East Blue, Bridge Kingdom, Tequila Wolf.
Not long after Garp and the Vice Admirals led the Marine fleet away, several warships surrounded the area.
A local official nervously put down the Transponder Snail, then cautiously looked at the young man standing before him.
The young man had medium-length blonde hair slicked back. His sharp, angular face carried a faint smile as he gazed at the official. If one ignored the armed guards surrounding them and the fact that this young man's face had become one of the most recognizable in the East Blue, his expression might have seemed like that of an old friend catching up.
This was Morgan William. Over the past few months, his name had spread far beyond the East Blue, gradually becoming known across the world, thanks to the news circulated by various newspapers.
Each publication had given him a different nickname.
The East Blue papers, which were more familiar with William's history, called him the "Uncrowned King", referencing his former position as a governor, or the "Sea Emperor", highlighting his dominance in the region. Meanwhile, foreign newspapers, emphasizing his pirate identity, dubbed him the "Conqueror" or the "Pirate King." The World Economy News even gave him the title "Lionheart", focusing on the gruesome detail that he had allegedly carved out Golden Lion Shiki's heart after killing him.
These sensational and often bizarre nicknames served one purpose: to glorify the Marines who had captured him. The more ruthless, powerful, and fearsome William was portrayed, the greater the perceived success of the Marine operation, showcasing the wisdom of its commanders and the strength of its executors.
However, after William successfully escaped from prison, these nicknames and fabricated backstories only added to his aura of intimidation.
Thanks to the newspapers, many people learned for the first time that William hadn't just killed Golden Lion Shiki—he had also removed his heart. This detail had actually come from Garp, who, after discovering Shiki's corpse, reported the findings to Sengoku, who then leaked it to certain newspapers.
Some tabloid papers even fabricated stories claiming that William had eaten Shiki's heart raw, believing that consuming the hearts of his enemies would grant him immense power.
The tabloids described these events in vivid detail, and many readers believed them. The reasoning was simple—what kind of normal person would carve out someone else's heart and then preserve the corpse of the victim?
"I've done as you asked. I called Marine Headquarters. Please don't kill me," the official pleaded, his face pale with fear.
"Mathis, right? That's your name, isn't it?" William said after a moment of thought, smiling at the man before him. "I remember seeing you when Meunier was still in charge here. Don't worry, I'm not a cold-blooded butcher. I won't kill indiscriminately."
Meunier had been the previous overseer of Tequila Wolf. He had colluded with William, engaging in human trafficking and accepting bribes to allow William's men to handle the transportation of supplies to the bridge. When the Marines learned of William's plan to destroy Tequila Wolf, they discovered explosives in warehouses and other key locations on the bridge. It was clear that such actions couldn't have been carried out by outsiders.
After a brief investigation, the truth came to light. Enraged, Garp and his team removed Meunier from his position and took him away. Strictly speaking, the Marines didn't have the authority to do this, as Meunier was technically under the jurisdiction of the World Government, not the Marines. However, with Garp's reputation and strength rivaling that of an Admiral, no one present dared to object.
Of course, they only took Meunier. He wasn't the only official who had colluded with William, but even with Garp's backing, they couldn't arrest most of the officials without leaving Tequila Wolf leaderless.
William claimed he didn't kill indiscriminately, but Mathis couldn't help glancing toward the edge of the bridge. There lay numerous corpses—those who had resisted William's forces when they boarded the bridge. Not a single one had survived. Their bodies bore horrific burns, their expressions twisted in agony from severe dehydration and other injuries, making for a ghastly sight.
Noticing Mathis's gaze, William explained, "They weren't very cooperative. This was just a small punishment. You, on the other hand, have been very cooperative. Why would I treat you the same way?"
William patted Mathis on the shoulder, a simple gesture that made the latter tremble uncontrollably.
"I'll cooperate! I'll do whatever you say! I'll even help you blow up this bridge!" Mathis stammered, nodding frantically.
William chuckled. "Blow up the bridge? No. Do I look like someone who only knows how to destroy things? I'm just here to take some people and to let the Marines in the East Blue know that I've been here."
When Garp and his team returned to Tequila Wolf, Mathis repeated William's exact words to them.
"Let us know he's been here?" Garp muttered, chewing over the statement, unsure of its deeper meaning.
Tequila Wolf hadn't been destroyed, but the prisoners there had all been taken by William. If his intention was to provoke them, Garp had to admit that William had succeeded. Whether it was him, the usually composed Vice Admiral Strawberry, or the hardline Vice Admiral Doberman, all of them were furious. They wouldn't rest until William was recaptured.
Since arriving at Tequila Wolf, Strawberry had been deep in thought, his brows furrowed. Finally, he looked up and called Garp and Doberman over.
"I've realized something important. It seems that the Morgan Pirates haven't dispersed during this time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to regroup so quickly. So where are they getting their supplies? Their ships don't have sails. Without resupply, they'd be nothing more than steel coffins at sea," Strawberry said, addressing the other Vice Admirals.
Doberman and Garp, prompted by Strawberry's observation, began considering the issue as well.
Compared to traditional sailing ships, steamships had countless advantages, but they also had one major drawback: by abandoning the wind as a free and abundant source of power, they became entirely dependent on fuel.
According to descriptions from Marines who had seen the Morgan Pirates' steamship, it appeared to use coal as its primary fuel source. However, the Morgan Pirates had been driven out of the Navia Kingdom some time ago. Where were they resupplying their coal? If they had stockpiled it in advance, where was the storage site? This question extended not only to coal but also to the weapons and ammunition supplied to various pirate crews, and most importantly, to the food and provisions needed for the Morgan Pirates' survival.
The steel leviathan required fuel to operate, and the crew aboard required sustenance to survive.
Now, with William having taken the laborers from Tequila Wolf, how would they eat? How would they drink?
Doberman's face twitched, his scars seeming to move with him. "William must have a secret base. Without it, they wouldn't even have a place to rest, let alone resupply. I'm also starting to suspect that the civilians he took with him earlier weren't scattered and hidden. They might also be at this secret base. My only question is, where is it? Even if the East Blue is William's home turf, a base like that should stand out. Yet, when we spread our forces across the region earlier, we found nothing—not even a hint of its existence. Something's not right."
"When the pirate uprisings broke out in the East Blue, we deployed our forces without a clear target. It's possible we overlooked it. But no matter what, we have to find it now. Otherwise, we'll always be dancing to William's tune. He'll never engage us directly!" Strawberry added, building on Doberman's analysis.
(End of Chapter)
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