"Kuro!!"
"Sorry, I'm late."
Right after I sent Admiral Kizaru—Borsalino—flying and knocked him out, I ran through the air back to the escort ship.
Hina was the one who greeted me, her face pale. "Where is Admiral Kizaru!?"
"I've stopped him from moving for now. But Logia types sometimes recover in strange ways. Use the Eternal Pose we stole and pull this ship out of the area! Put distance between us and the pursuit fleet."
At my order, Captain Wire and the others immediately started working.
…Honestly, they didn't need to be this close, you know?
The pursuit fleet's ships were all completely stuck on the reef and unable to move.
Some had even flipped over.
"You… you really did it," Hina whispered, staring at the destruction. "But Kuro…"
"I know. First, we check what supplies are left—including the ballast. Help me out."
Really… I exhaled slowly. The biggest problem starts now.
–
The lowest deck—the ballast room.
A place where huge amounts of heavy stone are stored to balance the ship.
"As I thought," I muttered, kicking a rock. "Normally, a Navy headquarters ship keeps seastone down here…"
"Just regular stone," Hina confirmed, crouching down. "We knew it, but this is trouble."
Seastone in the ballast is supposed to blend the ship's energy with the sea, making it harder for Sea Kings to notice.
Well, with my strength now, running into Sea Kings isn't that scary. But crossing the Calm Belt while protecting the ship from whole groups of them… that's harder.
I could do it… but it would be risky.
And dragging Hina and the Marines into that gamble is…
If I fire a weaker Sovereign Kick into the sea where the biggest presence is, catching enough fish to feed everyone would be easy. We have enough fuel to distill water. Worst case, sunlight and some cloth from the sails could work.
The real problem is whether we can find land before everything runs out—
"Hm?" I paused.
"What is it, Kuro?"
"I thought I saw something under the stones…"
"Wait, I'll help. Move over a bit."
Side by side with Hina, we shove away the packed stones.
After moving about ten centimeters of stone aside, our hands touched something hidden beneath.
A barrel.
A pretty big one.
As we moved more stones, we found more barrels just like it.
Hina reached to open the lid, but I stopped her and opened it slowly—
Inside was food. Packed full.
Salted meat and fish, beans, biscuits, jars of pickled vegetables—stuffed to the top.
Hina opened another one—also food.
I tried a different barrel, but this one was sealed tight.
I shook it slightly—it sloshed inside.
Alcohol, or water.
"Could this be…" Hina trailed off.
"This is…"
Hina's voice sharpened, low and tense.
Inside another barrel filled with food was one item wrapped in cloth.
Hina slowly pulled the cloth away.
An Eternal Pose.
It was shaped like an hourglass without a line down the middle—and it pointed somewhere different from the one we had stolen from the bridge.
"Hina."
"Y-Yes?"
"The lid. Look at the back."
Hina hadn't noticed, but I had seen it from the side.
She picked up the lid she'd set aside and turned it over.
Carved into it, in rough, childish lettering:
— NO NEED FOR PAYBACK ON THIS ONE!
"…Kuro."
"Yeah."
"That guy… he got drunk and disappeared early during your farewell party, remember?"
"He must've swapped the seastone then," Isighed, running a hand through my hair. "And while no one was watching, he did all this too… Seriously—"
Spandine, you big softie…
–
"So the Black Cat is to be monitored only?"
"That's right. Even if you find him, do nothing. Just keep track of his location."
Inside one of CP9's hidden command posts, Director Spandine gave his orders.
"This whole situation feels wrong," Spandine muttered, mostly to himself. "Maybe even the Five Elders don't agree on it. If we poke too deep, things get complicated. And more than that…"
He rubbed his tired eyes and sighed.
"If the situation gets worse, they might dump the blame on us and erase us as scapegoats. We're lucky they let the failure slide—since the Black Cat could defeat an Admiral alone, they said it couldn't be helped…"
He tossed a sheet of paper onto the desk—a new bounty poster, soon to be issued.
"For now we move carefully. The Black Cat—whether as a person or a force—is a storm. A normal pirate could just be erased, but with how things are going, the government might actually try to ask for his help, even if they have to bend over backward."
