Chapter 238: Chief Sheriff Kuzan
It was already dark when Kuzan was released. Under the guidance of the two sheriffs, he entered Rodney's home, where everyone gathered to enjoy dinner.
Brook was absent, as he had gone to perform at a concert. His singing had attracted a considerable following during a performance in Avileton, leading to the release of a record under Rodney's management. Brook had become a somewhat famous singer now and was even invited to perform on nearby islands.
"Ah, what a lavish dinner," Kuzan remarked casually as he took a seat without hesitation. He noticed Robin's surprise when she saw him and said, "I'm not in the Marines anymore, and I won't be coming after you."
Robin bit her lip and looked at Rodney, who smiled and said, "Perfect, I have a position open for a Chief Sheriff that requires a strong individual. How about it? Just as my clone mentioned, you'll have benefits like health insurance, weekends off, a furnished house, paid vacations, and you can enjoy your free time by raising fish and flowers. What do you think?"
"Well, it's quite tempting," Kuzan admitted. "But I'll pass this time. I'm here to see Avileton, not to take up a new job. Besides, except for the weapons factory, it's a nice place."
Orderly, harmonious, and governed by reasonable rules, that's what Kuzan saw in Avileton. People lived peacefully under Rodney's laws, and there was no trace of the World Government's oppression.
It was indeed a good place.
However, the one thing that bothered him was the Avileton Weapons Factory. The weapons it produced attracted warmongers from all over the world, fueling conflicts and making wars even more brutal.
"I only produce weapons. I don't know who uses them, and generally, there are no repeat customers," Rodney explained with a smile.
Why were there no repeat customers?
Because they had been assassinated by the Revolutionary Army. Rodney had provided a list of customers, and the Revolutionary Army had taken care of them. Then, they confiscated the weapons, which filled their own arsenals. This action had made the Revolutionary Army incredibly wealthy. Now, it seemed that every member of the Revolutionary Army had Avileton weapons, carrying bullets in backpacks.
Of course, in the eyes of many, Rodney was still just an arms dealer. The true heroes preventing wars were the members of the Revolutionary Army. Not many knew the truth, only Rodney, Robin, Reiju, and a few other high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army were aware of it.
Kuzan fell silent for a moment, puzzled by Rodney's words. What did he mean by "no repeat customers"?
"I mean there are usually none, but Donquixote Doflamingo is an exception. That guy keeps finding me a whole bunch of customers. There's never a shortage of people starting wars," Rodney explained.
Just as he said, this world would never lack for lunatics instigating wars, so Rodney would never run out of customers.
"Doflamingo... There were reports that you had a good relationship with him," Kuzan recalled the information he had received. Then he asked, "Did he inform you when you came to Avileton last time?"
"Yes, he has his people in the Marines, at least one of them is a rear admiral or higher. I don't know the specifics," Rodney replied, shaking his head. He revealed a surprising piece of information.
Doflamingo's spy had infiltrated the Marines?
There was a spy for Doflamingo within the Marines?
Their thoughts diverged, but Isabella was ready to report this valuable information to the World Government that evening.
Rodney asked, "So, what do you think? You have nowhere to go right now. I'll leave this place in your hands. If there are any issues with the Marines bothering me in the future, you can handle it."
"I have a feeling it might involve big trouble," Kuzan commented. Then he asked, "I heard you recently went to the BIG MOM Pirates? Is that true?"
"Yes, I attended BIG MOM's daughter's wedding. Capone Bege's Fire Tank Pirates joined the BIG MOM Pirates, becoming one of its subordinate crews. Capone Bege is an ambitious guy, so he won't stay under someone else's command for long," Rodney evaluated. He opened a bottle of wine and had Kuzan chill it. Chilled sparkling wine was truly refreshing.
"Do you not want to become the Pirate King? You seem quite familiar with these people," Kuzan inquired.
"Haha, Mr. Kuzan, you're joking. Becoming the Pirate King, can I accumulate a mountain of Beli that way? Obviously not, right? But the head of the Pirate King can bring in a mountain of Beli. I do aspire to that position, not the title itself, but the person bearing it."
Rodney poured a glass for Kuzan and said, "I genuinely despise those pirates. They claim to champion freedom while indulging their desires and harming the interests of ordinary people. You might think I'm meddling in others' affairs, but if I don't like something, I just can't stand by and watch. I'll intervene if I can!"
"Ah, you're also indulging your desires in your own way!"
"This is called freedom! Hahaha!" His boisterous laughter echoed around the dining table.
Indeed, freedom!
Such an alluring yet absurd concept in this world!
Kuzan remained silent, taking a sip of wine. Then, he shifted his gaze to Sanji and asked, "If I recall correctly, you're a crew member of Captain Capone's grandson, right?"
"Yes, I'm here to train under the captain." Sanji's body trembled as he spoke. He wasn't scared, just exhausted.
As soon as he returned, Rodney subjected him to intense training, and God only knew how tired he was.
He suddenly wanted to return to Whole Cake Island because that was the only time he felt relaxed. Miss Brûlée, I miss you a bit...
"Captain, are you being too harsh on Sanji?" Reiju complained disapprovingly.
"He's not like you, a Germa's modified human. He was born as a regular human, so he needs to constantly push his limits. Don't spoil him, Reiju. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you Moon Walk. Don't worry; it's not a very difficult technique."
Kuzan didn't intervene. After all, he was no longer part of the Marines, and Rodney's Six Styles had been taught by Capone. He had no objections. However, he was curious about one thing and asked, "They... are they siblings? The Straw Hat Pirates' cook and the Vinsmoke family prince?"
"Who's the prince of that family? My father was a cook!" Sanji retorted loudly. He absolutely refused to acknowledge the Vinsmoke name!
"Ah, I see. My guess was off. I apologize," Kuzan said. It appeared that one of the princes from the Vinsmoke family had gone missing, according to early intelligence. The Vinsmoke family had four princes, but the third prince had died of an illness, which meant that there was a
missing prince, bearing a grudge against the Vinsmoke family...
(End of this chapter)