Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Immediately, Yann quickly changed the subject and asked.

"Brother Kuzan, so our next itinerary is simply to 'patrol' the Western Sea, stabilize the security, and then return to Marineford?"

"More or less..."

Kuzan replied, having put his blindfold back on.

"However, when we applied to Marineford before, the reason we used was that the underground forces in the West Sea were rampant, so we still had to catch a few mafia members to report back."

In response, Yann couldn't help but mourn for the West Sea mafia and apologize.

It's all my fault. I unintentionally used the excuse of "Mafia," which led to Lieutenant General Kuzan coming to their aid.

"I wonder which lucky person got to be drawn by Brother Kuzan," Yann said with a sympathetic tone.

Kuzan answered somewhat vaguely, “We already have a target. There’s a rather well-known mafia family in this area.”

[Chapter 22: Freedom - Capone Island]

Soon, as Yann woke up from a comfortable nap in the sea breeze, the naval warships had already docked at a port.

"Get up, we're here." Kuzan, who was lying next to him, saw that Yann was awake, lazily stretched, and stood up to say this.

"Where are we?" Yan asked, somewhat confused.

"This island is called Capone Island, and it is the base of the 'Capone Mafia,' one of the four major underground forces in the West Blue."

After a pause, Kuzan said, "Since we're just passing by, let's capture this mafia member and take him back to report."

"Um……"

Yern rolled over and said, "Then Brother Kuzan, go ahead. I'll wait for you to come back here."

"Aren't you going? Didn't you say you were very interested in the Mafia?" Kuzan asked, somewhat surprised.

“I think I found my dream in my dream just now, so I have to go see her again. Compared to the Mafia, this matter is more urgent.” Yann waved his hand and refused.

……

Kuzan.

Clearly, this was just an excuse for Yann, or even a way to avoid making any contributions, so he simply didn't want to get off the ship.

but……

Kuzan lifted Yaen up and said.

"Yarn, this won't do. The Mafia prepared this for you. If you, the main character, don't make an appearance, aren't you disrespecting me?"

Yone's lips twitched slightly as he asked, "Brother Kuzan, you're not really trying to force the credit for eliminating the Mafia onto me, are you?"

What does "forced in" mean?

Kuzan forced a smile and said.

"I received a report from a concerned civilian, Terfim Yarrow, that the Capone Mafia was wreaking havoc in this area, causing great damage to the lives of many civilians. Subsequently, with Terfim Yarrow's assistance, the Navy eradicated the entire Mafia."

After a pause, Kuzan looked at Yarrow, whose expression was gradually stiffening, and said.

"So whether you get off the ship or not, it's all the same. You're already guaranteed to get this credit. Since that's the case, you might as well come with me."

“I…I didn’t report it,” Yann tried to clarify.

“No, you did report it. I, Kuzan, can testify to that. I even have your formal complaint with the Sengoku General,” Kuzan replied.

!!!

Ya'en.

A complaint? Or a complaint filed under my real name? When did I ever write such a thing?

Besides, these days, who dares to easily file a real-name report?

It's fake, definitely fake. That old bastard had someone forge my handwriting.

"Kuzan, you're slandering me!" Yann said, his tone tinged with displeasure.

“Yaan, you should say that to the Sengoku general. I was just following orders,” Kuzan replied.

"This is against the rules! This is fraudulently claiming credit, a serious crime! I want to be a good person, don't force me!" Yann struggled to say.

"How can this be considered fraudulent claiming?" Kuzan said, barely suppressing a laugh.

“Yan, you are determined to eliminate the Carpenters, who are causing havoc in the area, but you are just a civilian. So you specifically asked your adoptive father, who has a certain status and connections in the Navy, to submit the report on your behalf. This is in accordance with the procedures for meritorious service.”

Upon hearing this, Yann's head immediately began to throb, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"How did that damned old man manage to do this? And this isn't just a matter of status and connections; he's practically all-powerful."

“You know that much, so come with me off the ship. At least this is a mafia organization that you’re quite interested in,” Kuzan urged again.

Immediately, Yaen was grabbed by the hand by Kuzan and dragged towards the port.

"and many more……"

Seeing that reasoning was failing to persuade Kuzan, Yan quickly resorted to emotional appeals, saying...

“Brother Kuzan, you know me. I really don’t want to make any contributions. With my weak body, I’m barely good enough to be a menial naval servant. If I were to hold a high position, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even be able to protect my subordinates.”

"Besides, we've drunk together, slept in the same bed together, and fought together. Just pretend we never found Capone Island."

