"Look at all this food we plundered! We won't have to worry about going hungry for a while!"
"Next, let's target somewhere with lots of valuables!"
"You idiot, money's worthless if there's nowhere to spend it!"
"Then let's hit somewhere with women. I heard there's a town nearby that's really started to prosper."
"Gyahahaha! That sounds great, worth plundering!"
A single pirate ship sat anchored in the dark sea. This vessel had raided nearby run-down villages, stealing every bit of stored food and valuables they had accumulated.
"Ugh, damn it. I'm not used to drinking this much. Going to take a piss."
"You better hurry back or we'll drink all the booze!"
"Don't be stupid, we hit five villages and three towns and cleaned them out completely! Even drinking like fish, we couldn't finish it all in one night!"
"You got that right! Hihyahyah!"
"Ugh, damn it, all we stole was cheap barrel wine. Just once I'd like to bathe in expensive rum."
The young pirate grumbled to himself as he relieved himself in the filthy toilet.
"Damn it, the light's out too... did we run out of oil?"
After finishing his business, the pirate drunkenly tried to pull up his pants, looking down, and then...
"...Huh?"
He stared speechlessly at the blade protruding from his chest.
The Governor's obsession with proper toilets makes sense when you see something this filthy and stinking.
Don't waste words. We're in the middle of an operation.
Sorry.
Before he knew it, three men in black suits covered with even darker cloaks stood behind the pirate. The man who had stabbed the pirate through the chest from behind quickly covered the pirate's mouth, then withdrew his knife, its blade deliberately painted black, and slit the pirate's throat to ensure death.
The other two, holding similar knives, kept watch of their surroundings. After confirming no other pirates were nearby, they pulled small Den Den Mushi from their pockets.
"Third unit, eliminated one enemy who came to the toilet. Continuing to secure ship entrances and exits."
Following the man's report through the small Den Den Mushi, reports from other pirates continued.
Second unit, completed securing the lower deck. No enemies or captive civilians found. Beginning preparations to transport confirmed supplies.
Fifth unit, completed securing storage areas with sixth and seventh units. No enemies or prisoners confirmed here either. Moving to supply confirmation and storage.
First unit, completed securing middle deck. Eliminated six enemies who were drunk in their quarters, hid the bodies in convenient wooden crates for now. Awaiting further orders.
Young male and female voices echoed one after another through the Den Den Mushi. While listening to the reports, the three men disposed of the enemy corpse and hid it in a cleaning supply closet to prevent any pirates who might come to the toilet from discovering the body.
(Well, according to the reports, we've secured everything, and no one needs rescuing...)
The man, a relatively veteran regular soldier who had joined the Black Cat pirates after deciding that joining the crew would lead to a better life once they conquered Mopchi, concealed his limbs and face with his cloak, blending into the darkness as he imagined what would happen next.
Well done, everyone. You may light the lamps.
And it seemed things would develop exactly as the soldier expected. As soon as the door opened, a girl's voice, completely unsuited for a pirate but familiar to them, spoke.
When they relit the previously extinguished lamp, the three members of the second unit, soldiers of considerable skill, lined up and saluted to greet whoever had opened the door.
"Second unit, no casualties. Admiral Hancock."
"Good. I took care of the enemies outside. While the other units transport supplies to the deck, work with the Guard Corps to prepare for the Navy's arrival."
On the deck beyond the door where moonlight leaked through, there were no enemy pirates to be seen. Only numerous stone statues scattered about. Fragile-looking stone statues that anyone with a bit of strength could easily shatter.
Seeing this scene, the three men responded with a sharp "Yes!" to the girl.
It looked like grown men playing along with a girl's game of soldiers, but tension ran across the faces of all three adult men.
Boa Hancock, Admiral of the Black Cat Pirates' First Fleet.
She was by no means a famous pirate. She was still an unknown pirate without even a bounty on her head. If she were to announce herself outside, pirates and civilians who knew nothing would laugh at her grand title.
However, within the Black Cat organization, there wasn't a single person who would dare underestimate her.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Oh my, you caught another one. You're achieving about the same results as Daz Bones over there."
"Damn it, there are far too many small-time pirates! How much more will they multiply! It's extremely troublesome since I can't just sink their ships!"
"Can't you just turn the whole lot to stone?"
"I turned hostages to stone along with them and they got stuck together, causing all sorts of trouble! I reported that!"
With Kuro absent and Daz handling Mopchi's defense, cooperating with the Navy became Hancock's job. As a result, Kuro's usual position next to Admiral Aokiji became her seat, and facing the reports that came in became the job of her and Amis, who assisted her.
