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

Chapter 398 Release Marcus!
"Sir, have you kept any evidence?"

Sanji asked cautiously.

"Like price increase notices, receipts, or something similar?"

The old man thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, I kept some receipts."

"I was hoping that one day I could appeal and get justice."

He pulled a worn-out cloth bag from his pocket, which contained a thick stack of receipts.

Chopper examined the receipts carefully and found that there were indeed obvious price discrepancies.

The same grain cost less than half the price it does now, which was priced three years ago.

Moreover, the timing of the price increase coincided exactly with the arrival time of the naval fleet the old man had mentioned.

"Sir, can we borrow these receipts?"

Sanji asked.

"We want to help you get justice."

The old man excitedly grasped Sanji's hand.

"Really? You can really help us?"

"I promise!"

Sanji said firmly.

Meanwhile, Franky was also busy with his own mission.

He arrived near the Chamber of Commerce building, looking for the location of the communication equipment.

As an excellent shipwright, Franky was familiar with all kinds of mechanical equipment.

He quickly discovered the Den Den Mushi (snail phone) communication antenna on the roof of the Chamber of Commerce building.

"That's their communications hub."

Franky thought to himself.

"If we could access their communication network, we could eavesdrop on important conversations."

The problem is that the Chamber of Commerce building is now heavily guarded, making it difficult to get close to the antenna.

Just as Franky was thinking of a solution, he noticed a detail.

The Chamber of Commerce building's communication antennas require regular maintenance, and the maintenance personnel are usually hired from nearby technology companies.

“Got it!”

Frankie's eyes lit up.

He quickly altered his appearance to make himself look like an ordinary technician.

Then he swaggered toward the back door of the Chamber of Commerce building.

"I'm here to have the communication equipment repaired."

"Frankie said to the doorman."

"Your antenna is experiencing signal instability."

The gatekeeper glanced at Frankie's "toolbox" but didn't suspect anything.

After all, the Chamber of Commerce has indeed been strengthening the maintenance of various equipment during this period.

"The entrance to the roof is over there. Be careful not to fall."

The gatekeeper said casually.

Franky successfully infiltrated the Chamber of Commerce building and reached the rooftop.

He quickly installed a small listening device on the communication antenna.

This device was something he made on the spot, and it was able to intercept the communication signals of Den Den Mushi (snail phone dens).

“Done!”

Frankie clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"Now we can eavesdrop on their internal communications."

Meanwhile, Zoro was observing the deployment of Jack's fleet.

He discovered that Jack's fleet was indeed quite powerful, consisting of three medium-sized warships and one large command ship.

The total strength is approximately 500 people.

"The quantity is indeed quite large."

Zoro was making plans in his mind.

"However, they all seem to be ordinary soldiers; there probably aren't many truly strong individuals among them."

"The biggest threat is Colonel Jack himself."

Zoro carefully observed the situation on Jack's command ship, trying to assess Jack's strength.

Judging from Jack's actions and demeanor, he should have some fighting ability, but he is definitely not a top-tier expert.

"With the strength of our Straw Hat Pirates, dealing with them shouldn't be a problem."

Zoro drew a conclusion.

"The key is to protect civilians and prevent the fighting from affecting innocent people."

Robin then went to the island's archives to look up publicly available historical records.

As an archaeologist, Robin is adept at finding useful information from various documents.

She flipped through Star Island's recent economic reports, tax records, population statistics, and so on.

Soon, she noticed something unusual.

"Strange. The trade volume reported by the Chamber of Commerce does not match the actual tax revenue."

Robin frowned.

"According to their reported figures, the taxes that should have been paid were three times more than what was actually paid."

"This indicates that they are evading taxes on a large scale, or overstating trade figures."

What Robin found even more suspicious was that this anomaly had started three years ago.

Before that, all the data from the Chamber of Commerce were normal.

"It seems that something significant did happen three years ago."

Robin thought to himself.

"Moreover, this change involves the involvement of the navy."

