Silas met Kokoro two days ago. The merchant ship was originally heading to Mechanical Island Baldimore. Having rarely encountered former crew members, Silas didn't mind escorting the merchant ship to its destination along the way. Over time, he naturally encountered this somewhat memorable young mermaid.
The young mermaid had no combat talent, but in this world, being a warrior wasn't the only path available. Having strength could help avoid many troubles, but lacking strength didn't necessarily mean encountering troubles. Their meeting felt like destiny.
"Miss Kokoro, how about letting me be your backer?" When bored, after hearing Kokoro's business plan, Silas laughed heartily. He had a general plan for the future, but could only point the direction. Details ultimately still required subordinates' execution.
The White Wolf Alliance, led by the White Wolf Pirates, could provide the White Wolf Pirates with tax revenue reaching tens of billions of Berry annually. If this money was simply spent by White Wolf Pirates crew members, even spending for one or two hundred years wouldn't exhaust it. But wanting to establish complete military and educational systems, this money was far from enough.
And currently in the entire New World, what was the most profitable business? Naturally, trade! Due to the White Wolf Pirates' and World Government's opposition, many merchants still maintained a wait-and-see attitude. Like this Baldimore incident, not even counting as a collision between World Government and White Wolf Pirates, yet for many merchants, it could very likely cause them to lose everything.
But establishing a foothold during this period could establish stable trade routes early. Previously, Kokoro's was just personal trading behavior. Each voyage was gambling. But with Silas backing her, things were completely different.
"Ivan, want to join in? You happen to have a merchant ship, too." Silas smiled at his veteran crew member. After all, a former great pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million. Even aged, ordinary great pirates couldn't take advantage of Ivan.
Ivan already had his own family. If Silas wanted him to return to the White Wolf Pirates, Ivan would definitely refuse. He'd passed that spirited age, only wanting to live his small life well. Didn't want to stand publicly like other White Wolf Pirates members. But just helping Silas establish a maritime trade route dependent on the White Wolf Pirates was much safer than the former.
Besides, he originally needed to sail frequently. Doing this work inevitably encountered risks anyway. After hesitating repeatedly, Ivan ultimately agreed to Silas's request.
Kokoro as fleet leader. Ivan as merchant ship captain. A simple fleet prototype was established. However, when this casually established fleet would provide benefits to the White Wolf Pirates remained unknown.
Rocks began acting. According to the Vivre Card positioning in Rayleigh's hand, Roger wasn't in the New World, not even in the Grand Line's first half, but in the South Blue!
As pirates active in the New World, reaching South Blue meant either retracing the Grand Line's first half, then ascending Reverse Mountain upstream, or crossing the Calm Belt. The former was safer, while the latter required facing countless Sea Kings in the Calm Belt —an unimaginably high risk.
However, this all applied to ordinary pirate crews. Though only in his twenties, Rocks's strength was already approaching peak. The only remaining gap was his crew members. Moreover, since Silas proposed the commission, Silas naturally didn't mind providing Rocks some help.
After parting from the merchant ship, the White Wolf Pirates and Rocks Pirates coated their ships, diving beneath the Red Line, passing through Fish-Man Island, returning to the Grand Line's first half. Due to trade cooperation with Fish-Man Island, more and more fish-men began serving as guides for human fleets entering Fish-Man Island.
Normally, coated ships entering deep seas required great risks. The greatest risk came from deep-sea giant predators, but with fish-man guides' help, this risk could be completely avoided. So the ships sailed smoothly without encountering any risks.
"Fish-Man Island is just so-so." During the last Fish-Man Island trip, Stussy stayed at Acropolis Port, assisting Lily in liberating local slaves because of insufficient strength. This time, Stussy finally witnessed Fish-Man Island's scenery, though it was shocking. After visiting Wano Country and Elbaf over the years, Stussy's experience gradually grew. No longer the intern ship doctor when first joining the White Wolf Pirates.
However, the current king of Fish-Man Island was very tactful. When the White Wolf Pirates passed through, he gave them many beautiful pearls and gems. No girl could refuse these shiny decorations. He'd originally planned to give Silas two chests of jewels but was refused.
Previously when pirating without money, encountering wealthy targets like Fish-Man Island, if not saying fleecing them, receiving given money, Silas definitely wouldn't refuse. Everyone needed to eat. But as the White Wolf Pirates got on track, forming the current White Wolf Alliance, Fish-Man Island paid substantial annual taxes, so such small money wasn't that important. Gifts were acceptable. Several chests of jewels? Forget it.
The entire journey avoided the World Government's surveillance. On the vast seas, unless for extremely well-known major actions, even CP, with its world-renowned intelligence organization reputation, couldn't constantly track their movements.
As for Silas's mentioned help for the Rocks Pirates...
"You mean having me carry shrunken crew members, directly crossing the Calm Belt, swimming to South Blue!?" Hearing Silas's words, Rocks nearly exploded with anger. He, the Rocks Pirates captain, how could he do such undignified things?
"Either return to the Grand Line's starting point, then push your ship upstream up Reverse Mountain into South Blue. Anyway, pick one." Silas shrugged. "Or if you can catch a Sea King to carry you through the Calm Belt, that works too."
Actually, whether the White Wolf Pirates or the Rocks Pirates, directly sailing through the Calm Belt wasn't impossible, but doing so would definitely suffer Sea King attacks. If Ripley helped Rocks shrink his crew members, then placed Rocks's ship in coating, finally having Rocks directly swim through the Calm Belt, that was actually the lowest-risk method.
