I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 392 The Black Flag Pirates' Ship!
After all, as a former admiral, he still had considerable financial resources.

After settling into their accommodations, everyone decided to explore the island and familiarize themselves with the surroundings.

Star Island is indeed a very prosperous place.

The main street is lined with all kinds of shops, including weapon shops, clothing stores, bookstores, restaurants, and so on.

The streets were bustling with people, including local residents as well as adventurers and merchants from all over the world.

"The atmosphere here is really nice!"

Luffy looked around excitedly.

"There are interesting things everywhere!"

"Indeed, it's more lively here than I expected."

Zoro nodded as well.

"Furthermore, I noticed that the adventurers here are all carrying weapons, and they all seem to be quite strong."

Just as everyone was strolling around, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Don't block the way!"

A group of people dressed in gorgeous clothes were walking down the street, led by a fat man wearing a golden wig.

He was followed by a dozen or so bodyguards who aggressively pushed aside passersby.

"What an annoying guy."

Zoro frowned.

"This style of work reminds me of the Celestial Dragons."

"No way, aren't all the Celestial Dragons dead?"

Usopp asked doubtfully.

Just then, the fat man suddenly noticed the Straw Hat Pirates in the crowd.

His eyes lit up immediately when he saw Borsalino.

"etc!"

The fat man waved to stop the bodyguards from shoving him and quickly walked over.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Borsalino? Former Admiral Kizaru?"

Borsalino glanced at him and nodded slightly.

"Yes, is there something you need?"

Upon hearing the confirmation, the fat man's face immediately lit up with excitement.

"Great! I am Marcus, the president of the Star Island Chamber of Commerce!"

"I happen to need your help with something!"

"help?"

Borsalino raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?"

Marcus looked around, then lowered his voice.

"It's not convenient to talk about this here. Would you please come to my office to discuss it in detail?"

"Of course, your friends are welcome to come too."

Luffy immediately became interested.

"That sounds interesting! Let's go check it out!"

Although they didn't have a good impression of Marcus, they still decided to listen to what he had to say.

Since we've just arrived on this island, it's always good to learn more about the situation.

Marcus's office is located on the top floor of a luxury commercial building.

The office was decorated in an extremely luxurious style, with gold and silver ornaments and precious works of art everywhere.

"Please sit down, please sit down!"

Marcus greeted everyone warmly.

"Bring the finest tea and snacks!"

Soon, several maids came in carrying exquisite tea sets and various snacks.

"Mr. Marcus, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Borsalino cut straight to the point and asked.

He wasn't interested in such empty politeness.

Marcus rubbed his hands together, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.

"Well, Star Island has recently encountered some trouble."

"A group of pirates frequently harasses us, robbing merchant ships and extorting money from merchants."

"Although we have a defense force on our island, its strength is limited, and it's simply no match for them."

"So I'd like to ask you to step in and help us solve this problem."

Upon hearing this, Luffy immediately stood up.

"Pirates robbing merchant ships? That's going too far!"

"We must stop them!"

Marcus smiled with satisfaction upon seeing Luffy's reaction.

"Great! With the help of Admiral Kizaru and the Straw Hat Pirates, those pirates definitely won't dare to cause trouble again!"

"Of course, we won't let you help for nothing; the rewards will be absolutely generous!"

But Borsalino frowned.

He always felt that the matter was not as simple as Marcus made it out to be.

How strong are those pirates?

he asked.

"this."

Marcus hesitated for a moment.

"Their captain is said to have a bounty of 300 million Berries, and his crew consists of some formidable men."

"And they have three ships, with a total of about two hundred people."

Upon hearing this number, Nami gasped.

"A bounty of 300 million Berries? That's no small fry!"

"And he also has over two hundred men under his command, which is indeed a big problem."

But Luffy still showed no sign of backing down.

"So what? We must stop them!"

"We can't let them continue to bully innocent people!"

Seeing Luffy's resolute attitude, the other crew members also expressed their support.

Although the enemy is strong, they never back down for that reason.

