The room plunged into absolute stillness. The sea breeze rustled the papers on the desk. Even the smile on Dante's face stiffened as he looked at Issho's scarred, tightly shut eyelids. He had genuinely forgotten.
He hesitated for a second, clearing his throat. "Our benefits are genuinely good. I'm not lying. How about I read it out loud for you?"
"There is no need. I do not care about such things." Issho shook his head, entirely unbothered by the oversight.
He truly couldn't see. While his Observation Haki could sense the outlines of objects and figures, it couldn't make out people's faces clearly, let alone ink on a page. He fixed his sightless gaze on Dante.
"I have seen and understood what I needed to on my way here. Carl showed me around. It exceeded my expectations. However..." He paused, an edge of seriousness entering his tone. "I still have a question for you."
"Go ahead."
"The Pirate Guild." Issho didn't hesitate, voicing the doubt that had been weighing on his mind. "Why acknowledge so-called pirates? I have heard about the Guild from Carl. Your intentions may be good, but how can you guarantee that once they leave the East Blue, those pirates will still follow your rules and stay true to their original intentions?"
He finished speaking, waiting for the answer as if trying to see the man's character clearly.
"I can't guarantee that."
Faced with the question, Dante answered without a second thought. "I can only ensure they behave in the East Blue. I cannot guarantee anything beyond that. The world is too vast. But..." His voice went hard, carrying a heavy weight. "Once we find any pirate breaking the rules, the East Blue Marines will absolutely not let them off easily."
Issho fell silent again, the ambient noise of the base filtering through the window. He hadn't expected Dante to answer so directly. He felt a little disappointed, yet he understood the pragmatism. Dante was nothing like those Marines who constantly shouted about shouldering justice while ignoring reality.
"The world is indeed too vast," Issho repeated, his voice reflective. "If those pirates hide, how do you plan to catch them?"
"I can't guarantee we'll catch them all, but we've taken precautions." Dante made no secret of it, offering a subtle reminder.
An idea struck him. He smacked his right fist into his left palm and fixed his gaze on the blind swordsman. "How about we leave this to you? If any pirates violate the rules, you handle the execution. That works out perfectly. I was worrying about how to deter those pirates and make them behave. Now that you're joining, we have a way, don't we?"
He hadn't even said he was joining yet.
Hearing Dante jump straight to his enlistment, dark lines creased Issho's forehead. Still, he couldn't help but mull over the offer. A moment later, his voice turned serious.
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely serious."
"Any pirates?"
"Any pirate registered with the Pirate Guild. Of course, if you take a dislike to others, you can make a move on them too."
"What about..." Issho gripped his shikomizue tighter, an edge sharpening his tone. "Pirates sheltered by Marine HQ or the World Government?"
"If you think they need arresting, arrest them. If they need killing, kill them." Dante smiled, leaning forward. "I'll handle the rest."
"Even the World Government? You're this confident? It seems this East Blue Marine has exceeded my expectations as well."
"So, you agree?"
Before Dante could celebrate, Issho shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"No, I haven't agreed yet. Now you should tell me about the compensation. Let me see if it's truly the same as a Marine Headquarters Admiral."
Dante blinked. "I thought you didn't care?"
"I didn't care a moment ago, but I do now." Issho spoke playfully. "I expect you to honor your word and not deceive a blind man."
In the end, the compensation was settled, and Issho pressed his ink-stained thumbprint onto the documents. He "watched" the departing back of his new boss with a smile. Yet, behind his tightly shut eyes, a trace of curiosity flickered.
"I wonder, what does this new bosss hair look like?" Issho leaned on his shikomizue, a faint smile on his lips as he faced the doorway. "What about the shape of his eyes? His features? I truly wish I could see your appearance."
Carl spoke up from the corner without hesitation. "Boss, he is handsome."
Zephyr, who had intentionally stayed behind, nodded as well, chuckling deeply. "Not bad. Just a little worse than I was in my youth."
A brief silence settled over the room as Carl stared at the older man.
