One Piece Gunslinger

“But…” Johnny stared intently at the fruit in front of him, a hint of unease in his voice.

"There are no buts. Since you have made great contributions, you should naturally be rewarded. Clear rewards and punishments are one of the basic conditions for an organization to thrive in the long run."

Without saying a word, Jack shoved the fruit into Johnny's mouth.

Johnny swallowed the fruit whole and immediately began to gag. There was no way around it; anyone who swallowed feces would feel the same way.

Johnny gagged for a while but nothing came out. When he came to his senses, he looked down at Jack and asked in confusion, "Hey? Why do I feel like you've gotten shorter?"

“It’s not that I’ve gotten shorter, you idiot.” Jack looked at the big black bear in front of him and said helplessly, “It’s that you’ve gotten taller, Johnny. Control your abilities properly and don’t transform all the time. If someone sees you transformed, this secret will be out of reach.”

“But if facing a powerful enemy, Johnny will definitely have to transform into his animal form. If he can’t transform, then it’s not very meaningful.” Johnny’s bear-like mouth revealed his doubts.

"You stupid bear, if you turned the other side into a dead person, no one would know the secret, right?"

Chapter Sixty-Four: Logical Inconsistency

Fortunately, only a few people know that Jack was able to steal the Devil Fruit. Otherwise, if he caused another big news story just a few days after that incident, Jack would quickly become a regular in big news.

Let's leave these big news-making specialists to Luffy's Straw Hat crew. Jack says he doesn't have any protagonist aura and can't handle that kind of hype.

However, that's what Jack is thinking now. Little does he know that the big news he'll create in the end will far surpass that of the original protagonist Luffy and his crew.

Now that Jack is awake, there's no need to heed the doctor's advice to rest for a couple more days. He'll take over Haku's job immediately, letting Haku, who's only slept three hours in three days, get some proper rest.

In fact, Haku has already dealt with most of the recent troubles, and Jack quickly and efficiently took care of the remaining minor matters.

But these small things are easy to do; big things are difficult.

Not long after Jack sat in his office, General Hatton, having received word of the situation, stepped through the door.

"You probably already know who I am. I'm Hatton, in charge of security in Pacqui City. I've come uninvited, so please don't take offense." Hatton was dressed in white, with tassels on the cuffs and shoulders, and some decorations on the chest, presumably indicating his status. The clothes, on Hatton's already tall frame, made him appear even more imposing.

"Since General Hatton is in charge of security in Pacqui City, what is the purpose of his visit today?" Jack couldn't help but become wary upon seeing Hatton's attire.

Given Mr. Jack's level of awareness, he probably wouldn't want to see this country rife with evil and rampant crime.

"Oh? So what?"

"I wonder if Captain Jack would be interested in joining us in repealing the Civil Society Organizations Protection Act?" Hatton said bluntly, finding a chair to sit down and addressing Jack.

Upon hearing this, Jack remained calm for the moment and feigned concern, asking, "Was this situation decided by your King Donald himself? He signed and promulgated the law that allows gangs to legally exist in this country. As the kingdom's general, shouldn't you uphold the King's law?"

Hatton laughed and said, "Even His Majesty the King is guilty of a serious crime for making such a mistake. We cannot blindly obey such a foolish and incompetent king who is going against the tide. We must correct the mistakes that need to be corrected."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Jack asked, feigning ignorance.

"We may seem to still be under Donald's leadership, but we've already recognized reality, distanced ourselves from him, and intend to overthrow Donald and repeal that law," Hatton said to Jack with an air of righteous indignation.

It turns out that long ago, Hatton received news of Peter's death, and Jack, in an unexpected way, after dealing with the Pacqui City gang, came up with that plan.

In the original situation, the forces controlled by the World Government were still somewhat inferior to those controlled by the mafia.

For a greedy world government, when it lacks control over other powers, it wants to intervene and cultivate its own forces. Now that it has almost control of half the country, it wonders why it doesn't just take control of the entire nation.

If the controlled forces and armed capabilities were to fight the two major gangs head-on, there would be little hope of victory, and a huge loss of influence would be in vain.

