"The Pirate Alliance in the West Blue is still growing. We've sent a special unit to deal with them, but we haven't found their main leaders yet. We're always one step behind."
The meetings at Marine HQ had been going on for days. They were all about the Pirate Alliance.
"Admiral Aokiji and our new partner, the 'Black Cat' pirates, report that the Alliance is not just stealing. They think their main goal is to burn down the World Government nations in the West Blue."
The room was filled with whispers.
"Black Cat again?"
"That crew?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Vice Admirals, along with Commodore Momonga (who was just promoted), looked worried. The damage reports were making them pale.
"This report is so well-organized, you could use it in a textbook," Vice-Admiral Tsuru said, looking at a file. "I just wish the news wasn't so bad."
The report had everything. The amount of damage, drawings of how the fires were set, photos, and even graphs showing the number of refugees.
The problem was... a pirate crew had made this report, not the Marines.
"The World Government is sending supplies to the nations that were attacked. We have been ordered to use our main forces to guard those shipments."
Sengoku's face twitched.
He was the Fleet Admiral, and he hadn't known about this decision.
They had just told him right before the meeting. He was angry about the pirates, and he was angry about this.
"The West Blue branch has caught or sunk 25 Pirate Alliance ships, but the Alliance is still growing faster."
The map of the West Blue had X-marks over many of the nations.
"So far, 37 nations have been attacked. It's always the same. They burn the fields first, then the towns. They steal supplies and kidnap the people."
"A large number of people have been taken, but we don't know where."
"We've caught some pirates, but most of them only joined after their homes were burned. We aren't getting any good information—"
–
"Are the big shots at HQ really so clueless they don't even know about the 'man-hunts'?" Bege said.
We were in the Mogwa Castle. Just like in Mopuchi, we were using a room in the castle we had freed as a meeting room.
It was me, Daz, Robin, Bege, and Kuzan with his top Marine officers.
...This is a weird group.
My Guard was with the other Marines, helping at the refugee shelters. I thought it was better to let the Marines handle it, but Bege insisted. So, Kuzan made it an official "joint operation."
Mihawk had gotten an idea, so he was wandering the burnt towns. I sent Toya with him with a Den Den Mushi.
The King of Mogwa was dead, murdered. The Queen, princes, princesses, and all the servants were gone.
Probably kidnapped.
"Bege, please explain," I said. "I don't know the full story either."
"Sheesh, fine," Bege grumbled, acting like a thug. "You all know about the 'Marine slave' business that was making big money."
Some of the Marines looked shocked. They might not have known.
Bege is doing this on purpose... acting like a street punk.
"Normally, a person sells for about 500,000 Berries. A big guy or a pretty woman costs more, but you gotta haggle. But the Marine slaves? They were hand-picked. They started at three million."
Even Kuzan frowned. That was understandable.
He told me what those slaves went through. It was awful. It made me feel like I had to do something about the Celestial Dragons' slave culture.
"Then Kuro here smashed that business," Bege continued. "You know about that, right? Admiral Aokiji?"
"Well... I was there when he walked into the base by himself," Kuzan said.
Bege is trying to stop the regular Marines from hating us. He's taking all the attention...
He's a smart guy. He's trying to stop any trouble before it starts.
He probably sent most of his own men back to Mopuchi because he was worried they'd start a fight with the Marines.
Bege's men respected us after the Germa fight, but some of them were still hot-heads.
But Bege, this makes it look like you're supporting me. That makes me and Kuzan the leaders in this room. Are you okay with that?
"Anyway, the Marine slave trade is dead... but the buyers aren't," Bege said. He moved Robin to the side so he could smoke his cigar like a gangster.
He keeps doing that... being thoughtful. That's why my crew is starting to trust him, even after what he did.
"The buyers were mad. Their orders were canceled. The slaves they already bought were taken back. So they went after the brokers. And those buyers are scary. The brokers panicked. They had to find new 'products' fast. Rare slaves, or anything else valuable. Kuro, your fight with the 'Marine Hunter' was part of that."
"...The Fish-Men and Hancock's crew that were captured."
"Yeah. They were a lucky find... The brokers are grabbing anyone who looks valuable. But... you can't find people like that every day."