"Never mind, let's drop it. Carl, aren't you going to get to work? Make sure you get the people settled." Zephyr paid no mind to the stare, turning his smile to Issho instead. "Then, Issho... since you've joined us here, that's what I'll call you."
"It is my honor."
"I'll be the one to show you around. Do you want to look around the area first, or should I arrange your quarters?" Zephyr asked, gesturing toward the door. "Oh, that's right. Why not take a look at our East Blue Marine Academy? It will definitely exceed your expectations."
"East Blue Marine Academy?"
Surprise crossed Issho's face. He hadn't expected them to have their own academy.
"I am indeed very curious, and I can't wait to see it. It's just..." Issho's voice carried a note of hesitation as he turned his head toward Carl, who was organizing the civilian manifests. "Could I stay and watch here first?"
Surprise washed over Zephyr's face, but he smiled anyway. "Of course, no problem."
Meanwhile, Dante had initially planned to show Issho around himself. He valued a powerhouse like him highly. But Mock had called suddenly. Even when Dante hung up, the Den Den Mushi kept ringing.
Worried something urgent had happened, and with the situation unclear, he didn't want to take the call in front of so many people. He hurried back to his office, shut the door, and called back.
The moment the line connected, before he could even ask what was wrong, Mock's projected image appeared. The pirate looked frantic, his forehead slick with sweat.
"Boss! Teach got caught again!"
Dante stared at the snail, utterly speechless.
If his memory served him right, Teach shouldn't be weak. Even without the Devil Fruit of his dreams, He had left a permanent scar on Shanks face. How could his strength be so lacking? If the first capture was an accident, what about now? How did he get caught again? Did he run into two Marine Admirals a second time?
Dante frowned at Mock on the screen, drumming his fingers against the desk. "What happened?"
"Well..." Mock scratched his head, looking embarrassed by the question. "I was just going to check on my two crew members who ran off."
A little earlier, back in the New World.
Mock discovered his men had deserted to find their former captain. He immediately set sail, following their trail across the choppy waters. He never expected to run into the Whitebeard Pirates halfway there.
According to Whitebeard, they were looking for him too.
Ever since the public execution, Mock had stayed out of sight. The Whitebeard Pirates feared something had happened to him. After all, Mock had risked everything to rescue Teach, Whitebeard's son and their sworn brother.
It made sense for the crew to save one of their own. But Mock? He was different. He hadn't even joined their crew, yet he had charged into danger without hesitation for Teach. Plus, even though Ace hadn't acknowledged Mock as his biological older brother, Mock's long absence inevitably sparked worry. Logically and emotionally, the Whitebeard Pirates had to search for him.
The two parties stumbled right into each other on the open sea.
When the Whitebeard Pirates learned that Mock's crew had run off out of worry for their captain, forcing Mock to chase them, they didn't hesitate to offer help.
Mock refused flat out.
His two men were heading to see Buggy. If the Whitebeard Pirates got involved and found out, it would be incredibly awkward. Of course, he couldn't say that aloud. He stood on the deck of the 'Moby Dick', trying to formulate a believable excuse.
Before Mock could speak, Teach jumped in, voicing his disagreement.
While Teach shared the concern for Mock's crew, the Whitebeard Pirates had become a thorn in Marine HQ's side. Leaving their territory rashly was unwise. If the Marines caught wind, they wouldn't be saving Mock's men, they'd be getting them killed.
Teach also worried deeply about Whitebeard's health. Since displaying such great might, the old man's body had reverted to its former frail state. Marine HQ absolutely could not discover this.
Their fear of the crew stemmed from ignorance of Whitebeard's condition. Knowing the truth might trigger chaos. As a dutiful son, Teach wanted no accidents. He just wanted his father to spend his remaining days soaking his feet with his children, enjoying the bliss of family.
Moreover, this was Mock's private matter. The Whitebeard Pirates shouldn't intervene.
His words made the entire crew hesitate. Though they genuinely wanted to help, rushing out now was indeed risky. The wind howled through the rigging as they considered his logic.
Ace agreed.
But his next sentence made Teach curse.
"Ace! He said it'd be fine if I and Teach just went together, just like that time. Since they're only looking for someone, there's no danger this time!"
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