The Pursuit of Material Comfort

"Next, it was time to clean up the stain."

Noki smiled calmly. Wisps of black smoke gave his peerless face a somewhat sinister air. Dense black mist rose up, blanketing the sky as it surged toward the pirate ship from every direction.

"What the hell is this?!"

The pirates panicked, pulling guns from their pants and firing continuously into the black smoke.

Unfortunately, it had no effect at all.

The black mist continued spreading toward them at a visible speed.

"The smoke is corroding our ship!"

"What kind of mysterious power is this? Is this God's punishment?"

"It has to be! Who else could possibly have such power..."

"Captain, think of something!"

The supplies, cannons, flags, and everything else aboard the ship gradually vanished beneath the darkness's assault.

The pirates watched as their pirate ship was swallowed by the black mist, leaving them with less and less space.

They no longer dared to think of anything. Huddling together and trembling, they only wanted to stay alive.

"Help! Someone save us! We don't want to be pirates anymore! Let us go home!"

"I have a wife and a child not even two years old! Give me another chance! I swear I'll never be a pirate again!"

The pirates wept bitterly, tears streaming down their faces. Some were even smashing their heads repeatedly against the walls, regretting ever choosing the path of piracy.

The pirate captain no longer dreamed of conquering the Grand Line. He only wanted to know one thing now: just who wanted them dead?!

Darkness could absorb everything, including sound.

Therefore, Noki could not hear their repentance, nor did he want to.

Before long,

the darkness completely erased everything belonging to the pirate crew from this world.

Passersby witnessed scene after scene unfold.

Seeing an enormous pirate ship cleaved in half with a single slash had already shattered their understanding.

Yet Noki had also made an entire pirate crew vanish into thin air.

Calling this newly arrived Marine officer a monster was no longer enough.

He was practically a monster among monsters!

"Noki, it's only been a few years, yet you've become this strong? This isn't something an ordinary rear admiral could achieve. You're at least at vice admiral level, aren't you?"

"Colonel Dadi, you were here too?"

Noki turned to look at the bearded middle-aged man.

"Yes. The pirate captain you just dealt with, Spilot, had a bounty of 1.5 million Beli. He was somewhat famous in the East Blue. I came here intending to kill him for the bounty, but you beat me to it."

"1.5 million..."

Noki was tempted. "About how much can you earn in Loguetown per day?"

"On good days, two or three million Beli. On bad days, around five hundred thousand. Plenty of pirates pass through Loguetown, and they're weak, so it's easy money.

"But if all future pirates get defeated by you like today, then I'll be making less."

"As a rear admiral, my monthly salary is only around five hundred thousand, yet you can make at least that much in a day. I'm feeling a little discouraged..."

Noki did not consider himself someone with particularly lofty ideals. He still pursued material comfort.

Thinking it over carefully, as a Marine, there were only a few ways to make money: get promoted and receive a raise, start a side business, or, if one's professional ethics were slightly lacking, accept bribes.

He could forget about taking bribes.

Noki was afraid Sakazuki would find out and execute him on the spot...

Besides, he had always been upright and honorable! How could he do something so immoral?

After thinking it over, Noki recalled that Marine regulations did not seem to prohibit cooperating with bounty hunters to make money.

Even if they did, he did not remember.

Ain had graded his theory exam back then. Why memorize anything when he could take the back door?

Whatever!

"Colonel Dadi, I have a proposal."

"Hm? Go ahead."

"After all, headquarters won't investigate whether wanted criminals were really defeated by bounty hunters.

"So from now on, whether the pirates are defeated by me or by you, they'll all count as your trophies. That way, you can earn more bounty money without worrying that I'll steal your business. Wouldn't that benefit both of us?"

Dadi laughed. "You never do anything without profit. What do you want?"

"Hehe, I won't ask for much. For every pirate I defeat, just give me sixty percent of the bounty."

"Hahaha, so that's what you had in mind. Not only can you eliminate a powerful competitor, you can also gain a partner. This is indeed a good suggestion. I agree!"

"Excellent!" Noki continued, "There's one more thing I'd like to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Have you heard of Bartolomeo's group?"

"Few people living in Loguetown haven't heard that name. Are you planning to make a move against them?"

"Yes. I want you to find out where Bartolomeo is right now."

"Fine. I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Thanks."

A mass of black mist rose behind Noki once more.

Release!

The wreckage of the pirate ship and the pirates' corpses came pouring out of the endless darkness with a crash, landing in front of Dadi.

"One of them should be the wanted criminal you mentioned. I won't take a cut of this bounty. Consider it payment for helping me investigate."

"Oh, okay..."

The pirate ship had already been crushed beyond recognition, reduced entirely to a pile of wood chips.

As for the pirates, their bodies were covered in wounds, and they had died horribly!

Even Dadi, who had fought on the Grand Line for many years, was deeply shocked by the sight.

"What a powerful Devil Fruit ability."

After Dadi found the wanted criminal, he slung the corpse over his shoulder and returned to the Marine Base with Noki.

Noki personally helped Dadi sign the proof of capture.

After collecting the bounty, Dadi hurried off to find his daughter.

He was utterly obsessed with his daughter and wished he could stay by her side twenty-four hours a day.

Whoever became his son-in-law definitely would not have an easy life.

Noki had nothing to do and was growing sleepy. Carter, a sergeant, was overseeing the Marines training at the training ground.

Noki watched for a while and found no problems. They were basically following his plan.

It was just that the Marine soldiers lacked training. Many could not keep up with the pace, so their breaks were a little longer than what he had prescribed.

Noki understood that nothing could be rushed.

Giving them a week to adapt would not hurt.

Noki was just about to fall asleep.

Then someone knocked on his door again.

"Rear Admiral, it's time for afternoon tea. You didn't have time for lunch, so the kitchen specially made some desserts for you to try."

"This base commander really lives the good life. They even have afternoon tea."

Noki happened to be hungry, so he accepted the tray from the Marine outside.

He noticed a heart drawn in strawberry jam atop the cream cake, identical to the one he had seen at breakfast.

Was it a specialty of the Loguetown Marine Base kitchen?

Of course, Noki understood that this was one way for a girl to confess her love to a boy.

But there were only two women in the entire base.

Tashigi had been training the whole time, so she definitely had no time to make these things.

As for the other woman, he had only met her once. Surely it could not be love at first sight?

Noki stroked his smooth, jade-like chin. With his charm, there really were quite a few girls who fell in love with him at first sight!

Noki was no scumbag. Thinking that this was possible, he immediately set down the tray and headed for the kitchen. It would be better to make it clear that he was already taken.