2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
All interested readers can read advanced chapters on:
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"Good! You've done well! You must be exhausted from the effort!" Auguro nodded in satisfaction.
In her lobbying efforts, Rukia Kuchiki had not only made sure to bring Arlong's head but had also briefly displayed her Zanpakutō's power to some of the more arrogant local leaders.
A single First Dance: White Moon (Sode no Shirayuki) had instantly frozen an entire mountainside. In the small East Blue, this was a power comparable to a God!
That was how she convinced so many villages and towns to pledge allegiance.
As for those still unwilling to join, Auguro wasn't worried. Once his Divine Realm grew stronger, they would naturally come begging to join!
"Hmm… It's about time to establish an administrative council and complete the System mission."
Regarding the System's requirement to establish a management structure, Auguro decided against immediately declaring the formation of a new nation. That would put him directly in the crosshairs of the World Government! He did not yet possess the power to confront the World Government head-on.
"Tch! If I had a Legendary Draw Ticket and pulled a Captain, I wouldn't need to be so cautious!"
The thought of receiving only an Epic Draw Ticket for recruiting Nami made Auguro feel like he had missed out on a fortune—no, tens of fortunes!
To complete the mission, the best approach was to unite his new territories and form a local autonomous committee. Conveniently, all the recently surrendered villages and towns had sent representatives. With some coordination, an autonomous committee could easily be established!
Just then, Genzo rushed in anxiously.
"Lord Auguro, the Marines have arrived!"
Marines?
Auguro immediately guessed that the news of the Arlong Pirates' defeat had spread. Colonel Nezumi, who was in league with Arlong, couldn't sit still and had come to investigate.
In the village square.
Before Auguro even arrived, he heard a sharp, demanding voice.
"I heard the one who defeated the pirate Arlong is living here! Hurry up and call him out for me!"
Colonel Nezumi stood arrogantly in the center, backed by a fully armed squad of Marine soldiers. It was clear that the visitors meant trouble!
"You're looking for me?"
Auguro slowly approached, followed closely by Rukia Kuchiki and Rangiku Matsumoto.
Colonel Nezumi glanced at Auguro, a mixture of contempt and greed on his face.
"I hear you defeated Arlong and took his treasure! Those are all ill-gotten gains from his years of plunder, and they must be handed over to the Marines for processing!"
Auguro was briefly speechless. He thought the man was here to cause trouble, but he was actually just after Arlong's money!
That's right! In Colonel Nezumi's eyes, the infamous Arlong was nothing more than garbage of the sea—a pure tool for making money!
Many might assume Marine Branch 16 couldn't stop the Arlong Pirates even if they wanted to. But don't forget, the Marines were never fond of fair fights!
If Nezumi genuinely wanted to get rid of Arlong, all he needed was a request for aid, and Colonel Smoker at Loguetown would be happy to eliminate the highest-bounty pirate in the East Blue!
That was the true strength of the sea's strongest power, the Marines!
Faced with Colonel Nezumi's demand, Auguro naturally refused without hesitation.
"Apologies, but I have already returned that treasure to the victims. There is no need to trouble the Marines any further."
"Returned it? Who gave you the right to act on your own authority!" Colonel Nezumi was enraged.
"That is stolen property! It needs to be thoroughly audited by the Marines before being returned to the victims, according to the amount! You must find that money immediately and hand it over to me!"
"We Marines need to verify everything meticulously to ensure not a single victim is missed!"
Auguro sneered, curling his lip. Meticulous auditing? That was just code for fabricating victim lists and embezzling a large sum of money. With Colonel Nezumi's power, barely a third of that money would ever make it back to the true victims!
"I said, the money has already been returned to the victims. There is no need for your unnecessary interference here!"
A trace of coldness entered Auguro's voice.
As a Branch Base Commander, Colonel Nezumi was unaccustomed to such blatant disrespect, and his face instantly turned hostile.
"You refuse to hand over the money? Are you trying to secretly pocket the stolen goods? It seems you are just another pirate who steals treasure! Everyone, prepare for combat!"
As his voice fell, the Marine soldiers behind Colonel Nezumi raised their rifles in unison.
Facing the gun barrels, several villagers of Cocoyasi Village rushed forward to defend Auguro.
"Marine-sama, Mr. Auguro truly returned the treasure to the villages tormented by Arlong! We can all testify!"
Many people nodded repeatedly.
However, without the money, there was no way Colonel Nezumi would let Auguro go. He scanned the crowd coldly. "You speak so highly of him. Are you perhaps his accomplices?"
The villagers were furious and immediately began shouting in protest.
"You, how can you casually slander us!"
"Exactly! You didn't show up when the pirates were here, but now you show up demanding money! How shameless can you be!"
"Calling yourselves Marines, but you act like pirates!"
Bang!
Colonel Nezumi raised his pistol and fired a shot into the air, then pointed menacingly at the villagers.
"What? Are you trying to attack a Marine? Do you want your entire village to be designated as a den of pirates?"
"Do you really think our Marine cannons are just for show?"
With that heavy accusation, the villagers immediately backed down. While the Marine branches might be a joke in the eyes of powerful pirates, they were an untouchable behemoth to these common villagers!
"You bastard! Stop this right now!"
Nami rushed out from the crowd, pointing and shouting at Colonel Nezumi.
"You never showed up once when we were being persecuted by Arlong! Now that we've finally found freedom, you're calling us pirates!"
"Are you even a Marine, or just Arlong's lapdog?!"
Nami's unintentional accusation completely exposed Colonel Nezumi's dirty secret. Enraged and humiliated, he glared viciously at Nami, his eyes catching the Arlong Pirates tattoo on her arm that she hadn't yet removed.
Instantly, a sinister smile spread across Colonel Nezumi's face.
"Hmph! Still claiming you're not a pirate! Isn't that the mark of the Arlong Pirates right there!"
"Marines, listen up! Eliminate the remnants of the Arlong Pirates immediately!"
With that, Colonel Nezumi's sneering face turned his pistol and aimed it at Nami. The squad of Marine soldiers wordlessly aimed their rifles at the villagers of Cocoyasi Village!
Nami's face instantly went deathly pale. How could she have overlooked such a crucial flaw!
They had only just managed to regain their freedom. Yet, because of her carelessness, everyone was in danger again! Was she truly a jinx?
The despairing Nami closed her eyes, silently awaiting death.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"
Zzzz!
A blinding flash of lightning shot past Nami's eyes.
"Agh!"
A piercing scream erupted from Colonel Nezumi's mouth. His right hand, which had been clutching the pistol, was reduced to a stump. Blackened, scorched flesh flickered with tiny arcs of electricity at the injury site.
"Who gave you the audacity to try and kill my person?"
Auguro fixed a cold stare on Colonel Nezumi, the lightning at his fingertip dancing like a mischievous sprite.
"You bastard! Fire! Open fire! Kill him now!"
Colonel Nezumi shrieked hoarsely in rage and pain. The squad of soldiers didn't hesitate; a dozen rifles instantly swung to aim at Auguro.