Inside the Morgan Pirates' ship.
The air in the ship's hold was thick with the mingling stench of stale alcohol and the salty tang of the sea. The dimly lit space was cluttered with various odds and ends, and the rhythmic thudding of waves against the hull echoed faintly, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. For those imprisoned within, the oppressive environment took a heavy toll on their spirits.
Selkirk and his men were among those confined here. Chains and ropes bound them tightly, and their meager rations and dire conditions had left them gaunt and haggard.
It seemed that Barbarossa had previously held prisoners in this space, as the hold had been crudely modified to include a row of makeshift cells. The cells were separated by walls, and those inside could only glimpse the outside world through the iron-barred doors.
Sitting in a chair brought over by his subordinates, William smoked leisurely in front of the cells, positioned so that all the prisoners could see him. With one leg crossed over the other and his eyes half-closed, he gazed at the captives through the haze of smoke, his expression unreadable.
Two pirates approached the cell doors, carrying food and water for the prisoners. However, to prevent them from regaining too much strength, the rations were pitifully small: just a piece of bread and a half-bowl of water.
Bound by chains and unable to use their hands, the prisoners had no choice but to eat and drink off the floor like animals. The lack of proper sanitation only added to the foul stench around the cells.
One of the captured pirates from the Swordfish Pirates kicked over his plate and bowl, crawling to the bars with a defiant glare. He shouted at William, "If you're going to kill us, then do it already! Stop humiliating us like this!"
He pressed his head against the gaps in the bars as if trying to squeeze through and bite William.
But William remained unmoved, as though he hadn't heard a word. He waited until his men finished distributing the rations, smoked two more cigarettes, and then left the hold without saying a single word to the prisoners.
When William emerged onto the deck, Klo and Harden immediately approached him.
Klo asked, "Are you planning to keep those men locked up forever? You've already got the Devil Fruit."
William tapped his temple with the hand holding his cigarette. "They came from the Grand Line, and they've crossed the Calm Belt. The knowledge in their heads is just as valuable as a Devil Fruit."
"They're just a bunch of deserters. I don't see why you value them so much," Klo said with a sneer. The value of a Devil Fruit was self-evident, and in Klo's eyes, Selkirk and his men were nothing more than a group of defeated cowards. They had been tricked by their own subordinates into abandoning their ship and were nearly starved to death on a deserted island. To Klo, they were utterly foolish and not worth comparing to a Devil Fruit.
William glanced at him and said calmly, "That's why I'm the captain, and you're just a quartermaster."
Klo fell silent immediately.
Harden, seeing Klo's embarrassment, let out a raspy laugh and asked William, "So, what's the plan for these prisoners?"
"Separate them. Isolate them completely so they can't communicate with each other," William ordered as he walked toward the captain's cabin. "Reduce their food supply even further. Starve them for a few more days. If they still have the energy to shout, it means they're not hungry enough yet."
After a moment of thought, William added, pointing to the prisoner who had just insulted him, "Tomorrow, after you distribute their rations, separate them. But that one? Don't give him any food. Make sure the others see it."
From the intelligence gathered so far, William knew that Selkirk and his men were originally from the North Blue and had ventured into the Grand Line. Their knowledge of other seas could be incredibly valuable to him. Additionally, since they weren't locals to the East Blue, they were unfamiliar with the region and the Morgan Pirates. If they could be recruited, they would bring fresh perspectives and help diversify the crew's composition.
When they reached the captain's cabin, they found Diego, the ship's helmsman, waiting outside. He was glancing around nervously, his demeanor somewhat furtive.
William couldn't help but chuckle. "Why are you sneaking around like this on our own ship?"
William's tone was warm and his choice of words deliberate. By using phrases like "our ship" and "we," he fostered a sense of camaraderie.
In truth, before becoming captain, William hadn't been particularly close to Diego. His relationships with veterans like Hatcheson, who had helped him navigate the ship as a rookie, or Harden, with whom he had shared the experience of opposing Zeff, were much stronger.
However, William's friendly attitude clearly pleased Diego. It was a stark contrast to Felton, who had tried to recruit him earlier but had left in a huff when Diego refused to commit, even taking back the drinks and snacks he'd brought.
Diego's expression turned serious, emphasizing the gravity of the situation and the importance of his report. "Captain, Felton's been acting up."
"Oh?" William's smile didn't falter, his demeanor as calm as ever. "What's he been up to? Let's talk inside."
Diego followed William into the cabin, silently admiring his composure. If it had been Barbarossa or Felton in William's place, they likely would have reacted with anger, demanding to know what Felton had done. Diego even suspected that William wouldn't bat an eye if he were told the ship was surrounded by the Marines.
As a veteran pirate, Diego didn't believe for a second that William was as carefree as he appeared. But this outward calm was crucial for maintaining the crew's confidence. To Diego, a captain like William—who always seemed to have everything under control—was far more reassuring than someone like Felton, whose petty and impulsive nature often clouded his judgment.
Once inside the cabin, William didn't rush to interrogate Diego. Instead, he poured four glasses of wine, handing one each to Klo, Harden, and Diego before pouring one for himself. Only after taking a seat at his desk did he casually ask, "So, what's that idiot Felton been up to?"
Klo and Harden, who had initially been tense after hearing Diego's report, relaxed as they watched William's methodical actions. All eyes turned to Diego.
Diego began, "He's been trying to rally some of the veteran pirates on the ship. He approached me earlier, trying to recruit me to his side."
"Idiot," William said dismissively after taking a sip of his wine. "And a reckless one at that."
When William had plotted to overthrow Barbarossa, he hadn't openly conspired on the ship. At the time, he had been the sole navigator, making himself indispensable.
William had planned to deal with Felton and his followers later, but it seemed Felton was impatient to meet his end.
As someone skilled at consolidating power and undermining others, William wasn't about to let someone like Felton undermine him.
Swirling his wine glass, William turned to Klo and Harden with a smile. "It seems that before we can recruit those prisoners, we'll need to clean up some of the instability on this ship and 'unify' our crew."
Klo, whose interests were now closely tied to William's, and Harden, who had been handling various tasks for him, were both firmly aligned with their captain. The crew already viewed Harden as one of William's trusted aides.
Without hesitation, Harden asked, "What's the plan?"
William leaned back in his chair and replied with a question of his own, "What did I say on the deck that day?"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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