"Major General, how are you feeling?"
"...Black Cat. And the Admirals as well."
Major General Saluki of Marine Headquarters.
He was the commanding officer of the reinforcement fleet from headquarters, a man whose forces had been decimated by an attack from some pirate named Shiki before Daz and the others rescued him.
"How's your leg doing now?"
"Ah. As long as I have a cane, I can manage to get around and take care of myself... Forgive me, Black Cat. You've all taken such good care of me."
Good, good. It seems his impression of us has improved considerably.
When we first rescued him, he was saying things like "Curse it all, even if there's a ceasefire, to be saved by pirates..."
It looks like the former Marine honor guard and civilian medical team really went above and beyond in their care.
"Today, I'd like to ask you about something in detail."
"What would that be...?"
"About the impression, or rather the reputation, that we have within headquarters."
The Marine warrior who had been glaring at us defiantly until recently now looks somewhat uncomfortable.
"Huh? Your reputation at headquarters was actually pretty good."
"I also heard voices regretting that the 'Black Cat' was a pirate..."
Good, that's exactly what I was hoping for.
I'd been maneuvering things that way as much as possible to minimize any danger outside of our combat capabilities.
For that purpose, I'd been deliberately standing out in political work and related matters, even though I really didn't want to do that kind of thing anymore.
"That's precisely why there might have been quiet rumors circulating that we 'Black Cat' pirates were currying favor with the higher-ups... taking advantage of non-allied nations as we pleased, something like that, don't you think?"
"...That's correct."
So naturally, there would be some pushback against that. I figured as much.
"When you first set course for Mopchi, our base of operations, was it intended as something like a surprise inspection? To see our true nature with your own eyes?"
The Major General nodded slightly from his bed, and Kuzan muttered, "So that's what it was about..."
I suppose they misjudged things due to distrust of a government that couldn't control the Celestial Dragons, combined with the apparent strength of five headquarters warships...
"...That's exactly right. Looking back on it now... I apologize."
"No, we are undoubtedly pirates. We're beings that can never truly coexist with the World Government. Considering that, it's understandable that you'd find something suspicious about us maintaining good relations with the Marines, or about higher-ups having connections with pirates. Please, don't concern yourself with it."
Kuzan and Borsalino look a bit surprised, but that's just how it is.
This is good stuff, I think, but when you make a big fuss about it, you inevitably get opposition...
And those types tend to be more passionate because they're not part of the mainstream, making them harder to handle.
Since it's an emotional issue, trying to control it through persuasion usually just makes things worse.
"But... because of that, so many of my subordinates... and even the supplies that should have saved the people of this West Blue..."
"However, if that attack hadn't happened, we would still be desperately trying to locate enemy bases through patrol sightings and reading ocean currents, unable to identify their strongholds while many civilians were being kidnapped into slavery."
Really, though.
While I feel sorry for the Marines who were sacrificed, that attack allowed us to obtain enemy intelligence and successfully capture their base.
Who would have thought they could not only fly through the air themselves but also make objects fly?
And not just one or two ships either, but an entire island.
We probably won't make it to the Grand Line in time, but it's clear that preparing anti-aircraft weapons wouldn't be a waste. I learned a lot about what methods are possible.
Who would have thought such a thing existed... Come to think of it, Admiral 'Fujitora' in the original story could manipulate gravity, which means he could do similar things.
...I should start with a Gatling gun prototype.
There are surprisingly many people who fly through weird methods, and thinking back to the original story, it's not just aerial threats but also submarine users like Wapol and Law.
I need to think of some countermeasures for those as well.
"Your actions were definitely not in vain. Thanks to them, many people were saved."
"...Honestly, when I heard that you had captured the enemy base, I felt relieved from the bottom of my heart. Major General Manchikan also told me that your actions were sincere."
Oh my.
I thought that person was the type who would constantly be probing us...
So when she assigned Hina to me during that battle, was it pure goodwill, or did she genuinely think I was suitable as educational material for Hina?
Somehow, that's unexpected.
"What I'm curious about is the reason you decided to conduct a surprise inspection. Was it Major General Saluki who thought of the inspection?"
"That's right."
"What was the reason you thought of... no, decided on that course of action?"
Even if this person made the final decision, there must have been some basis for judgment that led to it.
"...There were various factors. But... the biggest reason was that restrictions had been placed on Marine vessels entering Mopchi port. ...No, forgive me. I understand the reason for that now. Non-allied nation citizens aren't recognized as having human rights."
"Yes. Resources and manpower for allied nation citizens' emergencies were running short. For that reason, there was a very real possibility that orders for forceful measures would come down from above, whether from the Marine organization or some other government military force. Therefore, we had no choice but to impose restrictions. ...I apologize for making you suspicious."
"...Mm. But we were far away and could only judge your character through speculation alone. Even in this emergency situation, we arrogantly assumed that you were just looking out for yourselves... that you were, after all, just pirates."
Well, that's fine with me...
It's not entirely wrong that we're using this situation to create circumstances favorable to ourselves.
"Do you know where these rumors were coming from?"
"...I had heard such voices among the lower-ranking officers, but... I don't know the details."
Tch, they won't let me grab their tail.
Even if it's impossible for me as a pirate, I thought this might become a card that Sengoku could use effectively against the government...
"By the way, who decided to make the fleet five ships?"
"...If a situation arose where we had to face Black Cat, the consensus was that we would need a substantial headquarters force."
"So you requested five ships."
"Yes. I appealed to the Fleet Admiral that we needed more supplies... Forgive me, it was inexcusably shallow thinking."
I see.
So they wanted to bring what amounted to a quasi-Buster Call force, just in case they ended up fighting us.
