"You want me to become a squad leader?"
"Yeah. More precisely, I'm thinking of making you an admiral to command a fleet, starting with just a few ships. If I ever have to step away, I want to set things up so you can take over smoothly."
After repeating the same routine for several days—waking up, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, checking today's schedule with each squad, opening a path through hell to inspect the front lines, nearly dying in hell, eating lunch, almost being dragged back to hell, having an audience with Her Highness to report the day's progress, eating dinner, dancing with hardship and misfortune alongside Daz or Amis in hell, taking a bath, chatting with comrades, brushing teeth, and sleeping—it was time to start preparing for the festival and getting ready to return to Mogwa. At this timing, I brought up the idea I'd been considering to Hancock.
"Are you sure I'm the right choice? Wouldn't someone from the Royal Guard or Perona, who's been here longer than me, be better?"
"The Royal Guard is an elite unit I can deploy freely, and Perona has an irreplaceable role. She's the backbone of our entire organization. Besides, you've essentially been leading the Hancock Squad since the Germa battle. Your track record speaks for itself."
"Hmm..."
If I don't properly organize the sub-fleets and separate task forces, my workload will just keep increasing.
Come to think of it, helping reorganize the West Blue Navy was good experience.
Hancock has learned some domestic administration through the reconstruction work while I was away, and frankly, her looks make her perfect as our public face. Plus, she has strength that even Mihawk and Daz acknowledge.
"For the formation, I want you to command the second ship as flagship, with the fifth and sixth ships as support."
"The sixth ship... you're entrusting me with the escort vessel too?"
"Yeah. The more operational data we can gather, the better. I actually want you to use it however you like. We'll use that information to build the next ship."
"Honestly, just having the escort vessel makes our artillery density completely different. It's a huge help."
Tell me about it.
Even with our high-quality crew, most of the ships we've captured and incorporated into our forces, including the main vessel, are basically converted merchant ships. They weren't built to carry massive amounts of cannons.
So I thought, if we don't have proper warships, why not build them? Through trial and error, I loaded as much armor plating and artillery as possible onto the largest captured ships we could find. That's how we got our escort vessels.
The name "escort vessel" came from thinking their primary mission would be escorting transport ships.
"Your plan the other day was the same way, but honestly, this place has become quite comfortable... I understand. I accept this appointment."
"Thank you. I'm planning to hold the investiture ceremony for First Fleet Admiral before we leave Mopchi. Want to borrow a room at the royal palace to work out the arrangements?"
"Captain... you're going to make that into an event too?"
"Ceremonial rituals are important, you know? Especially for an organization like ours that uses reputation as a weapon. Clear explanations of roles and introductions to both the royal family and the people are essential."
"You're really not like a pirate at all."
I've started to realize how abnormal we've become, but it can't be helped.
Public support is dangerous and unreliable, so you can't trust it easily, but you can't ignore it either. If we can demonstrate power without oppression, we need to do it, or cracks will appear in our governing authority.
We can't afford to be taken lightly, so we need to tighten control to some extent, but at the same time, we need to convince people that their good lives are precisely because of that control.
For us, that role includes serving as a counter to pirates and navy deserters who act like pirates.
Maybe I should strengthen our military demonstrations a bit more.
Once our shipbuilding gets organized and we have a proper fleet, maybe we should even hold a naval review.
"Also, Captain, there's something I need to discuss with you."
"Hm? What is it?"
"I've been talking with my sisters about this for a while now..."
Sonia and the others too?
If possible, I'd love for those two to stay as well.
Both of them are quite capable when it comes to commanding small squads.
Plus, they get along well with Daz, and Robin and Perona have grown fond of them.
Hancock is obviously one of our main fighters.
"Actually, we've decided we want to eat the Devil Fruits you're keeping for us."
Huh?
"Ah, that's fine with me. Even if you didn't eat them, I was planning to give them to you as parting gifts when you return to Amazon Lily."
The two Snake fruits aside, I'm not sure how useful the Love-Love Fruit would be...