However, the World Government cannot openly and ostentatiously send a large number of personnel to handle this issue. Doing so would inevitably give others grounds for criticism, and the World Government's promise not to intervene in its members' internal affairs would become a joke.

If, like Peter, one were to send out a small force of just a few men, it would be a drop in the ocean. The two sides might end up fighting fiercely, and Donald might end up seizing the spoils of victory.

Using the military to deal with those gangs was Donald's original intention in expanding the army. If the World Government hadn't intervened, Donald would have already commanded the army to fight them. If the World Government were to actually fight the gangs, it would be doing what Donald had long wanted to do. Controlling the military in the past was simply pointless—a completely unnecessary effort.

But now a disruptor has appeared, instantly stirring the ambitions of those greedy World Government officials. Good riddance to Benny the Bear! Well done, Captain Jack Sparrow! Even the unprecedented waiver of responsibility for Hatton's previous miscalculations, flawed judgments, and investments that resulted in significant financial losses and the loss of Agent Peter was absurd.

The reason is that, given the current situation, an obedient puppy is certainly not as good as a fierce tiger.

To the World Government, Benny the Bear is nothing more than an obedient puppy. It's impossible to disrupt the balance using a mere puppy; at most, it can only further increase the World Government's influence in the Yutaka Kingdom.

Just like purging other smaller gangs and consolidating all the power and businesses in Pacquiao, Benny couldn't do something like that. First, he didn't have the ability, and second, he wouldn't dare to do it. That would be a direct challenge to the authority of the three major gangs; he wouldn't dare to act recklessly even if he had the guts.

However, Jack's actions gave the World Government a breakthrough. If they could use the power of the Red Rock Society and Captain Jack to seize control of the country in secret, it would be just around the corner.

That's why we have the scene where General Hatton, dressed in formal attire, comes to Jack's office to persuade him.

There's no need to force Jack to join forces, nor to spend any money or support, or even for the World Government to intervene. We can use Jack's ideology to make him work for the World Government.

Perhaps in the end, Jack won't even know that he's actually working for the World Government.

Jack was initially surprised that Hatton had come so early, since the two had been enemies not long ago. It seemed a little odd that he'd just finished fighting Benny and then come so early in the morning.

When Hatton finally revealed his intentions, it turned out he wanted to take charge of the overall situation? And he even claimed that Yutaka was a place of great integrity within the country? He twisted the truth about betraying King Donald and joining the World Government so convincingly, with such righteous indignation. His shamelessness was truly unparalleled.

What Jack found most perplexing was whether these people were idiots. Even the most naive people Jack had ever met shouldn't be this stupid. Even without knowing the details, the fact that Black Bear Benny was in Jack's hands should have been easily found out with a few inquiries. Did they all really think Black Bear Benny was a stubborn, unyielding man who would rather die than divulge any information? That clearly didn't make sense. Even if he truly was unyielding, they should at least have shown some polite skepticism.

Jack was talking to Hatton without showing any emotion, but his mind was filled with question marks.

Chapter Sixty-Five: Each with Their Own Hidden agendas (Part Two)

Jack talked with Hatton for a long time, and finally saw Hatton off with a smile.

Then Jack called Fujitora over and asked directly, "I've thought about it over and over, and nothing makes sense, but after eliminating a series of suspicious points, no matter how impossible it seems, it's the truth. They had no idea that Black Bear Benny had fallen into our hands, right?"

To everyone's surprise, Fujitora laughed and said, "Hehe, as expected of the Chief of Staff. You've figured out the key point right away."

"Wow! Now that I think about it, no wonder they had to temporarily create a hidden and safe dungeon. It was to keep the news that Benny had fallen into our hands from the outside world." Jack once again put on a show of hindsight, connecting the dots of what had happened in the dungeon earlier.

“That’s right. Back then, I went to great lengths to quickly build a dungeon.” Fujitora’s closed eyes opened slightly with a smile, revealing a white expanse.

Upon hearing this, Jack raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "How did you do that? Tell me quickly."

