Magnus had met Kokoro two days earlier.
The merchant ship was already headed to the mechanized island of Baldimore. Since he'd run into an old crewmate by chance, Magnus didn't mind escorting the caravan to its destination.
Time on the sea adds up; naturally he also bumped into a little mermaid he still vaguely remembered.
The young mermaid didn't have a gift for combat, but in this world, being a fighter isn't the only path.
Power helps you avoid plenty of trouble, but lacking power doesn't mean trouble must find you.
A meeting is fate.
"Kokoro, how about I become your backing?"
While killing time, Magnus listened to Kokoro's business plan and laughed. He had a rough roadmap for the future, but he could only point the direction; in the end, the details had to be executed by his people.
The White Wolf Alliance, led by the White Wolf Pirates, delivered taxes to the crew each year to the tune of tens of billions of Berries.
If that money were only for the handful of White Wolf crewmembers to spend, it would last a century or two. But if you want to build a complete military system and an education system, then it's far from enough.
And what's the most profitable thing in the New World right now?
Business.
Because of the White Wolf Pirates' confrontation with the World Government, many merchants still stood by to watch. Take this Baldimore incident: it wasn't even a clash between the Government and the White Wolf Pirates, yet for many merchants it could mean losing everything.
But if you can plant your feet during this period, you can establish a stable trade route ahead of everyone else.
Until now, Kokoro's ventures were private runs, so every voyage was a gamble. With Magnus standing behind her, that's a different story.
"Evan, want to join in? You happen to have a merchantman too."
Magnus grinned at his old crewmate.
He'd once had a bounty over a hundred million; even if age had caught up, ordinary big-name pirates still couldn't take advantage of Evan.
Evan had a family now. If Magnus asked him to return to the White Wolf Pirates, Evan would certainly refuse.
His days of hot-blooded glory were behind him. He only wanted a peaceful life and didn't wish to stand on the public stage like the other White Wolf members.
But simply helping Magnus build a sea trade line affiliated with the White Wolf flag was far safer.
Besides, the job still required him to captain ships at sea. In that line of work, risk is unavoidable.
After some hesitation, Evan finally agreed to Magnus's request.
Kokoro became the caravan's manager.
Evan took the helm as the merchant captain.
A simple trading convoy was born.
Still, it was anyone's guess how long this casually assembled caravan would take to generate returns for the White Wolf Pirates.
Rocks began to move.
According to the vivre card Rayleigh held, Roger wasn't in the New World—nor even in the first half of the Grand Line.
He was in the South Blue.
For pirates who operated in the New World, reaching the South Blue meant either retracing the first half of the Grand Line and then riding the Reverse Mountain currents upstream…
Or crossing the Calm Belt.
The former was safer; the latter meant facing countless Sea Kings—an unthinkable risk.
But that's for ordinary crews.
Though only in his twenties, Rocks's strength was already approaching its peak; his only shortfall was in his crew.
And since Magnus had raised the commission, he naturally didn't mind helping Rocks a bit.
After parting with the merchant ship, the White Wolf Pirates and the Rocks Pirates coated up and slipped beneath the Red Line, passed Fish-Man Island, and returned to the first half of the Grand Line.
Because of expanding trade ties with Fish-Man Island, more and more fish-men were serving as guides for human caravans entering the island.
Under normal circumstances, diving under a coating carried huge risks.
The biggest came from the deep sea's giant predators.
But with fish-man guides, that risk could be avoided.
So the voyage went smoothly without incident.
"Fish-Man Island is nothing special."
Last time, when the crew visited Fish-Man Island, Stussy had stayed at Akropolis Port to help Lily free local slaves because she wasn't strong enough then.
This time, Stussy finally saw the island's scenery.
It was breathtaking.
But years of visiting Wano and Elbaf had broadened her horizons. She was no longer the intern ship's doctor she was when she first joined the White Wolf Pirates.
The current king of Fish-Man Island was considerate.
When the White Wolf crew passed through, he gifted them a trove of beautiful pearls and gems—shiny things girls simply can't refuse.
He'd planned to send Magnus two chests of jewels as well, but Magnus refused.
In the old days, when the crew was broke, a fat host like Fish-Man Island—if not to be fleeced—was at least a donor Magnus wouldn't refuse. The crew still had to eat.
But as the White Wolf Pirates settled onto a new track and formed the White Wolf Alliance, Fish-Man Island began paying a hefty annual tax. That made a couple of jewel chests meaningless.
Small gifts were fine.
Crates of riches? Forget it.
They avoided the Government's eyes the whole way. On the vast sea, unless it's the kind of operation everyone hears about, even CP—the world's top intel syndicate—can't track every movement.
As for the "help" Magnus said he'd offer the Rocks Pirates—
"You want me to shrink my crew, then carry them across the Calm Belt by swimming to the South Blue!?"
Rocks nearly twisted his nose off in fury.
He was the captain of the proud Rocks Pirates; how could he do something so humiliating?
"Or you can go back to the start of the Grand Line, then push your ship up Reverse Mountain into the South Blue. Either way, you're picking one."
Magnus shrugged.
"Or, if you can catch a Sea King to ferry you across the Calm Belt, that works too."
Truth be told, either the White Wolf Pirates or the Rocks Pirates could brute-force their way across the Calm Belt.
But then they'd face Sea King attacks.