"Would they really go that far?" asked a female CP9 agent—one of the members who had used fire tactics during the Holy Land battle. She looked doubtful.
"There was serious talk of making him a Celestial Dragon," Spandine reminded her. "If they were willing to consider that, they'll try anything. Until the government makes a solid decision, we stick to information only."
"I understand…"
"Most of the other CP branches are stuck in the West Blue running information control, so we don't even have the manpower to act. CP8 is acting suspicious, so I need people to watch them too. When you think about it, we don't have any choice but to wait."
"Yes, Director. Your reasoning makes sense."
She smiled seductively, bowed, and left the room.
Spandine remained, sighing again, grabbing a glass and a bottle and pouring himself a drink without ice.
"No matter how this goes, the moment he's captured, the other departments will beg to spare him and hire him. The second he disappeared, several divisions collapsed and their managers got demoted—because they said they had 'less sense than a pirate.'"
Even those who weren't part of Kuro's direct unit—people from other departments who depended on him during the rebuilding—had already started pushing for mercy once they learned the order to hunt the Black Cat had been issued.
They all said the same thing: his value alive is far greater than killing him.
"If he ends up working for the government, it can't be in public. It would have to be under CP1 or CP0. But CP0 would never accept an outsider. Which means…"
He grinned.
"It'd be under me. And he'll make my achievements soar. Wahahahaha!!"
He took a sip and stared at the wall.
"…Ha."
He clicked his tongue.
"—Tch."
Don't die, Kuro. You or the girl.
–
After the battle in the West Blue, the Black Cat Pirates—now one of the world's major forces—split their troops and returned to their territories to stabilize their lands.
Daz and half the former Marines took the two rescued royals to Mopuchi.
Half of the Guard Unit moved to completely secure the Kanan Kingdom. Hancock's First Fleet, along with Mihawk and the remaining former Marines, returned to the Mogwa Kingdom.
"What troubles you, Hancock? Most of the tasks should be done, yes?"
"…Mihawk."
Hancock had just finished calming the confused citizens, explaining the new rule, outlining plans for rebuilding and developing the land, and meeting with community leaders. Now she stood on the high balcony of Mogwa Castle, looking down at the town.
The night felt darker—the number of signal fires lit by the Marines was far fewer now that they were gone.
"Hmm… I was thinking of the Marines," she said softly.
"I heard most of those stationed here before the reorganization chose to join us," Mihawk replied, leaning against a pillar.
"Yes. Though most of them… had no family."
"That can't be helped. People don't easily abandon their connections. Except people like me."
Taki, the leader of the former Marines, was already in Mopuchi with Daz, helping decide the future. Hancock and Mihawk would join them once Galdino's group returned from dismantling the government's machinations.
"Are you worried whether the former Marines will follow pirate command?" Mihawk asked.
"No. They fought under our Captain before—they are all capable. After fighting the Navy itself, accepting them as Black Cat members is no problem. At least for me."
"Then?"
"…I meant the Marines we fought."
Smoke curled up from chimney-like vents in the lower city.
Families were preparing dinner.
In Galdino's Candle Houses—where open flames couldn't be used—the women worked busily in the shared cooking area.
"Did you hear the princes' testimony?" Hancock asked, her grip tightening on the railing.
"They were badly abused, I heard. Tortured before departure, just to force them to accept being ruled by the government."
"…I cannot imagine the Admirals or most Marines knowing that."
Mihawk gave a soft "hmm" and Hancock nodded.
"When I told Admiral Akainu that Zephyr had fallen, his shock was strange. Now that I think of it… perhaps he was reacting to the royals appearing on the battlefield."
There were things only fighters could understand. Hancock judged the Admirals harsh but not the type to slack in ugly work.
But if they didn't know…
"And Zephyr knew?" Mihawk asked.
"He accepted it, but if he were the kind who truly accepted it, he wouldn't have leaked information to Amisu and the others."
"So it was entirely the government's design."
Mihawk rarely cared about people outside a chosen few.
But even he had developed a quiet loyalty toward the Black Cat—enough to feel disgust at the government's actions.
"…Whatever else, those two Admirals are upright men," Hancock admitted. "And Zephyr… our Captain respected him enough to exchange letters. He cannot be a twisted man."
Even with his issues with Marines, Mihawk did not deny it.
"When the Navy's justice is pure, it mirrors our Captain's ideals. Protecting the weak, building farms, rebuilding land… We differ in roles, but not in purpose."
"…Ah." The man who had turned wasteland into farmland nodded firmly. "Yes. At the core, the Navy and we stand for the same thing—protecting the weak."
"I have my opinions, but… yes."
"Then why must we fight!?" Hancock slammed her fist on the stone rail.
"…Because—"
"I KNOW! It's the government's will! But nations should look the same way! Why crush us with tricks and cruelty instead of focusing on true enemies!?"
"…."
Mihawk stayed silent.
He could answer—because he knew human nature.
People feed on others' suffering, no matter if they are commoners or kings.
And the Celestial Dragons were worse.
Even so… the timing made no sense.
Why destroy the Black Cat now?
"What IS the World Government…?" Hancock whispered.
"It makes no sense. Cutting Kuro off here benefits no one."
"To know only that we must fight… it is maddening."
Hancock ran her fingers through her still-salty hair and exhaled. "We must find our Captain quickly and regroup in Mopuchi!"
"He is probably under attack too, but—"
"He won't lose. A warrior who fought you and Rayleigh at once won't fall behind."
"Of course. First we must find where he is— hm."
Mihawk noticed it first.
Hancock looked up as well.
A large newspaper bird was flying toward them.
"News? At this hour? A special edition?"
"Likely about the West Blue battle. Let's see what they say."
Hancock placed a coin in the bag around the bird's neck, and Mihawk pulled a newspaper from the second pouch.
"…Oh?"
"What is it, Mihawk?"
"A relief, actually."
He pulled out a stack of wanted posters—about ten sheets—and showed the top one to Hancock.
Hancock stared for a moment—and burst into laughter.
Once she started laughing, she couldn't stop.
"I see! Another huge amount!!"
"Yes. That's how a Captain of mine should be."
–
"Well… I'm glad we found an island with people…"
Using the Eternal Pose Spandine had likely hidden in the ballast, Kuro and his crew reached a shady New World island—it looked like a rougher version of Jaya.
Looks like he really wanted us to escape safely, Kuro thought. Honestly, this is the perfect hideout.
But there was a problem.
"Hey, look at those kids. One's a Marine," a pirate whispered nearby.
"And cute too," another sneered.
"If we pick the right buyer, they'll sell high."
Yeah, that figures. Lawless island, no spare clothes, and we came here to buy some… Kuro lamented inwardly.
They couldn't sail openly with a Navy ship, so they had hidden in a quiet cove.
To get maps, supplies, and hopefully a Log Pose, someone had to accompany him into town.
The crew refused to let him go alone.
After some arguing… Hina had come with him.
…Hina, why did you just kick my foot?Should I pretend she's a hostage? And punch whoever tries something?
Kuro studied the pirates eyeing them—all weak. Way weaker than any of his soldiers.
Uh… this IS the New World, right? Not a single one is even one-hundredth of Kizaru.
"H-Hey!! The kid with the Marine girl!!" one of the pirates shouted.
…Hm?
"That scar, those glasses, that black suit!!"
They were holding papers—staring right at him.
Ah. The wanted posters.
Well, that made this easier. His bounty was about one hundred million last time he checked. Not a lot for the New World, but enough to impress most pirates. The Red-Haired crew's rookie used to brag about having that much.
"Yeah! That kid is—!"
About ten days since the war… maybe the bounty rose, Kuro calculated. Even beating an Admiral, the government won't want the details out. Even with excuses, maybe 500 million—
"Black Cat—no, Thousand Sights, Ten Thousand Plans!!"
…
…What?
"Bounty: 2.8 BILLION!!!" the pirate screamed. "Pirate, Captain Kuro!!!!!"
…
Kuro froze.
"…Oh—sorry. That's a different Kuro," he said reflexively, turning to walk away.
"No," Hina said flatly, grabbing his shoulder. "That's absolutely you."