The members of the Rocks Pirates are diverse. Although not everyone is a monster, they all possess some skills.
Ba Jin is no exception. As a former member of the Rocks Pirates and part of MADS, she has some combat strength.
During its voyages, MADS encountered many battles. Although it relied on external forces, each member of the team had their abilities.
Now, Judge's Germa, Vegapunk's various inventions, the Ba Jin backed by Weevil, and Queen, who can almost be considered a junior member of the Four Emperors, each have their combat capabilities.
Even Caesar, who seems the weakest, is a Logia-type ability user.
Weevil can't always take care of her during battle; Ba Jin dared to bring Weevil alone, and she has her own confidence.
Weevil has captured the attention of Marco and Ace, and Squard, who Weevil injured before, now becomes a weak point.
She pressed a button on her cane, and a sharp blade appeared from its seemingly ordinary end. Her frail and small figure left its position at an exaggerated speed.
Her plan is to capture Squard and use the Whitebeard Pirates' concern for their companions to force them to let her and Weevil leave. But once Ace and the others appeared, things quickly went beyond Ba Jin's expectations.
While Squard did not react in time, others noticed his movement.
"Hey, what do you plan to do to our man?"
A blue flame flashed across his face; Marco disengaged from his battle with Weevil and appeared before Ba Jin, grabbing her cane.
Now Jozu is on defense, Ace on offense, and Marco assumes the role of aerial watchman.
When necessary, he would actively attack but primarily supported wherever problems arose, ensuring Ace and Jozu did not suffer irreparable outcomes due to mistakes.
Snap.
Ba Jin's cane suddenly broke, and the detached part launched like a mini missile towards Marco's head. However, after a violent explosion, Marco's body only ignited with multiple flames of rebirth.
"Impressive power, but unfortunately, you don't know us well enough, nor do you know Dad."
The explosion's power was significant, but such a conventional explosion couldn't affect Marco with his Phoenix powers.
The phoenix's claw cut through the smoke, grabbing Ba Jin. A swift reversal occurred, with Ba Jin, who intended to use Squard as a hostage, becoming Marco's hostage instead.
If Ba Jin had excellent intelligence, she wouldn't have chosen to hunt the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates alone with Weevil.
If she understood Whitebeard, she'd know he never cared for treasure, nor did he have a massive inheritance.
Her technological prowess is decent, but unlike Queen, she hasn't honed domineering Haki, nor does she have Judge's combat ability or Caesar's Logia-type body. Appearing on the battlefield was simply unwise.
Ultimately, she is old; no one escapes the ravages of time.
Facing ordinary enemies is one thing, but faced with someone within Marco's level directly, she appears extremely weak.
"Weevil! Stop!"
"Mom?!"
Seeing Ba Jin in Marco's grip, Weevil immediately dropped his weapon and stopped resisting. Despite being hit hard in the chest by Jozu, he didn't fight back and let the enemy restrain him.
As for Ba Jin, Marco had already gagged and tied her up like a package. Though unwilling, the chain used to bind her was produced by the Hundred Beasts, and only Wano Kuni could forge such high-purity Seastone chains.
"These guys somehow have such power... Marco, how do we handle them?"
Weevil's behavior reveals a very underdeveloped mind, yet his body harbors terrifying strength.
"Take them back first."
"Take them back?"
"Yes, although I don't want to admit it, Ba Jin sailed with Dad as a pirate when she was young. I don't know Dad's past very well, so we'll investigate further for judgment."
Letting them go is unwise. With Ba Jin's greedy nature, freeing her will only create more trouble. Furthermore, what she did with Weevil earlier cannot simply be ignored; it is best to take them back for deliberation.
With all three captains moving out and Ba Jin caught by Marco, Weevil lost the will to resist, leading to both being captured and taken back.
...
While the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were active, other pirates were also far from idle—murder, plunder, these were the norms.
The New World does indeed have numerous pirates, but compared to pirates, civilians are still more numerous. Trade activities haven't stopped despite the pirate proliferation in the New World.
Beyond the Underworld merchants, ordinary traders are venturing into risky business activities.
Drawn by profits, they are always able to overlook risks.
Along the riverside where accidents are common, some merchants unluckily encounter pirates, where not just their assets are looted, but they themselves are taken as part of the plunder.
For instance, on Hive Island, many people abducted are imprisoned together.
The pirates on Hive Island not only plunder their goods but extort ransom from these people's relatives.
If no ransom is provided, these people will be sold to slave traders, squeezing out their last bit of value.
The cramped cell emitted an unpleasant odor—a mix of sweat, sea breeze, and excrement left many unable to endure.
Within the crowded group, some seemed relatively spacious. Though prisoners, these individuals still had some means of self-help.
The Hive Island pirates, unlike Queen who suffers paranoia, have not confiscated these prisoners' Radio Snails, rather allowing them to gather their own ransom.
Those who lack ability can only rely on these people, humbly ceding the remaining space to gain favor.
"I am a member of a member state. I need assistance! What are you Navy idiots doing, isn't my tax going to waste at your hands?!"
Being caught by pirates, seeking Navy help is most people's understanding, and the majority choose this way, but some always choose an alternative approach.
"Fool, just a few merchants thinking they can make the Navy go out of their way to save them? If this worked, Hive Island wouldn't have existed this long."
"Boss, then do we only wait? Will these pirates really free us..."
"Whether they release people, I don't know, but handing over that ransom will bankrupt my guild."
The Hive Island pirates won't consider others' fate, nor do they think of establishing long-term relationships with those they rob, thus the ransom seems big enough to break a guild's financial chain.
"Then you..."
"You're still young. Remember, when asking for help, don't act so arrogant or assume you're indispensable. Make the other party see your value.
Never put all eggs in one basket. Many have already called the Navy; we need a different approach."
As he said this, he drew out a business card and dialed the number on it.
"Is that Secretary Queen? It's me, do you remember me? I once purchased the fruit you sold.
You don't? It's okay, it's alright, I'm just calling to say, our trade association has acquired some exceptionally high-quality red beans, but I've got a minor issue now; I hear you offer mercenary services. I'm in dire need of rescue..."