"A pirate nation?"
"That's right," Bege confirmed. "The ones you're dealing with right now are a bunch known by that name."
In the end, after confirming there was nothing suspicious about his ship, I returned to Mopuchi's port and, along with Amisu, guided Bege to the usual conference room.
His subordinates are on standby at the port.
At least this time, they aren't enemies, and knowing Bege, he's probably brought information valuable enough to warrant a talk like this.
I can't just treat an opponent like that poorly, even if they are subordinates, by telling them they can't come ashore.
Of course, I can't let them into the city proper, as some of the populace have a "mafia allergy," but I need to guarantee them some amount of freedom.
I mused aloud, "We're in the very process of creating a framework that would be called just that, but to think there was already a predecessor..."
"Heh heh heh," Bege chuckled. "A certain Family is pretty pissed about your recent movements. Saying the place where they made the raw materials for their drugs got 'taken over'."
I corrected him. "I didn't 'take it over,' I 'crushed' it, but..."
"They just assume others will do the same things they do," he said dismissively. "Especially when it comes to shady business."
In fact, one of the sources of income for the citizens here was the cultivation of crops used for narcotics.
The mafia would buy those crops for dirt cheap, process them into illegal drugs to sell at high prices, and then use the profits to buy cheap food and sell it at high prices on the black market here.
It seems that's the kind of thing they were doing.
Of course, it seems that wasn't all...
Well, I burned it all.
It could also be used for fiber, so I debated using it for that, but it was obvious that if I carelessly allowed it, productivity would drop, so I set fire to every last bit of it. Seedlings and seeds, too.
I've also given orders to thoroughly eradicate any that might be growing wild in the mountains.
Bege refocused the conversation. "Let's get back on track, Kuro. The Mogwa Kingdom. Within the West Blue, it's a member nation that, while not quite on par with the Kano Country, possesses its own high-quality navy."
I thought a one-on-one meeting with Bege would be fine, but Daz and Amisu refused.
Amisu is standing by my side, and on his side, some guy I feel like I've seen before is standing by.
It's that guy I convinced to hurry up and escape the ship back then.
"Mogwa... It's certainly a country located close to this one, but... a pirate nation? As I recall, it's a serious crime for a member nation to have ties with pirates, right?"
Excluding The Seven Warlords of the Sea, that is.
In the original story's epilogue for the Alabasta incident, didn't a Marine say something like that while confronting Alabasta's... what was his name? Chaka? That general guy?
"Officially, they have no connection, but there are quite a few guys who secretly team up with pirates. Look at the Happo Navy, for example, one of the prominent pirate groups in the West Blue. Even with a 500 million Berry bounty on their leader's head, they simultaneously serve as the naval force for the Kano Country."
...Wasn't the Kano Country supposed to be in the Grand Line?
Damn, I really need to drill the geography into my head.
I've only been checking the places I've been involved with or plan to be involved with in some way.
Or rather, the fact that guys from the West Blue show up normally even in the latter half of the Grand Line story means that, at least 20 years from now, there are people traveling back and forth relatively often.
Right now... I haven't heard anything like that yet, but eventually, I'll have to consider countermeasures against the Yonko... That's a long way off...
It's not just my own life, but the lives and dignity of my companions on the line, so I can't just sigh and toss it aside...
"Well, it's true that if the alliance with pirates is too blatant, the Marines will stick their noses in. That's why Mogwa is taking a different approach."
A different approach... In the first place, there's no reason to team up with pirates.
If there were one, what would it be? Income from plundering? A nation that relies on something like that is out of the question.
In that case, military power? But their own would be... Something their own military can't do?
I guessed. "...Pressure on other countries?"
The World Government isn't a single nation, but a collection of nations.
And relations between these nations are by no means good.
Even though it's 20 years in the future, that insidious punk in the rotten pink sunglasses was selling off weapons, starting with SMILE.
Embers of conflict are probably lying around everywhere.
"Heh heh heh, that's exactly it, Kuro," he confirmed with a smirk.
I sighed. "What a pain... but I guess I can't just dismiss it."
In that case, it wouldn't be strange for there to be people who, even knowing it's an illegal method, want to gain an advantage over other countries or trip them up.
