Chapter 70 – Negotiating with the Navy 02
[Chapter Size: 2646 Words.]
Third Person POV
Cocoyasi Village, East Blue.
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When the marines arrived, the crew witnessed the scene of their captain knocked out and captured by the Straw Hat Pirates. Surprise and bewilderment dominated the faces of the marines as they saw Smoker in such a situation, and a tense atmosphere enveloped the surroundings as they processed the unexpected turn of events.
"Is that Captain Smoker?!" They shouted, even though they knew the answer, and quickly rushed to confront the pirates as the ship's ramp fell from the beach.
50 marines stood in front of Luffy like a dissatisfied crowd, ready to attack and retrieve their captain, even though they were quite scared since their captain wasn't someone in the East Blue who could be defeated due to his smoke Logia. Yet, here he was knocked out after a few minutes off the ship; this was unbelievable.
"Release Captain Smoker, you scum!" a girl yelled in front of the marines, leaving many Straw Hat pirates stunned.
"Hey, why am I seeing a Kuina dressed in the burden of the navy?!" Zoro asked incredulously and instantly looked at the ship, making sure Kuina was still there hidden.
Kuina herself looked equally shaken on the ship.
"She looks so much like me! Did I have a twin sister, and I didn't know?!" She wondered, but no one in particular answered.
"Incredible, Kuina-Sama has a sister!" Shirahoshi seemed amazed.
"Hello, Kuina's sister!" Yamato happily shouted.
"Kuina, you didn't tell me you had a sister in the navy!" Nojiko asked, looking at the Black Pearl.
"I don't have a sister! At least not that I know of." She replied quietly, and no one could hear her because she didn't want to draw attention.
"The sea is very mysterious, and it's all these mysteries that I seek answers to!" Luffy announced, gaining some curiosity about the relationship between the two, as it was never shown in the story.
"What are you talking about, pirates!? Release Captain Smoker immediately!" Tashigi growled, making all the other marines point their weapons at the pirates.
"Let's make a deal. I know you have a den den mushi that can contact the headquarters. I'll free your captain once I talk to them." Luffy said, and the marines looked surprised and skeptical.
"As if we could trust a pirate who killed dozens of navy soldiers! You are the worst scum in this sea, especially with Roronoa Zoro and Lami, two ex-bounty hunters who managed to fall even further to become pirates!" She spoke angrily.
"So you're not concerned about your captain, what fine navy soldiers you are! I expected that from Akainu, not from you..." Luffy mocked.
"What do you mean?!"ple, give me the den den mushi; otherwise, forget about your captain. I'll invade another marine base and contact them there, or I can simply take you all down, so it's better to appreciate my courtesy, as I'm in a good mood today." Luffy simply said, although he could knock them down and board the ship, he still asked them before knocking all of them out.
"Damn pirate! Fine, bring the den den mushi!" In the end, Tashigi yielded for Smoker's safety.
After a marine returned and went to the pirates with the special den den mushi, Luffy took the initiative and dialed a specific number he obtained from Shell City's Base 153.
"That damn pirate! What do you plan to do?!" Smoker, waking up at that moment, growled like a madman, as he had been captured by pirates and saw Luffy using the navy's communication device.
*KATCHA*
"Hello, this is the communications room at headquarters. Are you speaking from Captain Smoker's personal phone from the base stationed in Loguetown? Am I speaking to him?"
"Oh no, I'm the pirate Monkey D. Luffy. Did I talk to you when I held Base 153 hostage a few weeks ago?" Luffy asked calmly.
"..."
"Yes, your precious marines under the command of Base 16 kill and rob citizens through the justice of the navy. They even kept a batch of slaves. Didn't you see a navy ship full of them coming here?" Luffy mocked.
"This..." Luffy was interrupted when a voice echoed from the other side of the Den Den Mushi, shortly after receiving the documents by fax.
"Arms smuggling, illegal sale of navy equipment, bribery, blackmail, human trafficking, and collaboration with certain pirate groups. Captain Nezumi even had connections to the black market of the New World!" Sengoku shouted from the other side, revealing a shocking list of crimes.
