Lately, my main duties have been managing affairs at our base and making diplomatic visits here and there, so it's been quite a while since I've spent this much time being rocked by the waves on a ship.
"Kuro, I brought as much material and literature about Mariejois and the World Nobles as I could find."
"Ah, thanks."
"Though what we have on this ship isn't much, and honestly, there's nothing really substantial written in them. I just scrounged through the books in the recreation room, so they only contain basic introductory information."
"No, that's exactly what I need."
I've been so focused on military and development matters that I've been neglecting information gathering on other fronts.
"There are things you can learn from what's written, and things you can read between the lines from what's not written."
I accept the stack of books from Hina, who's been stuck to me around the clock under the pretense of being my supervisor, effectively turning her into something like a personal assistant. I place them on the table.
I thought a Navy ship would have more spartan interiors, but this chair I'm sitting in isn't bad at all. Surprisingly, they spend money on such comforts too.
"Well, there's only about ten days left, so there's only so much I can glean, but it's better than doing nothing."
"Yes... that's right, you've been on this ship for quite a while now. Are you comfortable? Nothing you need?"
"Yeah, the food's good too. Petty Officer First Class Spaniel's seasoning is similar to ours, I like it. The bed's just the right firmness."
Seriously. I was prepared for the worst-case scenario of surviving on just water, but the meals are quite substantial, and I even get wine. The sleeping quarters aren't a prison cell either, they gave me a private room.
But why assign Hina as my supervisor? I understand that having an Admiral personally attend to a single pirate would be inefficient, but why Hina of all people...
Don't assign a young woman to babysit a pirate.
When I boarded the ship, I offered my hands to Kizaru expecting to be handcuffed, but he declined. For disarmament, I only left behind my "Cat Claws" and switched from my usual iron-plated shoes to regular leather ones...
Is this really okay? Well, I suppose it is. The CP9 agents are on the same ship after all.
"Hey, Kuro."
"Hm?"
Don't casually put your hand on my shoulder and peek at what I'm reading either. It's just a regular newspaper you brought me anyway.
Actually, don't you have any doubts about this situation?
...No wait, thinking about it, she's been by my side ever since we reunited at Moguwa.
"Admiral Aokiji said the same thing, but is there really a need for you to go this far?"
"...There's clearly someone working behind the scenes against the World Government."
Probably that underhanded punk with the pink coat and rotten sunglasses... I think.
"Someone?"
"Yeah, someone who wants to topple the government... or at least desires chaos."
But it's not just him. This West Blue incident doesn't have the same vulnerabilities as the Marine slave incident. There's no fragility where one failure could bring everything crashing down.
(Did someone join as a strategist? Who in Doflamingo's crew could pull that off...)
Maybe that slimy bastard finally got serious. Or maybe it's someone I don't know?
"The World Government is certainly an enemy incompatible with my ideals, but if chaos spreads like this, civilian casualties will be enormous. Casualties lead to poverty, poverty worsens into starvation, and starvation turns civilians into rioters."
In fact, West Blue is already seeing massive outbreaks of pirates everywhere who aren't after treasure, but pure plunder.
Development aside, the key will be how well Hancock's First Fleet can maintain security in the waters near Mopchi...
Hancock has become surprisingly reliable in a short time, plus Amis is with her, so I think they'll be fine. The unit operations I've been considering should be feasible with Hancock and Amis commanding.
Other sea areas? I'll lend forces if necessary, but at this point, I'll put my faith in Kuzan's abilities.
"As more bandits appear, civilian casualties will increase further."
"That's what this 'someone' you mentioned is aiming for?"
"Probably. Though they likely have goals beyond that too..."
From the way they ordered arson instead of simple looting during the Pirate Alliance incident, their priority was definitely chaos first. I don't have enough information to determine what they're ultimately aiming for.
"If productivity drops, not only will it become harder to feed the population, but there won't be enough surplus to pay the Heavenly Tribute."
"...To avoid that, member nations will attack other countries?"
"That's one possibility, but even so, a significant decrease in Heavenly Tribute is unavoidable. Won't that upset the Celestial Dragons?"
At the mention of Celestial Dragons, Hina makes a distinctly disgusted face. An incredibly disgusted face.
"...I can't imagine they'd tolerate it."
"Yeah, I think so too."
Why should their lifestyle be curtailed because of the circumstances of lower beings? They'd probably demand to squeeze even more from the remaining nations...
...
This is bad. It was just idle speculation, but it sounds exactly like something they'd actually say, and my head hurts.
"I can't imagine how they'd react or what orders they'd give. In some cases, it could spark revolutions everywhere."
Honestly, from my perspective, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But...
"In that case, the value of non-member nations would rise too much, for better or worse. To be blunt, we who want to quietly increase productivity and first eliminate starvation from West Blue would find that inconvenient."
More precisely, I want to create a situation where the Black Cat's sphere of influence plays a major role in reducing poverty within member nations...
