Marie Geoise.
The center of the world, a holy land that normally only Celestial Dragons could enter except during the quadrennial Reverie, now hosted dozens of Marines waiting for a single ship.
More precisely, they were waiting for the person aboard that ship.
As if guarding the wide road that ran straight from the dock, the Marines lined up in formation and saluted the moment a figure appeared.
The figure was Admiral Kizaru.
Despite his sudden promotion to Admiral, he was already one of those leading the next generation of the Navy with numerous achievements to his name.
While most Marines saluted him, a significant minority, though less than half, were focusing their attention on the person following behind him.
The first pirate in history to be welcomed into the holy land, a place even Marines couldn't easily enter.
Black Cat Pirates' Governor, "Cat Burglar" Kuro.
Most of those watching him were driven by curiosity.
But among them, there were certainly some who held genuine respect for this "pirate."
"...The Admiral passed by, so we can stop saluting now... This is making me uncomfortable."
"Just keep walking briskly, Kuro."
"Besides, you had your own soldiers salute you back there, didn't you?"
"Well, Mister Spandine... having my own subordinates do it is different from having Marines do it. Especially this many at once... the pressure is completely different."
"You gave those Five Elders a piece of your mind and now you're saying this, you damn brat."
"That was way worse for my heart. ...What's with that unconvinced expression?"
"The Marines around us are watching, so act properly. So, Kuro, are you sure about this?"
"Ah, yes. The actual negotiations begin the day after tomorrow, but—"
"Before that, I'd be grateful if I could pay my respects to the Five Elders."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"So Kuro went ahead to show his face to the Five Elders."
"Indeed. His room has been prepared and confirmed. We've sent someone to escort him, so there should be no problems."
The young Marine named Hina had seen off Kuro as he headed with that disagreeable man called Spandine toward the Hall of Power in Pangaea Castle where the Five Elders waited. To be precise, she was slightly sulking because when she tried to follow along, Kuro had gently declined her company. She returned to report to the room assigned to Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the other Navy personnel.
"Going to meet the Five Elders first when the Navy came to greet him..."
"No, that's for the best."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had managed to unite the Navy despite not having held the position for very long and the precarious situation that could spiral out of control, smiled and responded to Hina's report.
"We brought soldiers here, albeit a small number, to pressure them. If Kuro had come to us first and shown a Navy-leaning stance, the Government would think this isn't a negotiation between them and the Navy, but rather a political struggle between them and a kind of alliance between us and the 'Black Cat.'"
Most of the senior officers who were usually present weren't here.
Sengoku had judged that approaching Marie Geoise with too large a force would create unnecessary friction.
"If Kuro considers political balance like that, it makes things easier for us. ...After all, we already have an unexpected—"
"Bwahahahaha! Smart as I heard! I'm looking forward to meeting him even more!"
"—That's why! Why are you here, Garp?!"
However, there were still personnel present that the Government would consider threatening.
Much to the Navy's chagrin.
"Well, don't get so angry, Sengoku. Want some rice crackers?"
"Shut up!"
"Sorry about this, Sengoku. Before I knew it, I'd already boarded the ship."
Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, standing beside Fleet Admiral Sengoku, let out a deep sigh.
"Really though, why did you come? Even for a hero, your position has been precarious lately. With your son suspected of treason against the state and all."
"Ah, that'll work itself out somehow. Right now, I'm more interested in this situation."
"...Kuro?"
"Well, that's part of it."
Watching Sengoku roughly grab a rice cracker from the offered box and start eating it with satisfaction, the Navy hero Garp took one himself and chomped down heartily.
"Never talked to him myself, but from what Kuzan tells me, 'Cat Burglar' is quite the pirate. He's checking the Shichibukai system the Government is pushing forward and has wedged himself in as a force to handle the alternative power balance."
