Chapter 17: 17: Kuja Pirates
It's not that the two are the same thing, but there are certain similarities and commonalities between them.
As Borsalino merged his spiritual energy with physical energy, a massive amount of chakra erupted from him.
The high-quality wood floor cracked in a spiderweb pattern, with chakra filling the entire cabin like a tangible force, emanating from Borsalino's body.
The Marines stationed at the door heard the noise and were about to check what was happening when they saw the sturdy wooden door being blown off by some unseen force.
"Admiral Kizaru!"
For a moment, the soldiers thought enemies had infiltrated the warship and were fighting with Admiral Kizaru in the cabin. Fortunately, Borsalino appeared in time to prevent any chaos.
He had somewhat underestimated the amount of chakra his body could refine.
Although Borsalino was still far from being able to compare to a true Tailed Beast, with his Marine Admiral-level physical fitness, the amount of chakra he could produce was likely greater than that of the so-called Uzumaki Clan.
However, after confirming that he could refine chakra, Borsalino didn't rush into learning the ninjutsu and forbidden techniques Orochimaru had sent him.
On one hand, both ninjutsu and forbidden techniques have their learning thresholds, and succeeding in them wasn't an easy task.
On the other hand, it was Orochimaru's decision to provide the goods first. Borsalino didn't want to start learning ninjutsu before the deal was truly completed, as it would make him feel like he was taking advantage of Orochimaru.
Fortunately, it wouldn't be long before Borsalino could obtain a Devil Fruit, as the Kuja Pirates' location, Amazon Lily, was already within reach.
In the following days, Kizaru occasionally tried to refine chakra, and his control over it rapidly improved. He no longer had trouble controlling chakra, preventing the surrounding area from becoming a mess.
Having chakra was just the first step. To learn the profound ninjutsu and forbidden techniques, his control over chakra had to be strong enough.
Otherwise, wasting chakra wouldn't be a big deal, but being unable to learn or use the techniques would be the real problem.
"Admiral Kizaru! A ship bearing the Kuja Pirates' flag has been spotted ahead!"
The original captain of the warship hurriedly came to report. Since Nami wasn't around, Borsalino had no choice but to temporarily appoint this colonel as his acting adjutant.
"Oh, this ship is here to pick me up. You can head back to the headquarters. I still need to summon the Seven Warlords."
Borsalino was holding a small leather suitcase, which naturally contained the ninjutsu and forbidden technique scrolls sent by Orochimaru.
"Yes! Admiral Kizaru!"
The temporary adjutant didn't question it. As the captain of a warship directly under Vice Admiral Strawberry, he was naturally a part of the Navy's hawk faction. While he wasn't eager to go into battle with the Seven Warlords, he also had no interest in dealing with so-called "legal pirates."
Borsalino lightly leapt off the ship's railing, and in the next moment, his figure turned to light and landed directly on the Kuja Pirates' ship.
"Admiral Kizaru!"
As Borsalino landed, a fragrant breeze greeted him!
Boa Hancock, with rosy cheeks, rushed out from the cabin without hesitation and threw herself into Borsalino's arms.
The female pirates of the Kuja Pirates were no strangers to this scene. In fact, it would have been more surprising if Hancock had managed to resist throwing herself at Kizaru.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hancock."
Borsalino wrapped one arm around Hancock's waist and turned her half around. Hancock, dressed only in a tight-fitting vest, exposed her smooth-skinned waist, which felt incredibly pleasant to the touch.
Even the "seasoned" Borsalino couldn't help but become a little intoxicated.
Fortunately, his willpower was strong enough; otherwise, he would have eventually fallen into the gentle trap of the Pirate Empress and been unable to extricate himself.
"As long as it's an order from Lord Borsalino, I will do my best to complete it!"
Hancock, like a little bird, nestled her body against Kizaru's chest. Luckily, he was tall enough; otherwise, Hancock wouldn't have been able to rest in his arms like that.
"Lord Borsalino, the head of Blood Demon Locke has been sent to Branch 114, and the two Paramecia-type Devil Fruits you requested are also ready."
Hancock's two sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold, each carried a box containing the Devil Fruits that would be traded with Orochimaru.
In a sense, under Hancock's leadership, the Kuja Pirates, known for their "spoiled" empress, had already become Borsalino's subordinates.
However, the Kuja Pirates didn't suffer; not only did Borsalino help them gain the "legal pirate" status, but his few interventions had already allowed them to recover the costs they had paid.
Moreover, who could blame them? Their empress was an unrepentant infatuated fool. It was only because Borsalino still had a conscience that he didn't act like Sakazuki and throw the Kuja Pirates into the deepest part of the sea prison without a second thought.
"Well, well done. Please store these confidential documents for me, same as always."
Borsalino nodded with satisfaction, casually handing the small suitcase containing the ninjutsu and forbidden technique scrolls to them.
Hancock, who was still in Borsalino's arms, looked dazed. It had been a long time since she had been so close to him. Right now, all she wanted was to hold onto him and never let go for the rest of her life.
"Yes, Lord Borsalino!"
Sandersonia took the suitcase.
Then, she watched as her older sister was carried into the ship's cabin by Borsalino, and before long, the sounds of intimacy could be heard.
"Return to the ship!"
Marigold gave the order.
Under Borsalino's guidance, the Kuja Pirates had now freed themselves from the plight of relying solely on piracy for survival.
In the past, to maintain their existence on Amazon Lily, the Kuja Pirates had to regularly leave the Calm Belt to plunder ships traveling along nearby routes. However, as their plundering continued, the number of ships on those routes began to dwindle, forcing the Kuja Pirates to expand their range of attack, which eventually created a vicious cycle.
Once Hancock became the Empress of Amazon Lily, under Borsalino's mentorship, the Kuja Pirates began offering escort services to merchant ships and cargo ships crossing the Calm Belt. In addition to the Kuja Pirates, the main fleet of the Navy Headquarters could also navigate the Calm Belt, but obviously, the Navy didn't have the time to escort civilian ships.
Although the rewards from escorting were much smaller compared to plundering, piracy didn't always offer suitable targets. Additionally, the goods plundered weren't always useful, and trying to sell those goods in the underground world often meant being swindled by unscrupulous merchants.
It was far better to offer escort services, which were stable and guaranteed by the hidden protection of a Navy Admiral. Plus, the profits from maritime trade crossing the Calm Belt were astonishing. In just a few short years, the Kuja Pirates had expanded their size threefold.
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