Chapter 08 – Future plans
“It’s been a while since I came back, but… there’s a lot of unfamiliar faces.”
“Stop murdering those you don’t know while saying that.”
Lunacia returned a laugh at Newgate’s scolding.
Due to the nature of Rocks Pirates, there are rapid changes in crew members.
In less than nine months, with the exception of some, all of them became people Lunacia is unfamiliar with, and they also don’t know who Lunacia is.
Her katana was made in 6 months, but she extended her stay by three months to get used to using it.
In addition, she couldn’t bring Kikunojo to such a place, so she left her in Wano Country.
Lunacia promised her that she’d come to pick her up after everything was done.
Anyway, it’s unavoidable that unfortunate conflicts would occur with unfamiliar strangers.
“Jihahaha… she came back stronger.”
Shiki said after seeing the series of battles.
Newgate agreed with that. He could also tell her overall strength was raised.
Her movements and tactics were a huge difference from that nine months ago.
Moreover, it was clear to them that she was holding back, and on top of that, she didn’t even use her katana.
“So, is that your katana hanging from your waist?”
“Good, good. Let your sensei take a look. However, It’ll be mine if it’s good enough! Jihahaha!”
The two look curiously at the katana hanging from Lunacia’s waist.
In return, Lunacia says.
“No way. Rather than that, I’ll go greet Rocks.”
Shiki and Newgate clicked their tongues to Lunacia’s words.
Leaving them alone, she quickly headed to the captain’s office.
“I’m back.”
“Oh, how was it?”
“As I reported before, quite good. I made her pay her due debt, and my reputation is quite good in Wano Country. I also got permission to trade and so on. I also got my katana made, so…”
Rocks showed a fierce smile.
“I’m glad I left it to you.”
If Lunacia weren’t around, Rocks might have tried using Higurashi to pull profits from Wano Country by helping her revive her family.
However, thanks to Lunacia’s credit, they can obtain weapons, Seastones, and other processed products through her without hinder.
There would be nothing scarier for the World Government and the Marines.
The reason why Rocks left it to Lunacia is not just because of her flight ability.
She is simply far friendlier compared to those other guys.
Rocks knew that she had good enough ethics and values that no one would believe if they were told that she was born in the slums.
“Maybe you don’t need it since you just got your katana, but I’ll give you a reward.”
Having said that, Rocks grabbed a large cloth-wrapped object that was leaning against the wall and handed it to Lunacia.
She receives it and removes the cover cloth.
What appeared was a black katana.
The total length is close to 2 meters, which is slightly higher than Lunacia’s height.
“It’s one of the Supreme Grade Swords, Black Blade Yoru. As its name suggests, its blade is black, making it difficult to tell whether or not you’re coating it with Busoshoku Haki.”
“It’s so cool…”
Rocks couldn’t help but laugh seeing Lunacia stare at Yoru with sparkling eyes.
“The katana on your waist seems angry, it doesn’t want you to cheat on it, huh?”
“It’s okay, no problem.”
“Well, do as you like. And so, what’s your katana’s name?”
“I was entangled with this and that, but made it simple in the end.”
Lunacia pauses there before continuing.
“I named it Yomi. I thought of naming it Abyss Mirroring Death Throat, which sounds the same as Meikyo Shisui, but I was stopped furiously.”
“Yomi sounds better. By the way, we’ll crush God Valley within a few months.”
“That place, I recall it’s a resort island of World Nobles?”
“That’s right. We’re going to put pirates from other seas under our flag until then.”
“Were you putting pirate crews under your control while I wasn’t around?”
Lunacia nods to Lunacia’s question.
“Would our strength be enough? If we deal with World Nobles, the Marines will empty Marineford to deal with us, you know?”
“There are plenty of guys under our control to make up some number. It should be enough to let them buy us time.”
“How about attacking Marineford in advance to reduce the enemy’s strength?”
“I also thought of that, but I want to maintain our strength as much as possible. We’ll attack God Valley, then destroy the marines of the Marines that are coming in a hurry… if everything goes well, we can do anything we want after the war.”
“You’ll use the God Valley as bait to attract the Marines’ main force, and the real purpose is to have a decisive battle with the Marines?”
“That’s how it is.”
Lunacia thought about Rocks’ strategy.
Pirates are more difficult to replenish compared to the Marines.
Compared to the Marines, which has many applicants, the number of people who wants to be a pirate is still the minority. It is clear that they are at a disadvantage when it comes to attrition warfare.
If they lose, they’ll lose everything, but the Marines can rebuild their strength as many times as possible as long as they take some time.
Although the dispersal of the Marines’ forces all over the sea gave them a local advantage.
But if it turns out to be a decisive battle in God Valley, it’s a whole different thing.
To have a decisive battle, they must allow the Marines to gather forces, which means most generals would gather.
As Rocks says, if many gathered generals were crippled or killed, they could do anything they wanted.
And because it will take years for the Marines to finish rebuilding their forces, Rocks can complete his plan and become the King of the World in the meantime.
But Lunacia doesn’t think that they would be so lucky.
Marine generals who are murderous stars led by the three Admirals.
In addition, some Vice Admirals are strong enough to be Admirals, such as Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp.
Considering that such people will gather, the Rocks Pirates and their affiliated pirates couldn’t be compared.
‘The force ratio will probably be worse than Leyte or Okinawa at the end of the Pacific War――’
While thinking of the history of her previous life, she solemnly says.
“…it’ll be a big gamble.”
“But it has the highest chance of winning. In addition, our activities so far have instilled distrust in the World Government from various countries in the world… as long as we can win God Valley. As long as we win, the situation will be in our favor all at once. Simply unstoppable.”
