Meanwhile, the various inspectors spread across the East Blue had all received the news.
They now faced only two paths: one was to pledge allegiance to the new Inspector General, Lancelot, and surrender their autonomy; the other was to unite and resist him together.
Or, even better, to strip him of his power entirely.
Their goal was to make Lancelot merely a nominal Chief Inspector in the East Blue, ensuring his orders couldn't extend beyond the borders of Shells Town.
Clearly, everyone simultaneously and unanimously chose the latter.
After all, each of them had grown accustomed to being "local rulers" in their own territories.
How could they possibly surrender the power, influence, and, most importantly, the massive benefits they had in their hands?
Thus, each of them began to closely monitor Lancelot's every move, reporting everything to their respective backers in the Holy Land.
....
At Holy Land Mariejois, three Vice Admirals sat together in a lavish, private room.
They were Vice Admiral Gallard, Vice Admiral Bogu, and Vice Admiral Uz.
These three men, respectively, served the Celestial Dragons Charlos, Sharlia, and Roswald.
Originally, each served their own master, but now their collective interests—the steady, reliable stream of income from the East Blue—had been encroached upon by Vice Admiral Burns and his upstart son. Naturally, the three gathered to form a united front.
Vice Admiral Gallard, a tall, thin man, spoke first.
"News has come from the East Blue. That little whelp from the Burns family is becoming quite formidable. If we don't do something, while our masters—Charlos, Sharlia, and Roswald—might gain greater overall benefits from this new three billion tribute, our personal losses will be significant. Not only will we lose our private interests in the East Blue, but it might even affect our standing before our masters."
Vice Admiral Bogu nodded grimly.
"My contacts in the East Blue, specifically from the 16th Branch, have learned from Branch 153 that Lancelot somehow obtained three billion berries and has already set off. It shouldn't be long before that money reaches the Holy Land."
Vice Admiral Uzzi, the most cautious of the three, raised an eyebrow.
"That matches the information I received... directly from Burns himself."
Vice Admirals Gallard and Bogu exchanged glances upon hearing this, their faces full of shock.
Vice Admiral Gallard asked, "You got the news from Burns?"
Admiral Bogu added, "You planted a spy near Burns?"
Then he quickly followed up, "Do you know anything else about that kid, Lancelot?"
Gallard nodded repeatedly, his expression dark.
"Yes, yes! That kid is too bizarre. He was clearly a useless, weak, good-for-nothing, but after going to the East Blue, it's like he became a completely different person."
Uzzi fell silent for a moment, his fingers steepling.
"That kid," he said, his voice low and serious, "has been hiding his true abilities all along. Useless? Have you ever seen a 'useless' nineteen-year-old who has completely mastered all six Rokushiki techniques? Not only that, his swordsmanship has reached the Iron Cutting and he's even awakened Observation Haki."
"What?!"
Gallard and Bogu exclaimed in unison, their shock palpable.
After recovering, they looked at each other again, a new, cold fear in their eyes.
After a long pause, Gallard's eyes turned cold.
"That kid... must die."
Bogu agreed, his voice a low growl.
"Since we've already made him our enemy by complaining to our masters, we absolutely cannot let him grow stronger. Otherwise, with his talent and his father's backing, the consequences will be endless."
Uzzi didn't speak, but he nodded slowly in absolute agreement.
If Lancelot didn't die, he would never have peace of mind.
Vice Admirals Gallard, Bogu, and Uzzi fell into a deep, calculating thought, each considering ways to deal with this unexpected, terrifying threat.
After more than ten minutes, Vice Admiral Uzzi was the first to speak.
"How about this: We leak the information about his 3-billion-Berry shipment. That is no small amount... It's bound to attract large numbers of pirates. They'll be worn down just dealing with them."
Hearing this, Bogu's lips curled into a cold smile.
"That's a good plan, but we can also have our own people get involved. As long as we don't personally take action... who can pin this on us?"
