Bonus Chapter for reaching 100 Powerstones. Sorry for the late upload, I didn't see the that we completed the goal.
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"I can't believe there was someone else strong enough to do what Mihawk did," Hancock said, her voice full of wonder. "It seems the world I knew was very small."
"Haha, it's a bit embarrassing when a talented young person like you says that."
The port in Mopuchi Country is doing well. The Black Cat Pirates, Capone Bege's crew, and the fish-men helped. It has recovered just as much as the farming villages and is growing.
"But the empress before the last one? I heard Gloriosa died from sickness..." Hancock mused.
"Well, after a lot happened, I ran into her by chance. She's living well on the Sabaody Archipelago now with one other person."
They were in a salon in the port town. It was a place made to host allies like Bege and trusted underground dealers he chose. Hancock ordered a server to bring drinks.
"Around that time, I heard rumors about you. People said someone from Kuja was in a new pirate crew in the West Blue. I also knew that some people had just been lost from a Kuja ship in an accident at sea."
"...Are you telling us to go back?" Hancock asked quietly.
"I was asked to help you, if you wanted it. So, what will you do?"
"Hmm..."
Four people were around Hancock: her two sisters, who were listening, a server, and Perona, who wasn't paying attention to the serious talk and was ordering more cocoa.
"Sonia, Marie," Hancock said, turning to her sisters. "What will you two do? You can do whatever you want."
They smiled.
"We will stay by your side, Sister," Sandersonia said.
"Me too," Marigold added.
They gave the answer Hancock expected.
Hancock smiled a little.
"Rayleigh, that's your name, right?" Hancock said. "Thank you again for crossing the Calm Belt to get us. I am grateful. But... I am sorry."
"You're staying?" he asked.
"Yes," she said firmly. "Things are very difficult right now. Captain trusted me to protect this island. I cannot just leave it."
"Then what about after this situation with the Pirate Alliance is over?"
Hancock quietly shook her head at the older pirate's question.
"I will go back to Amazon Lily one day."
"But not right now. Is that it?"
"...It's true I still haven't paid him back for saving me when I was a prisoner about to be sold, but..."
Hancock ordered the server to open the curtains. She pointed outside to show Rayleigh the view.
"Pirates, warriors... strong people. I always thought they were people who take things from the weak. I thought that's just how it was. But Captain... and Mihawk too..."
Hancock still clearly remembered the sight. It looked like a giant sparkler blooming on the ground.
It was a fight she knew she wasn't ready for.
Slashes so fast you couldn't see them, clashing against perfect skill that blocked them with the smallest moves.
"Captain rebuilt this port town to what it is now. It's still small, but he already has plans to make it grow even more."
"...So this town wasn't always like this?" Rayleigh asked, surprised.
"It was terrible at first. The only real buildings were warehouses for drugs, weapons, and slaves, run by criminals, and one small bar. Little children would hang around in the alleys, hoping for scraps from the mafia."
Hancock's words made Rayleigh stand up, still holding his glass of alcohol, and look outside.
It was a bit small to be called a port town, but the view below was peaceful. You could see that people were really living there.
"Captain could have left this town, gone to the Grand Line, and become famous right away. But he didn't," Hancock continued. "He is strong, but he likes to build things more than he likes to take things."
"Oh... That's not very pirate-like."
Perona laughed her "Horo-horo" laugh.
She sometimes helped with the construction work, partly to practice controlling her Mini-Hollow explosions.
"Captain is strong, but he doesn't act like it. I want to stay by his side a little longer and see what he is trying to do. Besides, my soldiers still have so much to teach and so much to learn."
--
"You want us to hire the refugees the Marines are protecting?" Sengoku asked, tapping the Den Den Mushi. "Pay them daily to help rebuild. Is that right, Kuro?"
'Yes, Fleet Admiral,' Kuro's voice replied. 'The Pirate Alliance attacks burned down homes and businesses. Many people lost everything they own.'
In the office with Sengoku were the new Admiral, Kizaru, the hero Garp, and the Great Staff Officer Tsuru.
'Because of this, our soldiers in the field report that more people are losing hope and doing desperate things,' Kuro's voice continued. 'Giving out food and sweets helps calm them down, but that can only work for so long. ...We also need to save food.'
"So you give them jobs and pay them," Sengoku summarized. "This will help them live until things are rebuilt."
'Yes. Some people have lost all hope and won't move. Giving them a job gives them a clear goal. This will speed up the rebuilding and make the camps more stable.'
Admiral Kizaru listened with interest. He had never seen this man Kuro, only heard stories about this pirate who didn't act like a pirate.
