Sean looked at Kuro in the iron cage, feeling puzzled.
He hadn't even begun the actual interrogation—he had only asked a few preliminary questions—and yet the man had spilled everything in exhaustive detail.
Was Kuro's mouth really that loose?
Obviously not.
As he processed Kuro's words, Sean began to understand why the man was confessing so readily.
"So, on one hand, you're nursing a grudge because your plans were sabotaged, and on the other, you want me to clash with them and fight a battle to the death, right?"
Truly fitting for 'Kuro of a Hundred Plans.' Even while captured, he was still trying to manipulate the situation with a scheme.
"So what if you've seen through it?" Kuro sneered. "If you're afraid, you can just pretend you never heard it!"
"A boring provocation," Sean muttered. "Give him paper and a pen. Have him write down everything he knows."
"Yes, Commodore!"
A nearby Marine immediately followed the order, passing the supplies into the cage.
Ten minutes later, three large pages filled with handwriting were delivered to Sean.
"It really is him!"
While Sean didn't recognize most of the names on the list—as most were characters never mentioned in the original story—there was one name he knew all too well.
Spandine!!
"Lucci, from your time in CP9, you should still have a channel to contact Morgans, right?"
"I do," Lucci replied, "but the Marine has similar channels."
"No, no. Let's not tell old man Sengoku about this yet. Use your personal channel to contact Morgans. Tell him I have some explosive news for him."
"Commodore, you intend to..."
To the World Government, the nobility were the foundation of everything; any act of rebellion against them was strictly forbidden. This applied not only to the Celestial Dragons but to the lower tiers of the nobility as well.
The fact that a high-ranking World Government official had conspired with others to murder a noble and embezzle their assets was a scandal. If this went through official channels, the government would likely suppress the incident to save face.
However...
If this story were broken by the World Economic Journal, Sean was curious to see how the World Government would handle it.
For this specific task, Morgans was the perfect tool.
"Understood, Commodore. I'll contact him now."
"Good."
"Report!"
Just then, a Marine's voice rang out from outside the door.
"Come in!"
"Commodore, we've spotted a merchant ship heading straight for us!"
"A merchant ship?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Let's go take a look."
Sean and Lucci quickly made their way to the deck. Sure enough, a merchant vessel was sailing toward their makeshift fleet.
"Can you identify the ship?"
"Based on the flag, it should be a vessel from the Lawan Company. They are the largest shipping firm in the East Blue," Lucci answered before the Marine could even speak.
Sean couldn't help but admire Lucci's dedication to his duties once again. Since becoming Sean's adjutant and being stationed at an East Blue branch, Lucci had memorized every piece of intelligence regarding the region before even leaving Headquarters.
At this point, Lucci was essentially a living encyclopedia of the East Blue. In terms of professional attitude, few in the Marine could match him.
"Order the fleet to drop sail. Wait for them to arrive!"
"Yes, Commodore!"
'''
About twenty minutes later, a man in his thirties stepped aboard Sean's warship. The moment he laid eyes on Sean, his pupils contracted slightly.
A Commodore?
In the East Blue, the highest rank one typically encountered was a Captain. To suddenly find a Commodore here, accompanied by a Captain as an adjutant, meant these men had likely come directly from Headquarters.
"Commodore, I am Karan, a shipping manager for the Lawan Company. May I ask who you are?"
"The new Branch Chief of the 16th Branch, Sean Campbell. What is your business with me?"
"Commodore Sean, the matter is this: I noticed you are towing a pirate ship, and I wanted to ask if you are open to selling it."
So that was it.
Sean understood the man's motive. For a shipping company, ships were the most vital assets. However, ships in the world of pirates were not cheap. A medium-sized sailing vessel like the one used by the Black Cat Pirates would cost tens of millions of Belly, even if built with standard materials. If high-grade materials were used, the price could skyrocket to hundreds of millions or even billions.
Even a giant like the Lawan Company couldn't afford to buy only brand-new ships. Almost every company preferred purchasing second-hand vessels—especially captured pirate ships. They were affordable and efficient.
Only the ultra-wealthy nobility or the Marine bought first-hand. The Marine's warships were built to standardized specifications, meaning they couldn't simply modify a second-hand civilian or pirate ship.
"30 million Belly!" Sean stated.
"Uh, isn't that a bit expensive? Usually, a pirate ship of this grade goes for a maximum of 25 million Belly."
"In exchange, I'll ensure that all pirate ships captured by my 16th Branch are offered to you first at market price. How does that sound?"
"That... wait, is this the Black Cat Pirates' ship?" Karan paused, realizing for the first time which crew the ship belonged to.
"Correct. It's the Black Cat Pirates. Furthermore, we are preparing to head to Lava Island next."
"Lava Island?" Karan's eyes widened.
As a shipping manager for Lawan, how could he not know about Lava Island? That was the stronghold of the Don Krieg Pirates. They possessed five medium-sized ships and one massive vessel comparable to a Marine super-warship, with nearly a thousand pirates and countless cannons under their command.
Such a force could easily wipe out any Marine branch in the East Blue, save for Loguetown.
But if this Commodore could take down the Black Cat Pirates so easily, then...
"Well? My offer still stands."
"On behalf of the Lawan Company, I agree!" Karan nodded.
Even though this ship cost 5 million Belly more than the market rate, it was a worthy investment. Pirates weren't particularly numerous in the East Blue, and the number of ships the Marine captured annually was low. Moreover, most captures were from weak pirates and were often dilapidated small boats that could barely sail.
Whenever a decent pirate ship became available, the branches would usually put them up for auction among several competing companies.
Striking a private agreement with a Marine branch capable of annihilating powerful pirate crews to acquire ships directly would be an immense boon for the Luo Lan Company. It would provide the firm with a steady stream of second-hand pirate vessels.
Most importantly, if the Marines actually managed to wipe out Don Krieg's crew...
Five medium-sized vessels and one oversized behemoth. Once the Luo Lan Company got their hands on those, their shipping operations could expand with lightning speed.
Beyond that...
"Commodore Sean, I was wondering if you have any confiscated pirate loot that needs to be processed?"
"Oh? Your company handles that as well?"
"Naturally. After all, our shipping business spans the entire East Blue, and we maintain several underground channels. If the Commodore wishes to liquidate some contraband, I can guarantee a fair valuation, and we only charge a modest 3% service fee."
It was simple logic: pirate ships didn't just carry Belly. They were often filled with other valuables—gold, silver, weapons, and various other artifacts. Such items required specialized channels to be converted back into spendable Belly.
"Fine. Lucci, take him to see the spoils from the Black Cat Pirates. Get an estimate; if the price is right, let them handle the disposal."
"Yes, Commodore!"
With a nod, Lucci immediately led Kalan away.
As they left, Sean began to ponder a question. His system was a multiplier system; any form of gain or profit he acquired could serve as a target for multiplication.
'Would selling off pirate ships and treasures count as a gain?'
'And if so, could that be multiplied as well?'
'I'll give it a try in a bit...'