Pirates: Building High Walls Starting from the East Blue.

Chapter 40 has a bad influence.

"What's going on?" Xia Che looked at the civilians who came down from the Moke pirate ship with a puzzled expression.

The crowd looked grief-stricken and their eyes filled with despair. But that was nothing compared to the fact that one of the older men was still muttering curses and swearing. If you listened closely, it sounded like he was cursing the navy.

"How should I insult the Navy? Or Smoker?"

"Haha... there was a little misunderstanding." Hearing Xia Che's question, Mo Ke scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "We encountered Smoke Man and his group on the island. We were very grateful for Smoke Man's help, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to capture everyone so quickly."

The words were spoken.

Xia Che: ...

He looked at Moke with a strange expression.

Although Moke didn't explain in detail, as someone who had once worked at sea, he roughly guessed what was going on.

Imagine you're on the high seas, and suddenly a band of pirates appear and say to you, "Come on, let me take you away. There's work here, and you'll get plenty of food!"...

Who would believe such nonsense!

Even if you use the guise of recruiting workers, not many people will believe you.

Are they still hiring?

It would be strange if this weren't us capturing you as a slave and making you work 007 for free!

Is there a salary and meals provided?

What do you think?

Let alone refugees at sea, even the nobles at sea have never encountered anyone doing such a foolish thing in their entire lives!

So, after that, realizing that saying more was useless, they simply... took the pirate's approach: when they encountered people, they just kidnapped them without saying a word!

As for the rest, we can talk about it later!

Anyway, once the people were brought here, they became obedient, especially after they found out that they hadn't been lied to, they instantly became even more grateful.

There's no way around it, the trust between people in the ocean... is just that low!

So, the Navy helped arrest them?

Xia Che felt he could already picture that scene.

Moral decay and the distortion of human nature!

No wonder these refugees looked so desperate and indignant. They must have felt utterly hopeless when they saw the righteous navy actually helping the pirates capture people.

"Smoker?" Kuzan, who had also come out, seemed to have thought of something, and a strange expression appeared on his face. "Oh, right, Smoker was recently demoted by headquarters to become the new base commander of Loguetown? Marine? Pirate?"

He looked at Xia Che with suspicion.

"I know Smoker. He's only been demoted a few days ago, and you've already corrupted him?"

"Oh my, we're good friends who've worked together before, and Smoker is a great colonel!"

however.

Moke had barely finished speaking.

"What good friends, good friends?" Xia Che kicked him directly, speaking in a serious tone, "How many times have I told you, some relationships can't be said. As pirates, you have nothing to do with the Navy. Remember that, and..."

Then the tone shifted to criticism.

"Didn't I tell you? Your boss has already gone straight and is no longer an old pirate on the high seas. You're a new pirate in the East China Sea. You can't just arrest people randomly. You have to have your own rules and regulations. You have to arrest people in a civilized manner!"

"But... I already explained!" Facing his boss's reprimand, Moke looked troubled and said, "They won't listen! How am I supposed to be civilized?"

"Can't you smile?! Try to catch it with a smile? A smile is the best language, the best explanation, don't you understand!"

"Got it!"

"Do you know what to do now?"

"From now on, I'll make sure everyone catches it with a smile!"

"..." x2

Hearing their conversation, Princess Vivi and Kuzan, who had just arrived, stared at the two of them with black lines on their faces.

Is this something a human being would say?

Arresting someone while smiling?

This is even scarier than arresting someone directly!

Especially Kuzan... Does this guy even know he's still here? He's actually colluding with pirates right in front of him?

As a naval admiral, he felt he had to say something to remind him!

however.

Just as Kuzan was about to speak.

"Come here!" Shache beckoned to Moke with a serious expression. After Moke came forward, Shache pulled him to Kuzan and said, "This is Admiral Kuzan from Headquarters. Do you know what an Admiral means? If you see this face on the high seas in the future, run far, far away from him. And do you remember what I just said?"

The words were spoken.

"?!"

Upon hearing what Boss Shache said, Mok stared at Kuzan in shock.

Admiral?

Not long ago, the boss got involved with a naval hero and a vice admiral, and now he's hooked up with a naval admiral.

