Grimmjow and Lucci had arrived quickly, and Zabuza had come in a little slower—but he still made it to the warship in time.
Under their operation, the navy aboard was bound and secured. Smoker himself was shackled with seastone handcuffs—there was no chance to let a Logia user recover and slip away.
One warship, completely rounded up.
On the Going Merry, Smoker—still cuffed—was brought up and dumped in front of Adrian.
"Boss, we've tied up the whole crew," Grimmjow reported, then dropped to one knee before Adrian and saluted with mock-formal respect.
Smoker watched, bewildered. After only a short exchange with this crew, these people—so proud and wild—had knelt. It looked impossible to him.
"Well done, Grimmjow," Adrian said with a nod.
"Boss flatters me—this is merely my duty," Grimmjow said, grinning wide at the praise.
Smoker, still on the deck: "...Is everyone blind? He's acting like a pet being fed. One compliment and he's wagging his tail like a dog."
Before Smoker could stew in disbelief, Grimmjow spoke up to him. "Smoker, right?"
Smoker's eyes flicked to Adrian as the newcomer continued: "We're strangers. You can call me Adrian."
"But that's not important," Adrian added, voice cool. "What matters is you and your crew are my prisoners now."
Smoker had already wondered, during his trip over, what their aim might be. Extortion? Raising a bounty? Gaining fame by capturing a whole naval crew? None of it made complete sense to the straight-laced Marine colonel.
Adrian answered plainly. "Simple. We're going to extort the Navy. You and your ship are the bargaining chips."
Smoker scoffed. "The Marines would never yield to pirates' extortion."
Adrian smiled. "You'd be surprised. Your Smoke-Smoke Fruit isn't the flashiest Devil Fruit—but make no mistake: turn you into an asset, give the Navy an extra mid-level commander, and that comes with enormous investment. Training a Rear Admiral or Vice Admiral takes time and resources. I think the Navy will pay to avoid such a headache."
Smoker's face flushed with anger and humiliation—Adrian's words were an insult, yes, but not entirely wrong. Producing a high-ranking officer required resources; if the Navy could be made to see value in 'buying' peace, they might comply.
"Are you not afraid the Navy will hunt you down?" Smoker snapped.
"Let them come," Adrian laughed. "A few Marines? No sweat. We'll take what we need. Besides—there's an even bigger prize I plan to snatch."
He let that hang in the air.
"Grimmjow, take him below. There must be medics aboard the ship—tend to him. I don't want to lose my bargaining chip."
Grimmjow obeyed, hauling Smoker onto the captured warship. They'd taken the whole vessel back with them—no need to cram everyone onto the Shark; the prize itself would serve.
Nami and Nojiko were aghast.
"Extort the Navy?!" Nami whispered, eyes wide. "Boss, that's suicide! The Marines are one of the biggest powers at sea. If we anger them, they'll hunt us to death."
Nami had learned enough about this world to know how dangerous that sounded. Extorting the Marines—across the East Blue and beyond where Marine branches were everywhere—was asking to be erased.
Adrian waved a hand. "Relax. This is just the East Blue. We'll make them an offer they can't refuse. Every success raises my rep and gives me stronger allies. Eventually, the Marines should be afraid of us, not the other way around."
Both sisters fell silent. Adrian's confidence was… exasperating.
At that moment Lucci appeared on deck—and he wasn't alone. He brought a woman with him.
"Boss, I offer this woman as a gift," Lucci announced, and set her down before Adrian.
Adrian blinked. "...Lucci."
With exaggerated humility, Lucci dropped to one knee. "Subordinate didn't mean disrespect. I only thought a leader of your height would do well to have attendants. I acted on my own—please punish me if I offended."
Adrian considered, then shrugged. "Fine. Keep your initiative. This woman can stay as a maid."
Nami and Nojiko both stared at the newcomer—Tashigi—who bristled at the idea.
"I would never serve a pirate as a maid!" she snapped.
"First, we are not pirates— we are bandits," Adrian corrected gently. "Second: this is not a request. You don't get to refuse."
Tashigi stood her ground. "No. I will never be your maid. Kill me if you dare."
Adrian's face didn't change. "I won't kill you."
"But Lucci—take the prisoners from the ship and start killing them, one by one. Stop only when you get her agreement. If she refuses, kill the entire crew."
Tashigi's face drained of color. The threat was naked and direct: her refusal would mean the death of every captive on the captured warship. All because of her.
"Fine." Lucci stood, shoes tapping as he strode toward the warship. The sound rang across the deck—a cold metronome pushing Tashigi toward her choice.
"Wait!" she suddenly called.
"I'll do it. I'll be your maid. Just spare them."
Tashigi's voice was small and hollow. She bowed, dignity crushed by the logic of survival: these men were her comrades. If they died because she stood stubborn, she couldn't bear it.
"Good," Adrian said. "Lucci, uncuff her. Nami—get her some clean clothes."
Lucci removed Tashigi's shackles. The moment the metal clicked free, a part of Tashigi screamed to strike—to seize Adrian and turn the tables. But when their gazes met, she felt a pressure in her chest that kept her hands still; sweat beaded at her brow. Her instincts whispered a warning she could not defy: don't act.
So she did not.
Tashigi was led off to be cleaned and clothed. The rest of the captive crew—for now—remained alive.
As Tashigi was taken away, Adrian's system chimed in his head.
"Ding! One bandit operation completed!"
"Ding! Calculating event…"
"Ding! Calculation complete. Rating: A."
"Ding! Reward: 10,000 Reputation Points!"
"Ding! Extra rewards: A-rank Random Weapon Ticket ×1, A-rank Random Ability Ticket ×1, A-rank Random Underling Ticket ×1!"
The system's chime faded—but Adrian's grin didn't.
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