In just an instant, Kuro had assessed the strength of this Marine major. When Hailan and Hill talked earlier, Kuro tried to use his self-invented "Silent Step" to escape, but Hailan had effortlessly intercepted him.
Kuro knew that he had pushed his speed to the limit. If he accelerated further, his vision wouldn't keep up with his body's movements, leading to unknown consequences. The other person could move even faster, so Kuro realized he couldn't win through force and had to resort to cunning.
"So, you're not running anymore?" Hailan sat opposite Hill and Kuro. "Then introduce yourselves in detail first."
Today's meeting between Hill and Kuro had confirmed Lieutenant Bellemere's suspicions. Captain Hill was indeed engaged in covert dealings with the enemy. However, Hailan was in no hurry to judge Hill, as his main goal was to use this long-term strategy to catch the big fish behind them.
"... So, I didn't tell them you are the son of Admiral Zephyr from Marine Headquarters. I also hid your age, saying you were 18."
Quickly, Kuro shared all his plans and information with Hailan. He wasn't a pirate or a corrupt Marine, just a bounty hunter guild official. Usually, Hailan wouldn't have any reason to go after him. However, Kuro needed Hailan to lend him his sword to achieve true freedom. So, Kuro appeared to surrender but still acted in his interest.
"And you, Captain Hill. I can give you a chance to redeem yourself. It's up to you whether you can seize it."
Under pressure, Hill looked at Kuro's cold eyes. Intuition told him that if he didn't cooperate now, Kuro might sell him out as a stepping stone to gain favor with the Marine major.
With a helpless smile, Hill said, "Even though my rank is that of a headquarters captain, and Roy is just a branch captain, in the East Blue, I'm just Roy's dog. How could a dog know its master's specific plans?"
"All I know is that they might use some ambush to lure and attack you, Major Hailan. I don't know the details."
Hailan nodded, then asked, "Is there any powerful pirate in East Blue that even a headquarters major can't handle?"
"I know some," Kuro quickly volunteered to showcase his importance.
"East Blue has at least three groups of pirates capable of contending with a headquarters major or even a captain. One group is Admiral Sam's grand fleet. While no one has seen Sam's true strength, he has three combat captains under him, each capable of fighting a branch commodore. It's said that Sam alone can defeat these three captains.
"The second group is led by 'Red-Leg' Zeff's chef pirate crew. They have only one ship, but Zeff's strength is formidable. He can easily shatter rocks and leave marks on steel. Even Sam's grand fleet avoids provoking them.
"The third group is led by 'Treasure Hunter' Mad Treasure. They deny being pirates and claim to be treasure hunters, but their actions are no different from pirates. It's said that Treasure's strength rivals a headquarters vice admiral."
Hailan was slightly taken aback. "Mad Treasure, huh? Simple and straightforward name..."
A month later, a gem-studded iron warship was docked near the port in Sam's grand fleet's territory. Admiral Sam, who ruled a grand fleet of 2,000 pirates, welcomed the treasure hunter disembarking from the luxurious ship.
"Lord Treasure, please follow me!"
The once-arrogant Sam showed no airs before Treasure. Kreeg, who followed behind Sam, was star-struck by Treasure's gem-encrusted ship. However, like his admiral, Kreeg dared not show any disrespect in Treasure's presence.
Sam held up a newspaper in Sam's reception hall for Treasure to see.
"Lord Treasure, have you seen this? This Marine major from headquarters, Hailan, is being praised as a hero in Loguetown by the local newspapers. They're making him out to be the hero of East Blue."
Three years ago, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed in Loguetown, East Blue. Seizing this opportunity, the Marines made Vice Admiral Garp, Roger's adversary, into a Marine hero, much to the pride of the East Blue people. But people tend to forget. Three years later, with more and more pirates, they had long forgotten the "Marine Hero" legend and even looked down on it because the hero couldn't save them.
A month ago, Hailan arrived in Loguetown. He led the Marine soldiers through rigorous training and cracked down on local crime and nearby pirates, earning widespread praise from the citizens. The local newspapers exaggerated his achievements every time he led a raid, making Hailan more famous than "Marine Hero" Garp in Loguetown. However, Sam saw this as just a young Marine playing house.
Even though Hailan had taken down pirates that didn't interest Sam, he dared not face the major from headquarters himself. Sam's principle was to avoid confrontation directly.
"Loguetown's hero? That's laughable. Doesn't he know the strongest pirate in East Blue is Lord Treasure?"
"Wrong. I'm not a pirate. I'm a treasure hunter driven by interest."
Treasure had no interest in Loguetown's news. "I only want to know what's in it for me after I eliminate him."
Sam gritted his teeth and said painfully, "If you solve this problem for me, you can take anything you want from my treasure hoard."
Treasure laughed heartily. "Alright, it's a deal!"
Sam and Treasure celebrated with a toast. But Kreeg, standing by, felt something was wrong. Fischer... Kork... where was Schroeder?
These three were Sam's combat captains and his most trusted men. But today, Schroeder was absent at an important meeting with Treasure. What if a conflict arose? Had Schroeder gone into hiding? Why wasn't Kreeg informed of an ambush?
The more Kreeg thought, the more uneasy he felt. His wandering eyes gradually focused on Admiral Sam.
4o