As expected of the boss!

It's amazing.

Moke quickly nodded earnestly and said, "Don't worry, boss, I will never tell anyone that General Kuzan is also our backer!"

"???"

Kuzan stared blankly at Mok, who was standing there dumbfounded.

How did he become the backer of these guys?

He felt like there was something he wanted to say but didn't know whether to, but he quickly said with a dark expression, "I'm not!"

"That's right, General Kuzan isn't!" Shache nodded seriously. "Don't go spreading rumors. Now hurry up and finish the handover. It's getting late, we should get going!"

"Understood, boss. I, Mo Ke, am the most discreet man on the sea. I would never go around saying anything."

Moke nodded, then, with his mouth tightly shut and a serious expression, turned around and prepared to go down and hand over the spoils to Sister Noki, following his boss's orders.

And Kuzan...

He watched Moke leave in silence, then turned to look at Xia Che in front of him.

He was just there to watch the show, and now these guys have become the backers?

Before Kuzan, who was sweating bullets, could say anything, the brat in front of him said with a sigh, "Mok lost his parents when he was young. He has no home, no relatives, and no money. He's been poor his whole life and never went to school. It's normal that he misunderstood some things. Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't say anything carelessly. Besides, everyone here except for the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom is one of us."

Xia Che patted his chest, then turned to Weiwei, who was standing there dumbfounded, and said seriously, "But I believe Princess Weiwei would never go around spreading rumors!"

The words were spoken.

Vivi turned her head, looking at Kuzan with a strange expression, then nodded seriously as well. "I am very grateful for everyone's help. Please rest assured, I will never tell anyone this secret."

"..."

This guy doesn't look like someone who wouldn't talk nonsense to others!

No, there's no secret at all!

Kuzan covered his face, his tone lazy and helpless, "Huh, I think I've gotten myself into big trouble? I should have left this awful place sooner."

Of course~

As a naval admiral, he wouldn't really care about these rumors.

After all, he was only the overlord of the East China Sea, not the overlord of the ocean or the overlord of the new world. What would a dignified naval admiral want from cooperating with a mere overlord of the East China Sea?

"I should be leaving too." Kuzan climbed onto his bicycle, put his feet on the pedals, and gave Shacher a deep look. "I hope that when we meet again, I won't have to come and arrest you myself!"

"I'm a righteous Marine," Shacher said with a smile, deliberately flicking his white cloak of justice, which he'd received as a special gift from the training camp and hadn't worn in a long time. "Why would I trouble the righteous Marines to arrest me?"

"What a cunning fellow!"

Kuzan didn't say much in response to Shacher's words. He just smiled, shook his head, and slowly rode away on his bicycle as Shacher waved goodbye.

however.

Just as Kuzan was halfway there.

"Oh right, there's one more thing I forgot."

Xia Che's voice suddenly came from behind.

"Next time you go to Crimson Romance, remember not to order the seawater bath. It's real seawater, and while it's certainly comfortable, it's extremely unfriendly to abilities. There's all sorts of rumors going around Crimson Romance about some lazy, big guy who looks so imposing, but who knows how weak he is inside! It's damaging to the dignity of a Marine Admiral, and it's not a good influence!"

The words were spoken.

"..."

Kuzan, who was leisurely riding his bicycle, suddenly slipped on the pedal and almost fell off the bicycle into the sea.

I know it's having a bad influence, so could you please not shout so loudly?

Kuzan, having regained control of the bicycle, acted as if he hadn't heard anything at all, or as if the conversation hadn't even been directed at him. He continued riding leisurely forward, as if nothing had happened.

only.

Compared to how leisurely she was just now.

At this moment, he...

Although his upper body still looked lazy, his feet were pedaling the bicycle at a speed that was invisible to the naked eye.

Just a moment...

His figure vanished from everyone's sight, leaving behind only the crowd staring at him with strange expressions.

"Serves you right for pretending!" Xia Che muttered with satisfaction, then coughed twice to draw everyone's attention back, and said calmly, "Get ready, it's time for us to set off... into the Grand Line!"

(End of this chapter)