
In no time, the Huaxia closed in on the Kid Pirates, bringing them within cannon range.
"Sir, should we commence the cannon barrage?" one of the Navy soldiers asked.
Knowing Ryu's preference for capturing bounty targets personally, they waited for his signal, as he usually held back on firing when he hadn't yet assessed the enemy's abilities.
"Standard procedure—I'll go over first. Open fire as needed; I'm not a Devil Fruit user, so there's no need to worry about friendly fire. Lena, take command once I'm over there!" Ryu said with a grin, stepping onto the deck.
"Sir, there's no need to take such risks. Why not start with cannon fire and only board once they're in disarray or close to sinking?" Lena suggested, clearly concerned.
But Ryu ignored her and leapt into the air, using Moonwalk to propel himself toward the Kid Pirates' ship.
"Boss, someone's flying over from the warship!" Heat yelled, alarmed as he watched Ryu approach.
Having only recently entered the first half of the Grand Line, they hadn't encountered Navy Headquarters officers skilled in Rokushiki. Seeing Ryu move as if walking on air, the Kid Pirates were taken aback.
"Which one of you is Eustass Kid?" Ryu called out as he hovered above the pirate crew.
"I'm Eustass Kid, and don't get cocky, Marine!" Kid shouted back, his face dark with anger.
"Oh, my, such a dangerous pirate! Looks like your journey ends here." Ryu grinned as he dove toward Kid.
Clang!
Before Ryu could reach him, a warrior wearing a striped blue-and-white mask with small holes and wielding a spinning scythe intercepted him, swinging his weapon against Ryu's arm and blocking his advance.
"Armament Haki?" Kid and Killer exclaimed simultaneously.
"You've got a good eye," Ryu remarked, surprised that they recognized Haki so early on. After all, even Luffy, the story's main character, wouldn't normally learn of Haki until much later.
Whoosh!
Before Ryu could counter, a strange, zombie-like man with stitched lips and blue-purple thorny tattoos on his body unleashed a blast of fire straight at him.
"Well, well, quite the motley crew you've got here! A fire-breather too? Are you all circus performers?" Ryu chuckled, stepping out from behind a different part of the ship where he had evaded the flames.
"Enough of this! Attack him!" Kid shouted, summoning a swarm of metal objects—swords, blades, and other scraps—all gathering around his right arm to form a massive metal fist, which he launched toward Ryu.
Ryu sidestepped using his Traceless Steps, his Arhat Fist aimed directly at Kid in return.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first explosion echoed as Ryu's punch clashed with Kid's metal fist, while the subsequent blasts came from the Marine's cannon fire hitting the pirate ship.
"Looks like there's no escape for you," Ryu said with a slight smile. His recent exchange with Kid had left him with a clear advantage, and although some of Kid's crew members tried to interfere, Ryu felt confident that there was no way Kid would escape across the open sea.