"Hee-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya-hya!!"
After Hancock and her crew finished fixing the salon in the port town.
We gathered our main members there to wait for our ally.
The moment that ally, Bege, showed up, he started laughing harder than I've ever seen.
Hey, cut it out.
"Kuro! I knew crazy things always happen around you, but... hya-hya-hya!!"
I've only seen you laugh this hard when we're drinking alone.
"Where did you find him!" Bege choked out, "The famous 'Dark King'!"
Yeah, if you know who he is, you'll either be shocked or you'll laugh. It's one or the other.
"It wasn't exactly a coincidence... but he came here while we were busy in the Mogwa Kingdom."
"Haa... haa... damn, I laughed like an idiot," Bege wheezed, wiping a tear. "You've still got some crazy luck..."
Bege's men looked confused at first, wondering why their boss was laughing. But when they heard "Dark King," they must have figured it out. They all looked nervous right away.
"Mr. Rayleigh," I said, turning to him, "let me introduce you. This is my ally, Capone 'Gang' Bege. He's the one who was running around gathering information and supplies for this incident."
"Oh," Rayleigh said, looking him over. "Since you're allies, I thought you would have been fighting side-by-side against the Pirate Alliance on the battlefield."
"Well, it's about using the right man for the right job," Bege said, stepping forward. "It's a pleasure, Silvers Rayleigh. A living legend."
Bege shook hands with Rayleigh. He looked younger than I remembered.
He really was perfect for the job.
We knew the general area where the enemy was hiding, but Bege's crew found the exact spot. They gathered tiny clues from all the islands nearby.
If we didn't have his info, the Marines and I would have needed to send out tons of search boats. The enemy would have almost definitely seen us coming.
It wouldn't have been a surprise attack at all.
"Actually, he's very reliable in a fight, too," I added. "He was a big help during the Germa battle."
"Same here, Kuro," Bege said. "The Pirate Alliance caused some trouble, but this sea is my territory now."
"Then what about the drug problem we were worried about?"
"Just like we agreed, I'm cutting way back on it. I'll have other ways to make money starting next year. I plan to get out of the drug business, since the government is always watching."
Good, good. That's great.
I can ignore some things, but I had to stop the drug trade. Once it spreads, it really hurts a place's ability to work and make things.
"Alright, everyone please take a seat," I announced. "Let's start the meeting."
Daz, Perona, Robin, Hancock, and Amisu were there in their usual clothes.
Hack was in his usual training gear, and Mihawk was in his usual overalls. (Did you put those on again right after a bath?)
Bege and two of his men were here. And the "Dark King" was also in the room.
This room feels exactly like the New World. It's not funny, you damn god.
Seriously, isn't the difficulty level totally messed up?
"First, about the Pirate Alliance problem: thank you all for your hard work. Because of you, we can get back to our original plan, even if we need to make a few changes."
"Still, the real test is between now and winter," Bege interjected. "Even with government help, people are going to starve. While I was gathering info, I saw some villages that were already getting rid of people to save food. And these were in World Government countries."
Daz and Mihawk looked grim. So did Hancock, who was in charge of rebuilding, and Amisu, who leads the guards who talk to the people every day.
When the talk turned to getting rid of people, Rayleigh also looked serious.
"Yes... The government will try to save its member nations," I agreed. "But not the non-member nations. Even if Kuzan—Admiral Aokiji—lends a hand, it will only be to fight the pirates, who will probably increase. When it comes to supplies... it's not so easy."
If we ask for supplies from the local Marines, it could look like we're smuggling.
We've worked hard to build a good relationship with Kuzan and the West Blue Marines. Relying on them now would just cause problems for everyone.
"Our basic plan hasn't changed," I said. "Bege, I need you to get food and fuel as part of your regular trading, as much as you can without overdoing it."
"Yeah, leave it to me," Bege replied. "...Is that huge food storage unit you have working?"
"Perfectly. After all, it's... Germa-made."
When I said that, Bege laughed his "heh heh" laugh, and my crew just smiled sadly.
One of the things we took after fighting Germa was the giant fridge and freezer from their ships.
They were huge, built to feed all their soldiers—clones who eat a lot. We took all of them, leaving just enough for their trip home.
Honestly, that was better than treasure or money.
We were worried about how to store food for the winter in the non-member countries. They don't have the tech. Storing crops is one thing, but storing fish and meat for a long time was a big problem.
We also got pumps, hoses, generators, motors, and weapons and ammo... Oh, right. I was so happy about the food storage, I forgot I was actually doing real pirate things.
"Also, I spoke with Fleet Admiral Sengoku on the Den Den Mushi. He agreed to give us two transport ships full of food and fuel. He's calling it 'extra supplies for keeping the peace.' We'll use that to save as many non-member nations as we can."
The Marines owe us a lot, so this is probably part of the payback. Still, I really owe Sengoku.
We're pirates, after all. I thought they might just crush us...
"But we also have to move forward with our own plan. Robin, the map, please."
"Right!"
I try to give Robin jobs like this when other groups are around, just like when we met the Marines.
It shows everyone she's close to me, the boss. It's a warning: mess with her, and you mess with the 'Black Cat' crew.
Plus, she seems a little scared of using her devil fruit for simple things. This helps her get over that.
"Our original plan was to expand our territory from Mopuchi Country, and include Purina, Kanagan, Mio, and Carrot."
Robin put circles on the map on the board. She marked the four islands near Mopuchi Country.
Bege found these islands. They have a decent number of people, and a good mix of forest and flat land. They aren't part of the World Government.
Robin put a circle on each island I named.
"The goal was to add these four islands to Mopuchi Country to create our own economic zone," I explained. "We'd use our ability to make things and our new market to become a new power that could co-exist with the World Government. ...I already told Daz and Bege this part."
...This is weird. I thought they'd be more surprised, but they're just smiling.
Can't you at least pretend to be surprised?
Rayleigh is laughing his head off.
"But, we have to change the plan. The damage from the Pirate Alliance is one reason, but..."
I was about to continue, but Mihawk nodded.
"Mihawk, do you know why?"
"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea," he said.
The swordsman, who the Mopuchi Country locals now friendly call 'Mr. Overalls,' sipped his tea.
"Basically, you're not developing fast enough, right? You could build a market if you had more time, but you need to have something built before the World Government makes its move. If you don't, you can't negotiate or even trade."
"That's right," I said, impressed. "That's exactly it."
He actually figured it out.
Did he learn all this from clearing all that land?
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Powerstone Goal: 100
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