"Godfather!"
In a town on an unremarkable island in the West Blue, a man in a scarf and a sharp gray suit walked quickly into a courtyard, calling out in a low voice.
"One of our strongholds was attacked. The person specified that he wants to see you."
Capone Bege, who was eating barbecue, showed no change in expression.
Chewing on the half-raw meat in his mouth, he looked at the person who had come to report.
"Who is it? One of our rivals?"
"No, it's just one person, not very old. He said he wants to ask for your help."
"Help! Hahaha."
Capone Bege laughed loudly, then his face suddenly turned grim.
"He attacks my stronghold to ask for help? What does he take me for?"
Ever since he took control of the West Blue's underworld, it had been a long time since something like this had happened.
"Godfather, should we send someone to kill him?" asked a young man in sunglasses behind Capone Bege, hearing his hostile tone.
"No, since he wants to see me, go bring him over."
Capone Bege waved his hand.
"Yes, Godfather!"
The person who came to report nodded immediately upon hearing this and hurried away.
Capone Bege's expression returned to normal, as if the incident had never happened, and he continued eating his food.
The one who attacked Capone Bege's stronghold was, naturally, Cyrus.
Compared to searching aimlessly on his own, finding a local big shot like Capone Bege was the most convenient option.
Cyrus had already thought of this before arriving in the West Blue.
Of course, since he was here to ask for help, Cyrus hadn't killed anyone this time.
After all, how could he ask for help after killing someone?
The sound of hurried footsteps rang out, and a group of middle-aged men dressed in the same attire as the ones squatting not far from Cyrus walked over quickly.
"The Godfather has agreed, but you have to go see him in person."
"Fine!"
Cyrus nodded, raised his hand, and slung his sword over his shoulder.
Not long after, a small boat left the island.
On the boat, Cyrus observed the busy people.
These guys under Capone Bege were less like pirates and more like a mafia.
They ran underground businesses, then used the money to expand their influence.
Except for when Capone Bege first established the Fire Tank Pirates to unify the West Blue's underground forces and hunt down his rivals, he really didn't act much like a pirate.
It was only later, when he went to the Grand Line, that he became like most other pirates.
The Paramecia-type Castle-Castle Fruit.
His own body was a fortress, capable of housing a large number of people inside.
In a way, it could be considered a type of spatial fruit.
However, the thought of hiding people inside his own body felt strange to Cyrus.
He certainly wouldn't do it, even if he had such an ability.
After calling up his status panel for a look, Cyrus frowned slightly.
His constitution had improved again, from 83 to 99, but this seemed to be a threshold.
His constitution had been stuck at 99 for a very long time.
During his brief clash with Garp on the warship, his constitution had already been on the verge of 99, but in that fight, even his strongest physique was suppressed.
And he could tell Garp wasn't even using his full strength.
Although he knew there was a gap between him and the top powerhouses of this world, a sense of urgency still arose in his heart.
Looks like I need to find a way.
Just training alone wasn't yielding significant improvements.
To break through this limit, he needed some other method.
Cyrus thought of his battle with Koshiro.
His constitution's improvement had already slowed down, but after that battle, the rate of increase had quickened again.
Should I activate Indomitable?
Or go through a major battle where I go all out?
While Cyrus was lost in thought, Capone Bege's men were secretly observing him, gathering information to report back to Capone Bege.
Not old, capable of producing a Flying Slash when he attacks, a master swordsman.
Didn't kill anyone, not much for small talk, purpose and personality currently unknown.
Piece by piece, the observed information was sent to Capone Bege.
Several days later, the boat docked at an island. Cyrus disembarked, and someone led the way. Without hesitation, Cyrus followed.
Soon after, Cyrus met Capone Bege.
He was slightly younger than in the original story, but still over thirty.
As Cyrus was sizing up Capone Bege, Capone Bege was also sizing him up.
"You want my help, so you attacked my men!"
Capone Bege spoke first, trying to gain the upper hand in the conversation.
Cyrus smiled, then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, sat down in a seat not far from Capone Bege.
"Help me find someone worth 79,000,000 Belly. Once you find her, I'll pay you that much, and the person is mine."
As soon as Cyrus said this, Capone Bege bit down on the cigar in his mouth, glaring at Cyrus.
"A person worth 79,000,000 Belly? You remind me of someone."
Capone Bege's expression was unreadable.
"Mm, the Child of the Devil from Ohara, Nico Robin. I want her whereabouts. You find her, and I'll pay you."
"How do I know you have that much money!"
That was no small sum.
Capone Bege sized up Cyrus.
"Besides, Nico Robin's business is not something to get involved in," he continued.
"Oh?" Cyrus's eyes lit up.
"So you have news?"
Capone Bege frowned, then waved his hand.
The crowd of subordinates around them quickly left, leaving only a few people behind him.
"Since you're looking for her, you should know about the Ohara incident. The World Government is looking for her now, and many of their agents have infiltrated the West Blue."
As Capone Bege said this, his eyes remained fixed on Cyrus.
He hoped to use his words to get a feel for Cyrus's background.
"I know that. Not only that, I also know that Admiral Aokiji has come to the West Blue, also for this matter."
At these words, Capone Bege's expression grew even more solemn.
Even though he now controlled the West Blue's underworld, he didn't dare get involved in matters concerning the World Government and a Navy Admiral.
"I just want information. You just need to help me find it. In return, I can owe you a favor."
Cyrus knew Capone Bege was ambitious.
"A favor? Is your favor worth that much?"
Capone Bege couldn't help but laugh at this, but just as the smile appeared, his expression changed drastically.
Flames swirled around Cyrus, and the surrounding temperature suddenly soared.
Cyrus's hand shot out behind him, and he pulled out a figure.
"I understand!"
Capone Bege immediately spoke.
The flames on Cyrus's body vanished, and he released the person he had grabbed by the neck.
Around the neck was a ring of scorched marks.
A Devil Fruit user!
A user with a flame-related ability!
Possibly a Logia Type!
Capone Bege's expression was uncertain.
If it was such a person, then a favor would indeed be valuable.
The only thing was whether the other party would keep his word.
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