“Actually, it’s quite simple, it’s just that ordinary people wouldn’t think of this,” Fujitora replied. “After you fell, we stopped pretending and quickly took care of those spy members. Then, just as I was about to deal with Benny, a flash of inspiration came to me. I figured that the World Government didn’t know we had already discovered its existence. In that case, we should continue to maintain this intelligence advantage.”

"So I yelled first, sending the people around Benny away from him, then grabbed two people with bombs strapped to their bodies and threw them over, using two human bombs to create a thick cloud of black smoke. Of course, two human bombs couldn't kill him, so I threw a few more human bombs over after that. Several bombs only stunned him and left him seriously injured. At that moment, using the smoke and the cover of night, I used my ability to send him into the air, leaving only pieces of their flesh behind."

“That’s true. For you, smoke or the night doesn’t make any difference at all,” Jack nodded in agreement.

"When the thick fog cleared, all people could see was a pile of minced meat, and they couldn't tell who was whose. They assumed that Benny had also been blown to pieces in the series of explosions. However, the regenerative ability of Zoan Devil Fruit users is strong. By the time you went to see him in the dungeon, he had almost fully recovered."

"However, it also depends on how much the World Government knows about Benny's strength. If they know that Benny won't be killed by the explosion, then everything I've done will be in vain. So it's just me taking another gamble."

"However, judging from the current situation, they probably didn't know Benny's true strength, which is why they thought Benny died in that explosion. In the end, they won their bet."

Fujitora explained the situation to Jack bit by bit. Jack listened, nodding in approval and praising Fujitora for his intelligence, decisiveness, boldness, and meticulousness, especially for his incredible gamble. This allowed him to maintain his intelligence advantage and prevent the World Government from making a mistake without realizing it.

Meanwhile, after Hatton returned, he contacted his superiors using a Den Den Mushi (a type of electric telephone).

"Hatton, did it go smoothly this time?" a male voice came from the phone.

“Yes, Lord Hartman. It went very smoothly this time, and we have now formed an ‘alliance’ with them. Although Jack seems somewhat shrewd, he is completely unaware of the truth and truly believes I am here to save the nation.” Hatton made no attempt to hide his joy, almost bursting into laughter.

"Very good. Did they make any additional requests?" Lord Hartmann asked in a calm tone on the phone.

"That's also true, Lord Hartman. They want more advanced firearms and cannons, as well as enough ammunition, to replace their outdated equipment so they can better fight against the two major gangs." Hatton relayed Jack's request truthfully. "In addition, they need some food. If a war breaks out, they can't hold out for long without a certain amount of food reserves."

“Very good, we’ve considered these issues as well. It seems Jack is pragmatic and hasn’t made any unreasonable demands.” Hardman said in his unhurried tone, “These next two days you’ll have to work hard to transport the supplies by ship. Remember, the sooner the better, since the two major gangs in the royal capital, Grani, have already started to take action.”

"Yes, Lord Hardman, we will deliver the supplies as soon as possible." Hatton said, making a slightly hesitant expression.

This expression was naturally captured by the Den Den Mushi and perfectly imitated. Seeing the hesitant look on the Den Den Mushi's face, Hardman asked, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

"I just want to say, what if Jack and his gang grow stronger after they get our supplies, and we eventually lose control of them?" Hatton hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question that had been on his mind.

"Don't worry, Hatton. We've been fighting those two families for so many years. As far as we know, Jack has absolutely no chance of winning against their combined attack. We just hope he can hold out for a few more days, giving us a chance to strike at the heart of the enemy."

Seeing that Hatton seemed to want to say something more, Hardman said impatiently, "Alright, hurry up and get things done. Once we take over this country, you'll be a great hero, a nobleman revered by all."

After saying that, the Den Den Mushi emitted a "click-clack" sound and its eyes drooped.

After putting away the Den Den Mushi, Hatton laughed strangely.

"Heh heh heh, how naive you are, my Lord Hardman." Completely different from his previous demeanor, Hatton now seemed like a different person, his expression becoming somewhat ferocious.

Hatton muttered to himself, "Others may not know Benny's strength, but don't I? If a few bundles of bombs could blow him to smithereens, he wouldn't deserve to be my sworn brother. Poor Lord Hardman, he probably still thinks he has everything under control. With Jack's shrewdness, his attitude during today's conversation was probably just for show. Lord Hardman is unaware that he has already fallen into Jack's trap."