"Wait, wait, I really feel unwell. I might have caught a condition that causes seasickness when I go to the island..."

Unfortunately, Kuzan remained unmoved, his steps unwavering, and simply answered.

“Ya'en, once I’ve taken care of this, the Sengoku general will forgive and forget about my battle with Sakazuki.”

"Kuzan, you big-eyed, thick-browed fellow, you've betrayed me too! This old man only offered you a small favor, and you're already selling out your friend?" Yaen shouted, his tone filled with exasperation.

"It's not a matter of good or bad; the Navy's duty is to obey orders," Kuzan said lazily, without a shred of persuasiveness.

Sometimes, if you can't resist it, you can only accept it.

This island, named "Capone Island," has an overall American style. Most of the people we saw along the way were wearing black suits and had serious faces, giving off a feeling that strangers should not approach.

The important thing is...

A glance to the left and right revealed that these people all had noticeable bulges in certain areas.

gun!

Almost everyone carried a handgun.

At the entrance to the town, there is a sign that reads "Free Town," with a small supplementary explanation next to it.

"This is the freest place on the entire sea, and even the air is filled with a sweet smell. Also, the best gun shop on the island is 300 meters ahead, turn right."

Yann looked at it several times before realizing what it was and exclaimed in shock, "This can't be an advertisement, can it?"

"Who knows?" Kuzan said lazily, and continued walking into the town.

next moment……

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!!"

A series of gunshots rang out ahead, but the pedestrians on the street seemed to be used to it, and without any panic, they took cover nearby.

For a moment, it was the people standing directly in front of the town gate who stood out.

However, soon, with two crisp "bang bang" gunshots, the incessant "rat-a-tat" gunshots came to an abrupt end.

The pedestrians who had taken cover on both sides of the street dusted themselves off and continued with their work as if nothing had happened.

"As expected of an island where the Mafia is based, the people here are so elegant and refined!" Yann said, his lips twitching slightly.

"That's interesting," Kuzan remarked.

Then, Kuzan and Yann, both dressed in ordinary black clothes, quickly blended into the town and continued walking forward.

Along the way, Higashino looked around. The houses on both sides of the street had a lot of bullet holes, which seemed to indicate the freedom here.

Soon, a large pool of bright red blood appeared on the ground, and several men in black suits were cleaning the ground with clear division of labor.

[Chapter Twenty-Three: Who Likes These Serious Navy Guys?]

In just a few breaths, under the skilled operation of the men in black suits, the last bit of blood was washed into the nearby drain, and the ground was completely clean again.

Seeing this, Yann's already unleashed Observation Haki intensified even further.

This place... is too free, so free that Yaen worries he might get shot by a sniper while walking around.

Especially for someone like Yann, who might be shot in a vital spot and need to be taken back for emergency treatment.

"Kuzan, this place looks dangerous. Should I make a run for it?" Yern suggested.

“It’s alright,” Kuzan replied. “Isn’t this place quite interesting?”

"I don't think so..."

As Yann observed the details of his surroundings, he spoke.

"This place truly lives up to its reputation as Mafia territory; it's rife with violence, guns, controlled substances, and the like."

"Hmm? The people coming and going are in groups, and they are wary of each other. Judging from their movements, could they be underground forces from other parts of the West Sea? So, in a sense, this is a trading area for underground forces?"

Suddenly, Yaen stopped in his tracks, looked at the burly man beside him, and said, "There's a Marine here too?"

Kuzan glanced in the direction Y'en was looking and asked, "Hmm? Y'en, how did you figure that out?"

"The calluses on his hands, the way he walks, and the upright posture he maintains..."

Yaen casually explained, "I just don't know if it was officers from the other branches of the West Sea who came secretly, or if they were already defectors from the navy."

After a pause, Yann recalled that when the naval warships were docked at the port of Capone Island, the entire island of Capone did not react at all, but instead seemed to take it for granted, and speculated.

"Probably the former. At least the entire Capone Island is used to the presence of the Navy."

"If you're curious, why don't you just ask?"

Kuzan said something, then walked straight up to the man, grabbed his shoulder, and asked, "Hey, which branch? What's your rank?"

The man turned his head and glanced at Kuzan's long, dark face, which was wearing sunglasses and a headscarf. He felt that Kuzan looked somewhat familiar, but he spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"Don't you know the rules? Touching someone's shoulder like that, aren't you afraid they'll pull out a gun and shoot you?"

"It's quite exciting to see my colleagues here," Kuzan said casually.

"Did you sneak in?" The man seemed to understand something.