The pirates in the tavern tensed, momentarily frozen.
"Don't let his reputation scare you! There are so many of us, we can cut him down with a single slash each!"
"Kill him!" one of the pirate captains roared, his face twisted in a snarl.
The furious shouts jolted the other pirates back to their senses. They tightened their grips on their weapons, their expressions turning savage once more. The next moment, they charged forward with a collective roar.
Bege, his face expressionless, slowly drew the sword at his waist.
"Godfather, these small fries aren't worth your time. Leave them to us." Before Bege could even fully draw his blade, Hank shot past him like a blur. He moved with incredible speed, a phantom weaving through the pirates. A chorus of screams erupted as streaks of blood sprayed from the pirates' bodies, and they collapsed to the floor with a series of thuds.
Hank stopped amidst the chaos, his hands, transformed into sharp canine claws, dripping with blood.
"This...?"
Shock and terror washed over the remaining pirates.
"That kid..." Bege shook his head with a sigh, sheathing his sword.
Sam, not wanting to be outdone, drew his own sword and charged into the fray, engaging the pirates in a fierce battle. Several other disciples followed suit.
Bege and Modi stood at the entrance, watching the battle rage inside the tavern. Every table and chair was utterly destroyed.
The captains of the three pirate crews were only worth bounties of thirty to forty million Berries, and their crews didn't even have a single member worth over ten million. There was absolutely no need for Bege to intervene personally.
Hank, Sam, and Bernie, who had recently acquired a Devil Fruit, took on the three pirate captains. It was Bernie who first took down his opponent.
In less than ten minutes, the battle was over. All three pirate crews were completely annihilated. Hank and the others tied up the surviving pirates and dragged them back to the port.
Bege and his crew had just set sail from the island with the three captured pirate ships when a call came in.
"Brrrring, brrrring!"
Bege held the Den Den Mushi. It was Wright's.
"This is Bege. What do you need, Wright?"
"I just heard you captured three pirate crews on West Seven Supply Island?"
"That's right. I just left the island. How did you hear about it so fast? Do you have business on West Seven Supply Island?" Bege asked, frowning.
"That's right. The tavern where you had your fight. You really know how to cause me trouble," Wright's voice sounded pained on the other end.
Bege shrugged. "You didn't tell me. How was I supposed to know it was your business?"
"That's not why I'm calling. I have some leads on the person you asked me to find," Wright said.
Bege raised an eyebrow. "Where is he?"
"He's currently on the Grand Line, and it looks like he's heading for the New World. That kid's no pushover. His bounty is currently a cool two hundred million Berries. You'd better be careful if you're planning to pick a fight with him," Wright warned.
"We'll see who needs to be careful," Bege said confidently.
"I'm looking forward to seeing your clash," Wright's tone suddenly shifted, laced with anticipation.
"Alright, thanks for your help this time. By the way, our cooperation continues. Aside from a large quantity of high-end weaponry, I need you to prioritize supplying me with Seastone," Bege stated.
"You know Seastone is a rare resource. The Marines control most of it. There isn't that much to go around," Wright said, sounding exasperated.
"Don't tell me you don't have connections? We're long-term partners. Shouldn't I get some preferential treatment?"
"Alright, alright, I'll talk to the higher-ups. I'm sure they won't want to lose a valuable customer like you," Wright replied.
"Okay, that's it then. I'm hanging up," Bege said, ending the call.
Bege stared out at the vast ocean, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Grand Line. "So, I finally found you, Gecko Moria. You haven't reached the New World yet? Then you won't be going there."
He had previously asked Wright to help him locate Gecko Moria because he was interested in Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability.
One of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's abilities, "Shadow Asgard," allowed Moria to absorb the shadows he controlled into his body, causing him to grow larger and immensely increasing his strength. The boost was incredibly significant.
Bege remembered watching the episode where Luffy fought Moria. Luffy also absorbed shadows, taking in a full one hundred shadows to become Nightmare Luffy, and easily defeated Moria, who was controlling Oars. Later, Moria absorbed a staggering one thousand shadows, splitting an island with a single punch. These scenes left a deep impression on Bege and sparked his curiosity.
Bege thought that if he absorbed shadows, he could certainly increase his own strength. So, he planned to find Gecko Moria, capture him, and test how much he could enhance himself by absorbing shadows.
Bege knew that using Moria's shadows to enhance his strength was an unorthodox method. True powerhouses always relied on their own abilities. However, the world of One Piece was incredibly dangerous, and he needed to have enough trump cards. Perhaps Gecko Moria's shadow ability would become one of them.
"There are many places I want to visit on the Grand Line. I was originally planning to wait a while, but since Gecko Moria is also on the Grand Line, it's the perfect opportunity to take care of other matters as well," Bege murmured, puffing on his cigar.
"You lot, change course! We're heading to the Grand Line!" Bege roared.
The ship immediately changed direction, speeding towards the Grand Line.
Meanwhile, on a lush, forested island in the West Blue, a city lay hidden within the dense trees. Atop the city's tallest building, Wright sat in a reclining chair and put down his Den Den Mushi.
Then, he took out another one.
"Hello, is this Wright?" a deep, resonant voice came from the Den Den Mushi.
Wright immediately stood up, his posture and expression filled with utmost respect.
"It is I, Great King Umit."
The voice on the other end belonged to one of the Emperors of the Underworld, the King who controlled the shipping industry of the New World, known as the "Deep Current" – the Shipping King, Umit.
"What is it?"
"I just spoke with Capone Bege. He needs more high-end weaponry and hopes we can prioritize supplying him with more Seastone."
"Seastone? What the hell is that kid planning?"
"Whatever he's planning, one thing is certain: Capone Bege has great ambition," Wright said gravely.
"I like people with ambition, hahahaha..."
"To be so young and already take down a Supernova pirate crew, making a name for himself in the West Blue... this Capone Bege is no ordinary man. The more extraordinary he is, the better. I need strong partners. Capone Bege's future is worth looking forward to. Grant his request, and prioritize allocating West Blue resources to him. How far he can go depends on his own abilities, hahahaha..."
"Understood."
"Good!" The Den Den Mushi slowly closed its eyes, ending the call.
"Capone Bege, this resource is a hot potato. It won't be easy to handle," Wright took a deep breath. High-grade resources like Seastone were extremely limited, and all the major powers in the world were scrambling for them. The Shipping King's partners also needed these resources. If Bege got a larger share, other factions would get less, meaning Bege would become a target, inevitably facing retaliation from those other forces.
"Everyone! We're having a feast tonight! Let's celebrate!"
After hanging up with Wright, Bege burst into laughter, ordering Hank and the others to prepare a feast for the evening.
Wright had just called to inform him that the Shipping King himself had offered him better cooperation terms. He would receive better quality and more abundant resources in the future, which was undoubtedly excellent news for Bege.
As for becoming a target of other forces, Bege wasn't concerned, because he was determined to obtain the Seastone resources.
____
Enjoy the chapter? Power Stones are always appreciated! Every little bit helps!
Check out my other translations too!