Fish-Man Island, Harbor.
The flag of the Beasts Pirates was raised.
"Beasts, this isn't over yet!"
Baron Tamago, bruised and battered, spat out a threat before hoisting a bag of sweets onto his shoulder and limping away with Pekoms.
Clearly, they had been thoroughly beaten.
Gurd spoke calmly.
"Hold it."
"..."
Both men froze in their tracks.
They didn't dare move—not even a twitch.
Gurd curled his lips into a faint smirk. "When you get back, tell Auntie Linlin this for me: If she wants revenge, she can take it up with the Beasts Pirates. But she'd better not touch anything belonging to Groudon Company. Understood?"
"..."
The two exchanged glances, confused.
What did Earth Calamity mean by that?
"We'll tell Mama!"
"Go on, then."
Gurd waved them off.
With only two Emperor crews left in the New World, a little friction between them wasn't entirely a bad thing. Besides serving as training, it could also speed up the process of other factions picking sides.
Who wouldn't want to board the Pirate King's ship?
Unfortunately, even if one of the two Emperor crews emerged victorious, they still wouldn't earn the title of Pirate King. Only by finding Laugh Tale could one truly claim that title.
Just like Rocks back in the day—he dominated the Pirate world, yet still couldn't be called the Pirate King.
Even Pirates had their unspoken rules.
If not for that, he'd have loved to conquer Totto Land right then and there.
"Let's head out too."
"Yes, sir!"
Half a day later, Sabaody Archipelago.
With the war over, Sabaody had returned to its former state—except for one major difference: the overwhelming presence of Groudon Company.
Construction crews had already arrived.
Taking advantage of the war's aftermath, Groudon Company had acquired vast amounts of land and property, and the Fortuna Community project was now officially underway.
But trouble was brewing.
The company's representative had been forcibly summoned by the Marines—not an official arrest, just an "invitation" to the branch base for a little chat.
With the situation stabilizing, many wealthy merchants and nobles regretted selling their properties and were now pressuring the World Government to reclaim them.
The task fell to the Marines.
Marine Branch Base, Grove 69.
"Listen up, Marines—we are a legitimate company!"
"Open your eyes wide and look at this! This is a business license issued by the World Government itself. Are you trying to deny the World Government's authority?"
"Here, take a look at these too!"
"Our company's tax records!"
"And this—a deed transfer certificate stamped by the World Government!"
"Every single document is in order!"
"Our company follows the law to the letter. We don't evade taxes, and we don't cut corners. Your job as Marines is to help us deal with troublemakers, not harass us!"
"Is this what you call justice?!"
Snaek slammed his palm on the desk, berating the Rear Admiral until the man couldn't even lift his head.
As the head of the Legal Department for Groudon Company's Sabaody branch, this small-time lawyer had been given a chance to shine by the company—and he would defend its interests to the death!
The Rear Admiral, despite his towering physique, spoke meekly, his voice barely above a whisper. "We have evidence that your company bribed government officia—"
"Bribes? What bribes?!"
Snaek's eyebrows shot up.
"Did I hand over any money?"
"N-no..."
The Rear Admiral shrank back.
Snaek scoffed.
"If no money changed hands, how is that a bribe?"
"Those government officials worked tirelessly, and out of gratitude, I simply wanted to show my appreciation. All I gave them were some egg tarts!"
"That's called etiquette! Understand?"
"Don't tell me you've never given gifts during the holidays!"
"Besides, even if it were bribery, it should be Judicial Island officials investigating. What does that have to do with you Marines!"
"You are the righteous Marines. Your duty is to capture Pirates and protect law-abiding citizens like us, not to persecute us!"
The Rear Admiral's eyes welled up with tears.
What kind of egg yolk pastry was this? He'd never seen pastries with such golden filling before!
"I-I'm sorry."
"Good. Recognizing your mistake is the first step to improvement."
Snaek's expression softened considerably.
"Now withdraw all the Marines near our construction site. Stop being so paranoid—we're a legitimate company, not a terrorist organization."
"..."
The Rear Admiral looked up at the sky, refusing to let his tears fall.
They'd already attacked Marine Headquarters, yet still claimed they weren't a terrorist organization? If not for the ambiguous stance from higher-ups, he wouldn't be suffering like this.
He couldn't handle this!
"I... I understand."
"Good."
Snaek smiled, pulling out a heavy box of egg yolk pastries from his briefcase. The thud it made on the table sounded like a brick.
"Rear Admiral, you've worked hard. This is our company's specially customized egg yolk pastry. You must try it! If you like it, I'll have more boxes delivered tonight!"
"..."
After a long silence, the Rear Admiral placed a large hand on the pastry box. His fierce expression instantly relaxed into a warm, guileless smile.
"I love egg yolk pastries more than anything!"
"Mr. Snaek, rest assured!"
"This Rear Admiral will definitely bring those troublemaking ruffians to justice!"
Evening.
Groudon Company, Sabaody Branch.
Snaek fawned obsequiously: "Lord Gurd, don't worry. I'm a professional lawyer—not a single mistake will be made!"
"I do have full confidence in you."
Gurd nodded with a smile.
This guy used to be a legal shark on Judicial Island, specializing in civil disputes. He'd work for whoever paid him, with absolutely no conscience.
After Judicial Island was destroyed by a Buster Call, he was forced into unemployment and eventually drifted to Sabaody Archipelago looking for work—just in time for their company's recruitment.
Exactly the talent he needed!
Of course, the main reason was that the World Government didn't want to risk another war with them over such trivial matters.
Unless absolutely necessary, the World Government and the Four Emperors maintained an unspoken agreement to leave each other alone.
After all, it was an administrative body, and with corruption at the top, the entire World Government had long been rotten to the core.
Even now, the World Government secretly traded with the Beasts, even selling them giant experimental subjects.
Far worse than the Marines.
"How's the presale going?"
"Wildly successful!"
Snaek was exhilarated.
He'd never seen property sales this popular before.
Within just two hours of opening yesterday, the first batch of residences sold out completely. The lowest price was a staggering 10 million Berries —five times the average price in other Sabaody districts!
He was stunned.
Gurd narrowed his eyes.
Sabaody had too many wealthy residents, including royalty and nobility. This pricing was nothing to them.
The Property Fee should be set higher—let's make it 10% of the property price!
Meanwhile, on Jiangxin Island.
The fleeing Cipher Pol 9 had returned to their homeland.
"Hmm?"
As soon as they arrived, Rob Lucci sensed something unusual.
The presence of a Ferocious beast.
"I've been waiting for you!"
A massive, helmeted Saber-Toothed Tiger emerged from the forest.
"Rob Lucci."
"Who are you?"
Lucci's gaze was icy.
"My name now is Who's Who, and I was once a member of Cipher Pol 9 too!"
Who's Who reverted to his human form: "I've abandoned my old name, but you must have heard my codename—my ability, Saber-Toothed Tiger!"
"So, why have you come to find me?"
Lucci remained indifferent, not giving Who's Who the slightest regard.
Who's Who drew his short blade, grinning widely.
"Then fight me!"
He wanted to prove who was truly Cipher Pol 9's top genius!
(End of chapter)