"Okay, we accept this task."

Borsalino finally nodded.

Although he suspected there was more to the story, helping innocent businessmen was indeed the right thing to do.

Marcus's face lit up with excitement upon hearing this answer.

"Great! Then we can start tomorrow!"

"I will arrange for the best guides and intelligence personnel to assist you!"

After leaving Marcus's office, the Straw Hat Pirates dispersed to prepare for a good night's rest on the island.

Tomorrow we'll be dealing with that pirate crew with a bounty of 300 million Berries, so everyone needs to be in top form.

"See you tomorrow then."

Borsalino addressed the group, then turned and walked toward his suite.

But he didn't actually go back to his room to rest. Instead, after walking to a deserted corner, his figure suddenly turned into a golden light and disappeared.

With his ability to travel at the speed of light, Borsalino arrived at the other side of Star Island almost instantly.

He landed in an ordinary residential area, surrounded by simple houses and narrow streets.

This stands in stark contrast to the bustling commercial district.

Most of the houses were dilapidated, with peeling paint on the walls and no fancy decorations on the windows.

The pedestrians on the street were simply dressed, and their faces showed signs of fatigue.

Borsalino concealed his aura and changed into ordinary civilian clothes.

With his strength, changing his appearance and aura would be incredibly easy.

He now looks like an ordinary middle-aged man, completely lacking the majesty of a naval admiral.

He walked into a rather old-looking tavern.

The tavern was filled with smoke, and a few local residents were sitting in a corner talking quietly.

"Boss, a drink, please."

Borsalino walked up to the bar and said casually.

The tavern owner was a man in his fifties, his face etched with the marks of time.

He looked up at Borsalino, then silently poured himself a glass of wine and pushed it towards him.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

The boss asked casually as he wiped the wine glasses.

"Yes, I just came from outside."

Borsalino picked up his glass and took a small sip.

"I've heard that pirates often cause trouble here?"

Upon hearing this topic, the boss stopped what he was doing.

He looked around to make sure no one else was paying attention before lowering his voice and saying:
"Pirates? You mean the Black Flag Pirates?"

"They do come often, however..."

The boss hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering whether to continue. "But what?"

Borsalino asked, feigning curiosity.

"Never mind, I'd better not say anything."

The boss shook his head and continued wiping the wine glasses.

"Walls have ears; some things shouldn't be said carelessly."

Seeing that his boss was unwilling to say more, Borsalino did not press the matter.

He quietly drank his wine, listening to the conversations of the guests around him.

"Prices have gone up again; bread this month is twice as expensive as last month."

A middle-aged woman in tattered clothes complained.

"It's because the Chamber of Commerce monopolizes all grain trade."

The man next to her said angrily.

"That fat Marcus is a total vampire!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

The woman quickly stopped him.

"It would be troublesome if the Chamber of Commerce heard about this!"

Hearing these conversations, Borsalino already had some guesses in his mind.

It seems that Marcus isn't as glamorous as he appears on the surface.

He put down his glass, gently placed a few coins on the bar, and then got up and left the tavern.

After leaving the tavern, Borsalino continued to wander around the residential area.

He came to a small market where many small vendors had gathered.

However, most of the stalls appeared desolate, with few goods and high prices.

"Uncle, why are these vegetables so expensive?"

Borsalino walked up to a vegetable stall and casually asked.

The stall owner was a thin, elderly man with a worried expression on his face.

"There's nothing we can do; the Chamber of Commerce controls all agricultural products now."

The old man sighed.

"We small vendors can only get our goods from them; the prices are entirely up to them."

“There used to be other supply channels, but now they've all monopolized them.”

"Then why don't you unite and resist?"

Borsalino continued to ask.

The old man gave a wry smile.

"Resist? What can we use to resist?"

"The Chamber of Commerce is wealthy and powerful; the island's defense force is all under their control."

"Anyone who dares to resist will be immediately expelled from the island under various pretexts."

Borsalino nodded thoughtfully.

