Ruchu Island
Once part of a kingdom in the western sea that belonged to no alliance, the island is now ruled by multiple pirate gangs who impose extortionate taxes, leaving its inhabitants with barely enough money or food to survive.
This island, neither large nor small, was suddenly attacked by pirates who had appeared out of nowhere.
"I had already investigated beforehand, so I knew the situation from reports and hearsay, but it's worse than I expected..."
"Captain Kuro, what should we do?"
"We've mostly finished off the pirates here. Once we dispose of the bodies, we'll start cooking. I'll leave that to Amis."
"What if enemy forces come for the food?"
"No, these pirates are drunk on violence. There's no need to spare them. If they don't surrender voluntarily, don't hesitate to kill them."
The name of the pirate crew is Black Cat.
They are a pirate crew that has been taking care of us three sisters since the other day, and I suspect that their quality alone may surpass even the Nine Serpents.
I overheard them talking about something that seemed a bit too lenient for pirates of their caliber.
"Hey, sir."
Since I've become their subordinate, I can't call them "you," so I've started calling them "sir."
"Ah, Hancock. How about your side?"
"It's done. They were nothing but common thugs who had grown complacent from looting and forgotten how to fight. Those religious fanatics that Mihawk dealt with were far better opponents."
"What about them?"
"He killed them all. There was no point in sparing them. Look, the signal fire has already been raised."
"Alright, then the only things left are Daz's area and mopping up the stragglers."
It was obvious, but as my first job as a black cat, it was surprisingly easy.
If the only task was to eliminate those bandits, I probably could have handled it alone with the glasses-wearing gentleman in front of me and the blade-wielding man being trained by his sisters.
"Ah, the ones Mihawk killed were slaves captured from the village. We should be in the process of freeing them now."
"...You really care about slaves, don't you?"
"You're telling me."
Men who had been forced to do heavy labor without proper food, their bodies emaciated, and women who were equally skeletal with visible signs of violence.
Perhaps it was the thought that this could have been their own future that made their spines freeze.
"Amis, go ahead and provide them with food first. It can serve as leverage for persuading the other villages."
"Understood. We'll leave five members of the personal guard behind and head out. It's that old church visible to the south, right?"
"Yes."
Nodding, the captain of the personal guard set off, accompanied by soldiers whose prowess likely rivaled that of the Nine Serpents' elite.
(Those warriors who can hold their own against Mihawk for at least ten minutes are being tasked with cooking and serving food to the weak...)
Two weeks have passed since the decision was made.
Since then, we've intensified our raids on mafia ships and bases, converting most of the loot into non-perishable food supplies for this attack.
"Kuro-sama, are we really supposed to just wait?"
"Ah, I'm sorry for keeping you bored, Hack. In a place where people don't seem to understand the fish-people, I'm unsure of how their resilience—or rather, their tendency toward violence—will play out..."
The fish-people, who are in a sense one of their benefactors—if this man hadn't met Kuro and the others and asked for help, they would have been sold off by now.
"Besides, I hear that Fishman Island is currently involved in a difficult situation. Even if they're pirates, the image of Fishmen helping the weak is more positive than that of Fishmen killing humans."
"I'm sorry, Kuro-sama. When we return to Fishman Island, I'll tell them your story. They'll be surprised and delighted."
And the pirate who had helped the Fishmen and saved them never forgot to show kindness, even though he was a strong man.
"Well, helping a pirate like me is already a bad idea."
"Hahahaha, those who understand will eventually understand. The meaning of the black cat you carry on your back and its value."
"...I see. Then I'll do my best to make it happen."
"Hmm, we'll help you until then."
(I thought pirates were more like this... more gentle...)
The emperor of the Nine Serpents, whom I once served, and the captains of the many pirate ships I've sunk, pirates are arrogant, self-centered individuals who demand others cater to them.
Without that attitude, they couldn't keep a rowdy crew in line, and they'd be taken advantage of.
And once they're taken advantage of, their enemies only multiply.
"Hmm... Master, the fourth signal fire has been raised. It seems the pirate raid has been completely defeated."
"Daz did it too. Hancock, I'll leave the guard here to you. We can't rule out a surprise attack from stragglers. This island is fairly large, so there are plenty of places to hide."
"Places where they could hide are far from the fields and villages. Why not set them on fire?"
"...That's an option. ...No, no, that won't work this time. It'll take too long to clean up afterward."
"Ah, that's right. No, that's fine. Then we'll just reinforce our defenses. We should gather all the villagers from the surrounding areas here before sunset, right?"
"Ah, the liberation feast. I want to make it as grand as possible."
However, this pirate named Kuro does not gain by taking; he gains more by giving.
And yet, once he decides to take, he takes everything.
(I still don't understand this man.)
I don't understand him, but I must know him.
He may become an enemy someday, but the outside world I once knew was far broader than I imagined, and it contains far more ugly beings than I ever thought possible.