...
Hina, what's with that look?
"Kuro."
"Yeah."
"You should quit being a pirate."
"Don't be ridiculous."
I'm heavily wanted, aren't I?
There's also Robin's situation, and while he's not an official member, there's Mihawk who apparently went around hunting Marines. Plus, though it's self-inflicted due to maneuvering for survival, there's a role that's expected of me now.
"I question whether you're really a pirate. Hina questions this."
"It can't be helped. My role as a man is to gently restrain the Celestial Dragons when they act foolishly, and kick them away when they won't stop."
That's nothing if not piracy.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Aside from the materials themselves, our biggest weakness is still the financial aspect."
Mopchi's port town has now become the largest Black Cat base in both name and reality. What started as a nameless port town hastily constructed just for the Black Cat to load and unload supplies has transformed into a stylish town called "Shamrock," small in scale but well-appointed.
And this port town was filled with a unique tension due to the absence of the governor who had been leading them.
"That's right. Thanks to the Captain establishing our production system, we won't suddenly starve or lose heating. If anything, we're short on timber for construction materials."
"Let's leave that to the citizens. Having citizens handle planting, harvesting, and processing will create good employment and industry."
In the town's only salon that's restricted to Black Cat crew members or allied mafia, while most facilities are open to ordinary citizens, the Black Cat Pirates' vice-governor and the man in charge of internal affairs were having a discussion.
"Fortunately, the trees growing here are of quite good quality."
"? You can tell?"
"A little, from when I was working to raise funds for Stella's liberation. Construction and shipbuilding, jobs that pay well, are inseparable from timber."
"I see."
Two figures in matching black suits, a child and an adult, who would look like nothing more than a merchant's apprentice and the merchant responsible for him, were discussing their organization's future with uncharacteristically serious expressions for pirates, poring over numerous documents.
"But yes, it would be good if we could sell those..."
"Right. Looking ahead, we need our own sales channels, just as the Captain thinks."
Usually this place would be filled with many mafia members enjoying drinks and meals, but today there were only a handful of visitors. This was because the boss, Capone Bege, had taken many of his subordinates along with other Black Cat forces to capture the island that had been discussed in the previous meeting.
"But to start new trade, we first lack credibility."
"Hm?"
To the boy's slightly puzzled expression, the man explained:
"We have tremendous recognition and trust from the Navy in this West Blue... but conversely, we're not well known among civilians. We've earned trust in the areas under our direct control, but..."
"Bad reputation spreads quickly, but that kind of fame is harder to build."
"Exactly."
This was a side effect of acting through the Navy as much as possible during the anti-Pirate Alliance operations.
"Some rumors are circulating, so we're not completely unknown, but..."
The man, Tezoro, who Kuro had put in charge of domestic policy, internally viewed the current situation as a 'trial to earn trust.' For that reason, he was even more desperate than the young vice-governor in front of him.
"To put it bluntly, they probably think it's a suspicious story."
"Meaning?"
"Pirates who don't favor plunder... while rare, they do exist. But pirates who coordinate with the Navy..."
"...Well, that would normally be unbelievable."
Daz, who had been showing a hint of displeasure, accepted this reasoning and pulled back his irritation, letting out a deep sigh.
"True. I myself think our current situation is the result of various miracles overlapping."
"Yes, and civilians don't know the substance of those miracles. They think it's a fictional saga created by someone who became pessimistic about this Great Pirate Era."
"...So to establish major trade routes, we need to start appealing to other civilians?"
"Yes."
"...Then pirate hunting would be appropriate."
While they had crushed the Pirate Alliance's core, genuine pirates had now begun running rampant. There were plenty of opportunities to crush pirates, including for self-defense.
"Yes. But simultaneously, we need civilians to strongly understand what kind of existence the 'Black Cat' pirate crew is."
"You have a plan."
"Yes. First, let's accept escort requests for trading company transport ships."
"Trading companies'?"
Tezoro clasped his rough, scarred hands, marked with chapped skin and small cuts, on the table. On the ring finger of his left hand was a simple, unadorned ring.
"I happen to have connections... First, we'll use those to make known the Black Cat's military strength and that we're an organization that values trust."
"By the way, what does the merchant ship plan to transport?"
"Since escorting contraband would defeat the purpose, we plan to check with the Guard Corps beforehand, but mainly food and building materials including timber."
"...Materials for reconstruction."
"Yes, member nations that still maintain their governmental structure after this incident are frantically gathering food and supplies."
Daz Bones frowned slightly. A characteristic of the Black Cat pirate crew was not only their extensive combat experience, but also their deep political experience.
"Member nations will try to obtain more food and materials by any means necessary, even underhanded ones."
"Yes. They might even disguise national armies as pirates or bandits to attack other nations' transport ships."
"...Reminds me of Moguwa."
