Grand Line, on the route to Alabasta.
A merchant ship traveling between major nations in the first half of the Grand Line was currently sailing steadily along this route.
Ever since the mass purge on Sabaody Archipelago, the smuggling trade had been largely eradicated.
As a result, legitimate guilds and merchant associations began organizing manpower and armed forces to seize the markets previously dominated by smugglers.
After the emergence of the Cross Guild, the World Government officials who had once colluded with smugglers and frequently accepted bribes from them gradually disappeared.
At least in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, without the suppression by World Government officials or the price manipulation by smugglers, commerce flourished at an astonishing pace.
Initially, the ruthless pirates thought these merchant ships were easy prey.
But these vessels were typically well-armed, often with multiple ships traveling together.
Every crew member carried weapons.
The outcome was that major pirate crews had no interest in such ships, while smaller crews lacked the strength to take them down.
Some merchant associations even hired highly skilled guards who would, in a twist of fate, capture bounty-bearing pirates along the way.
It was a complete reversal—merchant ships robbing pirates instead!
For a time, weaker pirates began avoiding merchant ships altogether, fearing they'd be captured like cargo and handed over to the nearest marine branch.
On this particular merchant ship, a woman with peach-colored hair leaned against the railing, elbows propped, idly watching the water part beneath the ship's hull.
"Hey, Bellemere, so this is where you've been?" The ship's manager, a robust woman in her thirties, approached. "You're really slacking off, huh? Nami and Nojiko have been staying in their room this whole time."
"Ugh, Sister Sohan, I never knew raising kids could be this exhausting…" Bellemere sighed, stretching her arms.
"I'm only twenty-one and I never even got married or had kids—just became a mom overnight… Well, not exactly pain-free, considering the injuries I got on the battlefield… You know how bad it was, right?"
Sohan, the ship's manager whom Bellemere called "Sister," let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
A year ago, before the merchant association assigned her ship to the Grand Line, they had been operating in the Four Seas.
Back then, in the East Blue, they had passed by the Kingdom of Oykot, which was embroiled in a fierce battle with pirates.
That was when Sohan had found Bellemere.
At first, she hadn't planned to intervene.
But upon closer inspection, she noticed Bellemere's tattered clothes were a marine uniform and beneath the grime-covered coat were two small children.
So, she took Bellemere aboard.
Under Sohan's careful nursing, Bellemere's injuries gradually healed.
To repay Sohan, Bellemere chose not to return to the Marines and instead became a security officer for the merchant ship.
After all, she had once been someone who could earn a coat and cape in a Marine branch—at the very least, a branch captain—making her stand out like a crane among chickens among the ship's security personnel.
"Honestly even now, I think you should have gone back to the Marines" Sohan said with regret.
"Given your military merits at the time, you could've been transferred to Loguetown or even sent directly to Marine Headquarters for training!"
As a core elite of a major trading company, Sohan had deep knowledge of various factions.
And in her opinion, the latter was even the more likely outcome.
"You're wasting a brilliant future, you know. The gap between Marine Headquarters and a merchant ship's security captain isn't small."
"Ahaha, Big Sis Sohan, you make it sound so serious" Bellemere laughed, her face showing no trace of regret. "If I really had gone to Headquarters for training, who would've taken care of Nojiko and Nami? At least your company's pay is way better than the Marines'. Raising two kids isn't cheap, you know."
Hearing this, Sohan could only sigh.
Bellemere…
If only the regret in her eyes wasn't so obvious when she said things like that.
"Alright, break time's over! Time to go back to the hell of parenting!"
Bellemere turned to head back into the ship's cabin.
However, the next moment, several cannonballs struck the deck, smashing straight through it, followed by a violent tremor!
"Big Sis Sohan! We're under attack!"
"No explosions! They're solid shots—pirates aiming for the cargo!"
Sohan barely steadied herself amids the shaking when Bellemere's voice reached her.
"Didn't they say this route to Alabasta had especially few pirates!?"
"Few doesn't mean none!" Bellemere rushed forward, supporting Sohan. "Enough talk! You go take care of Nami and Nojiko in the cabin. Leave the rest to me!"
"Got it! Be careful!" Sohan didn't hesitate.
Though she looked strong, she cant fight at all.
"Focus on defense! We're already close to Alabasta! I heard they loosened restrictions a couple of years ago and allowed the Marines to set up a branch there! At this distance, they should notice and come to help!"
With that, she hunched over and dashed towards the cabin—only to trip over her own feet in a spectacular display, tumbling straight inside.
Bellemere shook her head with a wry smile.
Such a strong body paired with the worst coordination…
Was this contrast really not just for comedic effect?
But jokes aside, she didn't hesitate for a second, sprinting towards the security room where the weapons were stored.
"Bellemere, boss!"
"Everyone, arm yourselves! The bombardment's stopped! They'll close in and board soon!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Though young, Bellemere commanded great respect on the merchant ship.
Even the burliest men followed her orders without question.
"This is our first attack in the Grand Line! Stay sharp!"
"After all… this isn't the Four Seas."
For those living in the four seas, the Grand Line had always been a source of fear.
After all, just the dangers of Reverse Mountain alone were enough to leave a lasting impression.
After giving her instructions, Bellemere rushed out of the security room with everyone else.
But...
There were no enemies in sight.
Instead, a winged figure descended from the sky.
And the uniform he wore was...
A Marine uniform!?
"Hello, I'm Michael, the commander of the Alabasta Marine branch."
"The raiders have been subdued by our forces. Is anyone injured?"
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