Well, given Mihawk's presence, I suppose that's how they would think.
But if they had gone to Mopchi and caused trouble, they might have been cut down by the Dark King who was relaxing on that island.
(Still, I wanted to confirm the existence of those who were inciting them, but there's no evidence. It's always like this with me.)
In the end, none of the troublesome situations I've been involved with have been resolved completely.
I'm just barely managing to ward off the enemy's moves, but I haven't been able to land any effective hits on the World Government, whether it's the Marine slavery issue, the pirate alliance, or their underhanded schemes slipping through the cracks.
(Well, I only have influence in one corner of the West Blue, not the Grand Line.)
"...The government doesn't currently seem to be trying to make contact with any of our 'Black Cat' crew members. So then..."
"Hey, Kuro."
Admiral Aokiji, please be a bit more... mindful of the positions of pirates and Marines in front of other Marines... Ah, no, if that's the case, then calling me by name without honorifics is more appropriate.
"What is it?"
"We understand the reinforcement fleet's movements and their reasons. So then..."
"Yes?"
"What exactly did Sengoku mean by the 'forceful measures' he told you about?"
"...Essentially, provocation in gray areas."
Sengoku, I really think you should strengthen education in non-military areas.
Well, maybe I just don't know about it, but honestly, aside from soldiers, I only see what amounts to quasi-peerless personnel...
Maybe we should bring Colonel Taki into headquarters.
"Right now, the World Government has something they want so badly they can taste it."
"That would be Nico Robin's head, right?"
"And probably your head as her protector too."
"...Well, yes. From the government's perspective, they want to sink us at any cost. But the situation won't allow it."
I see. When I organize the situation like this, the formation of the pirate alliance was actually convenient for us in some ways.
"The pirate alliance and the food crisis that comes with it. Even without that, there's the ever-increasing pirate problem and the recently active revolutionary movements. The Marine's power is needed to deal with these issues, but there's discord between the government and Marines due to the Marine slavery incident."
I don't have proof, but if whoever's behind the pirate alliance is aiming to overthrow the government, or at least weaken the government's power, they should have quietly spread word about the slavery incident as their first move.
It might not be to the same extent as here in the West Blue where it actually happened, but it would definitely lower Marine morale.
With the situation worsening day by day, the government naturally becomes dissatisfied with the Marines, but they don't have enough material to exercise strong authority.
"In other words, the government is dying to strengthen their influence over the Marines. The emergency reorganization that suddenly promoted you two and Sengoku was probably part of that."
"Our promotions?"
"While certainly appropriate in terms of military strength, you're having trouble grasping the military organization, aren't you?"
Garp isn't the type of person who wants to move up, and while I don't know the details, judging by Tsuru's rank in the original story, she's the same type.
There's probably also the fact that Sengoku turned out to be far more capable than expected and things didn't go as planned...
"They wanted to regain political superiority over Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the three Admirals with their major military power, and their subordinates, after it had been shaken. They planned to use that power to solve the pirate problem and our 'Black Cat' problem, but... Fleet Admiral Sengoku maneuvered skillfully and minimized the impact of excessive government interference."
That kind of exchange was secretly written in the letter.
Well, I found something that could be read as another coded message within the normal text of their letter, so when I tried imitating it in my reply, such stories quietly emerged from the next letter that came.
"Even so, there's no way the government would give up. The Marines are essentially the government's public face. If they want to distance themselves from the government due to distrust, it becomes difficult for the government to govern as they have before."
"So then... what the government wants so badly they can taste it is..."
"Yes. A major Marine failure."
While Kuzan is one thing, this is the first time I've seen Borsalino make such a sour face.
I always thought he was someone with a suspicious expression.
"More precisely, they want to make it a big deal that the Marines ignoring government intentions is wrong. They intend to use that as an excuse to seize real power over the Marines."
"...Then what do you mean by gray areas?"
"I can think of various methods..."
If they were trying to push the Marines to their limits while still adhering to World Government law, their options would be limited.
"They probably intend to use non-allied nations and their citizens."
"...Non-allied nations fall outside the scope of protection."
"Yes. In many ways, it's an area where Marines find it difficult to act."
If I were the World Government, making the Marines accomplices would be the best way to seize real power over them.
The ceasefire agreement in this incident was like that.
I had been devising strategies to uphold Marine justice, but from the government's perspective, that gets mixed with murkier elements.
"Well, regarding that..."
"My lord! They're here!"
"Kuro! Admiral Aokiji!"
Oh no.
"Hancock... Hina too. Have Daz and the others arrived?"
"That too, but it's the government!"
"Kuro! Suddenly, Cipher Pol is unilaterally..."
"They're saying they need to collect the non-allied nation citizens we're protecting as labor to deal with the crisis facing allied nations...!"
Haha, I see...
That's reasonable. It's a reasonable move, but...
"Hancock, message to Daz. Use all available forces currently on this island to protect the non-allied nation citizens. However, don't attack from our side, prioritize defensive operations. If Daz has no objections, have them stare down Cipher Pol for a while. I'll be right there."
"Understood."
The World Government... No, I can generally read and understand their intentions.
But even if that was the goal, they should have considered the risks of doing something on stage that should have been done behind the scenes.
No, before that...
(Did they think that no matter how unusual we are, pirates are still just pirates? Did they assume that if they pushed things forward politically, even somewhat forcefully, we pirates would only have brute force to fall back on?)
Fools.
They're definitely underestimating me too much.
"Kuro, this is..."
"It's fine. This is well within my expectations."
"Admiral Aokiji, Admiral Kizaru. Hina too... let's go. We're going to reset this situation here."
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being