"Tsk tsk..." Gallard let out a strange, wheezing laugh, thinking to himself, "Indeed! Every one of us has... subordinates... who operate in the shadows. Like those slave-catching teams that capture... products... for the Celestial Dragons. Many of those teams are actually pirates themselves. Let's see how this boy fares against the real monsters of the sea."
.....
The scene shifts back to the Conomi Islands. Lancelot, standing on the bow of the Going Merry, waved his hand and ordered.
"Full speed ahead to Cocoyasi Village!"
Under Gin's expert piloting, they soon entered the waters of the archipelago.
"Hmm..."
Just as they were approaching the island where Cocoyasi Village was located, Lancelot's Observation Haki detected something unusual.
He turned his gaze to his right and saw a small, single-sailed boat heading their way.
And it was moving unusually fast; it was clearly modified for speed.
On the boat was a young girl wearing a miniskirt with a short-sleeved shirt.
As the distance closed, Lancelot finally got a clear look at her appearance.
She had beautiful, vibrant orange hair and delicate, sharp features.
Though she looked quite young, probably around eighteen years old, her figure was already surprisingly curvaceous.
While she lacked the sensual, mature charm of Lina, she possessed a fiery, youthful innocence and vitality.
Most importantly, her brown eyes were filled with a sharp, piercing determination, as if she had resolved to accomplish something significant, no matter the cost.
'It's actually her...'
Lancelot wore an expression of genuine astonishment, having recognized the newcomer at first glance.
This was Nami, one of the two great beauties of the future Straw Hat Pirate Crew.
Although he knew his mission to confront Arlong would inevitably bring him to Cocoyasi Village, he had never expected to encounter Nami herself out on the open sea.
During this period, she should still be out stealing, desperately trying to gather the one hundred million Berries Arlong demanded.
The likelihood of her being at her home village was extremely low.
Yet, unexpectedly, she had taken the initiative to seek him out.
Lancelot, processing this new development, waved his hand.
"Gin, stop the ship!"
Gin was momentarily stunned but still maneuvered the ship to a halt, expertly turning it broadside to the approaching boat.
Lina, her curiosity piqued, moved closer to Lancelot, her gaze following his.
Her eyebrows involuntarily raised.
Because Nami... genuinely gave her a sense of crisis.
As a woman, her intuition, now sharpened by her Zoan fruit, told her that the way Lancelot looked at this other woman was... different.
It was not just lust; it was recognition, interest.
However, she didn't voice anything.
When she decided to follow Lancelot, she already knew he was a lecherous fellow.
It was impossible for him to have only her and her sister.
She resolved that after dealing with Arlong, she would serve Lancelot even more attentively, to ensure that he would never be able to leave her.
Even if he had countless women in the future, there would always be a place for her in his heart. Ideally, she thought, she would bear Lancelot a child.
Then her position would be truly unshakable.
After boarding the ship, Nami first surveyed the four people on deck—the towering, handsome Marine; the beautiful, white-haired woman with a sword; the demonic-looking man with tonfas; and the green-haired man with three swords.
Her gaze then fixed intently on Lancelot.
She spoke with a resolute, clear voice that held no fear.
"You're him, aren't you? The new Inspector General, Captain Lancelot. Your deeds in Shells Town... they've spread throughout the entire East Blue. I want to ask you, right now: is it true? Is your bounty system for reporting naval misconduct... is it real?"
Lancelot nodded, his smile unreadable. "Of course. Every word of it is true."
By now, he already understood exactly why Nami had come to find him.
He just hadn't expected that news of his actions in Shells Town would spread so quickly.
His eyes flickered thoughtfully.
He had intended to temporarily leave the East Blue and hadn't ordered any widespread publicity.
Relying solely on the spontaneous dissemination by the people of Shells Town was completely insufficient to reach this far, this fast.
'So,' he thought, 'someone must have been fueling the rumors. Spreading my legend.'
Thinking of this, he could barely suppress a smile.
He realized that his father was playing a much bigger game, setting the stage for his son's journey.
This trip to the Holy Land... it was likely going to be even more dramatic than he had anticipated.