“A great nobleman? A great hero? Hahaha.” Hatton laughed menacingly. “Don’t joke around. My goal is to become king, Lord Hardman.”

"Jack, you can play with Hardman, the Mercury Group, and the Villain Party for now. As for me, I'll just wait until you guys are having a good fight before I show myself."

Meanwhile, at the Shadow's headquarters, after hanging up the phone, Hardman dialed another number and instructed the person on the other end: "Hurry up and prepare the things, and have Hatton send them over."

After giving his instructions, Hardman's personal secretary asked, "Sir, please be very careful. After our recent investigation, we found that Hatton is not an honest man and is probably plotting something."

“You already know, how could I not know?” A smile appeared on Hardman’s resolute face.

"Why did the lord entrust him with this matter? What if..."

“I know what he’s thinking. Although I urged him to send it over quickly, he will definitely use all sorts of reasons and excuses to greatly slow down the process and send it over in batches. He will keep delaying until other places are at war, while he remains safely hiding on the supply line, waiting for the right opportunity. This is his only way to avoid war.”

"Then why did you give him this opportunity, sir?" the secretary next to him asked, puzzled.

Hardman said, "Hatton, don't do anything foolish. If he behaves himself, he can still be a nobleman. If he doesn't behave, I'll let him be and let him be a supply courier. When the time comes, as long as we sell his whereabouts to that gang, the two gangs that have been besieging Pacqui City for so long will definitely help us get rid of Hatton."

At this point, Hadman paused for a moment before slowly saying, "However, the problem with this plan is that the two sides have been besieging Pacqui City for a long time without success. Although I told Hatton that Jack was no match for the two sides, I was lying to him. Even now, we haven't figured out Jack's true identity yet. How could he be so easy to deal with? Don't you agree?"

The secretary beside him bowed admiringly and praised, "Sir, you are truly a man of brilliant strategy. This land will surely fall under your control."

"No, it should be placed under the management of the World Government."

The secretary quickly bowed again: "Yes, it is now under the leadership of the World Government."

Inside a luxurious villa in Wangdugrand.

At this moment, the leaders of the Mercury Group and the Villain Party were sitting at opposite ends of a table, with a dense crowd of people standing behind them.

"Have you made up your mind yet, Yuri!" The speaker was a giant man, three or four meters tall, his body bulging with explosive muscles. His voice boomed like thunder, making the candlelight flicker. One wonders how sturdy the chair beneath him was, able to support such a massive figure.

"Don't be too hasty, dear Maxim. It's just that we, the Mercury Group, are different from you. We also have to guard against that cunning wolf, so we must leave some people behind to watch over our property." The speaker was the opposite of the giant from before; he was short, probably not even 1.6 meters tall. Although he didn't have the giant's imposing presence, there was still a hint of coldness in his words.

"Industries? If we lose them, we can just take them back. If we can't even take Jack, then we don't need to worry about industries," said Maxim, the leader of the villains' gang.

"Can……"

Yuri from the Mercury Group wanted to say something, but was immediately interrupted by Maxim.

"Stop with all that nonsense, I'll just tell you the truth and get straight to the point." Maxim stood up and slammed his hand on the table. "I've secretly trained a force of three thousand men, which, combined with the original two thousand, makes five thousand. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity, and I'm sure you're in a similar situation. Don't tell me you've made so much money in the last ten years and never thought about expanding."

Yuri laughed after hearing this: "It seems we are of the same mind. Coincidentally, I have also secretly trained a force of three thousand men, waiting for such an opportunity to take them all down."

“Very good. In this way, sending two thousand men, making a total of four thousand, is enough to deal with Jack, and it will make others think that I have sent almost all of my forces. The remaining six thousand men are more than enough to deal with the little wolves in the north or the army.” The burly man with the iron tower said.

“However, there’s a problem with your plan. Shadow spies are everywhere. Does that mean your secret of having three thousand people isn’t a secret anymore?” Yuri teased.

“Hahaha, my three thousand men have never even set foot on this land, so how could they be spies?” Maxim laughed.