"R-raid!!"
The Five Great Families' income sources are diverse, but among them, the most well-known is the transport and sale of so-called contraband goods.
"What!? Hey Marines! Did you bastards betray us!?"
"N-no! We properly excluded this area from today's patrol-- Sorry, I'm a piece of shit lower than a cockroach..."
"What's suddenly wrong with yo-- I want to become moss... I want to become moss and live quietly and damply in the shade."
Being well-known means that no matter how much you try to hide, depending on how you investigate, you can find things easily.
These guys are easy marks...
"Daz, If there's anyone who hasn't fallen to Perona's attack, you can cut them down. Search for it."
"Roger."
These guys apparently were doing smuggling while hiding even within the Family. Connected through bribes with the Marines. Well well, that obviously suspicious sea area I found while investigating Marine movements before going to Perona's island was this spot-on.
"Robin, is it safe outside?"
When I bring one hand close to my ear and mutter, new lips bloom next to the ear that's blooming from my palm.
'Yes. I don't see any approaching ships.'
"Good. If something happens, either come here with Perona, or in the worst case, take the ship and escape. If it's just me and Daz, we can catch up by running through the air."
'Understood.'
...What should I really do about Robin? I never thought I'd encounter her here.
The image I'm trying to create... brand-wise? It would be completely out of the question to abandon her here, so I need to protect her with everything I've got. If Sakazuki comes chasing after us going "Damn youuuu!!" I'm confident I'd wet myself for real.
Even in that case, I can't show such an unseemly display. I'd make Daz the temporary captain, have everyone escape, then fight with the resolve to go out in a blaze of glory... hmm, in that case I'd die.
...That's completely the type that would leave mental scars in Robin's backstory. I need to avoid that if possible.
Since I'm Kuro in the first place, there's no point thinking about difficult things
What I should think about now is the strategy we'll take.
"...Still, to think Marines were in cahoots with the Family."
"Captain's from the East so you might not get it, but it's common."
Seriously? Guys like Nezumi who teamed up with Arlong aren't rare?
"Marines come in all types. At the bottom levels, there are plenty who team up with Families and Mafia, or threaten thugs to make small change."
"So the guys here are that type too."
I'm a bit worried about the cargo. It'd be great if it's luxury goods banned from trade, gold bars, or straight-up dirty money, but if it's drugs, I'll have to burn it. In that case, I'd have to gather up anything valuable... it might be easier if Robin helps with her ability.
"Captain, isn't this it?"
While investigating and moving aside the guys completely down from Perona's ghost attack, Daz seems to have found something interesting.
"Well, hidden warehouses are in the floor."
Like that legendary cargo ship from a certain galactic war.
"Daz, stay ready just in case."
Considering our current location and the ship's exterior, the space should be larger than expected. There's a possibility there's a warehouse guard inside.
"Robin, tell Perona to look inside."
I relay this to the women waiting on the ship through the ear that's growing. Then one of the ghosts floating around tries to go beyond the floor... and comes back.
Hm?
'Captain-san.'
I've gotten used to Robin's "-san" suffix, though I told her to call me Captain when I picked her up, I have a feeling she might be mistaking it for a name.
When I put my right hand to my ear, Robin whispers.
'Perona-san says she can't pass through that door.'
Seriously?
"...Seastone? Got it, tell her to continue neutralizing the surroundings and stay alert."
A hidden warehouse with seastone installed. Could the contents be a devil fruit user? No, smuggling devil fruit users makes no sense. Unless it's a Devil Fruit.
"The same as what Captain has?"
"Yeah, I'll open it."
Behind me, Daz has his hands ready as blades, standing by. The tough thing about having a child's body is struggling when moving heavy things like this.
I wish at least five years would pass quickly... without incident.
"Heave...ho...!"
When I shift the heavy mechanism floorboard that creaks and groans, a hidden staircase appears.
This is made more solidly than I thought...
"Captain, I'll lead."
Please, Daz. Since you currently have the strongest resistance to physical attacks, you're reliable at times like this.
And when we finish descending the stairs, a wide space spreads out. Lined up there taking up every inch of space were Humans.
"Captain, what is... this?"
"Human trafficking. In other words... I think these are people scheduled to be sold as slaves."
At that, Daz falls silent, looks at the clothing of the chained people, and sighs.
"...Marines?"
"That's why they fetch a high price, brats."
While we were surprised by the young Marines, both men and women with refined faces, shackled at hands, feet, and mouth and hanging from chains, a voice came from behind.
"To think the ones who raided a Family ship were such brats. ...But not bad."
Behind us was a man who looked exactly like a mafioso, exactly like a gangster. His eyes and atmosphere are sharp, but he looks to be in his late teens.
"It's good that despite being pirates, you wear suits properly and keep yourselves clean. I can trust guys who take care of their appearance."
...Wait? I didn't recognize him at first because he's young, but could this guy be...
"Capone Bege?"
When I ask that, the man shakes his shoulders and laughs quietly.
"I've become famous. To think the famous 'Silent Step' knows my name."
No, honestly I don't know anything. Timing-wise, I only know that he'll probably become a mafia boss and then become a pirate after that.
"Let me ask in return, why is my name spreading?"
"Hah? You completely destroyed bandit groups around Red Line that had bounties of around ten million, so of course your name would rise. As soon as you came to the West Blue, you crushed a big bounty hunter group too."
...Those guys were worth that much with that strength? Even if they were bounty heads, I thought they'd be worth around five million at most.
"So what's with these Marines?"
"Slaves, like you said. More precisely, they're about to become slaves."
That's what I don't understand. When you say slaves, it's related to those Celestial Dragons, right? But they arbitrarily designate people as slaves and buy them up at Human Shops.
...No, wait. If my memory's correct, the slaves that appeared were mostly pirates, fishmen, or civilians.
In other words, Marine slaves are rare. Being rare means--
"No matter if they're Celestial Dragons, if they openly enslave Marines, it creates friction with the Navy and strains the World Government's framework. So good-looking Marines who go missing for some reason are secretly bought and sold. Is that it?"
At my words, Bege's smile deepened.
"Nice, 'Silent Step' Kuro. You pay attention to appearance, you're skilled, and your head works pretty well too."
"How about it, Silent Step. Want to team up with me?"
--
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