If Ripley shrank the Rocks crew, tucked their ship inside a coating bubble, and then Rocks simply swam the Calm Belt, the risk would be smallest.
"I'm not doing that!"
Rocks swore. "It's just blasting through the Calm Belt! My crew aren't cowards!"
He swept his gaze over his crew.
And then—
Everyone quietly looked away.
If there's a safe route, why choose the dangerous one?
With Rocks's speed and strength, he could Moonwalk across the Calm Belt without breaking a sweat.
Given that, why should they risk Sea King attacks on a ship?
"Bunch of cowards!"
Rocks fumed. The captain of the Rocks Pirates—reduced to a porter?
"We could find a Sea King willing to take us across," Balorick finally offered, smoothing things over.
With Observation Haki that could read hearts, Balorick could also sense animals' emotions—including those of Sea Kings.
If Rocks managed to capture one, taming it wasn't out of the question.
"Since you've decided, go do it."
The original purpose of this trip was a vacation and, by the way, to look for the Roger Pirates. Now Roger and the Baldimore scientists had all been spirited to the South Blue.
Magnus wasn't going to chase him to the South Blue.
Roger didn't warrant that much face.
So leaving it to Rocks was enough. Even Rayleigh temporarily transferred to Rocks's ship; knowing his own captain might be in trouble, he couldn't just sit by Magnus and wait for news.
Magnus was happy to relax.
"I'll keep an eye on Imu. If it gets dangerous, pull back. Our enemies won't play by any rules."
"You don't need to tell me that."
Rocks waved impatiently. Only when the two crews parted did he turn his back and give a cold snort.
"Thanks, old man."
"Heh, it's the commission I lined up for you."
Watching the Rocks Pirates sail away, Magnus smiled and shook his head. Then he slid an arm around a soft waist and chuckled.
"All right, the nuisances are gone. Let's get back to our original plan."
"You rogue~"
Nestled against him, Stussy shot him a sidelong glare.
"Don't you ever get tired of this?"
"Are you tired of me?"
"Hmph~"
If Magnus were a shriveled old lecher, that'd be one thing. But over the years he'd grown even younger than when they first met.
And Stussy was young to begin with. A mature, tireless man like Magnus—time only made him harder to resist.
Her only regret: Magnus was a shameless flirt.
Besides her—
There were many other close women aboard. She didn't even rank near the top.
"You rogue, when are you going to 'eat' Tsuru?"
Tracing circles on his chest, Stussy's question drew a wry smile from Magnus.
"Even you're saying that now?"
Ripley had asked the same. Did they really take him for such a lustful beast—never letting a pretty woman slip by?
"Hmph. It's only a matter of time."
Stussy knew Magnus intended to cultivate Tsuru into a strategy-minded aide. But aides are like secretaries—busy when needed, and when not…
In short, she didn't believe he'd leave meat at his lips untouched.
"Only when Tsuru sorts herself out."
Fine—Magnus admitted it. After half a lifetime, he had only this hobby.
Desire is human nature.
He never forced anyone, but with his power and influence now—and a pleasant face—just lifting a finger was a dimensionality reduction attack on ordinary women.
Why did the women aboard all like him? Was he the only man on the ship?
No—he was the best-looking, the strongest, and the kindest.
Of course he drew eyes.
Besides, since Tsuru had joined the White Wolf Pirates, the only man she lived with day and night was Magnus. Shiki and Zephyr had joined the crew around the same time, but one was too proud and the other too naive. How would a mature woman like Tsuru fancy either?
What kept Tsuru firm about holding the line was her identity as a Marine mole. She didn't dare take another step.
But after watching Marines impersonate pirates and rob merchant ships a few days ago, Tsuru's last filter for the Marines shattered.
Now she understood why Rona had quit the Marines.
It wasn't just that Rona didn't care about the title. It was disappointment in what the Marines had become.
The Marines had failed.
Magnus had not.
The contrast was stark.
Tsuru had also watched eleven former member nations leave the Government and—under the White Wolf's deterrence—blossom over the last two years.
After days of wavering, she decided.
She confessed to Magnus.
"Captain, I'm actually a Marine spy!"
Saying it out loud, Tsuru felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
Whatever Magnus chose to do with her next, at least she wouldn't be torn between Marines and pirates. In the end, she'd chosen the path of rebellion.
Only—Magnus just smiled.
"I've known for a long time."
"Then why…"
"Because I knew you'd make the right choice."
If Tsuru had been a grizzled veteran, Magnus would never have tried to turn her. Think of Kong—after all their fights, did Magnus ever persuade him?
No. A person can't throw away decades of effort because of a few light words.
But Tsuru was different—she was still young.
"You're not the first Marine spy to confess to me. Guess who the last one was?"
Tsuru blinked, then realized.
"Zephyr?"
"Exactly."
A year ago Zephyr had already confessed. The young mole believed Magnus was doing the right thing, so he couldn't bring himself to fight Magnus for the Marines.
By the same token, he couldn't help Magnus fight the Marines either.
So for the last two years, Magnus let Zephyr do what he wanted to do—
Help ordinary people. Protect ordinary people.
He wore a pirate's name, but acted like a true Marine.
"So don't worry that I'll throw you out because you were a spy. The moment you admitted it, you'd already chosen me over the Marines, hadn't you?"
"So…"
Magnus smiled and reached his hand out to Tsuru.
"On behalf of the White Wolf Pirates—welcome aboard."
(End of Chapter)
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