Chapter 30: CHAPTER 30
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CHAPTER 30
Tashigi's eyes lit up when she heard that Kreegan had the heart to join the Navy, but her enthusiasm seemed a little off when she learned that he wouldn't be joining right away.
"What are you planning to do if you're not going to join the Navy?"
"I will continue to work as a bounty hunter and try to get stronger. Even now, I don't have the strength to rid all East Blue of pirates. As soon as I clear East Blue of pirates, then I'll move on to the Grand Line."
"I've heard of your reputation, or is it better to call it infamy."
A small smile crossed Kreegan's face.
"I show no mercy towards pirates, and I never will. Sparing a pirate's life and giving them a chance to escape means that from that moment on, it's my fault for everyone they hurt; that is why I never show mercy because I don't want to feel that way. Those who live by the sword die by the sword. The second they hurt innocent people for money, they forfeited their life."
Tashigi, unable to say anything more on what he had said, seemed to have accepted Kreegan's philosophy somewhat, for the reason he had delivered the pirates dead was not that he was the bloodthirsty as the rumors say, but because his sense of justice was more rigid. Kreegan pretended not to know who Tashigi was and asked.
"Tashigi, do you know the commander of the Marine Base?"
"His name is Smoker."
"I am not asking his name. Do you know him personally?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I have some info about a big pirate group, but I don't have the men power to clean all of them. I wanted to talk to the Commander and ask if we could end this group, if possible."
"I could introduce you to him, and he would accept tips about pirates, but Commander Smoker won't let you get involved in this."
"Just let me talk to him. There is no crime in asking him."
.....
Tashigi had entered the Commander's room before Kreegan and had been inside for about 10 minutes. From the loud voices inside, it was clear that Tashigi was getting scolded a little. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Tashigi called him inside.
When Kreegan entered the room, for a moment, he thought he was going to choke on cigar smoke, and his eyes were starting to turn red from the smoke. As Kreegan began to cough, Smoker controlled all the smoke in the room and slowly pushed it out the window. Smoker was sitting in his office chair and smoking a cigar with his feet on the table in front of him. Beside him was his famous Seastone jitte propped up on the table.
"Tashigi here tells me you have information about a big pirate group. First, tell me, who are they?"
Smoker's behavior seemed as if he didn't really care what Kreegan would say.
"Krieg Pirates, also called Pirate Armada."
Smoker's apathy evaporated in an instant. He slammed his hand on his desk and asked angrily.
"Where are they? Tell me right now!"
Kreegan could understand Smoker's anger. Don Krieg stole a Marine ship when he started piracy, and using it as a guise, he raided many ships and pillaged numerous villages. With that vast wealth, he built his armada of 50 ships. Arlong pirates might be stronger than Krieg Pirates, but Marines hated Krieg more because of his skullduggery and constant pillaging.
Before they were really infamous, they would raise white flags to the unsuspecting marines, and when they were boarded, they would attack and kill all the marines. To pillage a well-fortified village or town, they would use poison gas and wipe out all inhabitants.
In the manga, they had left East Blue and entered The Grand Line for one week and got owned by Hawk Eyes. Since they were still here, Kreegan thought this planet was either an alternate universe or Don Krieg hadn't decided to go to the Grand Line yet.
"I do not know their exact location but a general area of it."
Disappointed, Smoker threw himself back in his chair and lit another cigar.
"Are you kidding me? We also know his estimated region, but there are close to 100 islands in that region. Although we visited them one by one, we couldn't find them, but you are saying you can find them. What is your angle bounty hunter? I don't buy the Warrior of Justice act you sold to Tashigi here."
Kreegan couldn't just say he saw what their island looks like in an anime, could he? So, he did the next best thing, mixed lie with the truth.
"I don't have any angle other than my hate for pirates. All I want to do is end as many pirates as possible."
"Then what kind of snake oil are you selling? I know you have an angle, and my patient is running low."
"I really don't have an angle. The only thing I need from the Marines is to come when I find their hideout. I can go in and assassinate the core crew, but the problem is the 5000 men they have. Even if I can leave their island, there's no way I can neutralize that many men. If we kill Don Krieg and leave his men unattended, that means 50 different pirate groups will form from these 50 ships, and they will all try to make their own fortune. The reason I need you is to prevent such a possibility from happening."
Smoker sarcastically said.
"How do you recon we do that? Do you want me to give you the command of East Blue Marines?"
Kreegan smiled and said:
"I wouldn't say no to that, but I will settle for a direct den den mushi to you. So, I can inform you when I find their base. This way, as the heroic marines, you can swoop in and clean all those evil pirates."
Smoker was a bit ticked off, but at the same time, he liked ballsy guys like this one.
"For a fledgling bounty hunter, you are really arrogant; let's see if you can back up your arrogance. If you can draw even the tiniest amount of blood, I will help you, but if you can't, you will sign up for the Marines right here, right now, and tell me everything you know about the Krieg Pirates."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone