Now that the "serious business" was taken care of, it was time to figure out what to do with the pirates in front of them.
Turning them in at a Marine base for bounty was the obvious move, but choosing which base to send them to required some consideration.
Having just left the Conomi Islands, the closest Marine base was naturally Branch 16, where that rat Colonel was stationed.
But considering that guy might very well try to pull the same "cops and robbers working together" routine using the Black Cat Pirates again, there was no way Sherwin would hand Zangao and the others over to him.
So, Sherwin pulled out his Hunter Handbook and searched for options. Aside from Branch 16, the next closest was Branch 77…
Eh? Wasn't that the same branch where that rear admiral got taken out in the original story?
Although that guy strength was probably pretty weak, his attitude in the manga was proper—he even went out of his jurisdiction to hunt pirates. So handing the Black Cat Pirates over to him should be relatively reliable.
With the destination confirmed, Sherwin then...
Untied the helmsman and lookout of the Black Cat Pirates.
Obviously—why waste the effort of his own Felynes when there were free laborers available?
Sherwin didn't believe for a second that these guys, who'd been cowed by Kuro and stayed away from him for years, would have the guts to resist someone like him, who had easily taken Kuro down, along with his cat crew.
And just as Sherwin expected, while it was certainly humiliating for pirates to personally sail themselves to a Marine base, it was still better than getting slaughtered by that terrifying cat, wasn't it?
So, even though they were temporarily set free, none of the pirates showed the slightest inclination to resist or escape. Instead, they obediently helped Sherwin navigate the ship.
That said, to avoid any unexpected incidents—and also because he didn't want to waste supplies on these scumbags—Sherwin chose not to stop at islands along the way this time. Instead, he headed straight for the island where Branch 77 was located.
"L-Lord Sherwin! The Marines from Branch 77 have dispatched warships!" the lookout on the mast shouted loudly.
This was something Sherwin had anticipated. Even though he had already taken down the Black Cat Pirates' flag, Kuro infamy was currently at its peak.
He was also the most highly-bountied pirate in East Blue at the moment, so of course the Marines would recognize his ship.
Before long, six warships from Branch 77 had surrounded Sherwin and his group in a semicircular formation.
It had to be said, judging by this rapid response, the overall quality of Branch 77 Marines was strong enough to hold their own even in the West Blue. And to be able to dispatch so many warships at once—their equipment and strength definitely weren't bad for East Blue…
So then why, in the original story, when dealing with Arlong, did the rear admiral—who was supposed to be the base commander—only bring one warship? And after it was destroyed, there was no follow-up?
Unable to figure it out, Sherwin simply waved at the pirate laborers and told them to furl the sails and anchor the ship. Then he raised a French flag atop the highest mast.
It wasn't unheard of for Hunters to escort pirates—along with their ship—to a Marine base to claim the bounty.
Raising a white flag wasn't the only way to signal friendly intent. But since the Black Cat Pirates' captain was the infamously cunning "Captain Kuro," known for his deceptions, the Marines might not trust any other method.
They'd likely test things over and over. So, to save trouble, Sherwin used the most straightforward "surrender" signal possible… He had already pulled the sails down—he couldn't escape or charge the base even if he wanted to.
Upon seeing them furl the sails and raise the white flag, the Marines didn't lower their guard right away. Instead, one warship cautiously approached the Exploding Black Cat Maria, dispatching a team of Marines to board and assess the situation.
"Ah! It the Cat Swordsman!" one of the boarding Marines shouted as soon as he saw Sherwin and the cats beside him.
Although Sherwin had previously captured a few pirates, he hadn't been especially well-known. For one, the pirates he had caught before didn't have very high bounties.
And two, most of those captures had happened out at sea, with few witnesses. It wasn't until his recent eradication of the Arlong Pirates that his name began to spread across the East Blue.
However...
Why is it that even in East Blue, his nickname still had to be this ridiculous, cutesy one?! The Marines really sucked at naming things!
Oh well—Cat Swordsman it is. He'd probably get called the "Salted-Fish Swordsman" anyway when he eventually used the Longsword to test the logic of the bestiary. Compared to that, Cat Swordsman didn't sound too bad...
With the reputation already established under the "Cat Swordsman" name, the boarding Marines quickly relayed the all-clear message to the rest of the ships.
And then...
These guys immediately began circling around the Felynes, clearly not planning to return to their own ship.
"..."
Sherwin took back what he said earlier—the quality of these Marines was still questionable.
The Exploding Black Cat Maria followed the warships and docked at the port of Branch 77. Soon after, another squad of Marines came aboard and escorted the captured Black Cat Pirates into the base.
Then, while handing over the bounty reward to Sherwin, the commander of Branch 77 came out to meet him.
He was a thin man with purple hair and beard, both tied into small topknots. According to Sherwin Observation Haki, the man strength was about on par with the Cat Brothers.
In fact, judging from the original story and how most East Blue Marines performed, if it came to a real fight, this guy probably wouldn't be able to beat either of the Cat Brothers.
"I'm Colonel Bulinbulin of Branch 77," the man introduced himself. Judging from the title, he hadn't yet been promoted to rear admiral.
Then, Colonel Bulinbulin immediately started trying to recruit Sherwin: "Your strength is impressive. Would you be interested in joining the Marines and fighting for justice? I can write a letter of recommendation to have you sent to Headquarters for advanced training."
The Marines had always looked down on bounty hunters, so Bulinbulin was the only one—besides Colonel Hillnas from the West Blue—who had ever tried to recruit Sherwin. What more, his offer was even better: a direct recommendation to Marine Headquarters…
According to what Sherwin had learned from Cody and Morgans, each year the number of recommendations from branch offices to Headquarters was extremely limited.
If a recommended candidate performed poorly, it would damage the recommender own standing.
In weak and lazy regions like East Blue, it might take years—even decades—for someone to be recommended at all.
Although Colonel Bulinbulin personal strength wasn't impressive, in other areas, he was doing quite well.
Unfortunately, Sherwin had already passed his rookie phase. He no longer needed the Marines' protection to buy time for his development, and he had zero interest in becoming a dog for the Celestial Dragons.
So, he used the same excuse he'd given Hillnas to turn him down—he was traveling with his Felynes in search of companions, and heading for the homeland of the Mink Tribe.
Just like Hillnas, when Sherwin pulled out the big gun—"a man promise"—Colonel Bulinbulin could only regretfully give up on trying to recruit him.
After settling the "money and goods cleared" deal with the Marines, Sherwin took the Felynes and left the 77th Branch...
Originally, he had planned to sell the Explorer No. 1 to the Marines as well, but they actually refused to take it.
Tch!