The restored Mopuchi Castle was, at the same time, undergoing gradual renovations. The crumbling, stained castle walls and gates were, of course, being repaired, but the castle's interior was also being fitted with watchtowers and standby stations for the Royal Guard and soldiers in charge of security. A garden, which Hancock had started as a trial project while she was in charge, had since been expanded. And at the end of a connecting passage, a separate annex had been built.
It was known as the Black Cat Manor.
And within this building, the de facto headquarters of the Black Cat Pirates, a formidable lineup of members had gathered.
"Well, while I feel it's only natural, our bounties have been updated," Daz Bonez said.
Black Cat Pirates, Vice-Captain: "Steel Blade" Daz Bonez.
Bounty: 15,000,000 Berries → 180,000,000 Berries.
"Yours saw a sharp increase, Vice-Captain," Amis noted.
"You inflicted serious injuries on an Admiral. If you ask me, that's still too low."
Royal Guard Captain: "Sword of the King's Aid" Amis.
Bounty: 80,000,000 Berries.
"...Actually, my starting bounty is pretty outrageous, too..."
"You served as the Vice-Captain's support, and you're the captain of the Royal Guard. A bounty like that is a given."
"Indeed. It's not just you, Captain. Several of us have bounties now. Myself included, most are between 40 and 50 million. Only Chris got the same as you: 80 million."
"Horohorohorohoro! Well, if you go on a rampage in a prominent position, your price is bound to go up!"
"P-Perona, your ability held back a huge number of Marines, so... yours has gone way up, too!"
Main Ship Crew & Senior Officer: "Ghost Princess" Perona.
Bounty: 6,000,000 Berries → 35,000,000 Berries.
Senior Officer: "Devil of Ohara" Nico Robin.
Bounty: 79,000,000 Berries → 100,000,000 Berries.
"Hmph... To think that I, a newcomer, would be rated higher than a veteran like Perona."
"As Perona said, you stand out, both in appearance and ability. It cannot be helped. You did not use it much this time, but your value as a fighter, including your powers, is extremely high. You should accept it with pride."
"It's one thing for you to say that, when you, a mere guest general, have surpassed nearly everyone..."
And now, the newly listed officers of the Black Cat Pirates:
Love-Love Fruit user & First Fleet Admiral: "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock.
Bounty: 150,000,000 Berries.
And the swordsman who, while a guest general, served as the Black Cats' greatest military asset and trained the elite Royal Guard:
Pirate, formerly "Marine Hunter," now "Teacher of Death" Dracule Mihawk.
Bounty: 280,000,000 Berries.
"He already had a bounty. They must have just added to it," Hancock remarked.
"Lord Mihawk was famous not just at Headquarters, but at the regional branches as well."
And then there were those who had joined during the recent battle:
The "King of the Desert," whose infamy echoed across the Grand Line: Crocodile.
Bounty: 81,000,000 Berries.
And the old soldier who had become a traitor to the Marines:
"Ash General" Taki.
Bounty: 55,000,000 Berries.
"You lot are no longer a pirate crew that belongs in the West Blue. Not even without Kuro."
"Indeed. Our total bounty ranks high even on the Grand Line... No, considering we've defeated three Marine Admirals, including the Captain, I suppose it's to be expected."
They were, without a doubt, the rulers of the West Blue, yet their demeanor remained unchanged. There was no arrogance, not even a hint of complacency. Watching them, their ally Bege lit a cigar, his expression a complex mix of exasperation and pleasure. Beside him, Hack, who was in charge of training the regular soldiers, wore a similar look.
Including their guest generals, they were a pirate crew with a total bounty easily exceeding three billion—unquestionably one of the most formidable crews in the world. They were a force that would normally warrant the full attention of Marine Headquarters. Of course, Headquarters had sent their forces, and they had been repelled.
"And Kuro's is 2.8 billion," Daz said, breaking the silence. "...I've looked at it a dozen times, but that number can't be a mistake, can it? What in the world did he do at the Holy Land? The regular reports just said he was protecting the place and organizing the reconstruction..."
"Maybe he was... too well-liked by the Government officials," Robin mused.
"What's that supposed to mean, Daz?" Perona asked.
