"Ah~"
On the calm sea, Andy stopped his jet ski, lay back with his hands behind his head, and let out a long sigh.
Faint light pierced through the clouds, casting a glow on his chiseled face as he gazed at the dark blue sky, his thoughts drifting.
He could understand the actions of those civilians earlier.
They were grateful, yet they dared not get too involved with him, a pirate, as they still had to continue living on that land.
By accepting the treasures, he both accepted their gratitude and took full responsibility for the events at Skull Bay.
"Damn it! So annoying!"
Andy cursed irritably, sat up, and continued driving the jet ski towards the next island before darkness fully set in.
The sea wind howled, and waves crashed against the hull, splashing water that soaked his clothes but failed to dispel the vexation in his heart.
——The next morning.
At Marineford, the Marine Headquarters, sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating the pristine floor.
Brannew hurried into Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office, holding a piece of intelligence, his expression grave.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Brannew saluted, then handed over the intelligence.
Sengoku took it with an indifferent expression, slowly unfolding it to read. A moment later, he looked up and instructed, "Have Vice Admiral Tsuru come here."
"Yes!" Brannew turned and quickly departed.
Soon, Vice Admiral Tsuru arrived at the Fleet Admiral's office.
She pushed open the door, her steps steady yet efficient. As soon as she entered, she asked, "What's wrong, Sengoku? Has something happened?"
"You should look at this first." Sengoku's expression was serious; he didn't answer directly but handed the document to Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Vice Admiral Tsuru took the document, sat opposite Sengoku, and gently opened it.
The office was utterly silent, with only the faint rustle of paper.
Brannew stood quietly to the side, not daring to breathe.
After Vice Admiral Tsuru finished reading, a serious expression, identical to Sengoku's, appeared on her face: "Sengoku, do you mean that Red Hawk's rise might affect the current balance of the sea?"
Sengoku slowly nodded, his tense expression relaxing slightly. His voice was deep and authoritative: "This old man deduces that Red Hawk should enter the Grand Line very soon. When that happens, we will have to make our move. We cannot let him act recklessly; he must be kept within controllable limits!"
"I understand. When the time comes, I will arrange for someone to handle this, forcing him to enter the New World as soon as possible, and not letting him cause too much trouble in Paradise." Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded slightly.
She knew well that Sengoku was right; Red Hawk Andy could stir up waves on the sea, but he absolutely could not disrupt the delicate balance of the sea as it was now.
The existence of pirates, in the eyes of the World Government, was a necessary "stimulus" to make the affiliated nations obediently pay protection fees.
With the World Government's strength, clearing out most pirates would be easy, but it did not align with their interests.
They would never do anything without a profit motive.
Moreover, the World Government represented justice and was the highest symbol of authority in the world; it had to maintain a glorious and mighty image to the outside world.
Only with a continuous and controllable appearance of pirates could they continue to execute justice!
After their discussion, Vice Admiral Tsuru immediately set about implementing the plan.
She knew the importance of propaganda; the world had to view Red Hawk Andy as an utterly heinous pirate.
So she contacted Morgans's Morgans, requesting them to publish the Skull Bay incident on their newspaper according to her and Sengoku's instructions.
——
Somewhere high above the New World.
A massive airship, pulled by a flock of albatrosses, loomed in and out of the clouds, constantly changing its position.
This was the headquarters of the World Economic Journal. Inside the airship, it was a hive of activity, with staff bustling about, processing various news articles.
Morgans was currently sitting in his spacious office, holding the document sent from Marineford.
His bird-like face had initially held a hint of leisure, but after reading the document, an expression of disdainful mockery appeared.
"It's always the same routine. All the credit and good deeds always belong to you, the World Government, and the evil deeds must be borne by pirates. What a hypocritical world… Gahahaha…" Morgans burst into laughter, his laughter echoing in the office, yet tinged with self-mockery.
He couldn't help but recall his past glory in the underworld, the great newsman Morgans, now reduced to a tool cooperating with the World Government.
But he also understood that he had no choice. He was waiting, waiting for an opportunity to turn against the World Government, waiting for an era of chaos sufficient to overturn the existing order.
"Someone!" Morgans suddenly shouted.
A staff member quickly pushed open the door: "President!"
"Publish this news exactly as it is on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper!" Morgans commanded, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.
"Yes!" The staff member acknowledged and hurried away.
Soon, the "atrocious deeds" of Red Hawk Andy were sent via telegraph to printing presses all over the sea.
The printing machines began to roar, and newspapers were printed, ready to be sent all over the world.
Red Hawk Andy was portrayed as an evil pirate, while the World Government remained the lofty, justice-upholding entity.
On this seemingly calm yet turbulent sea, a storm centered around Red Hawk Andy was quietly brewing.
All forces were rubbing their fists, preparing for the changes to come.
And Andy, the pirate deemed a threat by the World Government, was heading towards unknown waters, completely unaware that he had become a crucial part of the World Government's grand scheme.
——
At this moment, Andy had already arrived in the Cortes Kingdom, which was also a country plagued by gangs, with the mafia omnipresent.
It was also his hometown where he grew up.
His grandmother had died in a gang shootout, and although he later recklessly took down a gang leader, he didn't believe the matter was resolved there!
In this world, his grandmother was his only family, the one who loved him most.
Those gangs had to pay for it!
This time, he returned by merchant ship. Upon landing, he found that nothing had changed much since he left a few years ago.
It was still as chaotic as ever.
More than a year had passed, and the greatly changed Andy would not be recognized on the street without comparing him to a photo.
Stepping onto his homeland after more than a year's absence, Andy felt a mix of complex emotions.
He didn't linger at the port, his steps unconsciously moving towards the direction in his memory. Before long, he arrived at the door of his former home.
Gazing at the slightly worn door, Andy's hand trembled slightly as he slowly pushed it open. With a creak, the door slowly opened, and a stale scent wafted out.
Inside, due to years of disrepair, the house was covered in dense spiderwebs. In the dim light, they seemed like vast nets engulfing the entire home. Furniture was scattered haphazardly, as if it had been roughly rummaged through, a scene of utter disarray.
Andy walked into the house, gently pushing aside the cobwebs in front of him. He entered the small living room, bent down, and picked up a photograph that had fallen to the floor. The photo was covered in a thick layer of dust.
He gently wiped it with his hand, and as the dust gradually faded, his grandmother's kind face slowly emerged.
In the photo, his grandmother had a gentle smile on her lips, her eyes full of affection for him.
"Grandma, I'm home." Andy gently caressed the photo, his lips trembling slightly as he murmured, his voice full of attachment and longing.
His gaze slowly swept around the room, as if he could see every little detail of his life with his grandmother.
Those warm memories now flooded his heart like a tide, making his eyes gradually moist.
——
Not far outside Andy's home, a gang intelligence operative who had been monitoring the area, upon seeing Andy enter the house, instantly had his face replaced by endless terror.
Red Hawk Andy, he had indeed returned!
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