After stirring up a bit of trouble on the phone with Garp, I set the transponder snail back down and turned to Fullbody.The lieutenant was watching Luffy and me with an expression that wavered between disbelief and dread, as if he'd just seen a pirate and a hurricane sharing the same body.
In the meantime, the two bounty hunters had been cuffed and sat against a wall.The pirate captain I'd healed was slowly regaining consciousness. His breathing was still uneven, but he stared at me with a mix of fear and confusion.
I raised a hand to calm him."Relax… I'm not going to hurt you." My voice was deliberately steady. "You were poisoned by these two." I gestured toward the prisoners, who carefully avoided my gaze.
Hector blinked, then his face hardened."Damn it… Bob?!" His tone shifted from surprise to fury. "You cowardly piece of trash… Still holding a grudge because I refused to join the Bounty Hunters' Association?!"
Bob gave him a nasty grin despite the sweat on his brow."Even if it wasn't me… you're dead, Hector. You're just another pirate now… hihihihihihi—"
CRACK.
Zoro had approached without a word and slammed his boot into the man's head. Bob collapsed, knocked out cold."That association… is filth," Zoro said flatly, adjusting his bandana.He crossed his arms and added, "They tried to recruit me, too. I refused. And I can tell you their system reeks of corruption."
I raised an eyebrow."Go on… I'm interested. But first—come on, Hector."
I invited him to our table and asked Sanji for a second serving, which he acknowledged with a silent nod before heading back to the kitchen.
Hector, still a bit hesitant, eventually sat between Zoro and me. I could feel his wariness, but also the gratitude he was trying to hide.
Zoro spoke again."Let him tell his story, I'll fill in the rest."
I motioned for Hector to begin.The man took a deep breath."First… thank you. For saving me." He glanced briefly at the unconscious bounty hunters. "As you guessed, I was a bounty hunter. I did it to fund my village militia, to protect my people… but it wasn't enough. So I kept going just to survive."
His gaze hardened."The association approached me. Wanted me to sign with them… but I refused. I wanted to stay free."
He took a sip of water before continuing:"The last time I turned in a bounty, the Marine officer I delivered it to cut the payment in half, for no reason. When I protested… he tried to arrest me. I managed to get away. But soon after…" He clenched his fists. "Soon after, I found out there was a bounty on my head. Convenient, isn't it?"
Usopp shot upright, outraged."That's… that's disgraceful! You're trying to do the right thing and they treat you like a criminal?!"
Koby, meanwhile, gave me a look that was almost grateful. I knew what he was thinking—he could have ended up in the same situation if he'd kept chasing the dream of being just another Marine soldier without understanding the internal corruption.
Zoro spoke again, his tone cold:"In short, the Bounty Hunters' Association acts as the middleman between hunters and the Marines. They take a percentage from the rewards, and in exchange, make sure things 'go smoothly'… at least for those in their ranks." He paused, his gaze darkening."Independents, like Hector here—or like me—are stones in their boots. So they pay certain officers to smear us. And if that doesn't work… they brand us as pirates. Simple and effective."
He shrugged slightly."I got lucky. Most of my bounties I cashed in at Logue Town, directly with Smoker. He's a tough, dangerous guy… but fair. The association never managed to grease his palms."
At that moment, Sanji returned with the dishes, setting them down on the table with a firm thud."There you go. And try not to wreck my restaurant."Despite the sharp tone, I had the feeling he was listening closely to our conversation.
"We won't cause any trouble," Nami said, putting on an almost childlike pout.Sanji, utterly pierced through by her charm, flashed her a dazzling smile and leaned in slightly."With a face like that, miss, I'll always take you at your word."
I rolled my eyes and shifted the conversation back to Hector."So… what about you? What are you going to do now?"
Hector let out a heavy sigh, his eyes fixed on the half-finished plate in front of him."I don't know… My town's been gone a long time, burned down by pirates. I'm wanted as a criminal, and… I have no desire to rob innocent people just to eat." His voice was low, almost broken.
Luffy, still chewing on a piece of meat, pointed a finger at me."Jordan… you've already checked him out, right? You think he could go… there?"
I knew exactly what he meant."He's clean. Same kind of heart as us," I said with a small smile, then turned to Fullbody."Lieutenant, you could head out and leave us alone now. And… I'm guessing you have an urgent report to file with HQ." I gave him a falsely pleasant smile.
The Marine paled, nodded, and motioned to his men. They hurried to pay their tabs before leaving the Baratie almost at a jog.
I refocused on Hector."If you just want to live in peace… I can officially invite you to stay on Heartless Island. You could work as a guard… or in another field, if you have the skills. Interested?"
The man's eyes lit up."Absolutely! As long as I can stop hiding, I'm in."
I opened a portal in front of him, which made Sanji and Zoro both raise an eyebrow. Hector hesitated, then stepped through with Koby. A few minutes later, Koby returned alone, grinning."He made it. And guess what? Turns out he's a damn good shipwright. He's going to be useful."
