"Ha ha ha! So even your Guard have finally become full-fledged wanted men!" Silvers Rayleigh laughed heartily, holding his drink. "Should I be congratulating you, Toya?"
"...You seem to be in a very good mood, Rayleigh."
After a long meeting, Mopuchi's future development policy was finally decided—plans to expand ironworks facilities such as reverberatory furnaces, open new farmland, and construct a water supply system.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that they had only just managed to decide that much.
Discussions about the future administration of Kanan Kingdom and the now fully claimed Mogwa Kingdom, as well as the reorganization of military forces, were postponed until the afternoon. The officers stayed behind to reorganize documents, while the Guard who had been on security duty rotated out and took meal breaks in their rooms or rest areas.
In the castle courtyard, where tables and chairs had been placed haphazardly, Crocodile—who had only attended the meeting for introductions—had gathered along with Rayleigh, a guest of the crew.
Meanwhile, Mihawk, another guest commander, was in the waiting room beside the conference hall with Robin, having a light meal while glaring at maps and documents prepared in advance. They continued discussions, drawing in former Marines, Bege, and Galdino who were participating in the meeting.
"I never expected such a high bounty to be placed on me… It's honestly surprising."
Toya, one of the Guard's finest Fish-Man Karate users and, alongside Kuro, one of the best cooks, scratched his cheek shyly as he spoke to the 'Dark King,' clearly pleased with how his homemade lunch had turned out.
Rayleigh waved a hand dismissively. "No, no, there's no need to be modest. In fact, I think this is only because it's the initial bounty. In reality, you're valued much higher. When you're paired with someone skilled in coordination like Miakis or Cazarie, you're a truly fearsome presence… 'Sea Breeze.'"
"P-Please don't call me that, Rayleigh."
One of the Black Cat Pirates' Guard, Toya—known as 'Sea Breeze.'
With a bounty of 48 million berries, extremely high for the West Blue, he stood there embarrassed, wearing an apron over his usual suit.
"I think the old retiree is absolutely right." A person approached the two of them, carrying a tray. She was a woman with reddish hair, wearing the Guard's suit more casually than most.
"Battles on ships restrict your footing," she explained, joining the circle. "That's why the Black Cat Pirates' anti-Marine tactics focus on knocking enemies into the sea. Toya's Fish-Man Karate can reliably blow away a wide area, so we tend to place him at key points."
Toya brightened. "Ah, Kika! Thank you for your patrol duty."
"Yeah. Sorry I'm late. Mind if I eat as well? a generous portion." Kika asked, gesturing to the food. "I'll be on guard duty inside Mopuchi Castle this afternoon… It would be embarrassing if my stomach started growling in a quiet castle."
"Of course! Please help yourself. Today's dish is a stew of root vegetables and clams, taught directly by the Captain."
"…That brings back memories of when we were hiding on that island. Thank you."
Stew was a staple of the Black Cat Pirates' meals.
Especially during times when supplies were far more limited than they were now, it was recommended as a dish that allowed them to extract as much nutrition as possible from what little food they had—a tradition that still lingered.
Taking a spoonful, Kika smiled at him. "Still, 'Sea Breeze,' huh. I think it suits you perfectly—bright and cheerful, just like you."
"…Honestly, I kind of wish I had a cool nickname like yours, Kika."
Rayleigh tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Haha, Kika's was… 'Sea Hawk,' if I remember right?"
"I'm still fine," Kika laughed. "Troy's nickname is 'Sea Dragon,' you know? He was holding his head in despair over how overblown that sounded."
The Guard members, already respected for their combat strength and leadership, drew even more admiration now that bounties had been issued for them.
Starting with the Guard captain Amisu, 'Sword Beside the Throne,' followed by 'Sea Breeze,' 'Magic Bullet Archer,' 'Dance That Calls Death,' 'Silver Maiden,' 'Sword Witch,' and many others.
Like the executive officers, they had become highly prominent figures—seen as protectors by the people of the Black Cat territories and as reliable commanders by the soldiers, their striking appearances only adding to their presence.
"...Tch. I knew your ranks were thick even back when I was locked up, but to think you'd have this many monsters…" The one frowning as he listened to the conversation was a pirate who had been a prisoner until just the other day.
Kika shot him a look. "Honestly, Crocodile, it's rude to call women monsters."
"And you're the least pirate-like person in this crew," Crocodile grunted, glancing at the cook. "'Sea Breeze.'"
"I told you to call me by my name! —Ah, wait, Crocodile, if you're having seconds, I'll serve more stew from over here… Excuse me, I'll take your plate."
"…That's exactly what I mean." Crocodile sighed, handing over the dish. "Yeah, I'll have some."
Generally speaking, pirates considered all pirates outside their own crew to be enemies.
And Crocodile was a man who had once targeted Robin, an executive member.
Naturally, the Guard remained wary of him, but Toya, while cautious, still tried to approach him in a friendly manner.
"Wahahaha! Never thought you'd be here too!" Rayleigh laughed, observing the interaction. "The man who fought Bullet ends up drifting in and joining the Black Cat Pirates, huh."
"…Dark King." Crocodile scowled. "Damn it, this is absurd. Are you trying to form the next-generation Roger Pirates or something?"
"Not at all. Our adventure is over. I came here on some personal business… and out of curiosity." The Pirate King's right-hand man, who had long since finished Toya's stew and was enjoying his drink, gave a sly smile and looked around at the Guard and soldiers eating nearby. "The boy who built this crew in less than half a year—so completely opposite from Roger—was far too interesting. I couldn't help but meddle."
"…A disciple, then?"
"The one teaching him the fundamentals of combat is Mihawk, not me. I'm just providing support."
The courtyard, equipped with a fair number of tables and benches and serving as both a rest area and kitchen, was effectively the Guard's station and an information exchange hub.
Following Rayleigh's lead, Crocodile looked around.
Standing here, he could feel it in his skin.
Any one of the Guard would be a serious challenge to take down.
In fact, he could spot several soldiers whose refined movements made even a one-on-one fight seem dangerous, depending on the opponent.
He could feel the Haki—there was no doubt that even a single duel would be extremely difficult.
"By the way, Crocodile," Toya asked, his tone shifting to business. "What's the situation with the Marine forces we locked in that base?"
"They seem to have called for reinforcements, but their response is slower than expected," Crocodile reported, analyzing the strategic delay. "…Judging by the size of the force they deployed initially, the Marine's command structure seems to be in disarray. Kuhahahaha, after making such a huge move, this is what they amount to."
"…That's good news for us. We can use this time to reinforce our strength."
"I've spoken with Troy as well. Since we repelled an attack of top-tier quality by Marine standards, if there's a next attack, there's a high chance they'll throw sheer numbers at us without restraint."
"In that case, their movements will be big and obvious from the start," Toya noted. "…Once we detect them, we'll have no choice but to strike their supply bases and throw them into chaos before they can fully open hostilities."
"Exactly. We need to take the initiative while building up our forces as much as possible," Crocodile agreed. "In the current meeting, the captain and Miakis should be proposing increased reconnaissance of Marine bases, along with authorization to conduct probing attacks or preemptive strikes depending on the results. How does that sound?"
"That's one of the afternoon's agenda items… Recently, pirates and bandits have become active again in our waters during the last operation. That means we'll need personnel to deal with that as well… So the allocation is…"
"Even with this much reinforcement, it's still not enough when the enemy is so powerful, huh."
…..
Rayleigh swirled his drink, his gaze distant. "Military power… is truly a troublesome thing to handle."