Ghost Mulberry Island · Bezos

Ghost Mulberry Island was shaped like a mulberry leaf. Its harbor was narrow like a leaf stem, while the island grew broader the farther inland one went.

Most of the island's buildings were low, and its streets were narrow and maze-like. The air carried the fishy smell of the sea and the faint scorched scent of burned wood—the mark left behind by the Oniki family's lumber business.

By the time Yang Yunzhi stepped onto the pier, dusk was approaching.

He swept the entire island with his Byakugan. Its thirty-two-kilometer visual range was enough to encompass the whole island. There were roughly eighty thousand residents, mainly concentrated in the town near the harbor. The deeper into the mountainous interior one went, the fewer people there were.

"Aokiji came here over twenty days ago..." Yang Yunzhi walked along the street while maintaining his panoramic Byakugan view. "If Robin really was here, with how cautious she is, she would have chosen somewhere crowded but inconspicuous to stay."

He narrowed it down to several likely locations: the library, the old book market, the cluster of cheap inns, and the rental district near the docks, where she could leave at any time.

However, none of those places currently had anyone matching Robin's traits—there were a few tall young women with black hair and distinctive temperaments, but they were either locals or did not resemble the Robin he remembered.

"Looks like she either wasn't here, or she's already left." Yang Yunzhi pondered it. After all, Aokiji had arrived twenty days ago. If Robin had noticed his trail, she might have fled immediately.

Still, where would she have fled to?

Hmm, he should gather some information first.

He walked to a street corner where a grilled fish stall stood. The owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties, squinting at the pedestrians passing by. Yang Yunzhi went over, bought a skewer of grilled fish, and casually asked, "Boss, have any unusual outsiders come to the island lately?"

The stall owner glanced at him. "Aren't you one?"

Yang Yunzhi was speechless. I even bought your grilled fish, and you're still treating me like this?

"Other than me?"

"Loads of them. Ships dock every day. How am I supposed to know what kind of unusual you're talking about?"

"For example..." Yang Yunzhi thought for a moment. "A woman with a distinctive temperament, perhaps someone who likes reading and keeps to herself?"

The stall owner shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Just then, a voice came from beside him. "Is the person you're looking for about this tall—"

Yang Yunzhi turned and saw a plainly dressed man in his early thirties standing nearby. He gestured at a height of around 1.8 meters. "Long black hair, beautiful eyes, a slightly melancholy air about her, but with a gentle smile now and then?"

Yang Yunzhi's eyes lit up. "You've seen her?"

"I have." The man smiled. "But don't get excited yet. Hear me out first. The person you're looking for really was on the island around twenty days ago. She stayed on the third floor of the Seagull Inn in the dock district. Every morning, she spent three or four hours at the town library. In the afternoons, she read at a café near the harbor. She rarely went out at night."

Yang Yunzhi's heart stirred. "Is she still here?"

"She isn't." The man shook his head. "She left around eighteen days ago on the merchant ship White Wave, bound for the South Blue. I saw her board it myself."

"How do you know all that so clearly?" Yang Yunzhi sized the man up.

He had an ordinary face, the sort that would disappear into a crowd. Yet there was a strange gleam in his eyes—the sharpness unique to someone who spent years watching people and gathering information.

"Because I like knowing things." The man smiled. "There isn't anything on all of Ghost Mulberry Island that I don't know. For example, you only got off a ship an hour ago. You stood at the dock for five minutes observing your surroundings, then walked three hundred meters down the main street. You hesitated over which direction to take at three intersections before deciding to find something to eat first. You paid for the grilled fish without hesitation, so you don't seem short of money. But you're dressed plainly, which means you're deliberately keeping a low profile."

Yang Yunzhi was genuinely surprised now. "You were following me?"

"Not following. Observing," the man corrected. "Every day, I walk around the streets, watch newcomers, and listen to what everyone is talking about. It's my hobby."

"A hobby?" Yang Yunzhi raised a brow. "Then you must know this island very well."

"More than well." The man grew animated and lowered his voice. "See that old man in gray at the corner? On the surface, he's a cobbler. In truth, he's an informant the Oniki family planted at the harbor, specifically to record every ship that docks and every outsider who comes ashore."

"And that tavern across the street? The owner's daughter ran away with one of Kijiro Oniki's men last month. The owner was furious, but he didn't dare make a fuss. Now, every day, he secretly spits into the liquor of Kijiro's subordinates."

"And the library administrator is actually a historian. He's secretly researching the Void Century. He has a pile of banned books hidden beneath his bed, and every night, he reads them by oil lamp..."

The man went on and on, rattling off the secrets of seven or eight people in a row. Every one came with supporting details, and none of it sounded made up.

Yang Yunzhi listened in stunned silence. When the man finally stopped, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Bezos," the man said. "I'm just an ordinary civilian. My parents died early and left me two houses to collect rent from, enough to feed and clothe me. I don't want to work, so I wander the streets every day, listening and watching."

"You gathered all this intelligence yourself?"

"Most of it." Bezos said proudly, "I support more than thirty children—all street orphans. I give them food, and they help me keep an eye out for interesting news. I also bribed over a hundred beggars. Beggars have the sharpest eyes. Whenever there is a new face or something strange happening, they're always the first to know."

Yang Yunzhi instantly regarded him with newfound respect. "You really are... born for intelligence work."

