Chapter 347: A New Fleet
One month later, the Marines officially announced the dissolution of G-8, Navarone Fortress.
The news shocked even Marine Headquarters.
For years, G-8 had stood as one of the Marines' most formidable strongholds on the Grand Line. Its soldiers had taken great pride in serving there, yet with the fortress now crippled beyond practical use, the remaining personnel were reassigned to other Marine branches.
Many of Navarone's soldiers wept as they left.
Their fortress was gone.
Their unit was scattered.
And there was nothing they could do to change it.
Before long, the story spread across the seas through the News Coo.
The report also revealed the reason for G-8's closure.
A wanted criminal named Axel had infiltrated Navarone Fortress and inflicted catastrophic damage upon it.
A photograph accompanied the article.
White hair.
Crimson eyes.
His head tilted slightly, wearing an almost lazy expression.
At first glance, he hardly resembled someone capable of destroying a Marine stronghold.
Yet those red eyes carried something unsettling.
...
Inside a small, rundown tavern, a shabbily dressed man sat alone at a table.
His clothes were worn, his beard unkempt, and the cheap liquor in his bottle looked as though someone had watered it down twice before selling it.
He stared at the newspaper.
From time to time, he clicked his tongue.
"The Marines really are getting more useless by the day."
The tavern door opened.
Several equally rough-looking men entered.
A broad-shouldered man led them.
He walked straight toward the drinker.
"Old Wali."
He slapped a hand against the table.
"Give me some booze."
Wali tipped the bottle into his mouth, drained another mouthful, then pushed himself unsteadily to his feet.
"Mark."
His eyes narrowed.
"What are you planning?"
Mark grinned.
"Nothing complicated."
He leaned closer.
"You're old. Injured. Practically useless."
"So don't you think it's time you gave up your position among the Millions?"
Wali's face darkened.
Mark continued,
"I'm still young."
"If I keep moving up, I might even become a Numbered Agent someday."
He placed both hands on the table.
"So why should you keep holding a position you can barely use?"
Wali raised his bottle between them.
"Mark."
"I was friends with your father."
"You shouldn't treat me like this."
Mark stared at him.
Then laughed.
"Friends?"
He sounded genuinely amused.
"You know better than anyone what friendship is worth when money gets involved."
His smile vanished.
"And stop hiding behind my father."
"He never raised me."
"Besides, you were one of the people responsible for his death."
The tavern grew quieter.
Mark continued,
"You and Leikia planned to kill him and take his property."
"Unfortunately for you, I transferred part of it before you got your hands on everything."
He spread his arms.
"How else do you think I climbed this quickly?"
Wali did not look ashamed.
He did not even look surprised that Mark knew.
Instead, he smiled.
"We're bounty hunters."
His tone was matter-of-fact.
"We chase money."
"Where there's a bounty, we go."
"If your father happened to have a price on his head, why shouldn't I collect it?"
Wali shrugged.
"Our profession isn't much cleaner than piracy."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"And did you really think I wouldn't prepare for someone like you?"
The tavern door opened again.
Another group entered.
Mark's expression changed.
Damn it.
Most of these newcomers belonged near the lower end of Baroque Works' Millions.
Some were aging.
Others carried old injuries.
None looked impressive at first glance.
But there were roughly two thousand bounty hunters within the organization, and anyone capable of pushing into the upper ranks among them was no ordinary thug.
Wali smiled at Mark's reaction.
"You thought you could kill me and take my position?"
He tapped his injured leg.
"Not so simple."
Mark glanced at the men surrounding them.
Wali continued,
"You probably promised these people something."
"Maybe when you became a Million, you'd slowly bring them up with you."
"Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
Wali's injured leg had been damaged by gunfire during their previous hunt.
He was not drinking in this tavern because he had given up on life.
He simply could not move as freely as before.
Mark had clearly intended to exploit that weakness.
Fortunately, Wali had expected something like this.
Mark's voice became quieter.
"Even if I said this was all a misunderstanding, I doubt you'd let me walk away."
Wali smiled.
"What do you think?"
Even if Wali agreed, the men he had gathered probably would not.
The two groups stood facing one another.
Hands drifted toward weapons.
Then the tavern door opened for a third time.
Everyone paused.
This place was one of Baroque Works' local strongholds.
Ordinary travelers tended to avoid it.
Having so many unexpected visitors in a single day was unusual.
A young man stepped inside.
He wore light clothing in black and white, paired with clean white trousers.
His appearance alone was enough to draw attention.
Behind him rushed a blue-haired girl.
"What are you doing?"
Vivi looked annoyed.
Outside the entrance, Karoo tried to hide by leaving only his head visible.
Beside him, Chopper used his own unique method of concealment, hiding everything except his head and antlers.
The bounty hunters stared.
Confusion lasted only seconds.
Recognition followed.
They were professionals, after all.
Memorizing wanted posters was basic survival.
And Axel had been in the newspapers constantly over the past month.
One man pointed.
"Wait..."
"Isn't that him?"
