There were no surprises.
In less than ten minutes, Mongge crushed the three pirate crews that had entrenched themselves on Sphinx and captured all three leaders.
The gap between an ordinary Great Pirate and someone at the level of a Four Emperors or an Admiral was simply too vast.
Even though Mongge had only just reached that level,
without a strong opponent of comparable strength to hold him back, he was a force of nature to ordinary pirates.
If the three Great Pirates had attacked together, perhaps they could have lasted a move or two against Mongge.
But Monster Moz had charged in alone.
His fate had already been sealed.
By the time only Black Merchant Duke Men remained, the Great Pirate, dressed like a middle-aged gentleman, hurriedly raised his hands in surrender, afraid of sharing the other two men's fate.
"Mr. Mongge, they forced me into this. I'm just a merchant. I have no reason to clash with the White Wolf Pirates!"
"Oh?"
Mongge went aboard Black Merchant Duke Men's pirate ship and sat on the bow, looking down at Duke Men.
"But that's not what you were saying just now."
"It was a misunderstanding, all of it!"
Black Merchant Duke Men was drenched in cold sweat. Even Monster Moz, the strongest of them, and Undead Jason, the one who could take the most punishment, hadn't lasted a single move against Mongge. He had no intention of making the foolish choice to keep fighting.
"It's simple enough for me to let you go."
Mongge's blade pointed at Black Merchant Duke Men's brow.
"What can you offer me?"
Others might not know, but Mongge was well aware that he was practically a one-man commander in the White Wolf Pirates. Lipri and Rocks still had a long way to go. They could run rampant in the first half of the Grand Line, but they were still too green for the second half.
"I can help you continue to manage Sphinx..."
Seeing Mongge's expression turn cold, Black Merchant Duke Men cried out, "And I'll guarantee that the White Wolf Pirates' flag is the only one flying on Sphinx from now on. We won't take a single coin from the profits, and the Black Merchant Pirates are willing to join the White Wolf Pirates and serve as your subordinate crew!"
After speaking, Black Merchant Duke Men waited anxiously, afraid Mongge would refuse.
After all, many rumors claimed that the White Wolf Pirates had little interest in expanding their influence. Compared to other ambitious pirate crews, they seemed more like a pure adventure crew—a group of adventurers striving for their ideals.
Otherwise, if Mongge wanted to, even if the powerful pirates refused to join him, there were countless weaker ones scattered across the seas.
What the pirates didn't understand was that the White Wolf Pirates had been entangled with the government's CP Organization. They hadn't had the capacity to build up their own forces.
If their influence grew too large, the Navy might come after them.
Back then, Mongge hadn't been strong enough to drive off a Marine Admiral.
But things were different now.
"Interesting."
Mongge's laughter sounded like music to Black Merchant Duke Men's ears.
"You should know what I hate most. In the years I was away, Sphinx seems to have become a cesspool. If you can clean up the island's underworld, I don't mind letting you off."
"I understand!"
Black Merchant Duke Men nodded hurriedly. "Within a month—no, two weeks—I'll shut down the entire slave-trading market on Sphinx and clean up the Pleasure District. I won't let any of that filth offend your eyes!"
Duke Men lowered his head and spoke humbly.
He said nothing about the Great Pirates who owned those slave-trading operations. From Mongge's attitude, he clearly didn't care about them.
Could it be...
Thinking of how easily Mongge had defeated Monster Moz and Undead Jason, and of how much younger Mongge's face looked than the rumors suggested...
Was the Mongge before him actually the true White Wolf Mongge's successor?
It was no wonder Duke Men had come to that conclusion.
Mongge looked far too young to be a man in his seventies. He seemed more like a middle-aged man in his early fifties.
Younger, stronger, and more ambitious!
Duke Men was certain that the White Wolf Mongge of the rumors had been powerful, but he hadn't been strong enough to defeat a Great Pirate with a bounty of over a hundred million in a single slash.
That was the strength of a truly legendary Great Pirate!
If the one wielding this power were a man in his seventies, Duke Men might bow his head under the threat of that strength, but he would never wholeheartedly work for Mongge.
But if the wielder were younger and more ambitious, what did it matter if he bowed his head? At the end of the day, he was just a merchant. He didn't have Conqueror's Haki like Monster Moz, nor the pride of a Great Pirate like Undead Jason, who refused to bow to Mongge easily.
As long as there was profit in it, even selling himself and his pirate crew wasn't out of the question.
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
Mongge had no idea that in Duke Men's eyes, he had gone from being White Wolf Mongge to the secret heir White Wolf Mongge had raised.
In fact, quite a few pirates were already questioning Mongge's identity.
But he didn't care what Duke Men thought. Other people's opinions mattered even less. Even if Duke Men betrayed him one day, for now he would have to do the job properly.
The new recruits still needed time to grow.
If Duke Men did his part, Mongge could let bygones be bygones. But if he proved disloyal...
Then Mongge wouldn't show him any mercy!
"There are still far too few capable people!"
Mongge sighed and looked toward the Black Pearl.
After Mongge defeated Monster Moz and Undead Jason, the pirates who had gone to attack the Black Pearl lost their will to fight.
With their captain's life or death unknown, what was the point of continuing?
The trusted men were all by Mongge's side.
Most of those sent to attack the Black Pearl were fringe members or cannon fodder.
There were a few capable pirates who had joined forces and managed to suppress Lipri and Rocks for a while. But they hadn't expected Monster Moz and Undead Jason to lose so quickly. In the middle of the fight, they saw Mongge looking their way.
Nope. They didn't want to fight anymore.
Seeing Rocks, who was weaker than them, looking smug in their faces, the pirates grumbled inwardly: Just because the captain's strong, he can do whatever he wants?
Rocks and Lipri: Sorry, the captain really can do whatever he wants because he's strong.
Even Edward Newgate and the others had stayed out of danger under Rocks and Lipri's protection.
And so,
in Marine Era 1461, Mongge returned to his loyal Sphinx.
However, the battle between the White Wolf Pirates and the three pirate crews couldn't escape the eyes of the intelligence organization lurking on the island.
That very night, news of the White Wolf Pirates' appearance on Sphinx was sent out.
A storm was brewing.
Before you continue