"A report of a suspicious ship has come in from Area E! What should we do?"
"Stay calm. If you panic, it will spread to the people. Major Bigel, Major Corrie."
"Yes, sir."
A few days have passed since the ceasefire agreement was signed.
It's not ideal for us, but we've hastily established Mogwa as a temporary base and gathered part of the western naval forces there. Even though it's somewhat distant from Mopti, having naval forces gather in the nearby waters of Mogwa is definitely a bad sign. Therefore, we are scrambling to find a way to crush the pirate alliance as soon as possible.
"Proceed immediately to Area E with your respective ships. If enemy ships are already engaged in combat, provide immediate assistance. If there is no enemy activity, report back and then use the two ships to patrol nearby allied nations as a show of force against the pirates. We need to calm the people's fears as much as possible."
"Understood."
"Excuse me, Captain Kuro! There's an urgent request for supplies from the neighboring country of Canaan, which we rescued two days ago. They're running low on food and medicine!"
"How much do they need?"
"Um... well, that's... we only received the request, so..."
Why am I the one in charge of the marines?! Where's Kuzan?! What are the other officers doing?! What's going on with the command structure?!
Um, I think the officer assigned to Canaan was promoted during the emergency reorganization, and after that incident, Kuzan also said, "That's fine," so he should be reliable and capable... Um, um, um...
Then it must be a lack of education and experience as an officer! We should have assigned more assistants even if it meant overlooking the shortage of manpower!
"We should assume the situation is too chaotic to grasp. ...Amis."
"Here."
"Select two members from the personal guard who are skilled in on-site supervision. Load extra supplies onto a naval vessel and accompany them to the site. Assist with medical care while organizing information and reporting back. Necessary expenses are permitted, but do not waste resources."
"Yes, sir."
"And remember, the marines are the main force. Don't draw too much attention to yourselves."
"Understood."
Now, among the marines waiting here, who can be used without issue... We can't reduce the number of medics too much, and ideally they should have some medical knowledge and understanding... Right, there was a marine whose parents were doctors. His name was...
"Send a messenger to Colonel Barsenji. Load up on medicine and food and head to the neighboring country of Canaan immediately. Request additional aid and rescue the marines currently operating there."
"Yes, sir! Right away!"
There are too many people who are skilled as soldiers but are completely new to command.
Help me... Help me, Sengoku...
At this point, even if it's Akainu, just bring someone who can stabilize the soldiers, Sengoku...
"Captain Kuro! Enemy ships reported in Area A!"
That's the area with several grain-producing islands! They've come after all! Good thing we reinforced our forces!
And you lot, don't panic just because of a report! Don't show any signs of anxiety!
If the people's anxiety is fueled any further, it'll be impossible to stop!
"What are the enemy ship types and numbers?"
"Two brigantines!"
Two ships. If each has 10 to 20 men...
Given the current situation where the navy is clearly on high alert, that's clearly too few.
"They might be decoys. If possible, capture them. The two nearest ships engaged in combat, plus Captains Basset and Samoyed, will handle them. All other ships, maintain maximum alert. Don't forget that there may be a separate unit aiming to land on the island."
"Roger!"
"Messenger! Pirate ships heading southeast in the near sea! Five of them!"
"Daz, take Robin and Mihawk and sortie with the second and third ships. I want to keep some navy ships with plenty of supplies nearby."
"Understood, we're leaving immediately."
"Captain Kuro! Report from Colonel Teria! There are signs of resistance among the villagers who were initially attacked!"
"Distribute food and try to persuade them. Baji's detachment is currently gathering food using the route, so we have some leeway. We'll replenish the distributed supplies immediately. If they still resist the navy, report immediately. We'll feign an attack as pirates to spread propaganda."
"Message from Brigadier General Husky! A large fleet heading toward Area A has been confirmed! There are 10 ships! The types are—"
"Deal with half of the remaining fleet in the area. Also, order the commander in charge of Area D to send reinforcements."
