Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Pirate Way
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In the late afternoon, nearing dusk, the meeting that Byakuya had ordered finally occurred two hours later than planned.
This delay alone showed how bad the discipline at the G5 Marine branch was.
Byakuya even thought these soldiers could easily form a strong pirate crew if they removed their uniforms.
As Byakuya and the base officers stood on the platform, looking down at the nearly 3,000 soldiers, they couldn't help but sigh.
Although they had some idea of what to expect after seeing the situation at the dock, seeing the whole group in person made them realize how rotten the G5 Marine branch was.
The soldiers sat on the ground with no regard for discipline, casually cursing and shouting insults, often involving someone's entire family.
There were even drunks, still clutching half-empty bottles, reeking of alcohol and looking like they might pass out any second.
Seeing this chaos, Byakuya casually remarked, "I didn't expect the G5 Marine branch to have fallen this far. Rear Admiral Vergo must have had a hard time managing this."
To get the Marines stationed in the New World into such a state must have taken quite some effort on Vergo's part. Truly, it had been hard work for him.
Vergo, unaware that Byakuya already knew his true identity, mistook the comment for genuine concern.
Gratefully, he said, "Thank you for your understanding, Base Commander."
Byakuya shook his head and didn't say anything further.
Originally, Byakuya had come to the New World ready to take on the Four Emperors' pirate crews.
But looking at the soldiers in front of him now, he figured that if they heard they were going to fight the Four Emperors, they might strip off their Marine uniforms and join them instead.
Fixing the situation in the G5 Marine branch wouldn't be an easy task.
The only way would be to strictly enforce Marine regulations and punish anyone who didn't comply.
But doing so would cause a mutiny, reflecting poorly on Byakuya as the new base commander.
To outsiders, he lacked leadership.
Byakuya had his sights set on becoming the Marine Fleet Admiral, so he couldn't allow that to happen.
In this way, Vergo had handed him a difficult problem right from the start.
Standing on the platform, Byakuya addressed the soldiers below, "My name is Byakuya, your new G5 Marine base commander."
As he spoke, Byakuya used Armament Haki to amplify his voice, making sure it reached every one of the nearly 3,000 soldiers.
After he finished speaking, most of the soldiers' attention turned to him.
However, instead of settling down, they started whispering, not bothering to hide their conversations.
"So this young pretty boy is our new base commander? Doesn't seem as good as Rear Admiral Vergo."
"You don't get it. This Byakuya guy is the one who defeated 'Drought' Jack, a serious powerhouse."
"Really? Weren't the Beasts Pirates attacking Marine bases left and right to rescue Jack?
Now that he's taken over as base commander, the Beasts Pirates will come after us?"
"Probably. Sounds like trouble."
"Well, when it happens, we'll just have to fend for ourselves. If you can run, run!"
Some of the soldiers, consumed by lust, looked greedily at Ain and Tashigi behind Byakuya, saying things like, "Look at those two female officers behind Byakuya."
"They're hot, and what great bodies!"
"If I could just touch one of them, I wouldn't even mind dying on the spot."
"Heh, keep dreaming. Those two are Byakuya's women."
"You think you can get close? You'll probably be dead before you can even lay a finger on them."
"Come on, can't a man at least dream?"
The soldiers weren't even trying to lower their voices, so for people like Byakuya, Ain, and Tashigi, whose senses were highly attuned, it was easy to hear everything.
Ain and Tashigi were already uncomfortable with the way the soldiers had been eyeing them, and when they overheard those vulgar comments, they were ready to draw their swords and cut them down on the spot.
But when they heard the soldiers mention they were "Byakuya's women," their faces instantly turned red.
They exchanged a glance, then shyly looked down at the ground, sneaking glances at Byakuya's strong, upright figure standing in front of them.
Though annoyed by the soldiers' behaviour, they couldn't help but find the comments somewhat flattering.
Byakuya didn't interrupt the soldiers' chatter, instead waiting for them to finish before speaking again.
"Before I came here, I was told that the G5 branch had a poor reputation, that its soldiers behaved more like pirates than Marines," he said.