"...He's been helped by circumstances, but... yes. He's achieving results beyond what the Government expected from the Shichibukai. And without involving the Government either. ...When Kuzan got ahead of himself, I wondered what we'd do, but in terms of settling that incident, it's not bad. While the Government's Shichibukai system still has no members at all, that boy is becoming like a Shichibukai for the Navy. ...Even if his influence is still limited to the West Blue..."
"We can't officially recognize it. Can't, but... yes."
For Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the 'Black Cat's' movements were definitely a headache, for better or worse.
If they were plundering, it would be simple to eliminate them, but currently it was the opposite, where damage would increase without the 'Black Cat's' movements. Worse, recovery support for various nations would be impossible.
The balance in the West Blue was maintained by the Black Cat securing bases with their fleet power and becoming administrators of non-member nations that could otherwise produce more pirates.
This was clearly conveyed through reports from Hina, who had witnessed it directly, and from officers in the field.
It was unmistakable from how the revolutionary fervor that had suddenly erupted everywhere was relatively subdued in the West Blue.
"Marines who don't know about the questioning at the regional headquarters continue to send petition after petition requesting his appointment to the Shichibukai. ...It seems Kuro's work appears quite brilliant to the officers and soldiers in the West Blue. Not just soldiers, but officers too, repeatedly."
"Well, of course. ...When stuff like this comes in."
Tsuru directed an unusually disgusted expression toward a single order, a directive from the World Government.
"I understand the traditional banquet, but demanding we collect food and bring it to the holy land at a time like this."
Food was tight everywhere right now.
The West Blue, which had suffered massive pirate damage, of course, but other seas also had limited reserves.
And those were mostly in member nations.
Naturally, they would request food contributions, but the demanded quantities were nowhere near sufficient.
With increasing pirate damage plus reduced yields from rebellions called revolutions, and in some regions crop diseases and climate-related poor harvests, it was natural for any sea or region to want to preserve whatever reserves they could.
If that was the case, they had no choice but to requisition from non-member nations.
"Have you already given the order, Sengoku?"
"...I've left it to Rear Admiral Momonga. He won't make mistakes in judgment."
A Marine who steadily completed assigned tasks, exactly Sengoku's type.
"If you're assigning someone an unpleasant job, make sure to prepare a proper reward."
"Yes. I plan to ask what he wants. A raise too. ...So, Garp."
"Mm?"
"Let me ask again, why did you come? It wasn't just to see Kuro's face."
He implied that if that were the case, he'd send him back to headquarters, but Garp just picked at his ear with his pinky.
"Hmm, well... yes, well..."
"...There is a reason, right? Right?!"
"Don't know."
"What?!"
Sengoku's temple visibly bulged with veins and his fist clenched, but Garp remained vague.
"Just..."
"Just?!"
"...Somehow..."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"To think that from that call at the regional headquarters, we'd meet face to face so soon."
"...With respect, I feel the same way."
Standing before five bigshots radiating an aura of supreme authority, I can't help but feel intimidated.
"Once again, thank you for accepting our presumptuous proposal. As declared, the pirate 'Cat Burglar' has disarmed and surrendered."
"At first we thought it was a joke, but it turned out to be a surprisingly good proposal."
"We guarantee your safety while you're here."
"But don't forget that you're a pirate. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
But really, you should say that to the Marines who won't drop their salutes even for a mere pirate.
Seriously.
Some of them, actually quite a few, several percent of them were looking at me with the same eyes my own soldiers use.
Is that okay?
In case of emergency, I've created ten different anti-Navy combat manuals for when I'm absent, including priority targets and defensive priority areas for different situations, which I've shared with the executives... so I'm feeling incredibly guilty and my stomach is about to die...
(Seriously, how did my life turn out like this?)
Please, difficulty adjustment... please give me some difficulty adjustment.
"I'll keep that in mind. Please go easy on me during the negotiations starting the day after tomorrow."
This should be enough to show that I don't intend to neglect the Government either.
I probably should have brought some kind of gift, but with our current forces, we could only prepare some food or lumber, nothing that would make a significant impression.
"Now, I'll go greet the Navy—"
"Wait, Kuro."
