From a Pirate to a Revolutionary Mentor

Chapter 71 Kuzan's Suspicion

Office of the Chief of the 80th Naval Branch, Ras Gap Town, West Sea.

"You're still in the mood to hang out with me at this time?"

Colonel Nomi looked at Kuzan and said, "We received an order from the World Government to block the entrance to Upside Down Mountain. It seems that something went wrong with your previous actions."

"And judging from the gossip, it seems like you're taking the blame again? Why has your luck been so bad in the past two years?"

Kuzan, standing by the window, looked at the Marines of the branch below, and seemed not to have heard his friend's words at all.

After a while, he said, "The navy of the 80th branch seems to be a little different."

"Of course it's different."

Nomi casually replied, "Compared to the elites of the Marine Headquarters, they are far inferior. After all, most of the pirates the Marine Headquarters faces when they go out on voyages are the vicious pirates in the second half of the war. How can my branch in the West Sea compare to them?"

Kuzan said in a deep voice: "No, I'm talking about the mentality. The mentality and perspective of the navy of the 80th branch are fundamentally different from those of the headquarters."

For a moment, the office was silent for a long time.

Nomi stood up and walked to Kuzan's side, also looking out the window.

"Marinford... is too close to the Sabaody Archipelago. The ugliness and inalterability of that place would change the mentality of an ordinary navy, wouldn't it?"

"In the lawless zone from Area 1 to Area 29, tragic things happen every day. If you are too close, you will always know something, and ordinary marines are ordinary people and can empathize."

Colonel Nomi sighed, "I can empathize but I can't change. The original idea of ​​joining the navy has been shattered. After all... those slaves captured by the slave arresting team may also be their past."

After he finished speaking, Kuzan was silent for a long time.

"It's different here."

Nomi nodded slightly: "Las Gap Town is different, because the navy here knows that pirates are the enemy. They hunt pirates to protect the people and their hometown."

Kuzan turned around and looked at Nomi. "I heard that after Kevin came, the exchange funds for the 80th Branch's pirate bounty increased a lot. On the surface, they are all pirate hunters, but in reality, all this money is used for compensation?"

Uh……

Is it really okay to ask something like this openly?
Although it has become an unspoken rule of the 80th Branch, the Navy Headquarters has explicit regulations prohibiting it.

Pirate hunters can get a bounty for capturing pirates, but if the navy captures pirates, they will only accumulate merits but no bounty.

Seeing that his friend didn't say anything, Kuzan continued, "Also, there has been a good show at the entrance of Upside Down Mountain these days."

Uh……

The entrance to Upside Down Mountain is the only illegal passage to the Grand Line. Since the order was issued from above, the 80th Branch has dispatched more personnel to guard there.

But these days...

Those guys would do their best to stop any pirate ship they saw, but if it was an illegal merchant ship or other vessel, they would just fire a few shots and then let it pass.

Even the previous process of collecting tolls has been abandoned. This is a blatant act of veiled obedience.

There were also some people from O'Hara or who had been to O'Hara in the West Sea Navy. In fact, Nomi had expected this approach, but he did not stop it.

"Well... after all, the naval forces of the four seas branches are generally very low, so they can only fire guns and cannons. There is nothing they can do if they can't win, right?"

Nomi spread his hands helplessly: "Nowadays, these merchant caravans sometimes have more firepower than pirates. Add to that the speed of the water flow in Upside Down Mountain, and we can't catch up with them."

At this point, Nomi made a tentative statement.

"Now that Kevin, that pervert, is gone, I want to seal the entrance to Upside Down Mountain. This way, the pirates from the West Sea can't get through. If they force their way through the barrier, their ship will be destroyed and people will die. But the notice from above doesn't allow it. Do you know why?"

Why? Kuzan did not reply.

After coming out of the youth training camp as a monster, he saw a lot of things in a few years.

During the Battle of Etwal, he was puzzled by Mr. Garp's refusal to be promoted to Admiral again. It was not until he became an Admiral candidate that he realized that the Admiral had the obligation to protect the Celestial Dragons.

And the Celestial Dragons...

In the South China Sea incident, although he was not the one who leaked the intelligence, he was deeply touched when the information became clear later.

The entrance to the Grand Line from the West Sea through the Upside-Down Mountain is very narrow, and there is a risk of shipwreck and loss of life every time a ship crosses it. It is not difficult to create a barrier to such a passage, but the higher-ups are unwilling to do so.

Why... Of course the higher-ups don't want the pirates to disappear completely.

The Grand Line is much smaller than the Four Seas, and countless pirates from the Four Seas pour into the Grand Line every year, burning, killing and looting along the way, making the existence of the navy necessary.

At the same time, it also made heavenly gold necessary.

If they don't pay, there will be no navy protection, and non-member countries will become targets of neighboring countries and pirates.

So... is this a sign of yourself? Nomi.

"You're still the same..."

Kuzan smiled and said, "Kevin's promotion order is coming. He was promoted twice after graduating from the academy and became the youngest captain of the Navy Headquarters. After the O'Hara incident, he will become the youngest rear admiral of the Navy Headquarters."

Nomi was stunned: "Isn't this too fast?"

Kuzan: "Someone above helped. He didn't follow me to take the blame this time. He arrived ahead of time with the CP9 ship and assisted in the capture of all the scholars. His contribution this time is enough."

Having said that, Kuzan stared at Nomi's expression, but couldn't see anything.

This good friend has changed a lot. He didn’t have so many thoughts when he was in the youth training camp.

But the lack of change is the biggest anomaly.

"You should actually be angry."

"Ok?"

"In the Sabaody Archipelago, the guy who stepped on you at that time was from CP. I still remember your anger, and now..."

"Shh."

Kuzan's arm thrust forward suddenly, but Nomi dodged it by leaning sideways.

"Your domineering aura has become much stronger, but I can't find any reason for you to regain your strength here in the West Sea. After all, you have only come to me for one thing in these years."

Nomi scratched his head and said, "Don't keep saying nonsense. Out of sight, out of mind. I found the reason why I became a marine in the first place, so I naturally cheered up."

Is that so?
There was doubt in Kuzan's eyes, but everything was just his guess, based on the character of his friend that he knew in the past.

And Kevin... has now been even more despised by the middle-level navy of the headquarters. How can such a person inherit the will of the former Nomi?

"I am leaving."

"Hmm? You're leaving now? You won't stay two more days?"

Kuzan turned and left, waving his hand with his back to Nomi: "It has been delayed for so long, I can go back and get scolded earlier so that I can finish it sooner."

……

(End of this chapter)