Prince Kingdom, Land of the Forsaken.
This was the kingdom's garbage disposal site—or more bluntly, the place where all the filth and ugliness of Prince Kingdom gathered.
The acrid stench of rotting trash was overwhelming, stinging the eyes painfully upon entering the area.
Jake and his team weren't in a hurry to venture out.
Instead, they stood on a high vantage point, observing the living conditions of the people in the area.
Most residents were disheveled, barely clothed, with matted hair and skin covered in dust and dried mud—so much so that they seemed to blend into the garbage itself.
The majority were elderly and children, pitiful souls abandoned by their families due to exorbitant taxes.
Yet even these unfortunate souls, to survive, resorted to preying on those weaker than themselves.
Occasionally, a few well-dressed young men would pass through the street, drawing fearful glances from the crowd as they walked with visible disgust.
Their destination was a relatively clean building in the otherwise filthy area.
After using his Observation Haki to briefly scan the area, Jake turned to Smoker and said quietly.
"Smoker, could you check out that building? Your Devil Fruit ability makes it easier. Enter through the open window on the third floor—no one's there."
Following Jake's instruction, Smoker nodded and utilizing his Smoke-Smoke Fruit powers, slipped into the room through the third-floor window.
While Smoker was investigating, Jake and the others didn't idle either.
They dispersed into Prince Kingdom to gather information and intel.
Since this mission involved actual combat, Jake had instructed everyone to remove their Marine uniforms and change into civilian clothes before entering the town to avoid exposing their identities.
After all, most students in the Marine Elite Training Camp were officers permitted to wear personal attire.
Nearly everyone carried both casual and uniform clothing during voyages for different situational needs.
From the Kingdom of Prince to the Land of the Forsaken, one had to pass through a heavily guarded city gate.
The only alternative was scaling the steep cliffs on the other side.
The cliffs weren't excessively high—about 300 meters—but since they were nearly vertical, most people couldn't manage it.
Jake and Monet, with their convenient abilities, chose to walk straight down the cliffs into Prince Kingdom's inner city.
Meanwhile, Ain and Binz opted to pay the 200,000 Beri entry fee per person.
Having visited the kingdom before, they were more familiar with the place, but even they were clueless about the new house located in the garbage dump.
Binz and Ain left Prince Kingdom two years ago, meaning the house must have been built relatively recently.
Though it was unclear whether it had any connection to the Black Hawk Pirates, investigating it couldn't hurt.
Hina stayed behind to wait for Smoker, ensuring no unexpected situations arose.
Three hours later, the group reconvened and exchanged the intel they had gathered.
Smoker was the first to speak, his voice laced with unmistakable disgust as he frowned at the others.
"That house is a hub for all kinds of black-market dealings. Slaves and healthy organs are the primary commodities, with Hero—that plant—being a secondary trade. The building itself is massive.
While it has three above-ground floors, most of that space is just employee quarters. The underground area isn't deep but covers a large area, likely connected to the basements of other buildings. It's filled with captured slaves, mostly women."
"A young man in black clothes entered the house and I heard an old man address him as 'Pirate-sama.' He's probably a member of the Black Hawk Pirates. He ignored the old man and went straight underground. Two hours later, he came out covered in blood, carrying two large bags of who-knows-what."
"I wanted to follow him, but Hina stopped me, saying we should discuss it with all of you before acting."
Listening to Smoker, Jake nodded and summarized.
"So that place is definitely tied to the Black Hawk Pirates. Hina was right to stop you. Their captain, Boars, has terrifyingly sharp vision. If you'd followed recklessly, the pirates would've ambushed us, putting us at a disadvantage."
"But now that we know what that place is, we can finalize our next steps. Ain, Binz—what did you find out?"
At Jake's question, Ain answered first.
"Compared to last year, the inner city of Prince Kingdom is much quieter. More people are selling Hero on the streets and most soldiers have stopped patrolling. Instead, thuggish-looking men are guarding the streets."
Binz added "Additionally, at the tavern I used to frequent, the owner mentioned that the king seems to have recruited a new group of royal guards. The guards are quite powerful, but to sustain that army, taxes have been increasing sharply lately. Don't worry—even during our last visit, Ain and I didn't expose our Marine identities. Based on my speculation, those guards are likely members of the Black Hawk Pirates."
Hina frowned upon hearing this, then said gravely.
"Given these circumstances, it's highly possible that the Prince Kingdom is engaged in some shady dealings with the Black Hawk Pirates. But what would a member nation stand to gain from such actions?"
Jake explained.
"It could be coercion, or perhaps they're after greater profits. Until we confirm the facts, we'll continue investigating for now. Monet and I have purchased some common medical supplies and plan to open a hospital in the Forsaken Lands. This will help us gather information while expanding our influence. Our goal is to thoroughly investigate that building linked to the Black Hawk Pirates as quickly as possible."
"But wouldn't opening a hospital in such a place seem suspicious?"
Smoker expressed confusion at Jake's plan, to which Jake replied.
"Organ harvesting requires doctors. The poor need doctors for treatment. And my abilities only qualify me to be a doctor."
"So, a last resort?"
Hearing Smoker's words, Jake shook his head.
"No, it's a good choice. And if we want to avoid suspicion, the method is simple—charge exorbitant fees. It doesn't have to be berries, organs will do."
"What?!" x5
"Don't misunderstand. It's just a ruse."
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