"Think back to the princess, Perona. It was a huge ordeal right before the Captain left for the Holy Land. She was as fixated on him as Robin was when she first joined."
"Ah... right. I guess that's possible."
An arm sprouted from Daz's body and began slapping him repeatedly. It was a familiar sight, in a way. All eyes turned warmly to the girl who sat next to him, her face beet red as she ducked her head. Finally, she just curled up into a ball in her chair.
"In any case, the poster is still 'Dead or Alive.' I guess he just became a nuisance to them," Bege said.
"I believe Perona is correct. Just as with Kuzan, the Master was strengthening his ties with the Marines, but he had no connections on the Government's side. He would have naturally tried to remedy that while at the Holy Land..." Hancock trailed off.
"And that was seen as an eyesore by the top brass, is that it? It's not an entirely illogical theory, but the question of 'why now' remains... Well, no matter. The fact that this wanted poster was issued means the Captain has undoubtedly escaped the Marines' pursuit. We must do everything we can on our end before we can make contact."
Taki, the oldest in the room but also its newest member, had a determined look on his face. Though he had fought alongside the Black Cats for a short time, this was his first time participating in a senior staff meeting in the Black Cat Manor. For the sake of the other former Marines who had joined with him, he couldn't afford to look foolish here. He steeled himself.
"We lost three ships completely in the last battle, and many others were damaged. Fortunately, the main fleet's damage was minor, but we now need to establish a proper shipbuilding system. Until that's reinforced, we'll have to make do with the ships and manpower we have."
"About that, Vice-Captain," Hancock interjected, "do you intend to have everyone who joined the crew serve aboard the ships?"
Before the battle in the West Blue, the Black Cat Pirates' strength was approximately 1,000 men. With the defection of the Marines, even after some losses in the recent fight, they had become a military organization of over 3,000.
"No. We acquired several warships in the battle, so we have enough vessels for everyone, but operating all of them is difficult due to our supply of cannonballs and gunpowder." Daz looked over at the two Royal Guard members present—Troy and Kika. As the de facto fleet of the main squadron, they knew the condition of each ship inside and out. After they both gave a small nod, Daz continued.
"Therefore, we will divide our forces as the Captain planned. The original plan was to implement this after our numbers exceeded 1,000... We've far surpassed that now."
"We will alter the original plan, which was to start with 300 men," Kika announced. "We will select a force of 500 soldiers and establish a 'Land Army' organization. Their duties will be dedicated to land-based defense and peacekeeping within our territory, allowing them to research and accumulate the necessary expertise."
"Today," Daz concluded, "we will decide on the reorganization of our forces with that in mind, and on the future administrative policies for our territory."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Just taking down one little brat will make us famous! Let's get him!"
"Damn it, take the woman hostage—guahhh!"
"Wait, I surrender! I won't lay a finger on you—bebuh!"
I'd been kicking attackers and embedding their upper bodies in the ground for about twenty minutes now. The first few were somewhat competent, but after that, it was just an endless stream of small fry. You guys really... you can't even gauge the difference in our strength, so you rely on numbers... I mean, using numbers isn't wrong, but it's meaningless when you're this disorganized... If they were in our crew, our veterans would have drilled proper marching formations into them by now.
Among all the people I've fought recently, these guys have a particular lack of character. If this were a little while ago, I might have strung them up upside down and burned their pubic hair again.
"30 million... 55 million... 28 million... 12 million... Oh, that one was over 100 million."
And you, Hina! Stop muttering the bounties of the guys I'm knocking out—over 100 million?! That last guy was over 100 million?! He looked like he couldn't even handle a single one of Mihawk's slashes!
"And would you help me out?! You're a target, too!"
"Every time I try to deal with one, they disappear and end up stuck in a wall or embedded in the ground."
Well, she's not wrong!
Damn it, being able to see so much is putting a huge strain on my body! It's useful against someone with Kizaru's speed and Haki, but against this level of rabble, it's pretty much useless! I need more practice with future sight to get my body and brain used to it!
"Aaargh! Hina, over here! This is getting tedious, I'm just going to blow them all away at once!"
"You should have done that from the start."
"I thought knocking out a few as an example would be enough!"
