(Bellamy POV)
I'm confused. Admittedly, this is not a new or even unfamiliar state of being for me. In fact, I'm still confused as to why Aisa decided that trying to deep-fry fruit was a good idea. But regardless of culinary death traps, I am still confused.
Why is he here?
Unfortunately, the cause of my befuddlement won't answer me, though seeing as he is sedated six ways to Sunday, I think I can let it slide. The rest of my crew doesn't provide any insights either. For one, they're busy tearing a gold jewel-encrusted chandelier from the ceiling and two, they obviously have no idea who this guy is.
But anybody who has watched the show will agree with me, that the man currently in a drugged coma represents an enormous opportunity. He also symbolizes a huge risk, especially if the world government suddenly decides that they care about a lost asset. However, if I can pull this off, if I can extract the knowledge this man has, I can easily quadruple the strength of my crew at the very least.
I'm getting giddy.
"I'm not liking that smile, captain." Rivers interjects before I can start cackling. "I've seen it before, and I didn't like what came after."
"I've seen the future, Rivers. And it is…glorious!" I proclaim, though that does seem to mildly upset Rivers. I don't care.
"Its...its like Skypiea all over again!"
Leaving behind a trembling Rivers to be comforted by Mani, I quickly seek out the master of this mansion. He looks quite upset when I drag him over to one of his guestrooms, though I use the term lightly as the windows are barred and the door can only be unlocked from the outside.
"Tell me, Mr. Crack, what is he doing here?"
"My men found him washed up on our shores, roughly two weeks ago." He quietly murmurs. Ever since we had demolished his elite guards, (and hadn't that been a surprise?) he'd entered a depressive state of resignation. "I thought he'd be useful like the others, but he was dehydrated and in a terrible state. So before I could get really started on turning him, we needed to treat him."
"And do you have any idea of who this man is?" I ask, but I receive a headshake in return.
"He was delirious and hallucinating when we got to him. Kept mentioning that he was a high ranking government agent."
"Anything else?"
"I think he mentioned that his name was…Nero."
We're definitely…rescuing him. Yes, rescue is the right word. Definitely not shanghaiing him onto my crew so that he can teach them and more importantly, me the rokushiki.
It was mentioned that in order to be counted as a real member of the CP9, one had to master all six of the rokushiki. The keyword here being 'master'. Nero only mastered four, not having trained his shigan and tekkai to the levels one would need to be able to use it in a fight. Plus, even in the ones he 'mastered', his level of mastery was significantly lower than Lucci.
However, he still was a new potential recruit for the CP9, meaning he must at least know the training methods for all six rokushiki, if only in theory.
Considering just how vague the explanations of the rokushiki are in the show, it would take me way too long and way too many broken bones to try and recreate them from scratch. Getting someone to teach me is the obviously more intelligent choice.
Don't really know how all those self inserts and other characters figure these things out so quickly on their own. Sanji recreated geppou pretty quickly. Good for them, I'm going to spare myself the pain.
Just got to make sure that Nero won't leave before he teaches us what he knows. And I already have an idea…good old fashioned carrot and stick.
Ply him with alcohol, money and the offer of a safe haven, something I'm sure he'll appreciate even more after his dreadful and unjust imprisonment, then I make my pitch. And also take lots of pictures so that if he ever decides to leave, I can make sure that he can't return to the world government.
Life is going great; I reflect as I motion for Muret to take care of the comatose Nero. She really is a good doctor so I have no doubt that he'll be up and about in no time.
Life was going great until this guy showed up. Obnoxiously incompetent, pitifully corrupt and the prime example of why nepotism should be discouraged: Spandam.
Wasn't he supposed to be recovering from events at Enies Lobbie or something? Or fired for incompetence and gross negligence?
"Prudes, u fimi mufu moo. Hanover tea Drogba rocker bar…vision oudin mandy millet upily." Somehow, just somehow his sneer is clearly visible through the mass of bandages around his face. He's wrapped up like a mummy but I can see his sneer as clear as day. What the fuck?
Also and perhaps more importantly, pardon?
"His excellency, the director of CP7 Spandam is saying: Pirates, you find myself in a merciful mood. Hand over the drug baron Crack A. Barrel and all the…evidence found within his manor and I may let you leave with your pitiful lives." It's only after the aide translates that I can make sense of the jumble of syllables. That's a very well trained translator you've got there.
"Uhm…alright?" I've got something much more valuable than the little bit of money here. Best to just get Nero to safety and away from his old boss.
"His excellency also informs you, that your ship is confiscated until further notice and that your crew will be held for questioning." Did he pick his aide based on just how slimy his voice sounds? I feel dirty just listening to this guy. As for this ridiculous demand…
"Nope, not happening."
"His excellency reminds you not to forget your place. You are a lowly pirate while his excellency is on official business for the world government."
"Well, I'm on official business for the shichibukai Doflamingo. Wanna bet who is more important to the world government? You or Doflamingo?"
I'm betting Doffy, especially this close to the War of the Best. Spandam is only in a position of any responsibility because of his father Spandine. I'm willing to bet that it was his father's influence that led to Spandam merely being 'demoted' from CP9 to CP7. Him turning up here is just a way for him to ring up some easy accomplishments to reclaim his position.
But how did he know that Crack A. Barrel may be out of commission? Surely news couldn't have spread this quickly…he had to have gotten the news before I even left Water Seven or otherwise he wouldn't have made it here on time. Is their intelligence service this competent? Or did someone tip them off, like Dellinger or...Doflamingo? But why and does it even matter?