Barely five minutes later, a distant rumble echoed. The muffled boom of cannons made the windows vibrate. I walked over to the window and squinted.Far away, barely two kilometers off, a naval battle had broken out. A massive galleon, half-broken but still bristling with guns, was trading fire with the Marines. Despite the pirate ship's battered state, the Marines were retreating.
"Holy crap… that's Admiral Krieg!" a cook exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Zeff crossed the room with firm steps and smacked him on the back of the head with his peg leg."Calm down, idiot. He's just a 15 million berry pirate who relies entirely on the size of his crew. And besides…" He cast a glance our way. "We've got the two biggest bounties in East Blue sitting right here, finishing their meal."
He walked up to our table, looking serious."So? Can I leave it to you? If yes, the meal's on the house."
Luffy, already ready to spring up, opened his mouth—but I placed a hand on his shoulder."Wait." I turned my head toward Zeff. "We're actually looking to recruit a skilled cook for our crew. Do you have someone here… who might want to set sail?"
Luffy instantly understood where I was going with this and calmed down, a smile spreading across his face.
Zeff turned toward the blond, who was pretending to clean a nearby table."Sanji. You still want to chase your dream?"
Sanji looked up, his eyes sharpening with determination."Of course, Pops."
I froze for half a second. In my head, I almost heard the anime Sanji snap, 'Mind your own business, old man!' But here, there was no jab—just a sincere tone.
Zeff nodded, satisfied."Then go with this crew. With maniacs like them, you'll find the All Blue for sure."
I scanned the room."All right… shall we? And try not to damage their ship too much—I've got an idea for it."
"Awesome!" Luffy shouted, already on his feet. "But you, Jordan, you're staying here. Otherwise we won't get to have any fun!"
Nami, Koby, Usopp, and Zoro stood up as well, checking their weapons and blades. Sanji joined them with a casual stride, lighting a cigarette as if the upcoming battle were nothing more than a formality.
As for me, I pushed off the railing and took to the air, perching myself atop the Baratie's highest mast, the sea breeze whipping across my face. From there, I had a perfect view of the enemy's approach.
Krieg's galleon crashed into position at the dock. The planks groaned under the heavy steps of the man clad in golden armor. Unlike the starved image I had in mind, he looked to be in full health—and so did his men. The kind of vitality you only get from raiding an entire village… or worse.
The Baratie cooks extended the two side gangways, creating an open-air battlefield outside the dining hall.
Krieg stepped forward, his helmet gleaming under the sun, his voice dripping arrogance."Clear out! This ship's mine now!"
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette, hands in his pockets."You can dream if you think I'll let you steal my old man's ship."
A cruel grin twisted Krieg's face."Then you can die. Kill them all, but don't damage the ship!"
The planks thundered under the boots of charging pirates, and the fight broke out instantly.
On the left gangway, Nami made it rain small blocks of ice, each the size of a fist and flying at bullet speed. Every hit left a pirate dazed or flat on the ground."See that, Koby? Right in the head," she called out to an opponent before knocking him out with a perfectly placed shot.
Koby, sword in hand, intercepted those who slipped through the icy zone. His blade carved precise arcs."Keep pelting them, Nami-san! I'm not letting a single one through!" he said, knocking aside a halberd before countering with a sharp thrust to the solar plexus.
"Perfect, kid, but watch your back too!" she warned, freezing the ground behind him and sending two pirates skidding into a hard crash.
On the right gangway, Zoro charged through like an enraged bull, two swords he had snatched from enemies cutting down everything in his path. Three foes fell in a single circular swing."Move, or lose an arm!" he growled, rushing another group.
Further back, Usopp loosed bolts of energy, each striking with a sharp, luminous crack."Zoro, duck!" he yelled. An arrow shot just over the swordsman's head and exploded into the chest of a pirate trying a sneak attack.
Zoro smirked slightly. "Not bad… but if you hit my hair, I'll cut off all yours.""Relax, I've got better aim than that!" Usopp replied, already lining up another shot.
Closer to the center, Luffy was trading blows directly with Krieg. The spiked clubs and hidden weapons in the pirate's armor bounced off Luffy's guard, sometimes deflected by an instinctive twitch guided by his budding Observation Haki."That all you got?!" Luffy taunted, slamming a Gomu Gomu no Pistol into Krieg's abdomen, denting the armor.
Krieg staggered back, shocked by the impact."You little brat… you think you can beat Admiral Krieg?!""I don't think… I know I can!" Luffy shot back with a wide grin before charging again.
Sanji vs. PearlNot far away, Sanji was facing Pearl, the "Invincible Shield." The cook spun and struck, his kicks cracking against metal like snapping whips."You think that frying pan armor's gonna stop me?" Sanji sneered, twisting into a Concassé that slammed into Pearl's flank.
Pearl stumbled, trying to trigger his defensive flames, but Sanji snuffed them out with a heel drop to his helmet."Who do you think you are, playing with fire in front of a chef?"
From my high perch, I scanned the area. No sign of Gin. Strange. Even with my Haki, I couldn't sense his presence.
(Author's note: And there's your cliffhanger. See you next week ^^)