Among Pirates, the simplest way to earn mutual respect is to fight—strength determines who has the right to speak.
Law stared coldly at Crocodile, fully aware that the man was looking down on him. This was precisely one of the things he couldn't tolerate.
After entering the New World, his strength had multiplied several times over, and he had long been eager to take down a heavyweight opponent.
The tension was palpable.
"If you want to fight, do it later!"
Gurd's gaze turned icy, his Conqueror's Haki so dense it made the air feel as heavy as the deep sea.
Crack!
The walls split apart!
The two quarreling men suddenly felt as if a mountain had been dropped onto their shoulders, their expressions shifting to shock as they looked at Gurd.
They had heard of Gurd's power, but experiencing it firsthand was another matter entirely—especially for Crocodile, who couldn't help but recall the first time he had challenged Whitebeard.
Gurd's expression softened slightly.
"I know you don't trust each other, and you don't need to. The Pirate Alliance I'm asking you to form is, in essence, just a shell company. What I need is its name."
"Providing you with funds and weapons is my payment to you. If you truly wish to build Utopia properly, I won't interfere—that's your own business."
Money, resources, and no restrictions.
Without a doubt, this was an extremely lucrative deal.
With Gurd's support, their forces would grow rapidly, no longer just a lone commander and a small Pirate Crew.
Crocodile was tempted.
After his failure in Alabasta, only Mr. 1 remained by his side. Rebuilding Utopia would be an immense challenge, but he refused to fade into obscurity.
Using the Beasts' resources to realize his Utopia Project—this was his chance!
Law was also tempted.
Originally, he had planned to use this incident to trade a hundred Pirate hearts for a position among the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, then take his revenge on Doflamingo.
But that wasn't the only path.
Killing Doflamingo was his ultimate goal—how he achieved it didn't matter.
Gurd's alliance plan would allow him to establish a foothold in the New World quickly, an outcome no worse than becoming a Warlord of the Sea. Besides, his crew was in Gurd's hands—he had to agree to Gurd's terms to save them.
It was entirely feasible!
But there was still one core question.
Crocodile and Law spoke at the same time.
"What do you plan to do with the company's name?"
"Bounty Navy."
Gurd's tone was indifferent.
"Bounty... Navy?!"
The two were stunned.
This was unheard of!
"What, is it strange?"
Gurd explained leisurely.
"Since ancient times, it's always been the Navy hunting us Pirates, placing bounties on our heads. But no one ever said Pirates can't place bounties on the Navy!"
"I want to try it."
"Our Pirate world has countless strong fighters, yet we fight among ourselves, too scattered to lift our heads under the Navy's oppression. But if Pirates had a common goal, perhaps we could ignite some interesting Sparks!"
"Gentlemen, the times are changing. The roles of the Navy and Pirates are about to reverse—Pirates can now hunt the Navy!"
"Even overthrow the World Government!"
Gurd's eyes were sharp.
The Hoenn Government was tightening its control over the North Blue, severely impacting the New World Pirates' profits. Thus, he needed to give Pirates a new source of motivation.
Secondly, the Hoenn Government is still in its developmental stage and won't engage in a bloody conflict with the World Government for now. Therefore, he plans to consolidate the power of the Pirates to pressure the World Government.
Establish a Pirate Alliance and issue bounties on the Navy.
This is undoubtedly a solid approach. When the struggling lower-class citizens also join in, it can effectively shake the Navy's morale.
He could also take the lead and rope in the emperors of the Underworld to invest in the Pirate Alliance. Many factions would likely be interested in such a venture.
Most importantly, this would disrupt the comfortable environment the World Government and Navy have enjoyed, forcing them to face some real pressure.
Crocodile and Law's expressions darkened.
Issuing bounties on the Navy was no simple matter—they would become the Navy's prime targets. Though reluctant to admit it, their individual influence alone wouldn't be enough to pull it off.
But one thing had to be acknowledged: if this succeeded, they would rise to become an organization as formidable as the Four Emperors!
"We can't do this alone, can we?"
"Of course not."
Gurd nodded slightly.
"You'll need allies—the more renowned, the better!"
"For instance, the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
Beneath the Four Emperors, the Royal Seven Warlords were arguably the strongest Pirate force. If they could unite them, even the World Government would have to take notice.
Coincidentally, he also wanted to dismantle the Warlord system—the fewer cards the World Government held, the better.
"Royal Seven Warlords..."
A ridiculous figure popped into Crocodile's mind.
The "Thousand-Li Clown"—Buggy!
That guy still owed him a hefty sum.
If they were to build Utopia, that debt had to be collected. Besides, Buggy's crew had some decent fighters.
Money alone wasn't enough—they needed sufficient manpower.
Moreover, though Buggy was a joke, his reputation surpassed even Crocodile's. Nowadays, Buggy's Delivery was a red-hot force in the New World.
Law, on the other hand, thought of Doflamingo.
But not to recruit—to eliminate him!
As for other strong candidates, the only ones he could think of were his peers from the Worst Generation.
"For now, this will do. I'll go secure some investments for you. You two can start discussing how to establish the Pirate Alliance. We'll iron out the specifics of the Navy bounties later—I'll also help scout potential allies."
Gurd stood up and left.
This island trade conference had drawn many Underworld emperors—perfect for drumming up investments. Not only would it save money, but it would also tie their interests together.
As for whether the two would agree, their expressions already gave the answer.
There was one small matter left to handle.
Gurd entered another room.
Speed had been waiting for some time.
"Lord Gurd, we haven't captured the rescuing Navy officer yet, but all the nobles and hostages from the Koya Kingdom have been apprehended."
The entire ship from the Koya Kingdom had been hijacked, with at least five hundred nobles and civilians aboard. With only one Navy officer covering their escape, there was no way they could have gotten away.
"Still not caught?"
Gurd was surprised they had escaped. "Quite capable, aren't they? What's that officer's name?"
"Navy Lieutenant Commander, Koby," Speed replied.
During the search, they had already identified the Navy officer.
"Hmm? Koby?"
Gurd paused.
Koby?
Garp's prized disciple?
Gurd's eyes narrowed.
"Speed, tomorrow morning, escort all the hostages to the port. Separate the nobles from the civilians and issue a public announcement: if Koby shows up, we'll release one group."
Heh heh heh heh, I wonder what choice the next generation's Marine "hero" will make when faced with the trolley problem!
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