"Ah..." Kuzan said, finally understanding.
"So they went for numbers. Is that it, Capone Bege?"
"That's right, Aokiji," Bege said. "They're grabbing anyone they can. The brokers are paying top dollar, and a lot of scumbags are joining in to sell people."
What if the buyers don't like them?
Bege just laughed.
"If they don't like 'em, they kill 'em. Or... maybe they're just gathering them for... 'games'."
My head hurts.
Knowing the Celestial Dragons, that sounds exactly like something they would do.
"And I'll tell you," Bege added, "there are Marines helping with the 'man-hunts' for extra cash. They just attack a non-member nation and say they were 'resisting'."
The Marines in the room exploded.
"That's a lie!"
"Shut up, mafia!"
Kuzan looked surprised. He looked at me.
"Kuro-kun?"
"It's true, Admiral Aokiji," I said.
I was shocked when I heard it, too.
That's why we've been working so fast to hide our base and set up escape routes, especially for the Fish-Men.
"Non-member nations have no rights. So... you know."
"Yeah, I know... but... seriously?"
Kuzan looked defeated.
"But, okay, I get it. So the people who were 'kidnapped'..."
"..Are probably for that," I said. "We don't know for sure. But they are mostly taking children and young people... under 30."
"Like you and Mihawk said," Bege added, "the main goal is to burn the crops. This is just a side-job."
And... it slows down their ability to rebuild...
When people are desperate, they do extreme things.
They give up... or they start stealing.
"Admiral Aokiji, any word on the enemy leaders?" I asked.
"No, still nothing. Are the kidnapped people with them?"
"Probably," I said. "Even if their main goal is to burn things, they need supplies to move an army. They're using the food as bait, or the weapons to start fires."
This felt like the slave incident, but this time, it was out in the open.
That pink-sunglasses bastard usually likes to hide...
Did someone else take over the business?
But who?
Is it really him?
"Bege, keep gathering information," I said.
"Sure. The other Families hate this 'Pirate Alliance' too. The big bosses are all looking. I'll see what I can find."
"Right. The underworld is better at this," Kuzan said. "So, Kuro-kun..."
"...Will you agree to what I asked for?", I interjected.
The Admiral sighed and scratched his head.
"I reported it to Sengoku-san. I can't make that call alone."
"...And?"
This was important.
Kuzan sighed again.
"He said, 'If it's you, fine.'"
Yes!
"The Marines will officially call a truce with the Black Cat Pirates. We will work together to put out this fire. Here's the agreement. Read it and sign it."
He handed me the paper.
"He said he'll talk if anything else comes up."
Sengoku-san! Thank you! I am so sorry for all the trouble!
"I will send Fleet Admiral Sengoku a formal thank-you letter."
"He'd like that. Tsuru-san and Zephyr-sensei liked your last letter."
...So, letters can be weapons, too. Good to know.
–
"Nyuu~. Sorry you had to come all this way," a small octopus Fish-Man said, wringing his hands.
They were on a nameless, empty island. But hidden from the sea, there were houses and buildings.
In a hidden cave, in a secret port, two wet figures stood.
"I heard some guys I know live here," the octopus-kid said. "But I heard they were with human pirates, so I was scared."
Next to him stood an older man. "Nonsense," the man said. "They saved us when we were shipwrecked. This is nothing."
―― "Did you hear that? Voices from the hidden port?"
―― "It should be locked! The next check isn't for two days!"
―― "The entrance is blocked, and we sank rocks in the channel. No one should be able to get in..."
―― "Could it be... the pirates Kuro-san warned us about?"
―― "Go get the guards! We mermaids will check the water!"
"Oh, they found us," the old man chuckled.
"I hope they'll talk to us..." the kid said nervously.
"Hahaha. You're a Fish-Man, Hachi. They'll at least listen to you."
The old man looked around. There were two empty ships, but they looked more like transports than pirate ships. The port was full of tools and lumber.
And... it didn't feel like a pirate base. There was no smell of blood or violence.
The old man smiled.
"I heard rumors on the way here—"
He looked at the flag hanging on the smooth cave wall. A black cat with three claws. The legend stroked his beard.
"So it's true. A pirate crew that isn't like a pirate crew. The Black Cat Pirates."
--
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