'It won't be much, but earning money will help calm people down. And if you let merchants come, people can use their pay to buy small things they enjoy, like snacks or drinks. It will make them feel normal.'
"...Why not just add those things to the food rations?" Sengoku asked.
'The point is to let them do normal, everyday things, like buying and selling. It's better for morale to choose what you buy, instead of just being given something.'
"The second one is more effective, I see," Tsuru commented.
'Yes. We have to ration food, so we should try to make up for it in other ways.'
"But giving refugees money might just cause fights, don't you think?" Sengoku pushed back.
'They aren't just given money, they have a way to earn it. I don't think it will get that bad. Sure, they might start small gambling games with what they buy, but as long as it's not too serious, it's a good way for them to relieve stress.'
"Hmm..."
'But this plan absolutely needs money from the World Government and the Marines. Please, think about it.'
Sengoku let out a deep sigh. "I can't do it right away. We're still short on supplies... but I will talk about it in the strategy meeting."
'That's more than enough. Thank you for making time for me, Fleet Admiral. I know you are busy.'
"...What do you think?"
After the call ended, Sengoku looked at the others in the room and asked.
"Bwahaha! If that kid worked for the Government, the world might be a better place!"
Garp said, laughing as he chewed on a rice cracker.
Admiral Kizaru nodded. "Oooh, I wondered what kind of pirate would get praise from Mr. Zephyr... He doesn't sound like a pirate or a soldier... He sounds like a politician..." he muttered, sounding amazed.
"...He's the kind of person the Marines needed," Tsuru said quietly.
"There's no hidden meaning in his words, huh? No, I already knew that, but..."
"Government supplies are already late. The fact he brought this up now means the refugees are more scared and angry than we realize. Sengoku, you need to hurry."
"I know," Sengoku sighed again.
He looked at the reports Kuro sent him. They had the same information as the official intelligence reports, but they were shorter and much easier to read.
The reports covered:
Managing troops by "areas" instead of just branch patrol zones.
Helping to organize and manage the confused chain of command.
Checking on the physical and mental health of soldiers and refugees.
Calming down refugees, handling their complaints, and talking with them.
The government had ordered Sengoku to use this chance to get information on the Black Cat pirates. But almost every report he got about them ended up sounding like a request to make them Warlords or to pardon them.
"Tsuru," Sengoku said.
"Yes?"
"What do you think would have happened if Kuro had joined the Marines?"
"...Let's see. He would have made it to Headquarters in ten years. He'd be an Admiral in twenty. And after that..."
"Depending on the situation," Tsuru finished, "he might have become the youngest Fleet Admiral in history."
--
"Regular report from Area B," a Marine said. "No suspicious ships seen."
"Report from Captain Malamute in Area A. Two suspicious ships were spotted. They ran toward Area G as soon as they saw him."
"Ran to Area G, huh..." Kuzan mused, looking at Kuro. "Kuro, what do you think?"
"Area A has all the farms, and the harvest is starting soon," I said, pointing to the map. "They were probably scouting to see if they could attack it. But... the way they ran might be a trick to make us think that."
"My thoughts exactly," Kuzan agreed. "All right, report to Area G about the ships. Tell them to be extra careful. Area A stays where it is." "Sir!"
"Sir!"
All right, all right. We finally fixed the chain of command, with Kuzan at the center.
Before this, it was like trying to use a complicated machine with no instructions. It was a huge burden on us and the Marines. I'm so glad we fixed it.
It was worth staying up all night with Kuzan, going through all those files, reports, and service records.
I'm really grateful to Kuzan for asking his bosses, and to Sengoku for giving us permission, even if they argued about it first.
My crew is one thing, but the Marines must have been so confused. I'm thankful they followed our lead...
"Anyway, things have calmed down a little," Kuzan said, stretching.
"The Black Cat units are acting as a mobile force, and they're seeing less fighting, too," Daz noted.
"...Did the number of pirates go down?" I wondered.
"Actually, there are more of them," Kuzan said. "It seems like someone is stirring up trouble in the towns that haven't been attacked yet."
"Yeah, I heard the reports. Can't we catch them?"
"...We just don't have enough people... We'll have to rely on the local police and sheriffs."
"Not enough people, huh..."
We were in the biggest room in the Mogwa Kingdom's castle. It's basically a war room now, just like the one in Mopuchi Country. There was a huge map of the West Blue on the board behind us. As reports came in, Robin used her powers to move the little magnets that showed where our troops were.
It's pretty useful. We don't have to keep getting a ladder.
"Oh, right," Kuzan said. "HQ is sending reinforcements."
"Reinforcements..." I asked. "What about food?"
"Sengoku said they've secured plenty of food, plus a lot of extra supplies."
"That helps... How many?"
