East Blue, Arlong Park.
Since the Arlong Pirates had been personally eradicated by Morgan William, the park had fallen into abandonment. The islanders who had suffered under Arlong's tyranny avoided the place, unwilling to revisit painful memories, while outsiders had little interest in such a remote location. What was once the bustling "palace" of East Blue's Fish-Men had gradually become desolate and forgotten.
Today, however, the park hummed with renewed activity. Vessels of various designs and dimensions arrived in succession, anchoring along the surrounding coastline. Though none flew pirate flags, the fierce, heavily armed men stalking their decks made it abundantly clear—these were no ordinary merchant ships.
Some pirates recognized each other, exchanging greetings as they gathered in small groups along the shore before proceeding inland. Most captains left the bulk of their crews aboard their vessels, bringing only one or two trusted lieutenants as they entered the park.
Kenzo, the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village, waited vigilantly at the entrance. As each pirate captain arrived, he directed their subordinates to remain outside while escorting the captains themselves to a reception room within one of the park's buildings.
As the number of pirate captains in the room steadily increased, the closed doors could no longer contain their mounting complaints.
"Morgan William's been imprisoned—what happens to the Flash Gold Bank now? What about all the money we've deposited there?"
"When William declared war on Golden Lion Shiki, we answered his every call without hesitation. And how does he repay us? He claimed he needed to relocate the bank's funds to protect them from Shiki's attack on White Pine Town, and we foolishly believed him. Now William's been captured by the Marines, nobody knows where the new vault is, and our money's as good as gone!"
"That might not be true. William may be captured, but Sherlock remains free, doesn't he? He's the one who summoned us here. Perhaps he intends to address this very issue."
"He'd better! If he dares tell us our money's vanished, I'll gut him where he stands!"
The room fell momentarily silent after this threat, only to erupt again in buzzing murmurs. While Sherlock's personal weakness had earned him little respect among pirates who valued strength above all, his association with Morgan William had previously kept them in check.
Now, with the balance of power shifted and their fortunes at risk, they spoke of Sherlock with barely concealed contempt.
Their grumbling ceased abruptly when the reception room doors swung open and a figure appeared in the threshold.
Harden, formerly a high-ranking officer of the Morgan Pirates, entered with measured steps. His face remained pale from injuries not yet fully healed, but despite his weakened state, his reputation alone sufficed to silence the room. Among William's officers, Harden might not have been the strongest, but he was unquestionably the most ruthless. When the Blue Sapphire Pirates had opposed William, Harden had personally decapitated their captain, Buggyam, and delivered his head to the noble who had hired them.
In battle, Harden was notorious for severing heads with such frequency that his bounty poster bore the epithet "The Executioner."
Sherlock followed Harden into the room, wearing his characteristic smile. Several muscular young men entered behind him, closing the door as they filed in.
The sight of Sherlock triggered an immediate uproar. Dozens of pirate captains began shouting simultaneously—some threatening, others pleading, still others bemoaning their circumstances. Yet all their demands boiled down to one simple imperative: return our money.
Sherlock's smile never wavered. When William had established the Flash Gold Bank, he had employed both persuasion and intimidation to ensure pirates deposited their wealth there. All of it had been in preparation for precisely this moment.
The Flash Gold Bank had served two primary purposes. First, it mobilized idle funds that pirates had scattered across uninhabited islands, redirecting this capital to vital projects—constructing factories, building schools, and more. The bank had provided William with the resources to implement free education, expand shipyards, and transform the slums of Kalmar City into a thriving industrial zone.
Second, it gave William leverage over the pirates by controlling their finances. Without expending his own resources to maintain a large force, he could compel these pirate factions to serve his interests when necessary.
After all, William was a transmigrator who understood the universal truth: "The debtor holds the power."
That said, William hadn't operated without scruples. The bank offered pirates generous interest rates, and those wishing to retire and withdraw their savings had never been hindered. In fact, William had often helped them clean their records and establish legitimate new lives. Without such incentives, it would have been impossible to convince so many pirate crews to entrust their fortunes to his institution.
"Captains," Sherlock began once the room had quieted, feigning puzzlement, "at a time like this, I'm astonished you're still concerned about money deposited in a bank. Are you truly unaware that catastrophe looms over your very heads?"
The pirate captains' expressions shifted perceptibly. One shouted angrily, "Stop trying to frighten us with empty threats!"
"Your boss is the one who's finished! We're still standing!" another captain bellowed.
Harden cast an icy glance at the speaker, who immediately fell silent. Sherlock chuckled softly before continuing, "I see you haven't heard the latest news. Just days ago, another Vice Admiral arrived in the East Blue from the Grand Line, commanding a warship filled almost entirely with Marine officers. Do you comprehend what this signifies?"
"Marine Headquarters is preparing to launch the most severe crackdown on East Blue pirates in history," Sherlock explained, spreading his hands dramatically. "These elite officers are being deployed to replace the incompetent local commanders throughout East Blue's Marine branches. Under these circumstances, do you honestly believe you can escape? If the Marines achieve victory, you'll find no refuge anywhere in the East Blue. What good will your money be then?"
"How do you know all this?" demanded one skeptical pirate captain.
Sherlock regarded him as though he were addressing a child. "What purpose would lying serve? You'll discover the truth soon enough. As for my sources—it's the same reason I was able to summon you all here. In the East Blue, we are the ones who truly know the territory."
The room fell silent as the captains exchanged uneasy glances. Most seemed to accept Sherlock's claims. After a prolonged pause, one captain sighed heavily and muttered, "But the Marines have already won!"
"No," Sherlock countered firmly, raising his index finger. "The Marines merely caught us off guard. They haven't secured victory yet. We still have an opportunity to reverse our fortunes."
"William's been captured!" several captains exclaimed incredulously. "How could we possibly turn the tide?"
"That," Sherlock replied with a measured smile, "is precisely why I've gathered you all here today. We need every captain from the East Blue to join this conflict and demonstrate to the Marines exactly whose territory this truly is."
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