Establishing a new Marine branch was no easy task. To build a long-lasting presence on Lodestar Island, Kuzan and Yoriichi Tsugikuni's top priority was to secure a stable supply route.
Due to the previous clash between the Marines and pirates, the original island residents had already evacuated. This left behind vacant farmland and orchards, and when the Marines rebuilt the town to house their large forces, they ended up constructing more homes than needed.
Not wanting to waste these resources, Kuzan and Yoriichi's first idea was to repopulate the island and develop maritime trade.
Only through this could the Marine branch enjoy easy access to supplies. Once trade prospered, merchants would naturally bring goods to the island to do business.
That way, the Marines wouldn't need to sail to distant towns or countries just to restock.
One week after the Marine Grand Fleet departed, Kuzan and Yoriichi, having finalized the location of their new base, set out to sea with a dozen Marines. Their goal was to reach Migo Town, the closest settlement to Lodestar Island, and recruit people willing to return and live there.
Many of the island's former residents had relocated to Migo Town after receiving resettlement funds. If they were willing to come back, Kuzan had no problem bringing them home.
Of course, the houses and land couldn't just be given away for free. Based on the original compensation standards, they would now be sold at 70% of the prior subsidy rate. The discounted amount would be considered "island depreciation."
After all, Lodestar Island's terrain had drastically changed. The slash Roger had delivered as a "greeting" had split the entire island in two. Although the fissure was only a few meters wide, it ran across the whole island and clearly affected daily life.
Migo Town, though called a "town," actually sat on an island spanning 200 square kilometers, home to nearly seventy thousand residents.
In scale, it rivaled some of the smaller countries in the pirate world.
True to its name, Migo Town specialized in rice and fruit production. As a major agricultural hub at the edge of the New World, it was just 1,000 nautical miles from the G-ICE Branch—three days by ship, and a round trip could be completed in a week.
Both Kuzan and Yoriichi agreed: Migo Town needed to fall within their branch's direct sphere of influence. Stabilizing Migo Town and securing a safe sea route would ensure their Marine base never faced supply shortages.
A green-hulled Marine warship slowly approached Migo Town's harbor. Its crisp white sails bore a massive blue gull emblem. Above the gull, the English letters "G-ICE" were boldly written.
As the warship neared the port, the townspeople working on the docks looked up with curiosity.
In the New World, Marine warships were a rare sight.
Though Migo Town's residents had seen their fair share, especially when the main Marine force was stationed at Lodestar Island and frequently visited for supplies, recent days had been quiet. Moreover, none of them had ever seen this particular "G-ICE" insignia.
Word of the warship's arrival spread quickly through the town. By the time Kuzan's vessel entered the harbor, large crowds had already begun to gather. Within minutes, waves of people surged toward the port.
Slowing down, lowering sails, anchoring—the crew worked in sync. In just over ten minutes, the ship was securely docked beside the pier. Hundreds had already assembled along the waterfront, gazing at the warship with hopeful eyes.
"Yoriichi, what's going on?" Kuzan stepped out of the cabin as the ship came to a stop and noticed Yoriichi Tsugikuni standing at the bow, silently watching the growing crowd. Curious, he approached and asked, "Why are so many people gathering at the pier?"
"Who knows?" Yoriichi replied, still watching calmly. "But judging from their expressions, they're not here to drive us away."
As the ship settled, the crowd made way. An elderly man with a cane slowly emerged from the throng and stepped toward the warship, raising his head until his eyes met Yoriichi's.
"Mayor!"
"Mayor Kyros!"
The people greeted him respectfully. A tearful woman beside him seemed about to speak but was gently stopped by Kyros raising his hand.
He turned to face the Marines in uniform at the ship's bow. Without hesitation, he passed his cane to the woman beside him, then slowly knelt down and bowed toward Yoriichi and Kuzan.
"Mayor?! Mayor Kyros?! What are you doing?!"
The nearby townsfolk gasped. To them, this respected elder kneeling before outsiders was unthinkable.
But Kyros paid them no mind. With a deep bow, he cried out:
"Marines! You're Marines, right?!"
"Please help us! Help the townspeople! Help those poor mothers! Help... the children!"
His voice rang out across the port, full of desperate determination. The pier fell into an eerie silence. That tearful woman glanced between Kyros and the Marines, then fell to her knees with a thud.
And like a wave, others followed. Soon, the crowd was full of kneeling men and women, mostly in their twenties and thirties, with only a few older faces.
Yoriichi's eyes narrowed slightly as he stood at the bow, murmuring, "Looks like something serious is going on."
Kuzan was already gone.
No sooner had Kyros finished pleading than Kuzan appeared before him. With a somber face, he gently supported the old mayor by the arms and said,
"I'm Kuzan, Commander of the G-ICE Branch stationed on Lodestar Island."
"Please, stand up and tell me what happened. Whatever it is, we Marines will do everything in our power to help you."
His voice was heavy with resolve.
Anyone willing to kneel and abandon their pride like this must be facing something devastating.
"My child... my child is missing!!"
"She's only five years old!!"
Even before Kuzan could finish speaking, a young woman rushed out from the crowd, sobbing as she dropped to her knees and held up a photo of a little girl.
Her actions triggered a flood. More men and women surged forward, each holding photos, weeping as they thrust them toward Kuzan.
"My son is missing too! Please, help me! Help my child!"
"Please, I'm begging you! Look at my boy! I can't live without him!"
Cries echoed all around.
Back on the warship, Marines had gathered behind Yoriichi, their faces grim as they looked down at Kuzan surrounded by the desperate crowd.
Yoriichi stared at the scene quietly, murmuring to himself, "So the evil of the New World has become this blatant…"
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