One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!-Chapter 141: I Am the Base Chief!

Days drifted by, each one much like the last.

The sun rose on a new day, painting the sky with vibrant colors.

Around ten in the morning, Pike hurried into the Base Chief's office. He didn't even glance at Maynard, who was awkwardly sitting in the big chair, and instead rushed to Rear Admiral Roya, who was calmly reading a newspaper on the sofa.

"Reporting, Rear Admiral Roya! We've picked up pirate activity! We believe it's the Camilla Pirates, led by Captain Camilla, with a bounty of 66 million Berries!"

"Tell Smoker to take a team and bring them in," Roya replied, barely looking up.

"Understood!" Pike saluted and rushed out.

Maynard rested his chin on his hands, feeling more like a fraud than the actual Base Chief. He was being completely ignored by his own men.

Why aren't they asking me for instructions on how to catch these pirates? he wondered. Why is everyone so respectful to Rear Admiral Roya, but they treat me like I'm invisible? I am the G-5 Base Chief!

And Rear Admiral Roya, why do you have to hang around my office all day? You even moved your desk in here! You have your own office, you know!

Maynard glared at Roya, a dark cloud settling over him.

Roya simply sat on the sofa, casually flipping through the newspaper.

The G-5 Marines had prepared an office just for him, but he much preferred the Base Chief's.

The room was large, clean, and filled with light.

Vergo, the former Base Chief, was clearly a meticulous man, Roya thought. Not only is the room spotless, but the furniture is top-notch, easily ten times better than my own dusty office.

This was a golden opportunity to get used to the feeling of being the boss.

As for Vice Admiral Maynard...

"Lu Yun, make me a cup of coffee, extra sugar. Oh, and make one for Vice Admiral Maynard too."

"Yes, sir," Lu Yun replied instantly.

Perhaps wanting to spare his subordinates the hardship of being stationed at G-5, Vice Admiral Maynard had arrived alone, without even an assistant to make his coffee.

Roya sipped his coffee, a smile creeping onto his face as he read the newspaper.

"So, you're coming, Ace?" he murmured.

The newspaper had an article about Fire Fist Ace, predicting he'd soon arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago based on his current path.

In a month, at most, Ace will be in the New World!

"His bounty is now over 200 million Berries!"

Ace's bounty had been steadily rising, though not as fast as Luffy's since he set sail. It was just over 200 million Berries now.

This guy isn't as much trouble as Luffy, and he hasn't committed any crimes against civilians. His bounty increase is mostly from defeating other pirates and the Marines chasing him, so it's a bit slower.

Roya was quite pleased. Even though we're on opposite sides, I don't dislike Ace. Still, I have to capture him. Supernovas are rare finds!

"Ahem!" Maynard cleared his throat.

"Hmm?" Roya looked up to see Vice Admiral Maynard sitting across from him at the coffee table, trying to catch his attention. He offered the newspaper to Roya.

They were on a tight budget, so they only bought one.

"Want to read the newspaper?"

"Thank you, I'll read it later." Maynard hesitated, lowering his voice. "Roya, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, go ahead." Roya put down the paper, acting like he was listening intently.

"It's like this," Maynard began awkwardly. "I've noticed that the G-5 Marines listen to you very well. I was wondering, how do you do it?"

He just couldn't understand it. He was a Vice Admiral, the G-5 Base Chief, yet the Marines ignored him and listened to a Rear Admiral from another branch.

It makes no sense! Even if Roya knows G-5 better, he was only a Colonel before. There's even less reason for them to listen to him.

But what's happening now? I feel like, in the Marines' eyes, Roya is the Base Chief, and I'm just a decoration. I can't find my place at all!

"This? It's quite simple, really," Roya said, shaking his head and smiling. He pointed to the noisy Marines outside. "If they don't listen, just beat them up!"

"That's it?" Maynard was stunned.

What kind of discipline is that? Even if you want to punish Marines, it should be extra training or time in the brig. Just hitting people doesn't follow military regulations.

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Roya didn't mind telling Maynard how to deal with the G-5 branch, since the other man wasn't competition.

This uptight Vice Admiral wouldn't last long in G-5. It would be torture for him.

Plus, Roya wanted someone to share the workload. He couldn't spend all day drinking tea and reading newspapers.

"Beating them is just the first step. It's about showing your power. Then, as long as you give those idiots what they want, they'll naturally listen to you."

"What do they want?" Maynard asked eagerly.

Roya spread his hands. "Let them have fun."

"..." Maynard was speechless.

After a long silence, he finally said, "Isn't that corrupting them?"

"Maybe." Roya picked up his coffee, crossing his legs casually. "To get along with them, you have to adapt to their way of life. If you can't even do that, it's best not to bother."

"..." Maynard thought for a long time.

I've dealt with difficult subordinates before, and it gave me a lot of headaches. If I want to change them, I can't treat them like ordinary Marines.

I'm the Base Chief. How can I just give up on my men!

"I'll try it!"

"Yeah, good luck." Roya watched Maynard leave, shaking his head. This Vice Admiral still has hope for G-5.

Unfortunately, this is like being a teacher. Anyone can teach good students, but there are always some problem kids. To get them to change, you need ten or a hundred times the effort, and it might not even work. It's a thankless job.

The good thing is, the G-5 Marines aren't completely useless. At least they're good fighters. If they weren't skilled, they wouldn't be able to cause so much trouble.

Roya went back to reading the newspaper. In a world with slow communication, newspapers were important for understanding what was happening.

"Lu Yun, keep an eye on the Spade Pirates. I need to know when they'll arrive in the New World!"

"Understood."

Ten minutes later, chaos erupted in the training field.

"Vice Admiral Maynard has been defeated!"

Hearing the shouts outside, and the news that Maynard had lost, Roya was confused.

What's going on? Did he start off on the wrong foot?

Old Maynard, I told you to show your strength, not embarrass yourself. Besides me, who else in this base could beat Maynard? He's a Headquarters Vice Admiral, after all. He can't be that weak.

Roya went to the window.

In the training area, Maynard was lying on the ground, clutching his arm, which was bent at a weird angle. His face was twisted in pain.

Next to him, Bartolomeo proudly raised his fists, striking a winner's pose, as his friends cheered.

Roya's face went pale.

Of all people to fight, he had to go up against Barto. Barto's basic combat strength is terrible, but his ability is strong. Without knowing about it, you can easily get caught off guard. Now, any respect the Marines had for him is gone.

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[T/N:

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