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After Biera left.
Jin fell into thought. Among the pirates of this world, there were many who had suffered similar hardships. He couldn't just paint them all with the same brush.
"After I take Hannabal Island, I'll need a force to keep order there. And I'll need people to expand my trade operations. Manpower is a resource. I have more than enough soul crystals for the carrier's next upgrade. It might be a better idea to keep some of the prisoners and... exploit their labor for a while. Give them a chance to turn over a new leaf. I'm not a monster, after all. Once I have enough men, I can weed out the ones who are truly evil and make a public example of them. That way, I still get my soul crystals, and I earn the goodwill of the people and warn against any future corruption. It's a win-win."
After listening to his monologue, Ai offered a sharp critique: "Master has the potential to be a great capitalist."
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Asuka Island.
It was a beautiful island, neither hot nor cold, but blessed with an eternal spring.
The organizers of the Dead End Race had placed a token here in advance. The first to arrive and claim it would be the winner.
On the far side of the island, three Marine warships were anchored.
The Marines had received intelligence a short while ago and had set up an ambush to capture the pirates arriving on Asuka Island.
"This intelligence... it came from Gasparde, didn't it?"
"That bastard. He probably leaked the information to the Marines just to make his little game more interesting."
"When he was a Marine, he betrayed the Marines. Now that he's a pirate, he betrays pirates. Which side is he on?"
"And why hasn't Headquarters sent a real force to crush him? It's infuriating! Hina is very angry!" a pink-haired woman with a cigarette dangling from her lips said in a disgusted tone. She wore a Marine coat of justice over her Lieutenant Commander's uniform.
In front of her stood Vice Admiral Comil. He was puffing on a cigar, a broad smile on his face as he gazed out at the sea.
"There's always a reason for a man like Gasparde to exist," the Vice Admiral said gently. He held a sheathed sword, and a thick, brown beard covered his chin.
"In any case, his value lies in his ability to draw these hidden pirates out into the open. Compared to the big names like the Four Emperors or the Seven Warlords, it's the lesser-known pirates who often cause the most direct damage. They're like rats, scurrying around in the dark, burning, pillaging, and preying on innocent civilians. But the Marines' resources are limited. The only way to clean them out is to set a trap and let them walk right into it."
Hina understood.
So this was a deal between Gasparde and the Marines?
The World Government used the Warlords. It was only natural that the Marines would make use of a valuable traitor.
Still, very few people must have been aware of it.
"Sir! A ship has been sighted!" the lookout on the mast shouted. "It's... the giant brothers, Bobby and Pogo! They're coming! Wait... there's another ship behind them! Bobby and Pogo are being pursued! They're catching up! They've vanished!"
"Vanished?" Hina said. "Hey! What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'vanished'?"
"They're gone, ma'am!" the lookout replied. "The other ship caught up to them and passed them... and then they were just gone! It happened on the other side of the ship, so my view was blocked by its sail. I couldn't see what happened. It was like... they were eaten! The flag... it's strange. I've never seen it before. A new pirate crew?"
"What flag?" Hina leaped up, jumping to the top of the mast. She took the spyglass from the lookout and gazed into the distance.
A ship, thirty to forty meters long, came into view. Its flag fluttered in the wind, a faint pattern visible on it. She looked closer. It was a serpentine creature with claws... Hina had heard of it. It was a mythical creature called a "dragon."
Other than that, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the ship.
"Hey, are you sure you saw what you saw?" Hina asked. She couldn't see any sign of the giants or their ship, not even a trace of a battle.
"Eh?" The lookout was no longer sure. The whole thing had been so surreal. Such a large ship, such massive giants... gone in the blink of an eye. Had he just been seeing things?
"Contact Headquarters," Vice Admiral Comil ordered. "Confirm if that flag belongs to any known pirates from the Four Blues. I don't want any mistakes."
"Sir!"
After the ship had docked, the communications officer reported, "Headquarters confirms, there is no corresponding bounty record."
The officers were all confused.
No bounty record? So they weren't pirates?
"What are your orders, Vice Admiral?"
Arrest them or not?
"It could just be a merchant ship, here to resupply," Comil mused. "Our targets are the pirates from the Dead End Race. We can't blow our cover. However... Lieutenant Commander Hina, take a squad and a small boat. Conduct a routine inspection, just in case."
"Sir!" Hina replied. "You're with me! Let's go!"
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Jin set foot on Asuka Island, taking in the scenery of the spring island. The mild climate was delightful.
"Once the transportation issue is sorted out—" Jin thought, "—if I build a resort here and develop the tourism industry, I'll make a killing."
The port town was geared toward visitors. Not far from the town, on a hill, was a Marine training base.
As Jin walked into the town, he could feel that something was off. There were few people on the streets, and those who were there were acting furtively.
They were obviously plainclothes Marines.
"Are they pirates?"
"Doesn't look like it. Never seen them before."
Jin didn't have to strain to hear the whispers from the shadows. Since his awakening, his five senses had been greatly enhanced.
"So the Marines have set up an ambush. Gasparde, you really are a piece of work."
In the original story, Gasparde had given out a bunch of fake Log Poses, luring the pirates into a Marine fortress where they were executed by firing squad.
He'd completely played them for fools.
Jin walked calmly through the streets. He didn't have a bounty; he had nothing to fear. He arrived at the tavern where the race token was hidden.
"The Seven Star Sword?"
As he pushed open the door, he heard a discussion taking place. Everyone turned to look at him.
New face?
They went back to their conversation.
"What's that?"
"They say it's the most beautiful legendary sword on the Grand Line."
"Isn't that just a legend?"
"No. It's on this very island. A long time ago, the people of this island believed that the red moon, which appears once every hundred years, would bring disaster. They were terrified of it. So, the god they worshiped, to protect them from this calamity, gave their King three sacred jewels to act as a shield... But in the end, the sword was turned against its purpose. When the red moon is full, the sword will unleash a power that rules over the darkness."
"Is that for real?"
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