Recalling the preliminary battle before the Germa war, which ultimately resulted in acquiring large quantities of high-quality cannons, ships, and weapons, Daz sighed again.
"So there's sufficient demand. How much escort force is needed?"
"If it's ships commanded by the Guard Corps, two vessels should suffice. We'll start small."
(There's always the possibility of emergencies. I'll have either Kika or Troy handle the formation, including composition.)
The vice-governor settled on one of the two Guard Corps members who, besides Amis, excelled most in naval command as individuals.
Reading from the man's inscrutable expression that the formation had been decided, Tezoro continued.
"Currently, modifications to captured ships are complete, and I heard from Hack earlier that basic training for volunteer soldiers is nearly finished. Toya also mentioned before departure that he's teaching general ship work."
"...So that's why he said he'd come here specially."
"Yes, this way we can increase jobs beyond island defense and Navy coordination."
"Numbers?"
"Eighty finished training. Twenty per ship makes four ships' worth to start."
"...It'll be troublesome to reorganize since we can't have all rookies, but not bad."
"Right. By gradually building trust while increasing numbers, we can arrange higher-paying escort jobs."
"Hmm."
As someone tasked with managing a town while advancing development and maintaining royal living standards, Daz desperately wanted not just materials, but money that could be exchanged for them when necessary.
"But escort work only has value because it's dangerous. If we follow the Captain's policies, won't that value decrease?"
"Yes, so we need to change our business direction from escorts to something paired with them. Vice-Governor..."
"How about the insurance business?"
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Robin, Mihawk. Village conquest complete."
"We've eliminated all visible mountain bandit forces controlling this village. We're now treating the villagers."
"Good work, Toya, Chris. Now... what do you think, Robin?"
The former Canett Kingdom. The kingdom on this reasonably large island had fallen victim to an unfortunate combination of natural disasters and pirate attacks at one point, leaving it a shadow of its former self, now a poor island ruled by mountain bandits through violence.
"...It matches the map the Captain prepared, but seeing it in person..."
When pirate ships flying the three-clawed black cat flag and loaded with food arrived at this island, they found mountain bandits in the middle of a raid. The mountain bandits, thinking these unusually beautiful women on an un-pirate-like ship were easy prey walking into their trap, were instantly cut down by those very women. For the pirates, the bandits' attack became an opportunity to showcase their military strength.
"How is it?"
"Yeah. This island has steep mountains, and behind them is a marshland. Really extensive."
"I see, it was marked on the map too... Turning it into farmland would be difficult."
The pirates were led by a sharp-eyed man with hawk-like features, talking to a girl who was crouched next to a beautiful female pirate flying a kite, with both eyes closed.
"But there's a lot of flat land in front of the mountains. Lots of greenery, so there should be water... yeah, several rivers too."
"Does that area look cultivable?"
"Probably. But Mihawk should see it directly to be sure. You're good at that, right?"
"True... Chris."
"Yes sir."
The villagers, emaciated from being too accustomed to raids, were surprisingly submissive to the pirates. To them, it was just another change of rulers. However, they seemed slightly relieved that these pirates treated them far more civilly than the mountain bandits had.
"Who was in charge of conquering this village?"
"Toya led Fourth Ship soldiers, who will also serve as the village's defensive force."
"And you?"
"Nothing specific at the moment. If anything, the Governor assigned me to guard Robin when not on missions."
For villagers, knowing who to curry favor with was crucial. The most obvious commander appeared to be the man wielding the most impressive sword.
"Mihawk, I'll come with you."
"Hm."
"That way Chris can come too, since he's experienced with this work, right?"
"Ah, that helps."
But the one most carefully protected was the black-haired girl. One of the sword-bearing women always stayed by the girl's side, constantly alert to their surroundings.
"We want somewhere near a river with open space, right?"
"Right. Proximity to water makes development easier."
The girl, keeping one eye closed, marked various points on her spread map and pointed to a section.
"Robin, what's the slope like from this point to the nearest coastline? This route."
"...From above, it looks gentle. The sea side has some cliffs, but there are gentle beaches too. Yeah, this looks good."
"Good. Miakis, have the soldiers transport supplies to this point."
"Roger. But I don't think those mountain bandits were their full strength, so can I borrow some troops just in case?"
"Then the newly formed unit members can..."
The group was remarkably well-coordinated, unlike mountain bandits who only drank and made noise. All dressed in matching black suits and moving efficiently, the villagers secretly wondered:
"...Why is that one person the only one in coveralls?"
"By the way Robin, this marshland you mentioned is right over that mountain?"
"Eh? Yeah, that's right. Probably water flowing from the mountains with nowhere to go..."
"If Rayleigh and I cut away part of the mountain... mm, we could fill it in. Alright..."
"No."
"...It might increase the cultivable land though?"
"No. Mihawk, don't reach for your sword... No! No way! Rayleigh, don't come over here either!"