It might have worked for the Royal Guard, but those guys also serve as potential rescuers for Devil Fruit users like Daz in emergencies.
The fishman group aren't crew members but protected allies.
"But are you sure? Obviously, the sea will become your weakness... and won't those fruits bring back unpleasant memories for you?"
"Captain, you're kind... Yes, that kindness is exactly why you're the 'Black Cat'..."
The 'Black Cat' suit I've grown completely accustomed to wearing.
She had modified it slightly into a dress style, with slacks hemmed to just above the ankles and slits added.
A beautiful girl wearing that outfit with the three-claw mark embroidered on it was smiling at me. Even though she's still a child, it made my heart skip a beat.
(If Robin and Perona are our mascots, then Hancock is our idol.)
"When we fought those Germa bastards, I truly realized... I don't have the absolute martial prowess that you and Mihawk possess."
"Really?"
"Yes... Even Daz, while I might not concede in a simple battle of Haki, as a warrior he's probably already surpassed me. He's learned to apply Haki to his abilities, and in direct one-on-one combat, even Sonia and Marie can't match him."
"So he's surpassed those two already."
Even as Amazon Lily warriors, those two are still children, but they prefer long weapons like spears and battle axes to take advantage of their large frames.
They use their reach advantage to disrupt enemies' timing and can provide bow support when needed.
During the recent assault on the pirate alliance's stronghold, they made the field decision to support Catherine's unit that had gone in to rescue captured civilians.
(Just a while ago, Daz was getting knocked around by Haki-enhanced long weapons and consulting with Hack about countermeasures.)
"Leading troops has taught me that in combat, especially shipboard battles where soldiers are packed together, morale swings wildly and commanding and keeping track of soldiers is difficult."
"Yeah, I get it. When a comrade next to you gets injured and suffers, fear spreads, but conversely, when you defeat an evenly matched enemy, that sense of achievement spreads and morale soars."
"Exactly... And when morale gets too high, soldiers appear who push forward even when they should maintain the battle line, and when it drops, maintaining formation becomes difficult in the first place."
That's exactly it.
Formation fighting is effective for pressuring enemies, but that's simultaneously its greatest weakness.
Soldiers in formation are easily influenced by their immediate left and right environment.
I can somewhat understand why wild pirates are strong.
Now we have the Royal Guard who can calmly command soldiers on the front lines, so we can fight stably when the battle scale is small...
That's also why I want to win through artillery combat as much as possible.
Domestic administration keeps me busy as the foundation of our territory, but I need to properly study tactics too.
Yeah, making Hancock the First Fleet Admiral definitely isn't wrong.
"To avoid unnecessary casualties, stabilizing morale is most important. And for that, there should be strong fighters standing at the front. But I lack various things. If I had your acceleration, even bare-handed attacks would be powerful, but I don't, and regrettably, I don't have Mihawk's martial talent either."
I might be one thing, but aiming to be like Mihawk seems wrong.
"I want weapons, Captain. Weapons that won't shake my confidence no matter what strong opponents I face in the future."
"I understand how you feel."
If not for the Bege battle, I would have continued worrying about the same thing.
Besides, I always thought the Love-Love Fruit suited Hancock.
"Are Sonia and Marie the same?"
"Yes... Those two are also leading soldiers, even if just a few... So, you see."
They figured if they could knock out enemies before their soldiers got hurt, that would be fastest.
I'd prefer them to overcome that mindset, but...
(No, it's too early to expect them to think about such things.)
This is bad. Because of all the dangerous situations recently, I keep raising my expectations.
I need to relax my shoulders a bit more than anyone else...
"Perfect timing. Bring Sonia and the others to my room."
"Consider this a pre-celebration for becoming First Fleet Admiral. Please accept this, Hancock."
"Thank you, Captain."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Hoh, island conquest. That's your job, Mihawk?"
"Yeah. And development too. We need to set up enough farmland and water systems to feed both the survivors and new arrivals."
Since then, the man known as the 'Dark King' had been living freely in Mopchi, mainly around the port town.