Unlike Kuro, however, she often stood on the battlefield herself. Since she was commanding a fleet that, while fairly elite, had only just been formed, she inevitably needed to be present in the field.
"Well, it's helpful. Little by little, we're recovering supplies that were stolen from various places."
"We're taking twenty percent of it though."
"Is twenty percent really enough? Honestly, in terms of military strength, you Black Cats seem to be achieving better results, and the agreement was for thirty percent."
"It's the percentage we decided on after discussing with our master before departure, no problem. Besides, ah... commanding soldiers while handling reconstruction and supply management, I'm gradually beginning to see what our master was struggling with."
Hancock, who had begun handling political affairs divided with Daz Bones alongside Guard Corps members experienced in paperwork, while also commanding the fleet, had a broad perspective for a single pirate.
"If the seas don't calm down, civilian unrest will increase. I thought it was just a minor matter, but... it greatly affects production efficiency and resource consumption. Fortunately, our master had planned production and we suffered no damage, so it's within acceptable limits, but..."
Crops like radishes, cabbage, and spinach that Mihawk had planted with the people from summer to autumn were being harvested, and the Black Cat's Germa-made food storage facilities contained enough provisions to last until spring, if not abundant.
"Are your people getting anxious too?"
"We're pirates after all. Some are saying that we might stop our current rule due to the crisis and start stealing food and such."
"Hey now... will you be okay?"
"We left the vice-governor and others skilled in governance behind. There shouldn't be problems. ...However."
From the office in Moguwa's royal castle, you could see the entire former castle town at a glance. The scene where people had built barracks from burnt boards and bricks in what used to be the marketplace, shivering and enduring the cold, was gradually being rebuilt into small wooden houses, slowly regaining the form of a proper town.
"We need to expand the cultivated land as quickly as possible, or we'll face another crisis around summer. But fear and distrust are sapping the people's morale. ...We can use our soldiers directly for land clearing, but..."
"Marines aren't designed for that kind of operation. No, seriously, I'd love to have your soldiers. Not just for combat, but they're too reliable in other areas."
"This isn't the time to be envious. We'll recover the supplies, so you need to stabilize the situation quickly. We can't intervene in member nations."
"Well, that's true."
What most shocked the Marines wasn't the Black Cat soldiers' fighting ability, but their versatility in changing from their usual suits to matching coveralls with the same emblem and handling everything from tilling fields to town reconstruction.
What particularly surprised them was that Governor Kuro himself sometimes prioritized such construction work.
"We're also short-handed for reconstruction. Many of the able-bodied workers were taken away... I'd almost want to borrow Black Cat soldiers and have them pretend to be Marines."
While this was a rather problematic statement from a Navy Admiral, fortunately only the Admiral and the executive of a major pirate crew were present. No one was looking to make an issue of it.
"I initially thought the kind of organization our master aimed for was un-pirate-like, but seeing it this way, what our master drilled into the soldiers and had them experience has certainly become valuable. By showing our activities, we hardly get any rogues volunteering for us with pure plunder as their motive."
"And those soldiers keep raising the Black Cat's productivity... well, I'm envious."
Kuzan removed his usual sunglasses, placed them on the table, and sighed while looking at the stack of defense and aid requests from neighboring member nations, cracking his neck.
"Well, the downside is that training and education take time. ...Hm? Hey Aokiji, isn't it about time to depart?"
"Huh? Oh, is it that time already?"
"...Aid requests that double as showing face to member nation royalty. Being an Admiral is tough work."
The Navy Admiral, who for some reason picked up an eye mask instead of his sunglasses, reached for the Justice coat he had casually hung on his chair's backrest, and then...
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"What is justice?"
"...That's not a question a Navy Admiral should ask a pirate. Besides, while I have a grand title, I lack our master's knowledge and experience."
Kuzan stood with his hand on his coat, thinking intently about something.
Hancock, who had been comparing a list of supplies currently lacking in neighboring member nations with Tezoro's report summarizing the types of supplies the Black Cat could provide and their limits, sighed.
"Right now, we can only face what's in front of us. At least until our master returns."
"...Do you think Kuro can come back?"
"That depends on how the government acts, but... well."
"If the situation prevents his return, we'll simply go to retrieve him."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"So instead of filling it in, it would be better to reduce the water flowing from the mountain."
"Right, Mihawk. The marshland won't disappear, but I think we can gradually shrink it that way."
Compared to the original plan, Canett's development was proceeding smoothly. There was no expected resistance or confusion from the residents, and they were surprisingly obedient.
"So, farmland on the mountain."
"Ponds would be good too, and if we can create farmland, we can retain water and improve the environment. The only problems would be damage from beasts and insects, but..."
