Having shaken off Sengoku, Lind used his immense telekinetic power to catch up with Whitebeard in less than half an hour.
When Whitebeard saw the warship flying in the sky with Lind standing at its bow, he almost lost control of his expression. This time, Sengoku had truly been humiliated—his reputation was in shambles!
"Gurarara! Lind, my brother, well done! Let's have a good drink today!"
As soon as Lind set foot on the ship, he was greeted by Whitebeard's hearty laughter, and he too laughed in response.
"Hahaha, it's mainly thanks to you, Brother Newgate. I'm still no match for Sengoku!"
"Speaking of which, we should really thank Sengoku for his contribution. I think we should throw a banquet!"
"Gurarara! You're absolutely right. Boys, let's give our thanks to Vice Admiral Sengoku of the Marines—it's time for a feast!"
With that, a grand celebration ensued, and before they knew it, the next day had arrived.
"Gurarara! Lind, my brother, the Marines just called!"
…
Early in the morning, Lind was enjoying the sea breeze on the deck when he suddenly heard Whitebeard's excited voice.
Seeing Whitebeard striding over with a Den Den Mushi in hand, Lind chuckled.
"So soon? Looks like the Marines are quite efficient. Is it Sengoku or Kong?"
"Gurarara! Sengoku probably doesn't have the face to make this call. He's probably still drifting at sea, maybe even trailing behind us on Zephyr's warship!"
"The call is from Kong. Seems like the Marines are in a bit of a hurry!" Whitebeard laughed.
"Hahaha, Fleet Admiral Kong, hello! I'm Hilt Lind, Captain of the 7th Division of the Rocks Pirates. It's an honor to meet you!"
Lind looked at the stern-faced Den Den Mushi in Whitebeard's hand and greeted Kong politely.
"Gurarara! Kong, what do you think of the captain of our 7th Division? Isn't he an outstanding young man? You Marines don't have talents as remarkable as this!"
"So, you're Lind... I've remembered your name. Since you've chosen the path of a pirate, I hope you won't regret it!"
Although Kong admired Lind's talents, since he had already joined the Rocks Pirates, there was no hope of recruiting him. All Kong could do was express his regret.
"Whitebeard, let's talk about the Marines you've captured!"
Hearing Kong's words, Whitebeard glanced at Lind. Lind held up ten fingers. Whitebeard's pupils contracted slightly, but he remained calm as he spoke to Kong.
"Gurarara! Kong, these men are Sengoku's direct subordinates. We're not asking for much—just ten billion Berries!"
As soon as Whitebeard finished speaking, Kong immediately lost his composure and roared:
"Ten billion Berries?! Do you think I'm worth that much?"
"No way! Including the warship, the most we'll offer is thirty million Berries!"
Lind could tell just from the furious expression on the Den Den Mushi how enraged Kong was.
"Gurarara! Fleet Admiral Kong, as a great admiral, you should remain composed even if the Red Line crumbles before you!"
"You Marines have deep pockets. A mere ten billion Berries—it's not even as much as my bounty. You can definitely afford it!"
Whitebeard was thoroughly enjoying Kong's reaction, but he showed no intention of backing down.
"Hahaha, that's right, Fleet Admiral Kong. These are Vice Admiral Sengoku's trusted subordinates. Without them, the Marines' strength in the New World will be significantly weakened."
"If some pirates get out of control because of this, the damage could far exceed ten billion!"
Lind chimed in, adding more pressure. Since it was essentially free money, he had no problem asking for an exorbitant amount. He was sure the Marines would come up with an offer they could accept.
"Impossible! Fifty million at most! Our Marine budget is limited—Sengoku will find a way to manage!"
"Gurarara! Eight billion, Kong. We're being very reasonable!"
"That's right—eight billion Berries. You choose the location. As long as it's not Marine Headquarters, we can even deliver them to you!"
The two sides went back and forth, but with Kong unwilling to budge, the final ransom was settled at 1.8 billion Berries to retrieve the men and the warship.
As for the exchange location and method, Whitebeard and Lind simply had to wait in place. Soon, Zephyr and Sengoku would catch up to take their men back.
"Gurarara! Kong, pleasure doing business. If another opportunity like this comes up, we'll be in touch!"
After the deal was struck, Whitebeard was in high spirits, laughing as he teased Kong. Unfortunately, Kong did not humor him and simply hung up.
Soon, Lind saw Sengoku again, accompanied by a purple-haired young man—likely Zephyr.
"Gurarara! Sengoku, we meet again. Your men have been well taken care of on my ship!"
"By the way, did you bring the money?"
"Hmph! Newgate, Lind, you really outdid yourselves this time!"
Sengoku, still too immature compared to his future self as Fleet Admiral, was clearly seething with frustration. Lind could feel his resentment from a distance.
"Hmph, enough talk. Of course, we brought the money. Hand over the prisoners, and we'll give you the payment!"
Zephyr, standing beside Sengoku, patted his shoulder and stepped forward to address Whitebeard and Lind.
Fortunately for the Marines, Zephyr had coincidentally been transporting funds to various bases in the New World, or they wouldn't have been able to afford the ransom so quickly.
"Gurarara! Then let's make the trade!"
With no need for further pleasantries, Whitebeard and Lind accepted the money and released the captured Marines and their warship, sailing away toward Hachinosu Island.
Seven days passed swiftly as they sailed the seas, and upon returning to Hachinosu Island, Lind's name had already spread across the entire ocean.
The newly appointed officer of the Rocks Pirates and Captain of the 7th Division had, in a short time, become the most talked-about figure on the seas.
Not yet twenty years old and having been a pirate for less than a month, he had already amassed a bounty exceeding six billion Berries—instantly rising to prominence as a legendary figure.
As Whitebeard's ship approached Hachinosu, the port was packed with people eager to catch a glimpse of this rising star.
Many newcomers hoped to join his crew and become founding members of his force.
Even Rocks himself, accompanied by his officers, had come to welcome them.
After all, the Rocks Pirates had never achieved such a decisive victory before—humiliating Sengoku, the Marine's so-called "tactician," to such an extent.
(According to my setting, at this time, the Marines only had Kong as an admiral, so even though Sengoku was still a vice admiral, he was effectively the second-in-command.)
"Ho ho ho ho! Shiki, with Lind's current reputation, he'll probably have to establish his own 7th Division. There's no way he can serve as your vice captain now!"
"Jihahaha! Boss, Lind is my good brother! I'm thrilled about his rise to fame."
"But boss, you owe me a vice captain now! Next time you find someone suitable, you better keep me in mind!"
"Ho ho ho! I'll leave that task to Lind—I'm sure he can find you an excellent partner!"
"Mamama! That's right, you can't hog all the good fortune! I still don't have a vice captain either. Boss, when can you assign one to me?"
"I think that new kid from the Oni race is a great candidate! With some training, he'll make a fine warrior. He already sees me as his big sister, so don't try to snatch him from me!"
"Newgate and Lind are coming. Let's focus on them—today's spotlight isn't on us!"
Sure enough, Whitebeard's ship docked at the port, and he and Lind walked side by side toward the awaiting crowd.
"Gurarara! Everyone, were back!"