Wali grabbed the newspaper from his table.
He looked at the photograph.
Then at Axel.
Then back at the photograph.
His eyes widened.
"It is."
He lowered the paper.
"Four hundred million Berries."
Greed replaced caution almost immediately.
"If we take him down, becoming Numbered Agents would be easy."
"Forget that, the boss might personally reward us!"
"We could get our own subordinates!"
The conflict between Mark and Wali vanished.
Profit united them instantly.
Guns came out.
Blades were drawn.
Axel did not even look particularly interested.
He turned toward Vivi.
"I came here to deal with a problem."
Vivi stared at the bounty hunters surrounding them.
"Deal with a problem?"
She lowered her voice.
"It looks like you just created another one."
She leaned closer.
"Coming here exposes our location to Cro... him."
Vivi stopped herself before saying Crocodile's name.
Too many Baroque Works agents were listening.
"You already tricked him once."
Axel shook his head.
Bang!
A bounty hunter fired.
Axel casually tilted his head.
The bullet passed harmlessly beside him.
Vivi flinched despite herself.
Someone in the tavern swallowed.
"That was... luck, right?"
No one answered.
Several guns fired at once.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets reached Axel.
Then reversed.
They shot straight back along their original trajectories and slammed into the gun barrels.
Boom!
A chain of small explosions tore through the tavern.
Men screamed as shattered weapons injured their hands and arms.
Whatever greed had filled them a moment earlier disappeared.
They ran.
Some did not even bother using the door.
Crash!
Several bounty hunters smashed straight through the wooden walls.
Mark limped desperately after them.
"You...!"
He nearly tripped.
"You just wait!"
Within seconds, the tavern was empty.
Vivi looked around.
"That was surprisingly gentle."
Axel sighed.
"I have a doctor traveling with me now."
He glanced toward Chopper.
"And unfortunately, that doctor treats enemies and allies alike."
"I don't feel like standing around while he patches up twenty idiots one at a time."
Vivi considered that.
"Fair point."
Then she frowned again.
"But compared to Chopper, you create far more trouble."
She crossed her arms.
"You still didn't answer me."
"Coming here exposes us, doesn't it?"
Axel walked farther into the tavern.
"We were already exposed."
Vivi blinked.
"The moment we entered Nanohana, Baroque Works started watching us."
She looked at the newspaper with Axel's face printed across it.
"Well... whose fault is that?"
"You didn't even disguise yourself."
Axel grimaced.
"Disguises are troublesome."
He reached toward his hair.
"I tried it once."
"Dyeing this took half a day."
Vivi stared at him.
"And?"
"And being recognized isn't necessarily bad."
Axel paused.
"For us, anyway."
Vivi looked even more confused.
"You abandoned Crocodile's proposal and defeated the agents he sent after us."
She frowned.
"Why would he help you?"
Then her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Unless he has some strange preference like that thing you once mentioned..."
"Cough."
Axel abruptly coughed.
"Forget that."
Vivi had unfortunately learned far too much from his useless gossip.
Axel changed the subject.
"You only confirmed Crocodile was the boss of Baroque Works after I told you, right?"
Vivi frowned.
"Why bring that up now?"
"Because Crocodile almost certainly knows who you are by now."
Vivi went still.
Axel continued,
"You survived undercover for as long as you did because Crocodile doesn't care who most of his subordinates really are."
"He doesn't even care whether they live."
"What matters is whether they complete their assignments."
Axel leaned against the bar.
"But his operation involving me failed."
"And you were seen traveling with me afterward."
"Once that happened, investigating you became inevitable."
His tone remained certain.
"With Crocodile's intelligence network and planning ability, discovering that Miss Wednesday is actually Princess Nefertari Vivi isn't difficult."
Vivi's expression became serious.
Part of her wanted to deny it.
But she knew Axel was probably right.
"So the boss will send someone to eliminate me."
Axel nodded slightly.
Vivi lowered her gaze.
She was afraid to die.
But that was not the part that mattered most.
"I don't care what happens to me."
She looked at Axel.
"I just want you to keep your promise."
"Save Alabasta."
Axel shrugged.
"I told you."
"This is useful for us."
Vivi waited.
"Since Crocodile knows I'm here, he has every reason to hide my movements from the Marines."
Axel smiled slightly.
"He doesn't want someone else interfering before he figures out how to deal with me."
"And after learning who you are, he only has a few realistic choices."
"Move his plan forward immediately."
"Or stop and observe."
Vivi frowned.
"With me involved, rushing forward becomes much riskier."
"So for now, he'll hesitate."
Vivi gave him a suspicious look.
"And where exactly does all this confidence come from?"
"That answer doesn't make me feel better."
Axel's expression became calm.
"Because something he wants is in my hands."
Vivi stared at him.
"Something Crocodile wants?"
"Compared to chasing an uncertain possibility, something real is always more attractive."
Vivi sighed deeply.
"There it is again."
"What?"
"You say things that sound like they contain another conversation hidden underneath."
