OPTC Chapter 315: An Old Acquaintance in a Distant Land
The squad captain seemed to hold a decent position. It didn't take long for him to set up a full table of food to welcome the guests—probably because he was eager to try what Grand Line liquor tasted like himself.
Shark Chili chatted with the soldiers, telling stories and fun facts about the Grand Line while skillfully persuading them to drink more. Brook joined in, playing music to liven the mood.
Rui Meng Meng, quick and sharp as ever, used her former waitress experience to perfection. The moment anyone's glass was empty, she refilled it instantly.
The atmosphere at the table was warm and lively. No one even noticed that Artoria and Tom had quietly eaten more than half of their snacks.
Once the soldiers' faces were flushed red from the alcohol, Zhang Da Ye began asking questions, acting like a curious traveler. Whenever they revealed anything useful, Ye Yan would shamelessly flatter them, while Shark Chili seized the moment to keep pouring their drinks.
By the end of it, the soldiers had spilled everything—daily schedules, guard rotations, even how many supplies and guards arrived with each transport ship.
The watchtower had five floors, each spacious enough to house fifty people comfortably. Since land prices and labor costs weren't concerns here, the rooms were quite roomy.
According to the friendly squad captain, there were over three thousand prisoners under their supervision, watched by only two hundred guards who worked in shifts: supervising laborers, manning the towers, and patrolling at night.
All in all, it was easy work. Apart from the occasional trouble caused by new arrivals, most prisoners had long been broken by endless labor and brutal punishment. The thought of rebellion had been beaten out of them.
Those who did act up only provided brief entertainment for the guards. Outside of that, their lives revolved around drinking, gambling, and venting their frustrations on prisoners who were treated no better than slaves.
All materials—construction supplies, food, and clothing—were shipped in regularly by a World Government department from nearby islands. Coincidentally, the next supply ship was due to arrive tomorrow or the day after.
When Zhang Da Ye asked where the laborers came from, the captain's answer matched what they already knew: prisoners from around the world and civilians from non–World Government nations.
Most of those from non-member nations had been captured after their countries were destroyed in wars or pirate attacks. The World Government wouldn't bother conquering an entire nation just for a few workers, but Zhang Da Ye suspected they might secretly fund or provoke conflicts to create such opportunities.
Wendy and Carla watched in awe as their older companions smoothly coaxed information out of the drunk soldiers. They wondered if there was any way they could help.
Perona, meanwhile, rested her elbow on the table and propped her chin in her palm, looking down at the soldiers with disdain.
How stupid could they be? Three drinks in and they were spilling everything. Some even started talking about saving up money to get married after going home. The black-hearted boss once said this kind of thing in stories was called "raising a flag," wasn't it?
By the time Zhang Da Ye had learned everything he wanted, the dishes were completely gone and the soldiers were all dead drunk. Shark Chili, however, hadn't even broken a sweat—he'd drunk with them from start to finish and was still perfectly fine.
When Zhang Da Ye mentioned wanting to take a walk, the half-conscious captain even gave him a pass that allowed them to move freely around the area.
The soldiers, to their credit, insisted on returning to duty despite being drunk. After exchanging a few polite words, Zhang Da Ye led the group out of the tower.
"Tonight, have the Flag Demons scout the inside of the tower," Zhang Da Ye said to Ye Yan. "At least find out where the prisoner records and keys are kept."
Ye Yan nodded. With the Flag Demons' ability to turn into mist, infiltrating the tower would be trivial. And under Artoria's watchful senses, not a single guard here could pose a threat or notice their movements.
Rui Meng Meng asked, "So what's next?"
"We'll go to the construction site," Zhang Da Ye said. "We need to figure out how to separate criminals from civilians. If we're going to rescue anyone, we'll do it after the supply ship arrives."
As for where to send them afterward, Zhang Da Ye already had a plan: Frost Moon Village Island. It was large enough to house them, and there were several other villages nearby.
Most importantly, that island wasn't under strict World Government control—if it was under their jurisdiction at all. Even Dragon had once brought rescued people there for supplies.
Those who wished to return home could do so. Those who didn't could start new lives there. With Koshiro's personality and strength, he could help them settle down safely without any fear of rebellion.
Of course, Zhang Da Ye also had to make sure their trail was covered. He couldn't let pursuers find them easily—or drag trouble to Koshiro's family because of a rash decision.
The worksite was quite a distance away, so Zhang Da Ye pulled out a special item—Tom's vintage car (from Chapter 36's lottery).
Since it didn't have enough space for everyone, Tom quickly built a wagon to attach to the back, allowing everyone to ride.
"You sure this thing won't fall apart?" Ye Yan eyed the ancient-looking car suspiciously. "This thing's older than my grandfather. We'd be better off riding the Chaos Beast or Shark Giant."
"Relax! I've never tried it before—what's the worst that could happen? Get in, get in!" Zhang Da Ye said excitedly, gripping the old horn and honking it. "Honk honk!"
The others climbed into the back, curious. They'd seen vehicles before, but none this old-fashioned.
Zhang Da Ye gripped the wheel proudly. "Alright, your driver's ready—let's go!"
Then he froze. "…How do I start this thing?"
In the end, Tom took the driver's seat and got it running.
Whether it was because he'd forgotten his sad memories or because they hadn't happened yet, Tom showed no trace of sorrow. Instead, he looked genuinely happy as he drove.
Put-put-put! Clang! Bang! Creak! Rattle!
