Intelligence is critical no matter where you are.
At present, all Ethan Chen knew was that Don Krieg was gathering pirates into a grand fleet with plans to sail for the Grand Line. Beyond that, he was in the dark.
Before making any moves, he needed one crucial detail: Krieg's location.
"At the admiral's residence on the hill above town," the pirate Ethan questioned replied nervously, his voice trembling. "Krieg will be appearing in the town square at noon to make an announcement about the grand fleet…"
"Thanks." Ethan nodded, then led the group toward the square.
This time, no clueless pirates tried to pick a fight.
A stage had been set up in the plaza, but since Krieg wouldn't appear until midday, only small groups of pirates were loitering about, drinking, gambling, and chatting.
Rather than blend in with them, Ethan opted to find an inn nearby and check in first.
"Welcome," said the lethargic-looking innkeeper behind the counter, bowing slightly. "How many rooms do you need?"
"One deluxe suite facing the square."
"That'll be the first room on the right, third floor."
"Thanks." Ethan accepted the key. "How much?"
"No need for Berries," the innkeeper said with a forced smile. "I wouldn't dare take money from someone like you."
Ethan hadn't been trying to stand out. He tucked his wallet back into his coat and said, "Are you a local? It's alright I'm just looking to understand the situation in town."
Having seen his fair share of pirate cruelty, the man didn't dare say much.
Faced with the question, he simply shook his head frantically. "I-I don't know anything. I'm just a small innkeeper."
"Forget it then." Ethan didn't press further. He led the group upstairs.
Once inside their suite, 2B removed her cloak and mask and said, "The rooms next door and below us are unoccupied. We can relax a little."
"Whew." Tifa let out a heavy breath. "So many people were staring at us on the way here. I was so tense."
"You've got to toughen up," Ethan said, peeling off the thick wool coat that had left him nearly drenched in sweat. "If you've got the strength, there's nothing to be afraid of."
"Exactly," 2B agreed. "They're all weak. None of them could take you on. There's no reason to fear them."
"I know…" Tifa said, a little embarrassed. "But when you're surrounded by that many people, all staring right at you it's hard not to feel nervous, isn't it? Don't you two feel that way?"
"Nervousness is natural," Mona said. "It's just human instinct. I get nervous too. But I'm not afraid. I know for sure they couldn't beat us, even if they all came at once."
"I'm not afraid either," Tifa said, clenching her fists. "If any of them dares lay a hand on us, I'll knock them into next week!"
"Let's go!"
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!" x2
Watching the girls high-five and cheer each other on, Ethan couldn't help but smile.
"Oh right," Tifa said suddenly, "did any of you notice on our way here? There didn't seem to be any townspeople just pirates. Even the innkeeper looked completely out of it, and he wouldn't even take our money."
"There are people in the houses," 2B said, walking over to the window. "They're hiding either in their rooms, basements, or behind curtains, peeking out cautiously."
As 2B stood at the window, the curtain in a building across the street twitched ever so slightly. But when she looked directly at it, there was no one there.
The person had hidden again.
"So that's what's going on…" Tifa said, startled. "I thought this was just a pirate town."
"No. It's a town occupied by pirates. The people who live here were originally just ordinary civilians."
"You said there are people in many houses. What about the others?"
"Some are just empty buildings. But the rest… contain rotting corpses. Haven't you noticed the smell in the air?" 2B asked. "That stench of decay comes from the bodies decomposing inside the houses."
As soon as she said it, the others in the room turned pale with nausea. Now that she'd pointed it out, the sickening odor of death seemed more pungent than ever.
Tifa and Mona were the first to lose control. They rushed into the bathroom, covering their mouths as they retched.
Even Ethan couldn't suppress a few dry heaves. He quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to his nose. Only then did the stench seem bearable.
Seeing their reactions, 2B realized she had overstepped. "I apologize," she said. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's fine," Ethan waved it off. "Better that we know. At least now we can brace ourselves rather than breathing that in without knowing."
"Yeah," Tifa said, emerging with a wet towel, which she wrapped around Ethan's neck. "But aren't you bothered by it at all? You haven't reacted once."
"I shut off my olfactory sensors and stopped breathing."
"No wonder… Still, for the smell to be this bad, just how many people have died? How could the Navy allow pirates to run this town into the ground like this?"
"Who knows?" Ethan shrugged. "Maybe the Marines assigned to this sea are too weak to deal with it. Or maybe they're in bed with the pirates. Or maybe since this island isn't aligned with the World Government they just don't care. Could be any reason, really."
"That's horrible…" Tifa said, her expression darkening. Once again, the reality of this world had shattered her assumptions.
"Why don't we just assassinate this 'Admiral' Krieg?" she asked. "If we take out the leader, wouldn't the rest of the pirates scatter? Then the townsfolk could go back to living in peace."
"It's not that simple," Ethan replied, shaking his head. "Didn't you see the docks? All those pirate ships packed together?"
"If we just eliminate Krieg, the rest of them might go rogue each one trying to seize control. The power vacuum could spark a civil war among them. The whole island might burn down in the chaos."
"Then what can we do?"
"There's one way. We replace him. Take over as leader of the fleet and then disband it ourselves."
"But even if you become the leader, is it really that easy to disband a grand fleet?" Mona asked, frowning. "This many pirate crews coming together to sail for the Grand Line that's their dream. It's the direction the tide is moving. You can't stop that with just one person."
"If you force it, they'll just rebel, choose another leader, and go to the Grand Line anyway. The town will still be destroyed in the end."
"True," Ethan said, nodding. "Which is why we'll need some lies. All we have to do is break their resolve. Shatter their dreams."
"Scare them off, you mean?"
"Exactly. Just follow my lead," Ethan said with a glint in his eye. "When it's time to act, don't hesitate. And don't hold back."
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