That is precisely why I must understand this man who is willing to face such challenges, even if it brings him no personal gain.
My sisters also enjoy the training they receive from this man, who is both their benefactor and their mentor, as well as the current life they lead with younger women like Perona and Robin, or those of similar age.
"Night is our true battlefield. Once we've reinforced our defenses, we'll take turns resting."
"I understand. You, sir, should rest adequately."
***
Rest, huh.
It wouldn't hurt to take a break, but from here on out, it's a race against time, so we can't afford to rest carelessly.
At the very least, until we survive the first winter—no, probably until next year's harvest season—both I and the pirate crew will have to navigate a death march-like ordeal or be crushed.
Even if we want to head for the Grand Line, it seems like government and navy ships are monitoring the route leading to Reverse Mountain, so we need at least enough strength to break through that.
(...Well, the fact that the piracy we were targeting has been increasing in the Western Sea, worsening the security situation, is ironic. If it were up to me, I'd send them all there to fight each other...)
Well, I can understand why they don't want us, with Robin in tow, to go to the Grand Line.
"Hancock-san has a point, Kuro-sama. Your pale complexion is making Amis-sama and Robin-san worried."
"I do want to be careful... Honestly, I'd rather drink some tea and read a book than work as a pirate."
"Books?...Indeed, that would suit you better."
Hancock wearing our suit—however, it has been modified to be a little more dress-like compared to Amis and the others, with slimmer slacks hemmed just above the ankles and a slight slit.
Just like in the original, does she have confidence in her legs?
...She does. Come to think of it, her future special move is a kick.
(The Devil Fruits—we did bring all three back with Amis and the others, but are we going to eat them?)
For now, they're locked in the safe in my room on the main ship—my cabin.
"Captain."
Hm.
"Robin?"
Seeing Robin's lips appear next to the ear that had grown on his arm, Hack and Hancock both looked out toward the distant horizon beyond the island.
"As the captain said, there are two strange ships... lurking around the island. Perona says three more are coming from the northwest."
Good, good. Using such an obvious method of communication like smoke signals was worth it.
"They don't seem to be approaching, do they?"
"No, they don't seem to have any such intention. Perona said that if they're ghosts, she might be able to see the crew's movements."
"Tell them it's unnecessary. Instead, keep track of the number and location of the ships without being detected. If they look like they're about to land, report it immediately to me and Daz."
"Got it."
"Don't stray from the personal guard. In case there are already enemies ashore, I'll send Hack over there."
They're probably the mafia's men.
I assume they're the soldiers of the group we've been targeting.
"They've taken the bait."
"Ah, this will make the main suppression operation easier."
The decision to liberate this island was correct, as it serves to publicize the Black Cat Pirates' strategy and establish it as a future production base. However, the reason this island was chosen is different.
It is located at a convenient distance from the nearly lawless, non-aligned nation we plan to suppress next.
"They understand our strength. That means they'll likely consider a surprise attack."
"They'll probably target us when we're immobilized by battle injuries or feasting. It's efficient, but only if they haven't been spotted from the start."
Hack smiles wryly, but honestly, they're a dangerous enemy.
We should thoroughly crush their forces and eliminate any potential threats.
"Hack, as a precaution, send reinforcements to protect Robin and Perona. Bring along any fishmen who can fight."
"Hm, what's my role at night?"
"Once Robin and Perona confirm the enemy's landing, I want you to raid and seize their ships. It'll also cut off their escape routes."
"I see... Understood."
We're already far off from the original plan, but the new plan requires manpower and ships.
We need as many ships as possible, and they need to be intact.
"Hancock"
"Mm."
"Proceed with the feast as planned. After feeding the villagers, have the second and third ships fire fireworks from their cannons."
"Mix in signal flares, right?"
"Yes. They'll likely try to hide and wait until dusk, when the feast has ended, before landing."
"That's when Daz, Mihawk, and the rest of us will launch the assault, correct?"
That's the plan.
"If they escape, it'll be troublesome. We need to ensure we capture the enemy using signal flares and abilities, surround them securely, and then narrow the encirclement precisely. Coordinate closely with Robin and the others."
The key to this operation is to weaken the forces of the most troublesome and hostile non-aligned nation before the decisive battle.
And if possible, we want to extract as much information as possible from the captured soldiers—not just about the target country, but also about their hideouts and transactions.
There's no need to hurt them; just keep them in a negative state and ask questions repeatedly, and eventually everyone will talk.
"Hack, when you seize the ship, if there are any communication devices, destroy them immediately. We need to act before they can pass any information to the enemy."
In a way, lightning strikes are our specialty.
Given the scale of this operation, we had to come up with various strategies to weaken their forces in advance...
'Master'
"Hm?"
"Master, you might be more dangerous than a common pirate."
Why would you say that?
***
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