Damn it, this feels just like it did back in the East Blue. They're completely underestimating me because of my appearance. They must think they can wear me down and crush me with sheer numbers!
(Alright, I get it. I'll make them understand. —Time to die.)
I pulled Hina towards me, scooped her up by supporting her shoulders and the backs of her knees, and leaped into the air.
Wait, Hina. I'm sorry for the sudden move, so stop trying to jab your piercing hand between my ribs.
"...If any of you can withstand this, I'll even recruit you."
—And so, for the first time in a while, it's Biting Cat: Zenith!!
"...I heard you incapacitated Admiral Kizaru, but it never really sank in... You've truly become a monster."
"Stop talking like I'm not human anymore. The real monsters are on a whole different level."
With a single strike from the air, I embedded every pirate in the vicinity into the ground. That seemed to settle things. I guess no one could withstand it after all. Rest in peace.
Well, even though this is the New World, Spandam must have chosen this place for our escape, so it was probably an island of relatively weak people living in hiding from the Four Emperors. It's definitely one of the very first islands you'd encounter in the New World.
(I kept an eye out while I was fighting, but I don't sense any CP-like presences.)
I had considered the possibility of CP9 getting here first, but it seems like we're in the clear.
(Now, what to do...)
I did cause quite a ruckus in the middle of town, but the people who weren't involved were just drinking and laughing their heads off, using the guys I beat up as entertainment. They're either incredibly bold... or they just don't care. They have ambitions, I'm sure, but they seem more interested in their own amusement.
(Alright, I have a decent amount of Berries on me... but will it be enough?)
In any case, I need to secure water, food, fuel, and a change of clothes. Fortunately, while the public order here is garbage, it seems to have a functioning market.
"Hina, first let's find a shop that sells clothes—"
"No good. All these guys have are regular Log Poses. They're not sufficient for navigating the New World... but I'll strip them off them anyway."
"Hey, Marine."
"What is it?"
"Why are you, the Marine, starting to loot before me, the pirate?"
"It can't be helped if we need to acquire useful items."
This is wrong. I, the pirate, am prioritizing trade, so why are you, the Marine, so gung-ho about looting?
...Hina, wait. Don't go through their pockets, too.
"Kuro, could you find a handcart or something? Let's take all their weapons and every last Berry they have."
"Wait, stop that. ...You're going to take their small change, too? Are you a demon?!"
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
In the end, we took their regular Log Poses, a sword that was a decent fit for me—it wasn't as comfortable as "Cat's Paw," but Rayleigh and Mihawk had beaten the basics into me—and a fair amount of Berries. I was a little hesitant, but in the New World, where we're not on our home turf, I wanted to have some cash on hand just in case. I somehow managed to persuade Hina not to take every last thing they owned... I hope those guys have enough money left to get by.
"You two. Isn't that a bit cowardly?"
We used the money we'd acquired to resupply our food and water. We found a place that just screamed 'THE TAVERN' and stepped through the door... and, well, of course there was more trouble.
"What is it, kid?"
"You look like a Marine, but we've got our own rules here."
"Back off if you don't want to get hurt."
"What rules...? How dare you—"
The place we entered was indeed a tavern, but it was also a social spot that used gambling—in other words, a gambling den. Fine, whatever. And it was also fine that Hina couldn't help but get involved when she saw someone being cheated. It was within the realm of possibility; I probably would have done the same.
—But.
"Cheating a blind man... I'm disgusted. Hina is disgusted."
...
"It's alright, miss. Don't you worry about me."
"But—!"
There he was: a blind man with a cross-shaped scar running from his forehead down across both of his eyes.
You've got to be kidding me.
"If you're going to make accusations, we can't just stand here and take it."
"The little lady's got a pretty face and the title of a Marine. She'll fetch a good price. You're going to pay for this commotion."
No way! Stay! Thugs, stay! You don't need to raise a death flag like that yourselves! Even ten of you at your level couldn't beat the current Hina!
"This is no good. Miss, please step back."
Stop it, Mr. Zatoichi! Don't draw your sword on people of this level!
"The wicked—will be sent to hell."
Admiral Fujitora!!!
...No, not yet, it's Issho!! But you look so young!!
Weren't you a Marine?! Why are you on a pirate island like this?!?
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being