She continued her investigation and finally discovered crucial information in an inconspicuous meeting record.

Three years ago, the Chamber of Commerce on Fanxing Island applied for a special "military cooperation agreement".

This agreement allows the Chamber of Commerce to enjoy special tax breaks and trade privileges under the guise of "supporting naval construction".

The agreement was approved by the naval base that was in charge of the area at the time.

“Found it!”

Robin excitedly copied the record.

"This is irrefutable evidence of their collusion!"

Although Brooke was scared, he still mustered up his courage and completed his task.

Using his agility, he sneaked into places that others couldn't access.

For example, the ventilation ducts in the Chamber of Commerce warehouse, the hulls of Jack's fleet, and so on.

In the Chamber of Commerce's warehouse, Brooke discovered a large stockpile of food and daily necessities.

These supplies were enough to feed the entire island's residents for several months, but they were locked in a warehouse and not allowed to be sold.

"Those bastards!"

Brooke said angrily.

"There are so many supplies, yet the civilians are going hungry!"

"This is practically man-made famine!"

On Jack's command ship, Brooke overheard some important conversations.

It turns out that Jack was not only helping Marcus monopolize trade, but also using his naval identity to engage in smuggling activities.

They transported some contraband under the guise of "naval supplies" and then sold it at high prices on the black market.

These profits were ultimately split between Jack and Marcus.

"That's outrageous!"

Although Brook was just a skeleton, he could still feel anger.

"They not only exploit civilians, but also use the navy's reputation for criminal activities!"

Time passed second by second, and the members of the Straw Hat Pirates successfully completed their respective missions.

When they reunited on the deserted island, each of them brought back important evidence.

"Very good!"

Nami looked at the various pieces of evidence laid out on the table, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"With this evidence, we can fully expose their crimes!"

Looking at the evidence, Luffy didn't quite understand the specifics, but he could feel everyone's excitement.

"Let's go deal with those bad guys now!"

"Wait, Luffy."

Just then, Borsalino and Red returned to the camp together.

"The situation has changed somewhat."

Borsalino's expression was very serious.

"Based on our observations, Jack has already begun taking action ahead of schedule."

"He dispatched a small team to search for us and has already arrested several civilians who might be able to help us."

Upon hearing this news, everyone's expression changed.

"How are the civilians doing?"

Chopper asked eagerly.

"They're safe for now, but they'll be in danger if we don't act quickly."

"Red said through gritted teeth."

"Jack threatened that if we didn't surrender, he would treat the civilians as his own crew."

"What?!" Luffy jumped up angrily.

"How could they treat innocent people like this!"

"This is no longer a simple matter of corruption; it's outright crime!"

Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

"It seems we must act immediately."

"But we must be careful."

Nami reminded her.

"If we attack rashly, the hostages may be harmed."

Borsalino nodded.

"Therefore, we must develop a comprehensive rescue plan."

"Rescue the hostages first, then deal with Jack and Marcus."

Reid also agreed.

"We've located where they're holding the hostages."

"It's in the warehouse in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce building."

“We have people guarding that place; they can provide you with inside information.”

"who?"

Robin asked curiously.

Reid smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

“These are some of the people we rescued before.”

"They volunteered to join our operation, wanting to do something for the islanders."

"Although they are not professional soldiers, they all have a heart full of justice."

Upon hearing this, Luffy's eyes shone with emotion.

"Great! Now we have more help!"

"and many more."

Borusalino raised a concern.

Is it really appropriate to involve ordinary people in such dangerous operations?

What if they get injured?

Red shook his head.

“Mr. Borsalino, you don’t understand.”

"These people have had enough of oppression and exploitation."

"They would rather risk their lives for freedom than continue to endure this kind of life."

"Moreover, if we succeed, they will achieve true liberation."

"If we fail, their situation won't be any worse than it is now."

Upon hearing Red's words, everyone fell into deep thought.

Indeed, for ordinary people living in dire straits, the current situation is the worst possible scenario.

