Cooperation

"Paddy, have you really thought this through? This guy's a Marine. If you protect him, do you really think he'll thank you?"

"Exactly! Come with us, Paddy. We'll kill him and take the key. With that house, we'll have a chance to survive!"

"Paddy, that woman Mia's got something wrong with her head. Don't let her sweet-talk you."

Mosen listened to the prisoners, eager to win over the one who was as round as a ball, and felt a little surprised.

He'd thought Paddy was one of the strongest prisoners in Extreme Cold Hell, but it seemed he'd still underestimated her.

These prisoners had all once been Great Pirates with bounties of over a hundred million. If Paddy weren't strong enough to overpower them, they would never have acted so "obedient."

In the face of their entreaties, Paddy's attitude never wavered. Whatever Mia said, she did.

With no other choice, the prisoners turned their attention to Mia.

But before they could say much, the Military Wolf had already arrived.

Seeing the Military Wolf outside, baring its teeth and drooling, the prisoners who'd just been shouting about killing Mosen immediately backed down. Before Mosen could even speak, they scattered, leaving only Mia and her three companions with him.

"Why did you help me?" Mosen asked, his expression impassive.

"Because we want to survive," Mia answered without hesitation.

"So that was your plan from the start. Was that why you approached me?"

"That's right. I saw what you were thinking at the time. You wanted to make an example of a prisoner so you could better control Extreme Cold Hell. Warden, I think we can help you. Will you give us a chance?

"Paddy's incredibly strong. No one in Extreme Cold Hell can beat her one-on-one. I'm good at Observation Haki and medicine, and these two cripples each have their own specialties. We'd all be useful tools."

"What if I refuse?" Mosen asked after a brief silence.

"Then there's nothing we can do. It just means we bet wrong."

"Bet?"

"Sigh! Warden, you may not know this, but the four of us are a little different from the other prisoners. Because of things we did before we were caught, the other prisoners reject us.

"If Paddy weren't strong enough, they might have killed us long ago.

"And the conditions in Extreme Cold Hell are so harsh. If we can't band together with the other prisoners to keep warm, we have to make a change if we want to survive.

"You're our only choice, Warden," Mia said solemnly.

"What did you do before you were caught? Why do the other prisoners reject you?"

Mia gave a bitter smile and told him about their pasts.

Mosen's expression turned strange as he listened. One of them had traveled with a Mink Tribe captain, robbing the rich to help the poor. Another had struck a Celestial Dragon, left the Marines, yet still protected the people. One had used Golden Lion's name to protect his country. And one specialized in robbing other criminals, like a bounty hunter.

Calling them pirates was an insult to the profession.

After hearing their stories, Mosen recalled how he'd used food over the past few days to stir up conflict among the pirates. Those four really had seemed like outsiders.

Of course, Mosen wouldn't trust them so easily. This pirate woman, Mia, was very clever. She'd deduced his intentions from just a few of his actions and realized he wanted to kill one to warn the rest. For all he knew, what he'd seen was a little act the four had put on themselves.

But no matter what, these four might be won over.

And as Mia had said, all four of them were useful.

Paddy was strong enough to make the prisoners fear her even while wearing Seastone Handcuffs. That meant she had to be highly skilled in Haki, and Mosen urgently needed someone to teach him.

In the world of One Piece, a person couldn't get far with only Lineage Factors—or Devil Fruit abilities. Haki was the most important foundation for becoming strong.

With that in mind, Mosen decided to take a risk. He glanced at the four of them and said, "I can't trust you yet, but you did stand up for me today.

"How about this? Starting today, we can work together. I'll provide you with some food, and you'll teach me a few things."

Mia was taken aback. She'd thought Mosen would ask them to spy on the other prisoners. That would put them completely at odds with the rest of the prisoners, leaving them no way back. Their only option would be to rely on Mosen.

Could this young warden be testing us? Mia hurriedly said, "Warden, we can help you keep an eye on the other prisoners."

"No need. We haven't built up any trust yet. I trust my own eyes more than I trust you. Maybe once we know each other better, I'll ask you to help watch the other prisoners.

"For now, you don't need to rush to prove your loyalty or set yourselves against the other prisoners. Just teach me what I want to learn."

"Then what do you want to learn?" Mia asked quickly.

"What are you all good at?" Mosen asked in return.

"I'm not much of a fighter. I'm good at medicine and Observation Haki," Mia said.

"I ate the Zoan-type Pig-Pig Fruit, Ancient Zoan, and can transform into a Warthog. I specialize in Armament Haki," Paddy added.

"I know a thing or two about using guns. You could say I'm a sniper," said the One-armed Pirate, Ian.

"As for me, I used to be a Marine, so I know a bit of everything. I've mastered Shave, Finger Pistol, and Tempest Kick among the Six Powers. I can use a little of both Types of Haki, and I know some swordsmanship. I could barely be called a swordsman," said the One-eyed Pirate, Michael.

After hearing them out, Mosen's eyes lit up. They knew exactly the things he lacked. During his years in the Marines, he'd learned only the Six Powers and Life Return. He knew nothing about Haki or swordsmanship.

Paddy specialized in Armament Haki, Mia in Observation Haki, Ian was a sniper, and Michael knew some swordsmanship.

With these four teaching him, Mosen felt his strength would improve by leaps and bounds in a short time.

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