He was famous for sparring with the 'Marine Hunters' for exercise or training the 'Black Cat' crew members alongside Kuro. Though he hadn't revealed his full name, he was called "Ray-san" or "Ray-sensei" by the townspeople and crew members who didn't know his true identity.
"Hahaha! A man with your swordsmanship, setting sail to wield a hoe and till fields!"
"Even as a guest general, a general is still a general. Besides, I've been living surprisingly fulfilling days since crossing blades with that guy. I don't mind taking on a few requests."
At the salon's counter, which served both as a place to entertain guests and as a hangout for the Black Cat crew, the two men shared drinks.
"Really, if the captain is diligent, then his crew is diligent too."
"By diligent, you mean Amis and the others... Honestly, Kuro and Daz aside, those guys have come remarkably far on spirit alone."
"Ah..."
While Mihawk openly declared himself a guest general and acted accordingly, Rayleigh was staying in Mopchi completely as a freeloader.
So his participation in training anyone besides Kuro was purely meant as time-killing.
But the fact was, he was becoming genuinely fond of students who exceeded his expectations with their persistence.
"Those girls are wonderful too. They must really want to be useful... I'm amazed they don't give up after pushing their bodies that hard. Kuro wouldn't abandon them even if they didn't go that far."
"They each have their reasons, I suppose, but their hunger for strength is endearing to watch. Especially in a group like the 'Black Cat'."
"Yeah... it's an unusual bunch."
As a pirate crew, they already had considerable power, but from a civilian perspective, they were probably the least dangerous pirate crew.
At first glance, they seemed like a group that could be left alone without problems, but the presence of one girl beneath them had reversed that, making them the most fearsome yet untouchable existence for the World Government.
"But why, I wonder?"
"Why what?"
"From what you've told me, you were asked to train combat personnel, and that job should be considered complete, shouldn't it? The Royal Guard has reached a level where they won't be easily defeated even on the Grand Line. The regular soldiers, under the Royal Guard's tutelage, have become quite tenacious fighters."
"True. They could probably crush branch-level forces one-sidedly."
"You've more than fulfilled your obligations to them. Yet you're still with the 'Black Cat' because it's comfortable here?"
"That's part of it."
Mihawk took a sip of wine that matched his preferences, which Kuro had procured, and let out a breath.
"But what really interests me is Kuro. I want to see what choices he'll make going forward."
"Hahaha, quite smitten, aren't you!"
"He's the first man to nearly break my sword since I learned about and trained in Haki. His growth interests me, but..."
Rayleigh made a small sound of amazement.
Having gotten to know this man since meeting him here, he knew his swordsmanship well.
"His path is filled with strong opponents, whether enemies or allies. That's natural if you're trying to walk such a road, but..."
"Well well, I was being narrow-minded. I never imagined someone would set out to create a path that doesn't rely on Log Poses."
That ridiculous yet dream-filled conversation from the other day had been the first thing to make him laugh from his belly in a long time.
"I laughed when he said he'd unite the non-affiliated nations too... Really, the man never lets me get bored."
"So that's why you're following him?"
"I don't intend to serve under him, but..."
This salon, where he could quietly drink alone or choose to drink against the backdrop of pleasant commotion by heading where people gathered, had become one of Mihawk's favorite places.
"Well, wielding my sword at his command wouldn't be bad for a while longer."
Knock knock
Just then, knocking echoed from the entrance downstairs.
"Hm?"
"Someone knocking means a visitor... how unusual."
"Sorry. I was told to come here if I wanted to meet the 'Black Cat'. Is this right?"
"Yes, that's correct. Excuse me, but who might you be?"
A Royal Guard member on duty was responding.
Somewhat curious, Mihawk stood from the counter and quietly opened the rather heavy door.
"Thanks to the pirates here, I managed to escape slavery... I want to thank the 'Black Cat' directly, so I came here with my companion."
"I'm... Tesoro. Gild Tesoro. Please, let me thank the 'Black Cat' in person!"
***
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