That was the "normal" sound the car made while moving. Each noise came with a violent shake that twisted the car's body. Tom bounced up and down with the seat, but he was grinning the whole time.
Oddly, those riding in the wagon felt nothing. Even though the front car looked ready to fall apart, the rear wagon stayed perfectly smooth—and the speed wasn't bad either.
Carla pressed her hands to her ears. "It's so loud! Is this thing gonna explode?"
Wendy fanned her hand in front of her face. "It smells terrible too…"
Perona pouted. "Why are we using this thing? I saw the wheels come off just now! It's dangerous!"
Brook chuckled. "Yohohoho~ Is this like the Sea Train? It sounds even louder!"
Artoria didn't mind the noise at all—she even looked like she wanted to try driving it herself.
"I just thought it was fun to try," Zhang Da Ye said. "Next time I'll use the good car—the red one from Black Cat Butch. The super-long one that could flatten this heap."
After about an hour of rattling travel, they finally reached the worksite.
The sight before them was completely different from the watchtower. Countless laborers, all wearing numbered prison uniforms, hauled massive stones with ropes, chanting as they worked.
Near the construction front, scaffolding rose high, and several tower cranes loomed over them.
Zhang Da Ye rubbed his eyes. That was definitely a real tower crane.
Every few meters, a guard stood cracking a whip, shouting for the workers to move faster. Anyone who lagged even slightly was immediately whipped.
The group watched silently. The cruelty of the scene made them uneasy, but they held back—Zhang Da Ye had warned them not to act impulsively.
The sputtering sound of the car drew a guard's attention.
"What are you people doing here?" the guard demanded, glancing briefly at them but showing no surprise at the ancient car.
Zhang Da Ye quickly hopped down and handed over his documents, explaining their background.
"Travelers, huh?" The guard glanced at the permit and relaxed. "There's nothing worth seeing here—just work, work, and more work. When they die, we toss their bodies into the sea. Want to borrow a whip for fun? Some of the old ones won't last long anyway."
"No need," Zhang Da Ye said casually. "We just wanted a look. I heard this is a seven-hundred-year-old project, and that even the most vicious criminals have been tamed here. I was curious."
"Hahaha! That's right! No matter how dangerous they were, once they come here, they behave!" the guard boasted proudly. "See that guy? Number 9527—he's a murderer from the Grand Line. And that big one? He used to have an eight-million bounty!"
Zhang Da Ye drew in a sharp breath.
The guard mistook it for fear, but Zhang Da Ye was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected a Grand Line criminal to be sent all the way here—or to see such a familiar face.
That big man was none other than "Big Machete" Sword, the one whose bounty had funded Zhang Da Ye and Tom's first business venture in this world.
So they met again, after all this time. An old acquaintance in a foreign land.
It had been half a year, and Sword looked much thinner, worn down by labor. Zhang Da Ye couldn't help but feel sentimental. Back then, he'd only managed to beat the man thanks to Tom's help. Now, he could probably take on ten of him easily.
There was another familiar face too—a man with a fifty-thousand bounty named Hyde, the first criminal Shark Chili had identified using his sleep-learning ability.
Zhang Da Ye couldn't remember exactly how much he'd been worth, but both men had, in a way, helped him in his early days.
If these two were here, could that mean the others he'd captured had been sent here too?
He did a rough count. From Sabaody to East Blue, he'd caught over three hundred pirates—some known, some not. Out of the three thousand laborers here, one-tenth might be his former "business partners."
"Are there any Devil Fruit users here?" Zhang Da Ye asked casually, scanning the crowd. No sign of the red-nosed one yet.
"Devil Fruit users? Of course not," the guard said. "Those guys get sent to Impel Down, the deep-sea prison. You'll never see one here."
"What kind of criminals do get sent here, then?" Zhang Da Ye continued. "Eight million's a big bounty for the East Blue. Aren't you afraid they'll rebel?"
"The highest we've had is around ten million," the guard replied. "And no, we're not worried. They get one rice ball a day—enough to stay alive. If they make trouble, we beat them. Simple."
After answering, the man couldn't resist bragging. "There was a nine-million bounty guy once—wouldn't obey orders. I kicked him to the ground myself and gave him a good beating."
"You're amazing!" Ye Yan said instantly. "Defeating a near ten-million bounty pirate in one strike—you're my idol!"
The guard burst out laughing. "Hah! You've got a silver tongue, kid." He tossed Ye Yan his whip. "Go on, look around. If any worker annoys you, just whip him. If he fights back, come find me—I'll hang him up for you to beat!"
"Thank you, idol! Could I get your autograph too?"
"Huh? Oh—sure, where should I sign?" The guard, about to yell at a worker, instantly brightened up again.
"Right on the sleeve," Ye Yan said seriously. "That way I can always see my idol's signature."
…
Once they were far enough away, Zhang Da Ye muttered, "Was that really necessary? You looked like you hypnotized him."
Ye Yan grinned smugly. "Just acting, my friend. Part of performance art. Pretending to be a devoted fan is easy."
Before Zhang Da Ye could reply, Shark Chili said quietly, "Boss Da Ye, I've spotted quite a few familiar faces."
He'd walked around the site and recognized over a dozen small-time pirates he'd once captured. They'd clearly recognized him too but were too terrified to react.
Zhang Da Ye nodded. "Yeah, I see them too. Hard to say if they're pitiful… or just getting what they deserve."
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