"They told me to prepare myself in case the reality was too much to handle."
"I didn't take it too seriously back then. I thought, 'Marines are Marines. No matter how bad their discipline is, they couldn't possibly be as bad as pirates.'"
"But now, after seeing you all in person, I realize just how naïve I was."
"What do they mean, 'like pirates'? You're more like pirates than actual pirates!"
When Byakuya said this, the entire crowd of soldiers burst into laughter. In truth, the G5 soldiers had heard such remarks before.
Nearly everyone from other branches who had contacted them would threaten to report their behaviour.
The higher-ups had attempted to curb it, like reducing their pay or cutting down their supply of resources.
But the G5 soldiers didn't care. If their pay were reduced, they'd go out and steal. They could easily steal more than what was cut.
After a few rounds of this, the higher-ups realized they couldn't control the G5 branch, so they stopped bothering.
As long as G5 didn't betray the Marines, the higher-ups turned a blind eye.
This only encouraged the toxic culture to spread more within the G5 branch.
After Byakuya's speech, most of the G5 soldiers began to feel somewhat positive toward him.
At least, unlike previous base commanders, he wasn't demanding strict discipline right off the bat, turning their lives into a living hell to the point where they wished they could ditch their Marine uniforms and become carefree pirates.
Byakuya continued, "To be honest, I don't want to change how things are around here."
"I think it's fine, as long as you're willing to put your lives on the line when facing pirates. That's all that matters."
Then, his tone shifted, expressing displeasure. "But what bothers me is that you don't follow orders."
The soldiers below showed a hint of impatience.
It seemed that, despite his words, the new base commander was still trying to mould them into obedient soldiers, unlike the previous commanders.
Meanwhile, Vergo, standing behind Byakuya, had a faint smile.
He knew that if Byakuya failed to properly handle the soldiers' emotions, it could easily stir up dissatisfaction.
Given the temperament of the G5 soldiers, Vergo wouldn't be surprised if they revolted on the spot.
Byakuya paid no mind to the soldiers' growing discontent and continued.
"Since you all consider yourselves Marines who act more like pirates, let's settle this the pirate way to solve the issue of disobedience today."
This piqued the soldiers' curiosity.
"The pirate way? What does he mean by that?"
Seeing their confusion, Byakuya deliberately said, "Rear Admiral Vergo, why don't you explain to the soldiers what the pirate way means?"
Vergo hesitated momentarily before cautiously answering, "Base Commander Byakuya is referring to the idea that, in a pirate crew, strength rules?"
Byakuya smiled and nodded, "Exactly right. Rear Admiral Vergo sure knows his pirates well."
Vergo's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't sure what Byakuya meant by that remark but forced a smile.
"Well, we Marines spend much time dealing with pirates. It's natural to learn a few things over the years."
Byakuya chuckled and turned his attention back to the soldiers. "As Rear Admiral Vergo said, in pirate crews, the strongest leads."
"Today, we'll settle the leadership of the G5 branch by pirate rules."
"Why should anyone without strength be allowed to act arrogant?"
"In the G5 branch, only those with real strength can ignore orders and do as they please."
Byakuya's provocative words fired up the G5 soldiers. Finally, a system that spoke to their values—one based on strength.
This was exactly what they had always wanted.
Seeing the excitement in their eyes, Byakuya smirked and continued in a calm tone,
"I am Byakuya, a Marine Vice Admiral and your new G5 branch base commander. I'm still a few months shy of turning 19."
"If any of you think you can beat me, step forward."
"If you defeat me, the G5 branch will be yours to command."
Hearing this, some soldiers were eager to challenge him, already imagining themselves in charge of the G5 branch.
Of course, only those unaware of Byakuya's true strength were this excited.
The soldiers who knew that Byakuya had once defeated 'Drought' Jack instead glanced at the other officers, including the three colonels standing behind Byakuya.
Challenging these people seemed like a better idea if they wanted to rise quickly in rank.
One colonel, gathering his courage, shouted, "Base Commander Byakuya! My name is Bill, and I'd like to challenge you!"
Byakuya smiled. "Good. I admire your courage."
<End Chapter>
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