"The cunning part about them is," Bege explained, "that they don't negotiate with pirates directly. They use their own military forces to skillfully 'use' the pirates."
I summarized, "In short, they're using their naval power not to defeat pirates, but to direct them in a desired direction."
"You got it," he said, sounding impressed. "Just as expected, Kuro, that's exactly it."
He puts the wine glass Amisu brought to his lips and downs a mouthful of wine, looking like he's enjoying it.
Just like a mafioso, booze suits him.
Bege continued, "After all, this is the Great Pirate Era. There are swarms of people out there who want to plunder money, food, ships, and weapons in preparation for setting out on the Grand Line."
I picked up the thread. "Naturally, that becomes a factor that depletes a nation's strength. But, if you have the military power to drive them off..."
"It becomes a weapon to chip away at the strength of neighboring countries," Bege interjected. "However—"
I finished the sentence. "We started crushing them one after another. From their perspective, that's not fun at all. The efficiency of tripping up the surrounding countries drops."
"On the other hand, the other member nations are welcoming you guys," Bege noted. "For some reason, that incident with the Marine slaves seems to be spreading as a rumor."
Ah, I heard about that from the resupply team.
When they were stocking up on booze at a tavern, there were apparently some guys talking about us.
I muttered, "Rumors with unnecessary embellishments are a pain, though..."
Having distrust in the Celestial Dragons—the World Government—spread because of the Marine slave incident is acceptable, granting a hundred steps, but the content is the problem.
Amisu and the others might end up being seen through a strange lens.
That probably doesn't feel very good.
"Yeah..." Bege said, "You probably hate that kind of thing, but whether it's infamy or fame, you should take what you can get. It's never bad to have more cards in your hand, right?"
"Mm."
Now that he mentions it, I guess that's true.
Now that the number of people I'm supporting, let alone employing, has exploded, being known for something other than my bounty amount—whether it's respect or fear—can be used in various ways.
"...You're right. I'll accept it, Bege."
"Yeah, do that," he said, taking a puff from his newly lit cigar. "More importantly, the problem is the pirate nation."
Bege, I don't care if you smoke your cigar, but at least give a word of warning, you bastard.
Amisu is glaring at you.
Bege stated, smoke curling from his lips, "People who use force to keep others down tend to fear retaliation when that force weakens."
"That's reasonable," I acknowledged. "In the sense of guaranteeing the safety of their own citizens... Well, in a way, that kind of method is a valid path, but..."
Tactics that use force are definitely strong, and if you have the numbers, the success rate goes up, but it's difficult without a sense of balance.
"...Bege, a little before you arrived, we were attacked by a group with unusually good equipment. Their gear and ships were brand new, so I thought they were just an up-and-coming pirate crew, but..."
"That was probably Mogwa's navy," Bege concluded. "They were probably planning to crush you and forcibly seize this island, where the civil war has settled down, even if only in form."
Probably.
I can guess what comes after that, too.
The residents of this island are non-member citizens, after all. They probably intended to forcibly increase productivity of drugs by turning them into slaves or serfs.
If the "pressure" from nearby pirates has decreased, it's only natural for them to increase pressure from their own country before the surrounding countries recover.
"Looks like I came at a good time," Bege mused. "A military from a country that pulls cowardly harassment like that is no match for you guys. They must have figured that out by now. In that case, what move will they make next..."
...They won't do anything good, that's for sure.
They lost all those ships and weapons. We let the crew escape on small boats, but still...
In any case, they should be thinking about reinforcements right away.
And a quick way to get them...
I asked. "Are they targeting us?"
"You're probably on the list," he confirmed. "But that's not all. The neighboring countries have long suspected that the Mogwa Kingdom is the reason pirates are flocking to their shores."
"So if those countries are showing signs of recovery, it's irritating for them?" I inferred.
"Yeah," Bege agreed. "Though it's completely unreasonable."
Just when I'm trying to build a track record to unite the non-member nations, why is a squabble between member nations flying my way, dammit!
Whatever the case, reconnaissance is necessary. Crap.
Guess I'll have some members whose faces aren't known investigate.