Instead of continuing to endure it, it's better to take a gamble.

"I see."

Borsalino nodded.

"Then let's develop a detailed action plan."

"If we're going to do it, we must do it to the best of our ability. We must not only rescue the hostages, but also completely resolve the problem."

"Remember, our goal is not to kill the enemy, but to make them accountable for their actions."

Borusalino emphasized this point.

“We need to capture Jack and Marcus, then send them, along with the evidence, to Navy Headquarters.”

"This is the only way to truly solve the problem, rather than simply seeking revenge."

Luffy was somewhat dissatisfied, but he still nodded.

"Okay, but if they hurt innocent people, I will absolutely not let them get away with it!"

"certainly."

Borsalino said with a smile.

"Protecting the innocent is our duty."

As night fell, the joint operation between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Black Flag Pirates officially began.

Zoro and Sanji, along with several members of the Black Flag Pirates, quietly approached the merchant guild building.

Using the sewer map provided by Reid, they infiltrated the building from underground.

In the underground warehouse, they saw more than a dozen civilians being held captive.

These people looked haggard and had clearly suffered a lot.

"Don't be afraid, everyone, we're here to rescue you."

Sanji said softly.

"We are the Straw Hat Pirates. Red sent us."

Upon hearing Red's name, hope immediately ignited in the eyes of the imprisoned civilians.

"Really? Reid and the others are alright?"

An old man asked, trembling.

"Of course it's fine."

As Zoro helped them untie their ropes, he said.

"And soon you will all be free."

While they were rescuing the hostages, Robin and Franky also began their own operation.

They entered the Chamber of Commerce building from the front and used the listening devices that Franky had previously installed to locate Marcus's position.

"He's in his top-floor office."

Franky looked at the information transmitted back by the listening device.

"And he's on the phone with Jack."

Robin nodded.

"That's perfect, we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

They quickly made their way to the top floor and then used Robin's abilities to take control of the guards at the office door.

When they pushed open the office door, Marcus was anxiously talking to a Den Den Mushi.

"Colonel Jack, where exactly is the Straw Hat Pirates?"

"My men searched for ages but couldn't find any trace of them."

Jack's impatient voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"Don't worry, Marcus. They're definitely still on the island."

"As long as we have those hostages under control, they'll show up sooner or later."

"Then we'll..."

Jack was interrupted by Robin's ability before he could finish speaking.

Her arm reached out from the floor and grabbed the Den Den Mushi.

"Who goes there?!"

Marcus turned around in alarm and saw Robin and Franky standing in the doorway.

"You...you're from the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"That's right."

Robin said calmly.

“Mr. Marcus, your good days are over.”

Franky stepped forward and used his mechanical arm to restrain Marcus.

"Behave yourself, and don't even think about running away."

Jack's angry roar came through the Den Den Mushi.

"Marcus! Marcus! What happened?!"

Robin picked up the Den Den Mushi and spoke into the receiver:

"Colonel Jack, we are the Straw Hat Pirates."

“Your accomplice Marcus is now in our hands.”

"If you want to save him, come to the Chamber of Commerce building."

"Of course, remember to bring your incriminating evidence."

After saying that, Robin hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, at the port, Luffy and Borsalino were waiting for Jack to appear.

They knew that Jack would come in person once he heard the news of Marcus's arrest.

Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, Jack led an elite force to storm the Chamber of Commerce building.

"That's them!"

Luffy stared at Jack, his eyes burning with fury.

"This bastard dares to threaten innocent people!"

Borsalino stopped Luffy from rushing forward.

"Wait, let them enter the building first."

"We need to deal with them in a closed space so that no one else gets hurt."

Although Luffy was impatient, he still followed Borsalino's advice.

They waited for Jack to enter the Chamber of Commerce building, and then followed him.

In the lobby of the Chamber of Commerce building, Jack saw Marcus being controlled by Robin and Franky.

"Let go of Marcus!"

(End of this chapter)