Chapter 132: Ryuunosuke's Plan and Reactions from All Parties
"Captain, I still don't get it."
"Isn't the chaos in the Grand Line actually a good thing for us?"
"And isn't it kinda risky to leak our intel to Morgans like that?"
Najenda frowned, still puzzled after overhearing the conversation between Ryuunosuke and Morgans.
"Chaos is good," Ryuunosuke replied calmly, "But not right now. It's not the right time for us to stir things up."
He turned his eyes to the horizon.
"This Grand Line… it's just the beginning. We've got a long road ahead of us."
"As for trust? It's always a game of interests and threats."
"Don't worry too much."
Ryuunosuke spoke with the cool certainty of someone who truly understood the world of pirates. He knew the personalities of the major players in the One Piece world well—and that gave him confidence others didn't have.
Najenda nodded slowly. "Alright, so… what's next? Are we still heading to Sabaody Archipelago like we planned?"
"Let Chrollo handle the money collection here. He's probably a natural at that stuff," she added with a grin.
Ryuunosuke chuckled. "Heh, look at you—finally getting on my wavelength. Not bad."
"Alright then, let's go. It's almost time to move."
With that, he turned toward the bow of the ship, looking out at the open sea with a satisfied smile.
But just as they were preparing to set sail—
"Uh… Captain… Mario's missing."
The announcement caught everyone off guard. Mario was known for keeping a low profile, rarely leaving the ship's interior unless he needed to fix something. He didn't fight, didn't cause problems. Most of the time, people forgot he was even there.
If Gunado hadn't needed him to inspect the ship, no one would've noticed he was gone.
"Huh? Mario's missing?" Ryuunosuke frowned, pulling out his Den Den Mushi to contact him immediately.
"Captain, I'm at the dock," Mario answered, his voice sheepish. "The shipbuilding tech here is… insane. I got caught up studying it and kinda lost track of time."
Ryuunosuke didn't sound angry. "How much longer do you need?"
This was Mario's job, after all. His current actions weren't slacking—they were an attempt to level up his skills.
Even though the evil warship could self-repair and absorb other ships to strengthen itself, Mario's role wasn't meaningless. He'd clearly found an opportunity to grow.
"Three days," Mario replied after a pause. "I can memorize all the theory now and tinker with it later."
Ryuunosuke nodded. "I'll give you half a month. We'll come back and pick you up then. If anything goes down, call me immediately using the Dragon Hunting Order."
"Understood, Captain! I won't let you down!"
Mario sounded relieved. He'd been bracing himself for a scolding—after all, this was a personal detour. Initially, he'd just wanted to step out after being cooped up too long. Then he stumbled across the shipyard—and the technology completely sucked him in.
"Mr. Mario, is something wrong?"
Franky raised a brow, pushing his glasses up as he noticed Mario spacing out. "Was I unclear just now?"
"Oh—no, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something important," Mario apologized quickly. "Could you repeat that part again, Mr. Franky?"
Franky chuckled. "No worries. It's easy to get distracted with all this tech talk. You're doing fine."
Mario's respectful attitude made Franky even more relaxed. They were getting along just fine.
---
Meanwhile, as the Dragon Hunter Pirates set sail, shockwaves spread across the entire Grand Line.
Perururu peruru
Doflamingo picked up the ringing Den Den Mushi.
"What is it, Morgans?" he asked, a little wary. "Why're you calling me now?"
"The Dragon Hunter Pirates are cracking down on all the impostors using their name," Morgans said without preamble. "Oh, and just a heads-up… they've got you in their sights too."
He continued in a casual tone, "Also, here's a bit of juicy info—free of charge. Just remember, you owe me one."
"They've got a close connection with the Whitebeard Pirates. That's why I didn't fight back."
And with that, Morgans hung up.
Doflamingo blinked. "What the hell…?"
He tried calling back, but the line was already blocked.
Just then, Trebol burst in.
"Dover! One of Morgans' news birds just dropped this off."
He tossed over a newspaper.
"The Dragon Hunter Pirates are demanding 70% of all spoils from anyone using their name. Anyone who doesn't pay? They're gonna get wiped out."
Doflamingo's expression darkened.
So that's why Morgans called.
If it had just been a threat from some upstart crew, he would've ignored it.
But this involved the Whitebeard Pirates too.
If what Morgans said was true…
"Send word to our people. Tell them to agree to the Dragon Hunter's demand and come back right away," Doflamingo ordered after a moment's thought.
This wasn't about profit anymore. It was about surviving the storm.
His goal in sending people out wasn't about money in the first place—it was to stir things up, muddy the waters. His real income came from the black market and slave trade.
And now, this was bigger than him.
---
Elsewhere across the Grand Line, the same message spread like wildfire.
"What?! Why should I give away 70% of what I risked my neck to steal?! Screw that!"
"Damn it! These Dragon Hunter guys are insane."
"This is gonna backfire. They're poking a hornet's nest."
"…Yeah, screw them. But still… send over the loot. We don't want trouble. Let's just sit back and watch."
"Haha! Just a bunch of rookies. Keep partying, boys!"
Each crew reacted differently.
Some ignored the warning and kept partying.
Others grumbled, but quietly handed over the goods—playing it smart.
Some, like Doflamingo's crew, paid up and fled the Grand Line entirely.
---
At the same time, in Marineford…
"Damn it!" Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk. "That bastard!"
The Five Elders' angry voices blared through the Den Den Mushi.
Beru beru!
"Sengoku! What the hell are you doing?!"
"How are you going to fix this?!"
"A pirate crew just restored order to the Grand Line—something the Marines couldn't do!"
"Look at your Navy… compared to them…"
The voices raged on, relentless.
And Sengoku could only sit there, jaw clenched, caught between orders and humiliation.
Because right now, a pirate crew was doing the Navy's job better than they ever could.
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