She rubbed her temple.
"Talking to you is exhausting."
Axel spread his hands innocently.
Then walked behind the bar.
He opened the cash box.
Vivi stared.
Axel removed a thick stack of Berries.
Then several bottles of liquor.
Then anything else nearby that looked useful.
He held some of it toward Vivi.
"Carry these."
Vivi took them automatically.
Then looked down.
Then back at him.
"So when you said you came here to 'deal with trouble'..."
"Yes."
Axel continued looting the tavern.
"This is part of it."
Vivi's face went blank.
Axel turned toward Chopper.
"Watch carefully."
Chopper's eyes widened.
"This is the pirate way."
"Really?!"
Chopper's eyes sparkled.
"So cool!"
Over the past month, Chopper had gradually accepted his new circumstances.
He had his own pirate flag now.
That practically made him the captain of a fleet.
And a captain should act like one.
At least, that was apparently how Chopper understood things.
Once Axel had taken almost everything worth carrying, he slung a bag over his shoulder.
"Let's go."
...
At Nanohana's harbor, an old, battered ship waited for them.
Its hull was covered in dents and scrapes.
The emblem once associated with Mr. 3 had disappeared from the sail.
In its place flew a crooked pirate flag.
At least, it was probably a pirate flag.
The crossed bones made that much recognizable.
The rest of Chopper's artistic vision was harder to identify.
Axel stepped aboard.
"Wapol."
The former king immediately looked over.
"Prepare to leave."
"Yes."
Wapol moved with surprising efficiency.
Vivi watched him for a moment.
Then leaned toward Axel and whispered,
"I'm still amazed you managed to tame him."
"I thought he'd run the moment we left him alone."
Axel removed his bag.
"Who knows?"
"He stopped trying after that fight."
He glanced toward Wapol.
"Now he just follows us around."
Axel sighed.
"He's troublesome too."
Vivi decided not to pursue the subject.
She unfolded the sea chart instead.
"Everyone, come here."
Chopper and Karoo approached.
Wapol listened from nearby.
Vivi pointed at the map.
"We're currently in Nanohana."
Her finger moved inland.
"The Sandora River runs from here into Alabasta."
"If we want to travel deeper into the kingdom, we follow the river upstream."
Chopper raised a hoof.
"What about Big Shark?"
Axel answered,
"He isn't coming."
Chopper's face fell.
"Why?"
"The inland waterways are too narrow."
Axel gestured toward the river.
"Too shallow too."
"There are reefs everywhere."
"Even if Big Shark somehow squeezed through, something that large couldn't move properly."
Chopper looked genuinely sad.
"So we have to say goodbye?"
Axel leaned against the mast.
"I'm rather reluctant to lose such a good ride too."
Chopper looked up hopefully.
"So I told him to wait beyond this stretch of land."
Axel continued,
"Once we reach the sea again, we can call him."
Chopper immediately brightened.
"That's great!"
Axel stared at him.
"You really are strange."
Chopper blinked.
"You and Karoo were terrified of Big Shark when we first met him."
"Now you're friends with him."
Axel glanced at Karoo.
"This duck is still stupid, though."
"QUACK!"
Axel ignored the protest.
He looked back at Chopper.
"But watching you act like this is surprisingly entertaining."
Chopper froze.
Then his entire body started swaying.
"E-Even if you call me entertaining..."
He grinned uncontrollably.
"I'm not happy at all, you bastard!"
His little dance thoroughly betrayed him.
A distant commotion interrupted them.
Axel turned toward the sea.
Several ships were approaching.
The Baroque Works bounty hunters from the tavern had not simply fled.
They had gathered reinforcements.
Five large vessels sailed toward the harbor, each big enough to carry close to a hundred people.
Armed bounty hunters crowded the decks.
Axel straightened.
He was about to handle them himself when Wapol stepped forward.
"Let me."
Axel paused.
Wapol walked to the bow.
Then opened his mouth.
A familiar hum began building inside.
The same sound Pacifistas made before firing.
Light gathered.
Then erupted.
Whoosh!
A brilliant beam crossed the water.
Boom!
It pierced straight through the first ship.
Wood exploded.
The beam continued through another.
Then another.
The attacking formation collapsed almost immediately as the damaged ships broke apart across the water.
Wapol closed his mouth.
A thin stream of smoke escaped his lips.
He patted his stomach.
Then muttered unhappily,
"Lost a few more pounds."
The Pacifista systems inside Wapol did not possess limitless energy.
His Munch-Munch Fruit could incorporate what he consumed into his body, but it could not create endless power from nothing.
Once the stored energy from the Pacifistas was exhausted, their laser weapons would become useless.
Fortunately for Wapol, his ability allowed him to improvise.
By eating ordinary food and converting it into usable energy, he could replenish enough power to keep those weapons functioning.
For Wapol, firing another laser simply meant one thing.
He would have to eat more afterward.
…..
Check out my newly released fanfic on my 2nd account: - FanficLord02
Frieren: The Demon Who Learned to Love