Sailing: A Retired Veteran Awakens with Genryusai Template

North Blue, G-64 Marine Branch

At the same time.

The Flying Squirrel remained oblivious to the retired veteran he had dismissed so easily.

He had no idea that this same veteran would soon unleash a vengeance that would send shockwaves across the entire world.

At that moment, Bai Ye began to act.

He didn't bring along any Marines from the G-64 branch.

As a retired veteran, he was no longer part of the Marine system.

Alone, aboard a small boat, he sailed toward the remains of the town he had once called home.

A town where, only yesterday, children had greeted him warmly on the streets.

Now, that same town lay in ruins.

All that remained were corpses of children and adults alike, blood-stained rubble, and the acrid stench of gunpowder.

The horrors of this purgatory on earth unfolded before Bai Ye's eyes.

Yet, he said nothing.

He simply turned, stepped back onto his small vessel, and set his sights on the World Government fleet responsible for destroying the town he had called home for the last thirty years.

The Blue Sea

Seagulls soared lazily across the cloudless sky.

Several massive World Government ships sailed in formation, cutting through the calm waters.

On the deck of one such ship, a group of World Government officials lounged, exchanging idle banter.

"This mission was such a bore. I thought we'd find some juicy treasure, but the place turned out to be a wasteland. Not even enough heavenly gold to bother counting."

"Hahaha, you should've seen the look on those pathetic peasants' faces as we destroyed everything they had."

"Yeah, a real shame it ended so quickly. If there'd been more people, we could've made things a lot more... entertaining."

"Too bad we couldn't record the whole thing with a projection Den Den Mushi. Lord Rose would've loved watching it. Probably more fun than his usual 'games' with those poor slaves in the Holy Land."

Their laughter echoed across the deck as they reveled in their cruelty.

The sight of the lifeless town they had razed—its corpses, blood-soaked streets, and smoldering ruins—meant nothing to them.

For these men, it was akin to crushing ants beneath their boots.

After all, they were emissaries of the World Government, enforcers of the Celestial Dragons' will.

Even kings bowed before them.

Destroying a small island town was nothing more than an afternoon diversion.

But as the fleet passed the remnants of the devastated town, boredom began to creep in.

"Collecting heavenly gold from North Blue's kingdoms is far more entertaining than this."

One of the men shook his head, his gaze drifting toward the distant silhouette of the G-64 Marine branch.

"If only the attack target had included that Marine branch over there," he joked.

"Attacking Marines?"

"Forget it. Those dogs are loyal to us. Destroying a Marine branch without Lord Rose's explicit permission would be a serious crime."

"True."

Another man nodded in agreement, about to make another comment when—

Suddenly.

"Huh?!"

A scarred World Government officer stood abruptly, his sharp gaze fixed on the sea behind the fleet.

"Someone's following us," he growled.

"Following us?"

"What? Who dares?"

The others, intrigued, quickly rose to their feet and turned to look.

Soon, they spotted the so-called "bold individual" their scarred companion had noticed.

There, on the open sea, was a lone old man with gray hair, clad in a spotless white shirt. He stood tall on a small boat, steering it toward the rear of the fleet.

"Is that... some old geezer?"

"Hey, are you kidding me? What's this old-timer planning to do?"

"This is pathetic. I thought it might be a pirate stupid enough to challenge the World Government."

Their initial interest faded into mockery.

This old man, a relic of a bygone era, was nothing more than an amusing footnote to them.

"Come on, look at him! He's just an old fossil. I could take him down with one hand tied behind my back."

"True, but still... huh?"

The scarred officer, who had first noticed the man, suddenly stiffened.

"What is he doing?"

Doubt crept into his voice as his eyes narrowed.

The old man, standing alone on his small boat, raised his hand.

In it, he held a katana—plain and unassuming in appearance.

But the moment that sword was drawn...

The scarred officer's expression shifted dramatically.

A strange heat filled the air.

The noonday sun had already passed its peak, yet the temperature on the sea seemed to rise inexplicably.

Unknowingly, sweat began to bead on his forehead.

He glanced at the cloudless sky above, then back at the lone figure on the boat.

"This... this isn't normal," he murmured.

As the heat grew more oppressive, the scarred man's face turned pale.

"No... this isn't an illusion!"