Within Logan's sphere of influence, his authority was absolute. His style of handling affairs was one reason, but the most crucial factor was that Logan himself possessed absolute martial power.
Gathering this group of people hadn't been a matter of a few simple words; according to the tradition of the Fish-Man race—specifically the Fish-Man District—these matters were settled with fists. Everyone knew exactly how hard Logan's fists were.
If they continued bickering now, Logan would show them a demonstration of his philosophy: "Usually not fond of fighting, but exceptionally fond of settling fights."
As everyone knows, as long as the mediator can outfight the combatants, a dispute can be ended perfectly.
"Barbell, take those Sea Kings out. Let me see the results of your training."
"Don't worry, Big Brother. I won't disappoint you."
Barbell waved his hand, leading two others with sea conchs as they swam toward a nearby bay. Logan, meanwhile, took a pair of binoculars handed over by Sunbell and looked out at the distant horizon.
"Identify them."
"The Treba Treasure Hunters. Captain Treba Brucci, bounty: 100 million Berries."
As the currency of the sea, the Berry was in a state of gradual devaluation, a process that accelerated violently after the Great Pirate Era began. To judge its value, one could look at the price of a newspaper; in a sense, the World Economic Journal's newspaper served as a special "universal equivalent."
In the year of the main story, when Luffy was first wanted, a newspaper cost 100 Berries. Currently, it was only 50 Berries. Thus, a 100 million bounty was significantly more valuable now than in the future.
"Treasure hunters?"
"They are bounty hunters. Three months ago, we liberated a batch of slaves. Those slave ships belonged to this group. It seems because of us, they failed to 'deliver the goods' on time and offended the World Government, resulting in them getting bounties themselves."
Sunbell read through the intelligence reports. Although there was no concrete evidence of their intent, it was certain they weren't here as guests. Treating them as enemies was no mistake.
In fact, that was exactly the case. After being branded with bounties, these men didn't dare retaliate against the World Government. Instead, they fixed their sights on Logan, whom they viewed as the "culprit." After all, in most people's eyes, no matter how strong a pirate force was, it couldn't compare to the World Government—a behemoth that had ruled the world for centuries.
"I've seen plenty of people who don't value their lives, but it's rare to see someone so eager to find death," Logan remarked.
Thinking back, Logan recalled that operation. He hadn't even acted personally; a small detachment of his subordinates had completed the task. The enemy's strength was not impressive.
However, Logan wasn't surprised that they dared to seek revenge. On this sea, there were plenty of such audacious fools—you could call them a "local specialty" of these waters.
"Big Brother, no need for you to step in. I'll handle it. This kind of trash... five minutes is enough."
Seeing Logan flex his wrists as if he intended to move, Sebastian stepped forward first. Logan simply nodded, agreeing to the idea.
Such situations were common. Slave traders seeking revenge, Marines belonging to the World Government, or other pirates trying to make a name for themselves—enemies like these appeared near them constantly. Not every enemy was worth Logan's personal attention.
At that moment, Sebastian transformed into a white line across the sea's surface, charging toward the incoming enemy ship. Meanwhile, in the deep-water port nearby, as horn blasts sounded from the conch in Barbell's hand, three massive shadows began to move slowly beneath the waves...
Simultaneously, on the ship of the Treba Treasure Hunters, a man with a scarred face, a lean but tall build, and eyes full of rage was staring fixedly at the direction of Hachinosu.
He was Treba Brucci. He called himself the captain of a "Treasure Hunting Group," but in reality, he dealt entirely in the slave trade. Because he served the World Government and possessed some personal strength, his life had been quite comfortable until he encountered Logan's subordinates.
"Full speed ahead! That bastard is on that island! Kill them, find all the merchandise, and only then will we have a chance to get our bounties cleared!"
"But... but Captain, that's 'Hachinosu'... on that island... maybe we should turn back..."
Some of the men behind him appeared terrified. Even though they had reached the vicinity of Pirate Island, they remained timid. It was no secret that Hachinosu was currently a gathering place for pirates—and not just any pirates, but big-name outlaws.
The reason they still followed Treba Brucci was that the World Government's bounty was targeted at the whole group. By following Treba, his strength could at least fend off average Marines or bounty hunters. If they left, they might be captured by other slave traders to fill the vacancies.
As slave traders themselves, they knew exactly what the "treatment" of a slave looked like. This was why they followed him even after Treba made this mad decision, but it didn't stop them from trying to persuade him. If Treba chose a place to hide in a remote corner of the four seas, they could at least act like "Mountain Bandits" and live as kings in a small territory.
"Shut up! I don't want to live a life of hiding! Those pirates are just gathered on that island—forget about them helping each other, they'd be lucky not to stab each other in the back! Last time was only because I wasn't there; otherwise, how could they have succeeded so easily? Merman slaves are top-tier merchandise; this time, it just so happens we can restock!"
To this day, Treba Brucci believed that Logan's men were only able to rescue the slaves because he hadn't been on the ship that day. This blind confidence in one's own strength was common on the sea, whether now or in the future.
High bounties couldn't dampen the spirits of such people. After all, bounty amounts weren't purely based on combat power; heinous acts or behavior that annoyed the World Government would also inflate the numbers. Many felt that those "big shots" simply went out to sea earlier, and that they themselves had already surpassed them but simply lacked the opportunity to show it.
This "specialty" was commonly known as the "Hotheaded Reckless," and they appeared frequently among newcomers. In the original timeline, the Supernovas challenging the Emperors was a direct manifestation of this. Believing themselves invincible, they lacked an understanding of true power and were usually given a harsh dose of reality very quickly.
BOOM!
Treba wanted to continue giving orders, but the ship's hull suddenly suffered a violent tremor. The rocking deck even threw two men overboard instantly.
"What happened?!"
Treba grabbed the side of the ship to steady himself. Those who were being tossed around had no time to answer him, but the ship beneath their feet provided the answer with facts.
The deck creaked and groaned; the hull let out a deafening sound of snapping wood. The hard keel was snapped clean in the middle. Like a giant piece of rotted wood infested with insects, the ship split into two sections under a monstrous tearing force.
Splinters flew from the break, seawater rushed into the cabins, and the massive vessel began to tilt and sink. One by one, crew members slid into the sea.
"You guys really are arrogant enough. Don't you even know our combat style? It's been a long time since I've met someone with absolutely no defenses against underwater attacks."
Sebastian leaped out of the water. His massive size further accelerated the ship's sinking. Had the ship not been large to begin with, it wouldn't have withstood Sebastian's thrashing.
Now standing on the slowly submerging wreck, Sebastian's eyes were filled with mockery for the enemy before him.
"Two minutes left. But for you lot, that's more than enough."
After checking the time, Sebastian put away his pocket watch and turned a cold gaze toward Treba Brucci...
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