North Blue, Batia Island.
The warship slowly pulled into the harbor.
As the anchor dropped, Daren led the North Blue 321st Marine Division down the gangplank at a steady pace.
The moment he stepped onto Batia Island, a look of surprise crossed his face.
"This doesn't look like the Batia Island I remember..."
Batia Island was a key hub along several major shipping routes in the North Blue. While its trade volume couldn't compare to some of the more prosperous islands on the Grand Line, it was still one of the top economic centers in the North Blue.
Many merchant ships and trading caravans stopped here to resupply, which kept the island's economy thriving.
But wherever there's wealth, corruption inevitably follows. That's just how the world works.
Because of Batia Island's prosperity, convenient location, and bustling activity, it had also become a haven for skimming profits and harboring crime. The mafia, underground syndicates, black market trades—even pirate raids—had all become routine here.
To maintain balance among the island's competing powers, Daren had invested significant effort and energy in the past.
Even so, the Batia Island he remembered was still a chaotic mess beneath its lively surface.
What he saw now, though, caught him off guard.
The once grimy and congested port was now completely cleaned up and freshly decorated with vibrant flowers. The streets were unusually tidy, not a scrap of garbage in sight. The once scattered and messy street stalls were now arranged neatly and orderly.
Old buildings had been given a fresh coat of paint, with white walls and blue roofs, giving them a rather grand appearance.
A brand-new archway had been erected at the entrance of the town, towering ten meters high. Hanging from it were colorful letters that read, "Welcome Saint Xildes-sama."
"A Celestial Dragon was shipwrecked and drifted to Batia Island," Momonga said as he stepped up beside Daren, lowering his voice. "So the island's mayor immediately issued an order to clean up the city and spent a fortune in tax money to renovate the old buildings…"
"As for the house colors… supposedly, they were designed to mimic the style of Mary Geoise. The city officials wanted to make the World Nobles feel right at home."
Gion and Tokikake, standing nearby, were visibly stunned.
Daren, on the other hand, couldn't help but chuckle.
So even in this world, there's such a thing as "image projects," huh?
Well, it made sense.
The Celestial Dragons called themselves gods on these seas and held absolute power.
For a small place like the North Blue, the local authorities almost never got the chance to lay eyes on a World Noble in person. Now that one had shown up in his territory—albeit by accident—of course the mayor had to make an impression. Even a single word from a pleased noble could send his career skyrocketing.
"Interesting."
With a smile, Daren nodded, then turned to Gion and the others.
"Go ahead and lead the troops in. Set up a perimeter around the area where Saint Xildes is active. Screen for any suspicious individuals and make sure nothing unexpected happens."
He wasn't interested in protecting Celestial Dragons like livestock—if anything, he wouldn't mind taking a few out himself.
But since this was an order from HQ, Daren would do it right.
After all, this mission might determine his political future in the Marines.
If anything happened to a Celestial Dragon under his watch, not even Sengoku could save him.
Daren had no intention of leaving the Marines.
There's no future in being a pirate, and he wasn't about to spend his life being chased across the seas.
He didn't see himself as a good person, but he had his limits. He'd never stoop to raiding civilians.
Especially for someone like him—a transmigrator without any cheat abilities—the structured training system of the Marines was clearly the best path.
More importantly, he had already poured too much time and effort into the North Blue to walk away now.
"What about you?"
Gion frowned, looking at Daren.
She'd heard plenty about the vile nature of the Celestial Dragons, and naturally wasn't too keen on protecting them.
"I need to meet with the mayor first for the task handover. Right now, security for the Celestial Dragons is being handled by the city's militia."
Daren smiled as he spoke to Gion and the curious Tokikake peeking around the side.
"Since we're here, we should at least check in with the local government."
"No need to worry. The actual security operations will be led by Lieutenant Commander Momonga. You two just need to provide support."
"After all, you've just arrived in the North Blue and aren't fully familiar with how things work here yet."
With that, Daren turned to Momonga.
"They're yours."
Momonga gave a nod.
Since Daren had already given a direct order, Gion had no choice but to hold back. She stood silently, watching as Daren climbed into a carriage and headed off toward city hall.
"This way, then, Lieutenant Commanders Gion, Tokikake."
With a smile, Momonga motioned for them to follow, then turned and led his team toward the designated location.
He understood Daren was likely going to discuss sensitive matters with the mayor, and bringing Gion and Tokikake along would only complicate things.
Gion and Tokikake exchanged a glance, wanting to say something, but in the end, they held back and quickly followed.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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