"What will you do when the pirates come?"

The old man's expression became complicated when pirates were mentioned.

"Pirates? You mean the Black Flag Pirates, right?"

"To be honest, although they are pirates, they don't seem to have any ill intentions towards us civilians."

"Sometimes it does."

The old man paused for a moment and looked around.

"They would also secretly give us supplies to help families struggling to make ends meet."

"What?"

Borsalino feigned surprise.

"Pirates would help civilians?"

"Yes, it sounds strange, but that's really how it is."

The old man nodded.

"Their captain is called Red, and he's a very strange guy."

“Every time I come to the island, I quietly deliver food and medicine to some impoverished families.”

"And they never ask for anything in return."

Borsalino increasingly felt that this matter was not simple.

If pirates are really helping civilians, then what about the "harassment of merchants" that Marcus mentioned?
"What is their relationship with the Chamber of Commerce?"

He continued to ask.

The old man's expression became even more complicated.

"Well... how should I put it?"

"The Black Flag Pirates do attack merchant ships, but they never harm the crew."

"They simply stole some goods and distributed them to the poor on the island."

"To put it bluntly, it's about robbing the rich to help the poor."

Having heard this, Borsalino had basically grasped the truth of the matter.

It seems that the Black Flag Pirates are not bad people, but rather they are resisting the oppression of the merchant guild.

Marcus likely invited them to deal with the pirates in order to eliminate this threat and continue to monopolize trade on the island.

"Uncle, what do you locals think of the Black Flag Pirates?"

Borsalino finally asked a crucial question.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then said softly:
"To be honest, most people don't dislike them."

"Although they are pirates, at least they don't oppress us civilians."

"On the contrary, it's the Chamber of Commerce that we hate far more than we hate the pirates."

Having obtained the information he wanted, Borsalino bought some vegetables and then left the market.

But he did not return to the hotel immediately; instead, he continued his investigation on the island.

He arrived at a slum near the port.

The situation here is even worse than in the residential areas, with dilapidated shacks everywhere.

Many people were poorly clothed, pale and emaciated, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition.

In the heart of the slum, there is a makeshift clinic.

Borsalino saw a long line of people and went over to join them.

There was only one young doctor busy at the clinic.

He looked very tired, but he still patiently treated each patient.

"Doctor, is there enough medication?"

A woman who looked like a nurse asked worriedly.

"How many more days can we hold on?"

The doctor said with a wry smile.

"I hope Captain Red and the others can return soon."

Upon hearing the name, Borsalino immediately perked up his ears.

"Yes, the medicine they brought last time really saved a lot of lives."

The nurse nodded.

"If it weren't for their help, these patients wouldn't be able to afford the medicine at all."

"The Chamber of Commerce monopolizes all pharmaceutical trade, and prices are outrageously high."

"Ordinary people simply cannot afford medical treatment."

Borsalino crept closer, wanting to hear more.

"Captain Red is a really good man."

An elderly woman waiting for treatment said gratefully.

"If he hadn't brought medicine to my grandson, he would have died long ago."

"Yes, even though he's a pirate, he's much better than those merchants."

Another patient chimed in.

"At least he has a kind heart."

Hearing these conversations, Borsalino was completely certain of his guess.

Red, the captain of the Black Flag Pirates, is indeed helping the poor people on the island.

The Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, is the real oppressor.

Marcus probably wanted to eliminate the pirate crew because they threatened the interests of the merchant guild.

Borsalino left the clinic and continued wandering around the slums.

He witnessed even more heartbreaking scenes.

Many children are emaciated due to malnutrition.

Some elderly people suffer from illness because they cannot afford the medication.

In stark contrast, the wealthy businessmen in the commercial district live lavish lifestyles.

This enormous gap between the rich and the poor reminded Borsalino of the world during the Celestial Dragons' reign.

Although the world government has collapsed, this injustice still exists.

Just as Borsalino was about to leave the slums, he heard a commotion.

"Look! It's the Black Flag Pirates' ship!"

(End of this chapter)