"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 355: Visitors from the East Blue
William turned to Karslana, who was puffing her cheeks in frustration, and smiled before asking Hogback, "That guy lying on the ground—where did he take the woman he captured earlier?"
"There's a chapel on the eastern side of the island," Hogback replied, glancing at Absalom's lifeless body. "You can see it through the gap in the wall over there. That idiot had a habit of kidnapping women he fancied. He'd either call them his girlfriends or brides, but he never understood what normal courtship meant."
As he finished speaking, Hogback suddenly thought of his maid, Sindry.
Sindry had been a famous opera star whom Hogback had secretly admired. After her untimely death, he had exhumed her body, stitched it back together, and used Moria's power to resurrect her as a zombie and his personal plaything. She had been practically inseparable from him. But moments ago, she had been in the room and had ended up smashed to pieces along with a group of male zombies by the unromantic brute, Gin.
"Good," William said, standing up from his chair and walking toward the collapsed wall. Squinting through the mist, he could faintly make out a small chapel illuminated by lights not far away.
"Is it that one?" William asked.
Hogback, shrinking his neck, cautiously approached the edge of the high building. After taking a quick look, he nodded.
"Selkirk, go retrieve our benefactor," William said with a smile.
Selkirk stepped to the edge of the building, confirmed the location, and then leapt down. Using the protruding architecture of the building to slow his descent, he quickly landed on the ground and strode toward the chapel.
After Selkirk departed, William turned to Gin and instructed, "Take Doctor Hogback to Moria's bedroom immediately. Find the Transponder Snail and bring it to me. Then stop by his lab and grab the surgical tools."
William paused, then glanced back at Hogback with a smile before continuing to Gin, "If he tries to run, break his spine first. If that doesn't work, kill him. I value his intellect, but even if he's confined to a wheelchair, his brain can still function and serve me."
Hogback's face turned ashen. "I won't run," he said mournfully.
William's smile was warm and friendly, a habit cultivated during his previous life in the corporate world. But every time he smiled at Hogback, he would say something horrifyingly cruel. This left not only Hogback but even the tied-up victims in the room convinced that the ten-billion-Berry criminal's reputation was well-deserved. Such a ruthless and savage individual, who could casually smile while threatening to kill or paralyze someone, certainly merited his bounty.
Once Gin had dragged Hogback away, William turned to face the group of victims, who felt as though they had just escaped one den of wolves only to fall into another.
"Are you going to kill us?" Karslana asked directly, lifting her head. Despite her fear, she tried to maintain a facade of courage.
"I'm considering it," William replied, stroking his chin.
The other crew members of the Starlight, along with Brook, nearly burst into tears upon hearing this.
"You should know that the Marines and the World Government are both after me right now," William said. "If I let you go, can you guarantee that neither you nor anyone else on your ship will report me to them?"
Karslana wanted to say she wouldn't, but she knew such a lie would insult William's intelligence. So, she remained silent.
"Which means I can't let you go. I can only..." William trailed off.
Before he could finish, Brook began flailing around like a fish out of water, shouting, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm a pirate too!"
"Do you think I'd kill people so casually? Especially my benefactors?" William chuckled. "I'm someone who repays kindness. What I mean is, you'll accompany me on my ship for a while. Without my permission, you're not allowed to leave or contact the outside world."
"Where are we going?" one of the Starlight crew members asked blankly.
"I told you already. Sabaody Archipelago," William said.
Karslana, acting on instinct, blurted out, "What are you going there for?"
She immediately regretted her question, assuming William wouldn't answer.
To her surprise, William threw his head back and laughed. "What if I told you I'm going to bribe the Celestial Dragons to clear my name? Would you believe me?"
Karslana's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure if William was joking or serious. However, knowing the nature of the Celestial Dragons, she realized it wasn't entirely impossible. If William offered enough money, they might actually accept the bribe. After all, none of William's known crimes had directly offended the Celestial Dragons.
Still, she forced herself to respond, "Even with their backing, the crimes you've committed can't be erased!"
William smiled faintly. "Perhaps."
A short while later, Gin returned with Hogback, carrying the Transponder Snail and a set of surgical tools.
As Hogback muttered complaints about the poor surgical conditions, he busied himself disinfecting Perona's wounds and giving her a blood transfusion.
Meanwhile, William took the Transponder Snail, told Gin to keep an eye on everyone in the room, and stepped outside. He dialed a number.
Invisible waves of communication traveled across mountains and seas, reaching an island in the Calm Belt. The snail rang twice before someone answered.
"William?" came Edmond's familiar voice, mimicked perfectly by the snail.
"It's me," William replied in a low voice.
Before William could say anything else, Edmond interrupted, his excitement barely contained. "Congratulations! Congratulations! I was just wondering how to contact you. You didn't take a Transponder Snail with you when you left... Someone from the East Blue has arrived!"
William didn't share Edmond's enthusiasm. Instead, his mind raced.
If it were the Marines, Edmond wouldn't sound so thrilled.
Considering the timing, Dampier likely hadn't reached the Holy Land Mariejois yet, so it couldn't be a World Government or Marine Headquarters envoy.
"Someone from the New World?" William asked.
"Exactly! It's one of the Yonko!" Edmond's voice was brimming with excitement. In the era of the Great Pirates that followed Roger's death, those who held the title of Yonko were undoubtedly the most prominent figures atop the pirate hierarchy. They were the "celebrities" of the pirate world, embodying wealth, power, influence, and status—the ultimate aspiration for countless pirates.
No wonder even someone as proud as Edmond couldn't remain calm.
"It's Big Mom—her crew, the Big Mom Pirates," Edmond continued with a chuckle. "They've proposed an alliance through marriage. They want you to marry the eighteenth daughter of the Charlotte family!"
(End of Chapter)
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