"I won't do it!" Rocks cursed. "Isn't it just sailing through the Calm Belt? My crew aren't cowards!" Speaking, Rocks swept his crew members with a glance. Then all crew members silently averted their eyes.
With safe routes available, why choose dangerous routes? At Rocks's speed and strength, even using Geppo continuously through the Calm Belt, he probably wouldn't even breathe hard. Since so, why should they risk Sea King attacks sailing through the Calm Belt?
"A bunch of cowards!" Rocks was furious. He, the Rocks Pirates captain, had to become a transporter?
"How about we try finding Sea Kings that can carry us through the Calm Belt?" Finally, Patrick Redfield came out to smooth things over. With Observation Haki that could see through people's hearts, Patrick Redfield could likewise sense animals' emotions, including those of Sea Kings. If Rocks could catch Sea Kings, he might not be unable to tame one.
"Since you've made your choice, go do it." The initial purpose was vacationing, incidentally leading to the discovery of the Roger Pirates. Now Roger along with Baldimore scientists were abducted to South Blue. Silas couldn't possibly run to South Blue for Roger. He didn't have that much face. So letting Rocks handle things was enough. Even Rayleigh temporarily went to Rocks's ship. He couldn't possibly stay beside Silas waiting for news while knowing his captain was in trouble.
To this, Silas was happy to relax. "I'll watch Imu's side for you. If encountering danger, retreat. After all, our opponents won't play by the rules with us."
"Don't need you telling me that." Rocks impatiently waved his hand. Finally when the two pirate crews parted, he turned his back, snorting coldly. "Thanks, old man."
"Heh, this is a commission I arranged for you." Watching the Rocks Pirates depart, Silas smiled and shook his head, then casually embraced a soft, delicate body, grinning. "Alright, the troublesome guys are all gone. Let's continue our original plans."
"You rascal~" Stussy, embraced by Silas, glanced at him. "Don't you ever get bored?"
"Are you bored?"
"Hmph~" If Silas were some old geezer, that'd be one thing. But after so many years, Silas was even younger-looking than their first meeting. Plus Stussy herself was young. As time passed, a mature man like Silas, with abundant stamina, became simply irresistible to her.
The only regret was Silas being a womanizer. Besides her, the ship had a bunch of women who were closely related. Among them, she couldn't even rank in the top tier. "Rascal, when do you plan on pursuing Crane?"
Stussy drew circles on Silas's chest. Hearing her words, Silas immediately smiled bitterly. "Why are you even saying this?" Ripley had asked this before. Did they see him as some sex demon who wouldn't spare any good-looking woman?
"Hmph, it's inevitable." Stussy knew Silas intended to train Crane as a strategy-type assistant. But assistants were like secretaries. When there's work, secretaries do it; when there's no work... Anyway, she didn't believe Silas would pass up such an obvious opportunity.
"That also requires Crane herself figuring things out first." Alright, Silas admitted, living most of his life, this was his only hobby. Food and desire were human nature. Though he wouldn't force others, with his current strength and influence, plus decent appearance, showing even slight interest was overwhelming for ordinary women.
Why did the ship's women all favor him? Was he the ship's only male? Wasn't it because he was handsomest, strongest, with gentle attitude toward people? So attracting women's attention was normal, right? Let alone Crane joining the White Wolf Pirates for several years. On the ship, the only male she spent time with was Silas. Though Shiki and Zephyr were same-period members, one was arrogant, one foolish. How could mature-natured Crane like them?
The only thing keeping Crane determinedly distant from Silas was still her Marine spy identity, making her hesitant to go further. However, after seeing Marines disguised as pirates plundering merchant ships days ago, Crane's last illusions about the Marines shattered. She finally understood why Rona quit the Marines.
Besides not caring about Marine identity originally, more was disappointment in the Marines' actions these years. The Marines didn't do well. Silas did well. Thus came the comparison. Crane likewise saw that, after withdrawing from the government alliance, with the White Wolf Pirates' deterrence, the eleven nations that had withdrawn from the World Government had prospered over the past two years.
So after hesitating several days, Crane finally decided. She confessed to Silas. "Captain, actually, I'm a Marine spy!" With one sentence, Crane felt her entire being relax. Whatever Silas planned to do to her next, at least she didn't need to agonize between Marines and pirates. She'd ultimately chosen a rebellious path.
But unexpectedly, Silas just smiled. "I've known that all along."
"Then why you..."
"Because I knew you'd make the correct choice." If Crane were a veteran, Silas definitely wouldn't try converting her, like Sora. He'd fought Sora so many times. Did he finally persuade Sora? No, couldn't persuade him. How could someone deny decades of effort because of a few words?
But Crane was different. She was still young. "You're not the first Marine spy confessing to me. Guess who the previous one was?" Hearing Silas's words, Crane froze, then realized. "Zephyr?"
"Haha, exactly." A year ago, Zephyr had confessed. The young Marine spy believed Silas was doing the right things, so he couldn't help but oppose the Marines, but he couldn't help but oppose Silas either. So these two years, Silas had been letting Zephyr do what he wanted: helping ordinary people, protecting ordinary people. Though nominally a pirate, Zephyr's actions were like those of a true Marine!
"So you needn't worry about me driving you away after knowing you're a Marine spy. The moment you admitted your spy identity, didn't that mean you chose me over the Marines? So..." Silas smiled, extending his hand toward Crane. "On behalf of the White Wolf Pirates, I welcome you!"