"Captain Kuro, there is a petition from the refugees we protected—"
"Have the administration department list the inventory of relevant supplies—"
"I told you I'm a pirate, you idiots!"
Today... I managed to get through it somehow.
Well, I'm not sure yet, but at least the sun has set, so I've dispatched naval forces to the grain storage area just in case. We can't be complacent, but we've gained some flexibility in our response capabilities now that the reserve forces at each branch have some leeway... I hope... For today, at least...
What should I do? Should I switch Robin and Perona? I need a little more firepower.
But Robin has personal issues, so I want to keep her within sight as much as possible...
Perona's annihilation and reconnaissance abilities are ideal for defense with a small number of troops... I don't want to put marines in the main base at Mopti...
We don't have enough people...
Food, medicine, and other supplies—we keep saying we'll transport them from headquarters, but we're slow to start, and the required quantities keep increasing rapidly...
Beji is handling intelligence gathering while also securing food supplies from his contacts in the black market, so that's the only thing we're managing to manage... But... But!
"Hey, good job. You were a real lifesaver today, weren't you?"
"I'll knock you out, you mangy bastard!"
Oops, I let that slip.
Hey, don't you dare laugh, you bastard.
"In the first place, the commander should stay at headquarters and keep a steady hand on things..."
I wondered where he'd gone, but he's out on the front lines.
Normally, that's where you use pirates as cannon fodder to thin out the enemy while staying in a safe zone and making a good impression on the civilians to minimize your own losses.
Why are you doing the opposite?
Well, I'm trying to use marines for civilian comfort as much as possible.
"The situation at the front lines is getting a bit dicey. You know, the senior officer was injured yesterday and can't move."
"Ah... Colonel Taki."
"Yeah, that old man."
"He was a fine officer. I don't know about his combat skills, but he had excellent judgment and was a master at winning people over. I was helped by him many times."
"I never thought someone like him was around. ...Fortunately, thanks to your deputy coming to help, he managed to survive, but the impact on the scene was worse than expected."
"...At least file a report. The marines are getting anxious."
Due to the intense collaboration over the past few days, when there were no other soldiers or officers around, he had started speaking to Kuzan in a completely casual manner.
It doesn't feel like a good thing, but oh well.
To be honest, after spending a few days together through such hardship, I can't think of Kuzan as a stranger anymore.
"Even if I tell them to follow me, the regional officers won't take you seriously. You need to show them your strength."
"No, but Kuzan should be in command..."
That's when I remembered.
That's right, Kuzan was also a newly promoted admiral who had been rushed into the position due to the incident.
"...Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed?"
I asked him casually, and Kuzan looked taken aback, then scratched his head awkwardly to cover it up.
Haha, you little rascal.
"You're too much for me. Well, I'm not exactly in that kind of situation..."
The sun was about to set.
From a room in the castle where no original inhabitants remained, Kuzan looked down at the once-thriving town now reduced to a pile of rubble.
...It reminds me of when we first occupied Mopti.
At least it wasn't burned down back then.
"I thought Tsuru or Garp would become the fleet admiral. Standing alongside the teacher."
"Grand Strategist and Great Hero. I think that's the natural order too..."
"But the result was me, Borsalino, and... Sakazuki. The teacher we relied on the most ended up as a special fleet admiral in charge of training."
The teacher must be Zephyr.
Still, I never thought Kuzan would confide in me like this...
Well, I guess it's still pretty early for them to become admirals, even compared to the original story.
They can't deny their lack of experience.
"Honestly, I've been relying on Kuro. Without you, I don't know if we could have handled the pirate alliance that's been causing so much trouble across such a wide area."
"Please thank him for me."
"Hahahaha."
And please, at least take charge of the branch and manage it.
If those guys were a little better at leading, things would be a bit easier.
"I thought I understood, but I'm really starting to realize how amazing the seniors were."
Saying that, he takes a sip from the sherry bottle.
Don't drink too much, okay? The pirates who revolted yesterday seem to be targeting Mopti from the direction they're heading, so we need to catch them before they get there.