"Five ships. All led by Vice Admirals from HQ."
"...Five ships."
HQ ships are different from branch ships. They're bigger, with more cannons and more soldiers. This means a lot more people.
That's a crazy number of new people. They'll be useful as workers and fighters, but...
"When will they get here?" I asked.
"In the last report, they said the ships were just assembled. So, after they pass Red Port... if the wind is good, about a week. But probably... more like ten days."
...Where will they sleep? ...I guess that burned-down village is empty. But, we'll still need to fix it up.
"Admiral Aokiji."
"Hm?"
"I'd like to borrow your engineers. They can work with my construction team to get the new troops' camp ready."
"Uh... can't they just sleep on the ships?" Kuzan asked. "They're Marines. It's what they've been doing on the way here."
"This is going to be a long mission, especially with the rebuilding. If they have to sleep packed together on a swaying ship the whole time... they'll get tired fast."
Kuzan nodded, "I see."
"On land, we have more room than on a cramped ship. We can also expand the camp later if we need to."
The other Marines and officers nearby were listening, and they didn't seem to mind the idea.
All that work my Guard did to talk with the Marines and learn how they act really paid off.
"And most importantly..." I added.
"What?" Kuzan asked.
"Think about cleanup and all... the... waste..."
Kuzan put his hand on his forehead and winced. "Ahhhhh."
The other Marines, even the officers, all cringed. It must have reminded them of their trainee days.
"On a ship... for that long... right. I forgot about that... My bad."
"Exactly," I said. "It's bad for morale. So, we should start right now. We need to dig pits, gather herbs to cover the smell, and set up tents and bathrooms for a large group."
"Got it. Sorry. Someone go get the engineers... How many do you need?"
"We're building for a lot of people, so I need at least two platoons."
"...I can get you one platoon right now. We can work out getting more later... that okay?"
"No problem. Thank you, Admiral."
I bowed, and Aokiji waved his hand, like 'don't worry about it.'
Is that really how an Admiral should act?
"Okay, I'll go get my team," I said. "We'll pick the spot after that."
"Sounds good. Oh, right, Kuro."
"Yes?"
"When this operation is over, you want to be my second-in-command?"
"I already told you," I deadpanned, "I'm a pirate."
--
"We need people to build toilets, clear land, and set up tents."
A normal pirate captain would force the new guys to do boring work like this.
"You mean that burned-out place? If we're going to build, we should make things that can last."
"I agree, Daz," Mihawk said, stepping forward. "You're the best one to clear the ground. I can help gather wood."
"I know which plants keep bugs away," Robin added. "I can gather those quickly."
But on my crew, the second-in-command, the swordsman, and the archaeologist are all happy to volunteer before I even ask the regular crew.
Man, I've got some great officers. Even if one is just a guest.
"But reinforcements from Marine HQ, huh..." Mihawk said. "Kuro, how is the war going?"
"We're slowly getting stuck. It's a stalemate."
"...Hmm."
"But the enemy pirates have more people, right, Captain?" Robin asked.
That's the problem. Area A is our most important line. It has all the farms that haven't been burned yet. But that means we have to spread our defenses very thin to cover it all.
If the enemy attacks Area A with all their power, we'll lose some islands unless people like me, Mihawk, and Kuzan, who can take out huge groups, go all out.
If that happens, I'm ready to call Perona and Hancock here, even if it leaves Mopuchi Country less protected.
"The Grand Line is a mess, too," Kuzan added. "The Four Emperors are fighting in the New World, and the first half is full of new pirates. They don't have soldiers to spare for us."
"...The enemy probably knows that," Daz said grimly.
"I'm sure of it. This stalemate shouldn't be happening," Kuro said.
"Someone must be giving the enemy advice. Captain, what do you think?"
"I agree. The enemy is holding back their full strength."
They're probably using the food they steal to get more soldiers. They might be telling the people they capture, "Join us if you want to eat."
"We set up these areas to find the enemy's base, but they're being smarter than I expected."
"So, waiting is bad for us?" Robin asked.
"Yeah. But I can't figure out their next move."
They were burning all the nearby countries, but we've finally set up a new defense. We're still taking damage... but why? Did they give up on burning the farms? Do they think they'll win just by burning everything else? This is so frustrating...
"If the enemy's goal is to change the situation," Mihawk said suddenly, "they'll probably make their move when the government acts."
"...You mean the aid?" I realized. "Mihawk."
"That's right. They'll either destroy the aid, or they'll do something so big that no one even notices the aid arrived."
"...And people will keep turning into pirates," Daz finished. "Or they'll become bandits, like on Luchu Island. It won't stop."
"...We're really counting on Bege," I sighed. "I hope he finds something."
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