Hearing his words, Lunacia realized.
It seems Rocks also knew.
Only through a short-term decisive battle could they possibly win against the World Government and the Marines.
Right now, Shiki and the others still believe in the profits Rocks promised they would gain, but they aren’t kind people who like to be under someone.
If it takes too long, they will either leave or, in the worst case, join hands with the Marines to erase Rocks.
Rocks is very strong, has charisma, and is very cunning, but even he couldn’t win in such a situation.
Perhaps he felt Lunacia’s anxiety, Rocks shows a fearless smile.
“I will win… follow me, though it might be hell we’re going.”
Lunacia couldn’t help but show a bitter smile hearing his words and said.
“Rocks, there is one thing that I decided I will never do.”
“What is it?”
“Betrayal.”
In response, Rocks just laughs and puts his hand on Lunacia’s head and strokes her hair.
“The kid who recklessly snuck into a pirate ship has grown so clever.”
“Shut up! Isn’t it okay to say such things a little!?”
“Yeah, as you like.”
Rocks said with a laugh.
And it was about a week after Lunacia returned.
Newgate invited her into his room and asked her straightforwardly.
“Lunacia, what’s your plan for the future?”
She understood very well what he was talking about.
Therefore, Lunacia answered with pride.
“No betrayals.”
“…no matter if it’s you, you’ll die. Seastones could probably seal your immortality.”
Accurately reading the meaning of Lunacia’s words, Newgate answered.
“Shiki and Linlin asked the same thing.”
“…I was the third one, huh.”
“That’s it. I want to see the end of this.”
“Are you saying that after understanding the difference in strength? You can’t expect anything from the pirates under our control. They’d get hit once, then escape immediately.”
“Yeah. It’ll probably be the worst battlefield… but still, no betrayal. Never.”
Newgate smiled, feeling Lunacia’s unwavering determination.
“If the others could get the tiniest bit of that.”
“That said, I won’t stop anyone escaping or betraying, but… if you do it at a strange time, I’ll keep saying that you were cowards who ran away from the fight and betrayers.”
Newgate just sighs on her small yet annoying plan and says.
“The Marines will probably divide our forces. On top of that, they may send at least 10 Vice Admirals each against one.”
“That’s possible, so it’s scary…”
“However, though I don’t think that other pirates would make a mess, but…”
Hearing the words ‘other pirates’, what came to Lunacia’s mind was the Roger Pirates.
According to Rocks, their captain is free-spirited, fearless, and stupid in a good way. It was rare for him to evaluate his opponent so much.
The Roger Pirates refused to join their group, and even fought against them several times. It was when Lunacia was not around.
“What about the Roger Pirates?”
“Their crew members are strong and courageous enough. But their captain Roger is too willful… he’s a mess.”
“That sounds like a guy who’d do something bad with reasons like ‘it’s interesting’ or something.”
“I think so too… I wonder why, I have a feeling they’ll get mixed up in the decisive battle in God Valley…”
“How strange. I feel the same way… well, it’s useless thinking about it.”
It would waste too much of their time to go and destroy Roger Pirates, so they couldn’t do so.
Rocks have already begun to take action to prepare for the battle of God Valley.
He also ordered Lunacia to procure weapons and supplies from Wano Country.
However, the operation itself is simple.
They will raid God Valley, and massacre the World Nobles staying there.
Then destroy the forces sent by the Marines with the pirates under their control as much as possible while escaping.
The security in God Valley is tight, but the current Rocks Pirates is strong enough to break through.
“Oh, that’s right. I have to get Bakkin and others off the ship… I really can’t let them accompany us there.”
“Do that. They can still be treated as runaways if you do it now… you shouldn’t think of dying for others.”
Lunacia returns a big nod to Newgate’s words and asks.
“By the way, Newgate. How about being my subordinate after we go separate ways in the future?”
“No. That’s stupid.”
“Shiki and Linlin both refused me too… I wonder if I should make you indebted to me somewhere, and use that to be my subordinate?”
“Stop making others indebted to you, shitty brat.”
“I’ll definitely draw you and Shiki in. Linlin seems to be troublesome as a subordinate, so I don’t care either way.”
Newgate tilts his head.
“You’re on good terms with Linlin, right? There was some time when she kept going to your room…”
“We’re in all kinds of deep relationships, but she’s too noisy about wanting to eat this and that. Well, I would bring her what she wants from the cafeteria, though.”
“Leaving aside being both women… you’ve gotten full of lust, shitty brat.”
“Linlin is beautiful after all. Isn’t it rude not to do that with her?”
“It’s a trap one could clearly see.”
“I think there are times that you must get trapped even if you can clearly see it.”
Newgate shrugged his shoulders.
“So, what about your future wives?”
“We’re on really good terms. I’m working on them… with them, teaching various tricks.”
“You pervert…”
“You can say anything you want. My motto in life is doing it as I want.”
Newgate couldn’t help but click his tongue seeing Lunacia say that proudly.
‘Damn Rocks, he really taught Lunacia some weird things――’
Under the influence of Rocks, Lunacia is basically doing as she wishes and as free as she can.
The word prudence is not within her dictionary, but most people on this ship are like that.
Instead, in a way, it could be said that Newgate has the most common sense among the pirate crew.
And that Newgate, who has the most common sense in Rocks Pirates, says.
“I will also form a pirate crew in the future… just don’t go touching my crew members.”
“It depends on the time and place. I believe that the feelings of the person in question are more important.
Newgate could only leave a deep sigh at Lunacia’s answer.