On the eve of the Reverie, the Marine Headquarters had mobilized every available officer ranked Captain and above.
Aside from the Admirals, nearly all Marines from Headquarters Captains to Vice Admirals capable of deployment had been dispatched on missions across the world.
Their primary duty was escorting the royalty of member nations to ensure their safe arrival at the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
The two Marine warships that Modder encountered were, in fact, part of this deployment, tasked with escorting the royal family of the Nandekar Kingdom from the East Blue.
The large and opulent ship flanked by the two warships was the royal vessel of the Nandekar Kingdom, a testament to luxury and excess.
Its size, design, and ornate decorations embodied one unmistakable quality: the scent of money.
At the bow of the royal ship stood a green-haired boy, no older than eleven or twelve, dressed in extravagant attire. He was perched atop a sturdy table bolted to the deck.
This boy was Prince Lyle Kanette, the second prince of the Nandekar Kingdom.
Clutching a gold-plated rifle, its barrel still smoking, Lyle had fired several shots moments ago.
The reason? Simple boredom.
To Prince Lyle, life aboard the royal vessel was monotonous. While there were plenty of slaves on board for his amusement, he had grown tired of them. Shooting at passing targets seemed a far better source of entertainment.
Maritime travel, after all, is inherently dull. Finding amusement amidst the vast expanse of the ocean was no easy feat.
Fortunately for Lyle, as soon as he stepped out of the cabin, he spotted a merchant ship on the horizon.
Without hesitation, he ordered one of his lackeys to bring him the gilded rifle and fired several rounds at the silhouettes on the merchant ship's mast.
"Did I hit anything? Check quickly!"
After firing, the young prince jumped excitedly on the table, clapping his hands in delight.
Nearby, a soldier clad in armor raised a telescope and pretended to examine the distant merchant ship.
Given the prince's terrible aim, it was impossible for him to hit his target.
Nevertheless, the soldier, accustomed to such "duties," lowered the telescope and reported with feigned enthusiasm, "Bullseye! Prince Lyle's marksmanship remains unmatched!"
Pleased with the response, Lyle smirked and tossed the rifle to another soldier.
"Reload it! It's rare to find such fun on the sea—I'm going to enjoy this to the fullest!"
The boy's immature face radiated pure excitement, entirely devoid of any concern for the lives he targeted.
On the deck of one of the escorting Marine warships, a Marine Commodore wearing a long coat furrowed his brow upon hearing the gunshots. His protruding teeth and prematurely aged features only deepened his scowl.
"That arrogant prince again," the bucktoothed Commodore muttered under his breath.
As the officer in charge of escorting the Kanette royal family, he had briefly interacted with Prince Lyle before departing from the kingdom's port. The experience left him with an overwhelmingly negative impression.
Hearing the gunshots now, he could already guess the cause. Yet, his cautious nature prompted him to send his subordinate to confirm the situation.
Moments later, the subordinate returned, leaning close to whisper, "It was Prince Lyle. He's shooting at a merchant ship two points off the starboard bow."
The Commodore's frown deepened.
In situations like this, the best course of action would be to alter the convoy's route, allowing the merchant ship to slip away and thereby removing the prince's "entertainment."
However, the Kanette royals, unlike most member nations, disliked traveling aboard Marine warships.
This quirk necessitated the presence of their royal vessel, flanked by the Marines for protection.
While the additional guards on the royal ship bolstered their overall security, it also limited the Commodore's control over the convoy's movements. Any course adjustment required prior approval from the royal ship.
"Forget it," the Commodore muttered, shaking his head.
He reasoned that the merchant ship would likely flee, ending the prince's game soon enough.
But just as he thought this, more gunshots echoed from the royal ship.
The Commodore's briefly relaxed brow tensed once more.
That insufferable royal brat...
Suppressing a sigh, the Commodore resolved to ignore the prince's antics.
At that moment, the lookout atop the crow's nest shouted an urgent report.
Far across the waves, Maude had left his ship, using Moonwalk to approach the royal vessel and the escorting warships. Behind him, Lafitte, his winged ally, followed closely.
Initially, Maude had hesitated to attack the warships.
But the prince's unprovoked gunfire had effectively issued an invitation: Come and play with me.
The decision was made.
Risk and reward go hand in hand.
Moreover, both Maude and Lafitte possessed aerial mobility, negating the need to face the warships' cannon fire head-on.
In some ways, their small numbers were an advantage.
A conventional naval battle would have been hopeless, given their merchant ship's meager firepower. But now, Maude and Lafitte could launch a surprise assault, leaving their ship far from danger.
If necessary, they could disengage swiftly and retreat to safety.
As the pair approached, the Marine warships immediately entered combat readiness.
None of the Marines aboard would have expected such notorious figures to emerge from an unassuming merchant vessel.
Especially not Bacardi Maude.
Eight months prior, his debut bounty had reached a staggering 68 million berries.
Yet after that, he had vanished without a trace—until now.
"Bacardi Maude and Demon Sheriff Lafitte!"
The bucktoothed Commodore narrowed his eyes, recognizing the two as they drew closer.
Typically, the presence of two Marine warships was enough to deter any pirate crew.
Yet Maude and Lafitte were charging straight toward them.
In that instant, the Commodore deduced the cause of their aggression.
That damned Prince Lyle! Shooting at the merchant ship had provoked two infamous threats.
The Commodore shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and prepared for battle.
Then he noticed something that left him stunned.
"That's... Moonwalk?! How is that possible?!"
Meanwhile, on the royal ship, Prince Lyle watched Maude and Lafitte approach with unrestrained glee.
Lifting his rifle, he fired several shots at the airborne duo.
Unsurprisingly, his shots missed entirely.
Seeing the boy recklessly fire again, Maude's eyes turned cold.
He canceled his Moonwalk, letting himself fall before swiftly drawing his flintlock pistol.
With a single shot, he put a bullet straight through Lyle's forehead.
The prince collapsed, his expression frozen in shock.
The surrounding soldiers stood paralyzed for a moment before chaos erupted.
"Prince Lyle!"
The deck descended into pandemonium.
A royal... has been murdered in cold blood!
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