If I hadn't already been planning on escaping from under Doflamingo's thumb, this would have done it. I promise, that as soon as I'm strong enough, I'm making him pay for this. Doesn't matter if Doffy directly gave the order, Dellinger is part of his main crew. If I had been the old Bellamy and my crew hadn't gotten their upgrades, we would have likely struggled very much not to die against Crack's bodyguards.
It's only because everybody underestimated us that we survived. Not very surprising as we didn't know we were capable of this before we fought either but still. The Doflamingo Pirates had shown that they were perfectly willing to use Bellamy as a discardable chess piece.
I absolutely hate this feeling. If this is a game, I'm not going to be pawn but a player.
"His excellency offers you the following deal, though undeserving of his understanding you may be. Only one of your crew shall be interrogated tonight. That black girl will do. You are to send her to his excellency's ship tonight."
"Absolutely not!" And this sad excuse of a living being is not going to dictate terms to me!
"His excellency…your EXCELLENCY!"
But before I could punch the little shit, Rivers just broke what few intact bones Spandam's face had left.
In the end, there wasn't much I could do. I refused to hand over a member of my crew on principle, as apart from the fact that this would fatally cripple my leadership, it also felt really dirty to even consider.
Killing all the witnesses was also briefly considered and then discarded. For one, I would have had to kill everyone on St. Poplar, as I'm sure that at Crack's goons and their associates would know that the Bellamy Pirates had been invited to the mansion today. And if they knew, the whole town knew. This on its own wasn't feasible with the forces currently at my command and Aisa didn't need to see that. Better to leave her first killing as a non-negative and maybe even a positive memory by highlighting the 'you saved your crew' aspect and not taint it.
Plus, Morgan (the guy in charge of the newspaper) probably knew already as he seemed to know everything. Thus, even if I kill Spandam and manage to eliminate all witnesses on the island, my face will still be on tomorrow's newspaper, likely on the front page.
I settled for bluffing.
"Well, I guess this leaves me with no choice, director Spandam."
"I'll have you hunted down like a rabid dog for this!" Surprising how breaking even more bones improved his articulation. Really, the wonders of One Piece physiology.
"That doesn't give me many reasons to spare you, director Spandam. How are you going to have me hunted down if you're not alive?" My voice is intentionally kept very conversational. I've often heard is described as being even more scary if you can threaten someone in the same tonality as if one would talk about the weather. And as it turns out, there's at least some truth to this if the rapidly spreading puddle between Spandam's legs is any indication.
"Hieeek! You wouldn't dare!"
"Wouldn't I? I'm not sure you have noticed, but I'm a pirate you know?" I nod at the pile of cooling corpses in the corner of the courtyard. "You can ask them, if you're not sure."
Spandam's face goes deadly white as he seems to realise that he's not talking to someone like Luffy. Then he starts sweating perfusively.
"Uhh, I was joking?"
"Joking?" I ask, my voice completely flat.
"Yes, of course! You helped the government in bringing in the drug baron Crack A. Barrel! Nothing else. You'll be rewarded, of course." He's lying through his teeth, and everyone knows it. It's not even particularly difficult to tell as his incompetency is so pervasive of his character, that it also extends to his ability to lie. See his comments following the summoning of the buster call on Enies Lobbie for reference.
"Can I get that in writing?" Yeah, not going to be that easy, buddy.
A few hours later, we're on our way back to Water Seven, with half the valuables from Crack's mansion, Crack himself and Spandam's sword Funkfreed (ostensibly purchased with half of Crack's valuables). I didn't believe that that a piece of paper would dissuade Spandam or his father from coming after us. It wouldn't even be the first time that the government just ignored uncomfortable evidence. However, it's going to make things just that little bit more uncomfortable which will hopefully make him look for easier targets. And if it doesn't work?
I find that I don't really care. Even if we ended up on his shitlist, I definitely am below Luffy and his crew and for now I'm at least nominally under Doffy's aegis. I think there was a clause saying that crimes committed by subordinates of a shichibukai are regarded more leniently.
If Doffy is going to use me like a discardable chess piece, I have no compunctions on using him for my own ends.
And going by the usual modus operandus of the world government, they aren't going to be sending their higher ranked officers after me directly. They are stretched really thin as it and its only going to get worse after the war against Whitebeard. And I'm not nearly enough of a threat for them to allocate their valuable resources against. Unlike Luffy, I didn't storm Enies Lobbie and survive a buster call.
They'll probably slap a larger bounty on me and call it a day. Speaking of which, I wonder if the rest of my crew is going to get bounties too. Hewitt, definitely, for the crime of breaking Spandam's jaw but I'm not sure who else. Maybe Muret, when it is revealed that she took Funkfreed?
Funkfreed does seem a lot happier with Muret. After she fed him some bananas as well as the remaining fruit in our hold, he'd become very docile. And he seems happy to be our new nurse slash doctor's assistant.
Wonder what Nero's reaction will be if the first thing he sees upon waking up is saber-trunked elephant?
Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to do anything about Nero. Rather, everything fell to the wayside not half an hour after sailing into Water Seven's port.
A message from Doflamingo had arrived. And he was here to deliver it.
Personally.
Author's note:
So, we're past the action part of this mini arc but we're not quite done.
What does Doffy want?
P.S. I really don't understand how people reverse engineer the rokushiki with barely any clues. If it were that easy more people would have done it, no?
P.P.S. comments and discussion make the author happy.