...
I just wanted to get out of here quickly and be healed by Fleet Admiral Sengoku's goat, but what now?!
"There's something we'd like to ask. What did you want?"
"....."
Past tense?
So, the situation before I became a pirate?
"We investigated you. All the books and notes in the room you used."
Ah...
They collected the rough drafts of my life planning from when I was a merchant apprentice and the books I'd gathered.
"...Before that, may I ask about the trading company people?"
During my fugitive life in the East Blue, I couldn't gather information properly, and I was too scared to investigate various things.
Maybe I fled all the way to the West Blue, the farthest sea from the East Blue, because of that.
"They're all safe. You should thank Garp."
"...The Vice Admiral?"
"It was Garp's intervention, having heard the commotion and stopping by since he was nearby, that prevented Saint Jalmack from executing the trading company members."
Really? Honestly, I thought they might all have been killed because I ran away...
If he comes here, I should bow to the Vice Admiral immediately.
Well, during such delicate balance, the Navy hero who represents major military power is probably on standby at headquarters.
Maybe I should get paper and pen when I reach my room and write a letter.
"Back to the topic. We've confirmed that you were an excellent merchant. Even as an apprentice."
"Despite being just an apprentice, you were well-regarded by royalty and successfully created beneficial trade routes between two countries."
"You also seriously devoted effort to product development, building strong connections with craftsman groups."
Ughhh...
What is this? Are you planning to start with psychological attacks by exposing my dark history before the negotiations?
Please spare me.
Back then, I had a somewhat secure income as a merchant, so I was dreaming of various things...
"From your remaining notes, you clearly had a definite plan. What was it?"
You want me to talk about that embarrassingly shameful plan where I tried to avoid crises I could predict from my original story knowledge while living a decent life, in front of the supreme authority figures?! What kind of mental public execution is this?!
"It was just a hopeless fantasy I'd been thinking about since childhood—"
"We don't mind, speak."
Damn it!
You guys are really the worst!
If we ever end up at war with the World Government, I'll remember this!!
"Then, please excuse the rambling."
Grrrr!
Fine, whatever!
"When I became a merchant apprentice from being a parentless street urchin, the era had already entered the Great Pirate Age."
"To be under Navy protection, being a member nation citizen is essential, and it's crucial to be on a prosperous island that the Navy considers important."
"But... such islands have the possibility of Celestial Dragon visits. With respect, I had judged Celestial Dragons as something to avoid at all costs even back then."
"So what I thought of was not a glamorous island that would interest the Celestial Dragons, but having my own base that would be extremely important to the Navy."
"Developing a military trading port in the East Blue that could guarantee Navy supplies and some entertainment, and its development. That was my dream."
Guooooooo.
Embarrassing, so embarrassing I could die.
Is there any humiliation worse than having your dark history notebook made public?!
.....
Don't just go "hmm" and "indeed," you bastards!!
Damn it, may the World Government perish!!
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Oh, did the meeting end safely?"
"Took you quite a while, Kuro."
As I left the room with heightened hatred toward the World Government, Spandine who had guided me here and an unfamiliar Marine were waiting.
A quite well-built man with purple hair cut short in Marine fashion.
Even among all the soldiers I'd seen, he was among the most muscular, but his glasses made him look intellectual.
"I've wanted to meet and talk with you."
The man extended his hand smoothly.
"I'm Zephyr. My rank is Special Admiral."
Zephyr...
The teacher Kuzan mentioned!
The person who sent me that incredibly long letter!
"Yes, I remember. I had the honor of greeting you through correspondence before."
"Indeed. ...My students were greatly helped by you."
With that, Special Admiral Zephyr bowed deeply.
Stop it! It's bad for a Marine to bow to a pirate in a Government stronghold—
"From now on, I'll be taking care of you along with Petty Officer Second Class Hina. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'll do what I can."
Don't assign a big shot as a pirate's caretaker!!
Who commanded this arrangement?!
***
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