"Where... am I?"
Tsuru felt as if she'd just awoken from an impossibly long and terrifying dream.
She had dreamt of being controlled, forced to take down a World Noble, only to be harshly ordered by the World Government to face punishment. The Navy's Fleet Admiral, Hammons William, had fought to mitigate her sentence... until she ultimately drank the poison and departed for the afterlife. Ironically, they deceived themselves, convincing themselves this was in the name of "justice" and that there had been no other choice but to compromise.
"Sh-shh…"
No. This wasn't a dream!
The instant she opened her eyes, Tsuru, drenched in cold sweat, abruptly snapped to attention, only to find herself face to face with figures she could never forget—Charlotte Linlin and her crew, the very people who had brought her to this moment. Her body tensed, her gaze hardening with both anger and vigilance as she glared, clenching her teeth. "Charlotte Linlin—"
"Mamamama, so you're awake?"
Linlin sat nearby, looking down at Tsuru with a smug smile. "How does it feel to be betrayed and discarded by the Navy you devoted yourself to?"
"That's all thanks to you…" Tsuru replied bitterly, her voice laced with both shock and disbelief. "But I drank the poison, didn't I? Did… did you save me?"
Tsuru, ever sharp, quickly pieced together the situation. She was a Navy officer who had defied the Celestial Dragons, and, as far as the Navy was concerned, she'd been secretly sentenced to death. For Linlin to infiltrate and tamper with the poison to save her, they'd need an informant within the Navy. The thought was as astonishing as it was disturbing.
"Indeed, the Navy headquarters is no easy target," drawled Rock, who sat nearby, leaning back as he chuckled at the still-shaken "Navy's Flower" before him. "Especially since you were under heavy guard as a high-profile criminal. We weren't even sure if we could pull this off… But as it happens, luck was on your side."
"Hah. Do you want me to join you? Become a pirate?" Tsuru scoffed. Though her faith in the Navy's "justice" had wavered, she had never intended to become a pirate, let alone join this crew of ruthless criminals. At first, she might've been willing to go undercover if her life had been spared by the Fleet Admiral. With her sense of justice intact, she would've used her position to relay information and assist the Navy in bringing these criminals to justice.
But as someone the Navy had now "executed," she had no such purpose or privilege anymore.
"Why not? You've already been cast aside…" Linlin grinned, observing Tsuru as her expression gradually steadied. "Join us, and I could restore your youth."
"Dream on…" Tsuru's voice was resolute as she glared back. Her expression firm, she said coldly, "I won't be intimidated by pirates, nor would I ever sink so low as to join criminals like you."
Tsuru despised the Fallen Angel Pirates for pushing her to this, for ruining her life. How could she ever willingly join them?
"Is that so? Seems like dying once has made you even tougher." Moss approached, sneering as he looked down at her defiant figure. "Oh, right—I heard you'd hoped to have your ashes scattered at sea after you drank the poison, but it seems your Fleet Admiral didn't plan to honor that wish. He had your body secretly sent to the Holy Land, Mariejois, to appease the angry nobles. We intercepted it halfway."
"What?!"
Tsuru's expression shifted dramatically. She didn't believe for a second that he was lying.
"Damn it…" Her face darkened as she clenched her fists, biting her lip. The Fleet Admiral's grand words had been empty; he hadn't even granted her a final act of dignity. A bitter rage filled her, crumbling the beliefs she'd clung to for so long.
"Mamamama, if your body had actually made it to Mariejois…" Linlin's smile turned sinister, her brow raised as she continued, "they'd likely have chopped it up and fed it to the dogs. Or maybe they'd hang your head for display. Or, considering the cruelty and arrogance of those Celestial Dragons, they might've preserved your body as a human specimen, to be viewed at leisure."
"This is the 'justice' of the Navy." Nef sneered, her tone dripping with disdain as she added, "Those self-righteous nobles, so full of their own sense of honor… So easy to preach when sacrificing others. But how many of them would truly sacrifice themselves for 'justice'?"
"Hmph…"
Though Tsuru's faith in the Navy had eroded completely, her disdain for Linlin was no less evident.
"Justice or not, you pirates are in no position to lecture—criminals who pillage and harm the innocent have no moral standing whatsoever!"
"No morals?" Rock snorted, crossing his arms. "Now, now, watch your words…"
"Am I wrong?" Tsuru's expression was steely as she demanded.
"Most pirates might fit that description…" Moss replied, glancing at her coolly. "But the Fallen Angel Pirates were formed to oppose the World Government, to create a land where all races can coexist. So far, we've only fought the Navy and other pirates; we've never targeted civilians."
As for collateral damage, that was unavoidable in war. Even the self-proclaimed "just" Navy couldn't entirely prevent innocent casualties.
"An ideal country where all races can coexist peacefully? Quite ambitious…"
Tsuru's expression was skeptical. They could make it sound as noble as they wanted, but at the end of the day, it was all for El's ambition.
"Believe it or don't… You'll see in time." Fishman Jaeon remarked indifferently.
"Speaking of which…" Nef looked at Tsuru with a smirk. "Ever heard of Hell's Trading Company?"
"What?!" Tsuru's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Nef. "The Fallen Angel Pirates… are behind Hell's Trading Company?"
She'd certainly heard of the organization, which had risen to prominence in recent years. Hell's Trading Company was a major influence, monopolizing the grain and medicine markets across the New World and the West Blue, and gradually expanding into other seas. She hadn't expected it to be supported by the Fallen Angel Pirates.
"You think all that grain and rare medicine just appears?" Nef asked, giving her a sidelong look. "It's all thanks to El-sama, who grows it with his Devil Fruit abilities."
"What?" Tsuru inhaled sharply, starting to understand. El's Mythical Zoan ability allowed him to produce resources on an incredible scale. Most people with such powers would never devote the necessary time and energy to mass-producing crops. But with his Lunarian and Giant bloodlines, El had the strength and stamina to make it happen, generating substantial profits without needing to plunder.
"Hey, Nef, careful about spilling intel to outsiders… She's not one of us yet!" Giantess Lily warned.
"It's fine," Linlin, reclining lazily, waved her hand. "El said that since we've already made such a grand entrance, the World Government will inevitably trace Hell's Trading Company back to us."
"Every branch is ready to go underground when necessary," Linlin added. "We've got everything in place to keep our operations running, even out of sight."