"Had connections. He doesn't anymore because he's dead at the hands of the slaves he had imprisoned at that base. Can you believe it? A navy base has become a human trafficking depot..." Luffy mocked, the irony weighing in his words.
"Smoker, I want you to arrest all the marines from that base as soon as you leave there. It's a direct order!" Sengoku said, completely ignoring Luffy's taunts.
Even Tashigi seemed stunned. She was initially determined to bring justice to the pirates attacking the navy in this sea, but now she realized the terrible situation Base 16 had fallen into. Shock and perplexity were visible on her face as she processed the extent of the crimes that had occurred.
Smoker didn't issue a verbal response, but his silence clearly indicated his intention to comply with the received orders. The atmosphere became tense as everyone awaited the next developments.
After a brief silence, Sengoku directed his words again to Luffy, now with a harsher tone. "And what do you want? I'm sure you didn't do all this just to throw it in my face!" He snarled, evidencing his frustration.
"Very clever. I want the following: I have a crew member who suffered because of your Navy's incompetence. They were at the mercy of Fish-Man pirates for many years, losing many friends looted and killed. So, I want 1 billion berries for their hometown," revealed Luffy, his voice laden with determination.
"1 billion!!!" Everyone shouted simultaneously, expressing disbelief at the colossal amount.
"Luffy?! You're joking, right?" Nami exclaimed alarmed, unable to believe the audacity of the proposal.
"I'm serious, of course," replied Luffy, standing firm in his decision.
"No! This is impossible!" Sengoku said from the other side, clearly uncomfortable with the demand.
"Hm? I thought a billion wasn't that much money for the Navy. Ask yourself this: would you rather spend a billion on capturing Jack, dealing with Kaido's Beast Pirates, or on documents that would compromise the integrity of the Navy worldwide? If you had a choice, which side would you spend that money on?" Luffy asked calmly, throwing a direct and provocative challenge. The presented dilemma left everyone present in suspense, awaiting the response that would shape the future of the negotiation.
"..." Silence hung for a moment, laden with expectation and tension.
"Fine, I'll send that money to that village, and you'll hand over all the original papers to Smoker," declared Sengoku, his words echoing in the room. Luffy nodded, accepting the imposed condition.
"That's great, we have a deal. I hope you keep your word," replied Luffy, keeping a vigilant eye on Sengoku. The agreement was established, but trust between them remained fragile.
"Yes, the money will be sent as soon as possible," assured Sengoku. Luffy showed no concern, understanding that this village had suffered due to the organization's incompetence, and delivering the amount was the least he could do to correct this injustice.
"Anyway, goodbye." Luffy simply hung up the phone, ending the conversation abruptly. The tension in the air eased a bit, but the outcome was yet to be seen.
Next, Luffy released Smoker, turning his attention to the captain with a smile on his face. "Well, Smoker, it looks like we won't be fighting each other now. Still, I expect a fight the next time we meet!" Luffy spoke with a small smile, satisfied to see his plans unfolding as he had planned. The atmosphere in the room was charged with intrigue and expectations for the future encounters between these remarkable characters.
"You..." Smoker didn't hide his dissatisfaction, but even reluctantly, he complied with the order. He understood that facing this group could be a disastrous undertaking, especially after witnessing the presence of true monsters among them, like that tall woman with horns who stood out as a threat that could easily take him down.
"Let's go; we have an order to fulfill! Give me the papers and documents," declared Smoker, swallowing his pride in the situation. He returned to his crew, a frustrated expression on his face, and requested the documents from Luffy, who handed them over without hesitation.
As the Navy ship sailed away, accompanied by the captured but still living merfolk, Luffy observed the scene. His eyes fixed on the horizon for a moment before returning his attention to his own crew.
"Now let's depart. I have a few things to do before leaving the island and heading to Kuina's home!" announced Luffy, outlining the next steps of the journey. His companions nodded in unison, ready to follow the captain's orders.
Luffy's ship prepared to set sail, its sails extended in the wind. The ensuing silence was filled only by the sound of waves breaking on the shore. The group was heading toward their next objective.
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