"To deal with that, those mountain bandits are still in the way."
"They're being exterminated right now."
"You're quite capable yourself, Robin."
This was probably largely because the mountain bandits who had tormented them for so long were being systematically eliminated. Those who thought the Guard Corps members looked profitable were having their heads removed one after another, or being scattered by flying slashes, or having their legs snapped by suddenly sprouting arms.
At Robin's suggestion for thorough bandit elimination, Mihawk and the Guard Corps leading new recruits for practical training were systematically routing the mountain bandits hiding in the treacherous peaks.
Even cleverly hidden bases were being discovered from above through the combination of high-flying kites and Robin's abilities, then subjected to successive raids.
"Hm, speaking of which, where's Rayleigh?"
"Drinking in the port town. ...I wonder why taverns get built before docks, warehouses, or houses."
"We are pirates. Rather than always being in towns and villages, it's probably more reassuring for local residents to have a clear place where we are."
"...I did suggest that, but why a tavern?"
"That's what pirates are."
"...Is that... so...?"
"I'm just a guest, so it's not my place to say, but don't use Kuro as a reference. Pirates are basically the kind of people we've been eliminating."
Sheathing what was becoming his beloved sword, the famous blade Miyao Type-2, Juracule Mihawk looked around.
"Miakis, dispose of the mountain bandits appropriately."
"Understood. But... hmm, we've cut down enough for examples, so should we just exile them in a small boat?"
"...Small boats are valuable too, but I suppose it can't be helped. Robin, what do you think?"
"Yeah. I don't think they'd work quietly, so that's fine. Miakis, please handle it."
At Robin's words, the twin-sword-wielding Guard Corps member with long hair tied up like a bow smiled as always.
"Understood~"
"Um, sorry for giving you unpleasant work..."
"Not at all, this is exactly what the Guard Corps is for. Well then, I'll round these guys up~"
This Guard Corps member, whom Robin was particularly fond of, was also excellent as a commander. She gave instructions to the new recruits who were finally getting used to actual combat, quickly binding up the mountain bandits who were still alive after having their legs broken by Robin.
"Anyway, creating farmland on the mountain means cutting into it?"
"Yeah. If we could make it like wide steps, with fields or rice paddies... what do you think?"
"I understand, but... hmm."
Mihawk, still in his usual coveralls since these mountain bandits posed no real challenge, placed his hand on the mountain slope, feeling the incline with his skin and comparing it to his farming experience.
"I can't just use brute force as usual. After rough measurements and marking boundaries, it would be better to focus on expanding the port and the new settlement."
"Will it take a long time?"
"That, and manpower. First we should solidify the basic foundation... hm."
Suddenly, Mihawk looked up at the sky.
"? What is it, Mihawk?"
"...Chris, are you here?"
When Mihawk's eyes suddenly sharpened, Robin called out to him, but instead of answering, he called to the Guard Corps member approaching closest to him.
"Here."
"Take Robin and get some distance away."
"Understood."
Robin was about to speak again, but before she could, Chris picked her up and disappeared silently.
Without looking in that direction but confirming the presence had vanished, Mihawk placed his hand on the sheathed Miyao, sliding the blade within the sheath and swiftly drawing it.
Oww...!
As a result of repeated training, no, battles with Kuro, Mihawk had also improved his swordsmanship. Compared to when he first began traveling with Kuro, his now sharper slash cut through the air, slicing the sky in the direction where Mihawk sensed someone's presence.
Kuhahahaha, I see. You're worthy of being a pirate who's made a name for himself.
But Mihawk felt no impact. Sensing he'd been dodged, Mihawk readied his sword again as a small sandstorm suddenly whirled before him.
"...Surprising. I never thought there'd be someone clearly targeting the Black Cat here."
When the sandstorm stopped, a man stood there. A scar running straight across his face, unpleasant eyes that seemed to appraise Mihawk, and where his left hand should be, a large hook.
"Well, whatever. Let me finish my business quickly and get back to the Grand Line. Hey..."
"Where's the Demon of Ohara?"
"Beyond this blade."
"Hand her over."
"I refuse."
"I see."
The next moment, a blade of sand suddenly flew toward Mihawk and was immediately scattered by his flash of steel.
"You bastard... you use Haki?"
"I see, a sand ability user. As always, strong opponents gather around Kuro."
The hook-handed pirate, whose attack he thought would scatter his opponent was easily dispersed, heightened his guard, while Mihawk smiled fearlessly.
"That girl also walks Kuro's path. Don't think you can obtain her easily."
"You'll suffer unexpected wounds."
"Tch..."
In this West Blue, an unexpected clash between great pirates had begun.
***
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