...Well, I know there's no way they could get past Hancock's forces with Perona's support, but...
"…I think the core group is probably just a few people."
"The commanders?"
"Yeah."
I think the alliance itself was just a coincidence.
As I deduced earlier, they joined forces to break through the blockade fleet at Reverse Mountain, according to the prisoners we've captured so far.
"The core members in the true sense are in positions where they won't be affected even if the pirate alliance is destroyed, so there's no point in worrying about them now."
"This is troublesome."
Indeed.
"If we can capture the person connecting the core members planning the strategy with the main force of the pirate alliance, the situation should stabilize for now. ...Ah, no, sorry. I lied."
"I understand, it's okay. ...It's about rebuilding afterward, right?"
"The government seems to be offering assistance..."
"Will that be enough...? Kuro, what do you think?"
"If you're already under suspicion by the fleet admiral, you're in a gray area."
"Oh dear. Well, I suppose that's how it goes."
Are we even properly grasping the situation?
It seems like orders were being issued over Sengoku's head, but both I and Kuzan reported directly to Sengoku.
I thought something was off, so I had the administrative staff who stayed behind send copies of the damage reports and distributed them everywhere to share information.
Or are they seriously preparing a massive amount to show the government's power?
"In the first half of the Paradise, pirate damage expanded to the same level as here now. In the New World, the conflict between the Four Emperors has intensified. ...The Navy can't move effectively either."
"...Aside from supplies, is there any hope for reinforcements?"
If that's the case, we'll have to make do with the forces we have.
The enemy's goal is to expand the battlefield.
Right now, we're trying to establish a defensive line and form a front.
The enemy will try to break it.
...We have to read their moves and make a counterattack...
***
"Sonia, Marie, how are the people holding up?"
"Some were frightened, but we managed to keep them under control before any casualties occurred, so life is gradually returning to normal, Sister."
"If anything, they're enjoying preparing for the first decent harvest in years."
"Good. The lord has ordered us to have as many idle hands as possible gather firewood, but this should make the task manageable."
While all the countries of the West Blue tremble in fear of pirates, only Mopti has largely overcome that fear.
This is because it is ruled by pirates themselves, and their rule guarantees freedom and safety.
With the harvest season approaching, when they need not fear losing everything, the people had enough leisure to enjoy songs and dances as a small festival.
"Perona, are there any enemy ships lurking around?"
"No, I've checked all the way out from around the island. It's just our transport ship."
"Really? Could it be that guest at that base?"
Hancock and her two sisters, who had originally planned to inspect the soldiers' equipment, were heading to the port.
They had received a report from the non-combatant fishmen, who had been ordered by Kuro to hide for a while, that a guest had arrived.
They hurriedly loaded personnel onto the remaining ship and sent them to meet them along with Hack.
"But what business could they possibly have? ... At such a busy time?"
"Apparently, she brought Maple's childhood friend here. Remember the female fishman who was training as a combatant? The one with the eight swords?"
"..."
"A flashy guy who uses eight swords. Do you recognize him?"
"Ah! He's the one aiming to join the personal guard. I didn't know his name, though."
Maple—Maple Reed—was a member of the pioneer group who was around the same age as Kuro, and is currently the second-most closely associated fishman with Black Cat after Hack.
"There it is! Our transport ship... Wait. Hancock, there's a strange ship following behind us. It's not our ship."
"Damn it, they found us. Sonia, Marie! Bring the troops and get on the ship!"
At Hancock's command, her two sisters rushed out and boarded the ship.
"Perona, if it comes down to it, I'm counting on your abilities to take the initiative."
"Leave it to me. Those worthless pirates are no match for me—"
They're not enemies.
Perona's bold words stopped mid-sentence.
"What's wrong, Perona?"
"Ah, no..."
The suspicious ship was still out of sight.
Only Perona could assess the situation.
"The ship that was approaching suddenly changed course."
"...That Mihawk. He's finally brought reinforcements. He's got some nerve."
***
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