Chapter 10: The Blood-Spear Pirates
[Pirate Crew: Blood-Spear Pirates
Captain: "Blood-Spear" Lugart
Bounty: 69,000,000 Beri (Bounty has not increased, as he abandoned his voyage into the Grand Line after a major defeat)
Age: 42
Origin: Royal Guard of a warring nation in the West Blue
Pathological Aesthetics: Obsessed with "elegant slaughter." Will intentionally control an opponent's blood loss during combat, forcing them to die a slow, bleeding death.
Psychology: Detests the "game of the strong" due to his defeat on the Grand Line. Now preys on the weak to delude himself.]
"Garon, sir, this is the detailed intel on the Blood-Spear Pirates." Commander Asahi pushed a manila envelope across the desk with his fingertips.
He rubbed his hands together, his face plastered with an obsequious smile. "I had to call in a favor with an old contact in the South Blue branch just to get this internal report."
"I appreciate the trouble." Garon accepted the file and began to read.
"This guy Lugart may be from West Blue..." Asahi leaned in closer. The smell of his cigar, mixed with a cloud of cheap cologne, wafted over. "But he got greedy while guarding the royal family of some nation in the South Blue. He murdered them, stole their treasure, and just started a pirate crew right then and there."
He tapped a red stamp on the document with his short, stubby finger. "See this mark? The South Blue branch stamped him 'Extremely Dangerous'."
Garon skimmed the report, his eyes pausing on keywords like "Grand Line" and "69 million Beri."
As the paper rustled, Asahi's voice continued, "This guy's crimes in the South Blue include raiding seven merchant vessels and even destroying two Marine branch outposts. His methods are brutal..."
"So now he's run back from the Grand Line to West Blue to lord over the weak?" Garon closed the file with a soft sigh.
Asahi's chubby face suddenly turned serious. He leaned forward, his chair groaning under the weight. "Garon, this Lugart is on a completely different level from those 20-million-Beri cannon fodder you've been cleaning up."
"A man who could make a name for himself in the first half of the Grand Line... His bounty might say 69 million, but his actual strength could be far, far higher than that."
Garon's fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk, the rhythm like a countdown. He understood, of course. In the original story, Luffy's bounty was only 30 million Beri after he defeated Arlong. A Marine bounty was never a perfect measure of strength, but it was rarely a complete miscalculation, either.
"Don't worry, Commander." Garon stood up. The light from the blinds cast striped shadows across his face. "I'm very fond of my life."
"Good! That's good!" Asahi scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to rub his stomach after knocking it on the desk corner. He just kept smiling fawningly. "Once you get to Marine HQ, you'll be dealing with real monsters..."
Just as they were speaking, a rush of frantic footsteps, followed by a sudden, urgent report, cut them off.
The office door was thrown open. Asahi's adjutant rushed in, his face a mask of anxiety, clutching a new intelligence report.
"Report, Commander!" The adjutant's voice was fast and heavy. "West Blue, Aserte Kingdom! Ash Harbor is under attack by the Blood-Spear Pirates! The local militia is requesting immediate support!"
Asahi froze for a second before the words registered. The fat on his face trembled with agitation. "So soon? Didn't the intel say they were still operating near the South Blue?"
"They've obviously changed their course, sir," the adjutant said.
BANG!
Asahi's expression turned thunderous. He shot to his feet and slammed his fist on the desk. "Those damned animals! They just ran back from the first half of the Grand Line, and they're already desperate to start trouble in my territory!"
Beside him, Garon's gaze sharpened. He glanced at the intel file Asahi had just given him.
"Commander, please give the order!" the adjutant waited anxiously.
Asahi grit his teeth. He was just about to speak when Garon simply stood up and started walking toward the door.
"Hey! Garon?" Asahi blurted, stunned. "What are you doing?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Garon said, not looking back. "I'm going to support Ash Harbor, of course."
"Wait!" Asahi yelled, trying to stop him. "Didn't I just tell you? The Blood-Spear Pirates aren't your average crew! They're far stronger than the trash you've been handling! And didn't you just say you were fond of your life...!"
Garon paused his step, turning his head slightly. "When I said I'm fond of my life..."
A blood-chilling smile spread across his face. "I meant that when those blind bastards meet me, they had better be the ones cherishing their lives. Not me."
Staring into Garon's eyes, Asahi was completely stunned by his aura, rendered speechless.
"Oh, right." Garon had already turned back, his hand on the doorknob. He paused. "Thanks for the intel."
Asahi, as if he'd just been given the highest honor, waved his hands frantically. "Of course! Of course! The 133rd Branch is counting on you...!"
The sound of the door closing cut off his fawning.
Asahi stood there dumbly for a moment, then, as if remembering something, snatched the Den Den Mushi from his desk. "Hello?! Prepare the best supplies, immediately! Warrant Officer Garon is shipping out!"
...
In the hallway, Garon's pace quickened, until it was nearly a run.
There was only one thought in his mind: I have to get to Ash Harbor. Now.
"Warrant Officer Garon!" Several Marines, seeing his urgent pace, snapped to attention and saluted.
"Assemble a squad and prep a warship, immediately!" Garon ordered sharply. "Ash Harbor is under attack. We leave in ten minutes!"
The soldiers, daring not to delay, scrambled into action.
Garon returned to his room, snatched the black blade Eight Desolations from his desk, and settled it securely on his back. He took a deep breath, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Blood-Spear Pirates..."
Ten minutes later, a warship pulled away from the 133rd Branch port, heading full-speed toward Ash Harbor.
Garon stood at the bow. The sea wind whipped his face as he stared at the distant horizon, his thoughts already on the future. The Blood-Spear Pirates were just one step in his plan. The real challenges lay ahead: Marine HQ, the monsters of the New World, and the Haki he had yet to awaken.
"Soon..." he muttered. A tiny ball of vibration particles unconsciously condensed in his palm, only to dissipate an instant later.
"Warrant Officer, our ETA to Ash Harbor is two hours," a soldier reported.
Garon nodded, his voice low. "Notify all hands: prepare for battle. This time, we're facing a crew of bloodthirsty killers. Show no mercy."
"Sir!" the soldier replied grimly, turning to leave.
"Blood-Spear Lugart... my final piece of merit..." Garon whispered the name, his eyes brimming with killing intent. "Your head... is my 'letter of introduction' to HQ!"