I cut to the chase. "In other words, your territories in the neighboring countries are also likely to be ravaged, so you want to cooperate to chip away at Mogwa's pressure... is that it?"
When I said that, Bege grinned slyly,
"Your quick uptake saves me a lot of trouble, Kuro."
"You're not the type to help out for free, are you?" I retorted.
"Heh heh heh," he chuckled. "So, what'll it be?"
"You already know, don't you?" I said, my voice steady. "A virtual declaration of war on a member nation is..."
I met his gaze. "Just an unavoidable path that's arrived. I'm in, Bege."
"Hah hah ha! That's how it's gotta be! Kuro!"
"Yeah."
I declared, "It's an alliance."
–
The princess's voice was faint, "A member nation is using pirates to indirectly attack other member nations... How could..."
I bowed my head slightly, "I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable, Your Highness."
After the alliance was finalized and I guided Bege to the old guard station inside the port, I am now meeting with the royal family to explain the situation.
This is because, depending on the circumstances, we may need to invite Bege and his crew into this palace.
Behind me, Hancock is kneeling on one knee, her head bowed.
This, from Hancock, was so unthinkable based on the original story that I doubted my eyes at first, but her reasoning was, "If my captain shows respect to someone, it would not do for me, his subordinate, to show any less."
...Rescuing her before she experienced life as a slave has had an unexpected effect.
She's even learning all sorts of etiquette from the former Marines.
Were you always such a good kid?
Sorry, to be honest, you're so easy to work with, I might end up entrusting you with all sorts of jobs.
"It is fine, Kuro," the princess said, shaking her head. "You need not worry."
Her long, chestnut-colored hair—which until recently had been left to grow out untended—now shows signs of being cared for, at least a little.
She continued, her voice gaining a bit of strength, "Despite being a pirate, you treat me, my mother, and my sister with respect. Amisu and the others in the Imperial Guard also protect us when we go out into the city... Thanks to that, we have slowly become able to offer what little solace we can to the people as royalty... Until a short time ago, this was unthinkable."
The princess, who, when we first met, made many comments that seemed to be testing the mood of us pirates, perhaps out of despair, has gradually begun to speak to me properly.
"...And the Queen?"
"My mother said she leaves everything to me..." she replied, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "No, in truth, she probably wants to leave it to you, Kuro."
The highest-ranking member of the royal family, who refused to sit on the throne—the Queen—rarely appears in public.
It doesn't seem like she's in poor health, but... is it distrust of people, or perhaps fear...
"Kuro," the princess said, her tone suddenly serious.
"Yes."
She asked the question directly, "Will the World Government attack this island someday?"
...Yes.
"Probably. Even if we were to leave, if this place becomes prosperous, the World Government will likely desire it in some form."
Probably, though.
For the World Government, its greatest weapon is the legitimacy that they are, literally, the "World."
If there is a country that tries to prosper outside the "World's" grasp, unless there's a very good reason—like being under the influence of a Yonko or Shichibukai—they should want to add it to the World Government.
That's why I'm planning a federation... but there's no core nation or person to lead it.
"...We lost our place to escape long ago," the princess said, her voice heavy with past trauma. "If you hadn't come, we would have been toyed with by people from the underworld and sold off by now. ...In fact, that is what happened to my father and brother."
We also searched for the whereabouts of the former king and prince, but it seems they were sent to the East Blue—to that bridge nation, Tequila Wolf.
If they are still alive, they are probably being forced to work as laborers.
"Kuro."
"Yes," I responded again.
"These are my words as the royalty of this nation."
She declared, "Including the plan you mentioned the other day, please proceed as you see fit."
"I believe that will surely be what best restores freedom and prosperity to this country."
...No, I appreciate you saying that, but.
I felt compelled to point out, "I am a pirate, though?"
"No," she said firmly. "Even if people call you a pirate..."
"I have never seen a knight such as you."
That kind of evaluation could eventually circle back and drag this situation in a much more complicated direction, you know!!?
–
I think the readers sometimes forget that Kuro did not want to become a Pirate, he was still the same sane normal person he was before reincarnation. That is probably the reason for all the good he does..