"Understood. I'll take care of it."
After resting for a while, Robin had recovered a good portion of her stamina. Still, the many bandages wrapped around her body made it clear she had not come through the previous battle unscathed.
Even so, when faced with Kaito Arisawa's orders, she did not hesitate in the slightest. She nodded and immediately began making arrangements.
Although the casualties in this battle had been severe, the gains were equally substantial.
Beyond the tempering of their combat ability, there was also the matter of wealth.
Just like previous campaigns.
After securing victory, and with Kaito personally overseeing matters, the War Pirates began looting—excluding only those who were too severely injured and required immediate treatment.
The nobles and wealthy citizens throughout the city were obvious targets. The royal palace that Kaito had destroyed was another.
The continuous stream of treasure being transported back from across the city originated from those very places.
After Robin left, Kaito did not remain idle. He stood up and headed toward the area where the captives were being held.
There were many captives this time—nearly ten thousand people.
That's right.
Although the Kingdom of San Lorenzo had been defeated by the War Pirates, the remaining soldiers still outnumbered the pirates several times over.
Their defeat and surrender had come primarily from the collapse of morale—not because they had fought to the point of absolute incapacity.
"Captain!!!"
The captives were naturally under guard.
Even disarmed and stripped of morale, their sheer numbers demanded strict supervision.
Hundreds of pirates led by Neferpitou—those with lighter injuries—were responsible for guarding them.
When Kaito arrived, his subordinates immediately saluted.
"Good work. Go get some rest now. I'll take it from here."
Kaito walked to Neferpitou's side, naturally patting her on the head as he gave instructions to the saluting crew members.
"Yes!"
With their usual obedience, the pirates did not argue. They promptly followed his orders and withdrew.
Even after the guards left, the captives did not dare move. They squatted on the ground nervously, glancing at Kaito with fear.
They all understood that their fate rested in his hands.
"Kitten, I've heard about your performance this time. You did very well. You've become one of the key combat forces of our pirate crew."
After the others departed, Kaito looked down at Neferpitou—still being patted—and praised her without hesitation.
Aside from some damage to her clothing, she showed no visible injuries.
But that didn't mean she had escaped unharmed.
Rather, after the battle ended, she had resolutely used her ability to regenerate.
In simpler terms—she had committed suicide to heal.
The power of the Nine-Life Cat Demon Fruit allowed Neferpitou to return to full health upon death.
While it did not restore stamina, it did completely heal physical injuries.
"Mmm."
Neferpitou's eyes remained as lifeless as ever, her expression blank as Kaito stroked her head.
But she did not resist.
Instead, she leaned subtly into his palm.
Ever since that drunken night, their relationship had progressed rapidly.
While not as constant as Robin—who played cards with Kaito nearly every night—Neferpitou still shared her own time with him.
Reluctantly withdrawing his hand, Kaito shifted his attention back to business.
Boom!!!
His gaze hardened as he turned toward the captives. Conqueror's Haki erupted outward instantly.
The pirate crew had suffered heavy casualties.
Naturally, they required replenishment.
The captives before him were the best source of new soldiers.
Granted, these men had survived because they chose to surrender.
But that did not mean they were weak.
On the contrary, enduring such a brutal, high-intensity battle to the very end was itself proof of capability.
While a few might have survived by luck, the majority were undoubtedly elite among elites.
His Observation Haki confirmed it.
As Conqueror's Haki surged, he simultaneously used his perception to assess them.
Most of these captives were no weaker than his own subordinates.
Some were even comparable to squad leaders or senior captains.
While aura alone could not determine exact strength, it provided a reliable lower limit.
When the Conqueror's Haki washed over them, the soldiers of San Lorenzo reacted as others had before—faces pale, bodies collapsing to the ground as if struck by an invisible force.
The submission embedded within his Conqueror's Haki took effect as well. Their gazes toward him shifted to awe and reverence.
Kaito did not intend to recruit them all.
He would screen them carefully.
Those who survived purely by luck would be discarded. The true elite would remain.
After more than half an hour, the captives were separated into two groups.
Over 3,000 were deemed unqualified.
More than 6,000 remained as elite candidates.
The weaker group was pushed aside and ignored.
Kaito then continued using Conqueror's Haki on the elite group to solidify their loyalty.
"With these six thousand added, the crew will exceed ten thousand members. If that's the case, the fleet must expand accordingly…"
He thought silently as the Haki pulsed outward.
Each of his ships—whether the original three or the later additions—could carry roughly 500 people.
The War Pirates currently possessed fifteen ships.
Large, yes—but insufficient for a force of over ten thousand.
Fleet expansion was inevitable.
Fortunately, they were standing in the royal capital of a nation.
At the harbor alone, numerous fine ships were docked.
As pirates, acquiring ships was simple—take them.
"Captain!"
After more time passed and the Conqueror's Haki baptism was complete, Lafayette approached with several pirates in tow.
Like the others, Lafayette struck his chest with his right fist and bowed slightly in salute.
He was observant.
After noticing how the War Pirates saluted their captain, he had learned and adopted the gesture seamlessly.
"So? What did you find in the palace?"
Kaito smiled.
As a local, Lafayette had been tasked with looting the royal treasury.
While speaking, Kaito noticed the small boxes carried by the pirates behind him.
"Captain, the harvest was abundant. Besides cash and treasure, we found several Devil Fruits in the royal family's vault."
Lafayette spun his cane excitedly before signaling his subordinates to open the boxes.
There were four in total.
Each contained a uniquely shaped fruit covered in strange swirling patterns.
Devil Fruits—the secret treasures of the sea.
"Not bad. We even found Devil Fruits."
Kaito's eyes brightened.
Devil Fruits were invaluable.
Not only were they worth enormous sums, they were strategic assets capable of cultivating powerful warriors.
This was the first time Kaito had personally laid eyes on Devil Fruits.
It wasn't for lack of interest.
They were simply rare.
Even back when he was still a gang leader, he had tried to obtain one—but lacked both the funds and the fortune.
"Captain, according to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, I've identified them."
Lafayette withdrew a book from his coat and continued.
"Three are Zoan types: the Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Impala; the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Coyote; and the Insect-Insect Fruit, Model: Praying Mantis."
He gestured to the final fruit.
"This one is a Paramecia type—the Spring-Spring Fruit."
"The Spring-Spring Fruit…"
Kaito narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
If I recall correctly, that fruit belonged to one of Doflamingo's subordinates in the future. So it hasn't fallen into his hands yet. Looks like I intercepted it.
Of course, it didn't matter.
He had already robbed and killed pirates under Doflamingo before.
Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't surrender what he'd obtained.
As for the fruits themselves—
Their abilities weren't bad.
But they weren't exceptional either.
We'll deal with them later. Whoever wants one can take it.
Kaito had no objection to eating a Devil Fruit.
But if he were to consume one, it would only be a top-tier ability.
These four didn't meet that standard.
He instructed Lafayette to escort the fruits back to the harbor with part of the fleet.
Meanwhile, Kaito remained behind, flipping open the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and reading through it with interest.
-------------------------
For advanced chapters, visit patreon.com/Varnok