Bezos's eyes shone even brighter. "You think so too? I think so too! It's just a shame Ghost Mulberry Island is too small. The same things happen every day, and I've nearly memorized them all. Sometimes, I really want to go out and see the bigger world, gather more and more interesting intelligence..."

"Then why don't you go?" Yang Yunzhi asked.

"Because I don't have money." Bezos said frankly, "Taking ships costs money, eating costs money, gathering intelligence costs money too—you can't exactly expect people to tell you their secrets for nothing, can you? The little rent I collect is just enough to support myself, those children, and the beggars."

Yang Yunzhi looked at him, and an idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"Want to find somewhere private and talk?" Yang Yunzhi asked.

Bezos froze, and for some reason, a smile curled across his lips.

It felt like he had spent his whole life waiting for this one opportunity.

"Follow me!"

Before long, the two arrived at the top floor of a five-story building.

"This whole building belongs to me. No one lives on the bottom two floors, and the soundproofing is excellent. Nobody can hear us. Whatever you want to say, you can say it now!"

"Bezos." Yang Yunzhi nodded and spoke slowly. "If I gave you an opportunity to gather intelligence from all of the West Blue—no, from the entire world—would you do it?"

Bezos froze, then his breathing quickened. "The... the entire world?"

"Yes." Yang Yunzhi said, "Build an intelligence network spanning the Four Blues. Every island would have your informants, and tens of thousands of pieces of information would flow to you every day. You could know which mistress a king slept with tonight, which town a pirate crew plans to attack tomorrow, what internal conflicts have erupted at a Marine base..."

Bezos's eyes widened, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "H-how many people and how much money would that take..."

"You can cultivate people slowly. I can provide the money." Yang Yunzhi looked directly into his eyes. "But I need someone trustworthy and capable to manage this intelligence network. I think you're well suited for it."

Bezos stood there dumbfounded. Several seconds passed before he finally asked, "Y-you... who are you? A Marine? A pirate? Or the Revolutionary Army?"

"Marine lieutenant Yang Yunzhi." Yang Yunzhi smiled. "But that isn't important. What's important is whether you're willing to do something big with me."

"I..." Bezos hesitated. "All I know how to do is gather intelligence. The rest of it..."

What he hesitated over was not the fact that Yang Yunzhi was only a lieutenant.

"All I need is your ability to gather intelligence." Yang Yunzhi said. "And I'll give you a... special method that will make your intelligence gathering and transmission a hundred times more efficient."

Bezos's curiosity was piqued. "What kind of method?"

Yang Yunzhi did not answer immediately. Instead, he communicated with Little Bean in his mind. Little Bean, can you lock onto the mental images he has of those children and beggars?

"Yes, Master." Little Bean's voice sounded in his mind. "Over the past month, I have also made great progress developing the Link-Link Fruit. I developed the Secondary Link ability. As the primary link point, you can authorize Bezos to become a secondary link point. As long as he clearly imagines someone's appearance, I can use your Byakugan to locate that person within a thirty-two-kilometer range and establish a link."

"Once the link is established, can communication be maintained regardless of distance?"

"Yes. The initial link must be established within the Byakugan's range, but once formed, the link will remain permanent unless it is actively severed."

Yang Yunzhi understood. He looked at Bezos. "Give me your hand."

Bezos extended his hand in confusion.

Yang Yunzhi grasped his wrist. In reality, he was using skin contact to let Little Bean read Bezos's brainwaves more accurately.

"Now focus and imagine the informant you trust most—for example, the leader among those children, or an especially clever beggar," Yang Yunzhi said.

Though confused, Bezos did as he was told. He closed his eyes, and the image of a skinny boy around twelve appeared in his mind. The boy was called Little Bug, an orphan he had picked up at the dock three years ago. Little Bug now helped him manage seven or eight children.

The instant he imagined Little Bug's appearance—

[Secondary Link Point authority granted: Bezos]
[Locating target... Little Bug's location locked. Distance: 1.2 kilometers]
[Link successfully established]

Bezos suddenly felt a faint sense of "presence" appear in his mind, as if a tiny consciousness far away was echoing his own. He opened his eyes and looked at Yang Yunzhi in astonishment. "This is..."

"The power of the Link-Link Fruit," Yang Yunzhi explained. "This ability creates mental connections between people. You are now my secondary link point, and I can also let you link to the intelligence personnel under your command. As long as you can clearly imagine that person's appearance, I can help you find them and establish a link."

Bezos could hardly believe it. "I can link with anyone I want?"

"There are two conditions." Yang Yunzhi said, "First, that person must be within thirty-two kilometers. That is the effective range of my ability. But once a link is formed, there is no distance limit. Second, you must have a clear memory of that person's appearance."

"Thirty-two kilometers... this island isn't even that large. That means..." Bezos grew excited. "As long as I'm on this island, I can instantly link to all my informants?"

"Try it." Yang Yunzhi smiled.

Bezos immediately closed his eyes and began imagining his informants one by one: the children, the beggars, several dockworkers he had bribed, tavern maids... Every time he imagined someone, he felt another faint link point appear in his mind.

In just three minutes, he had established forty-three links.

"Th-this is unbelievable!" Bezos opened his eyes, his face filled with shock. "Before, to gather intelligence, I had to wait for the children and beggars to come tell me, or go find them and ask personally. But now... now all I have to do is think, and I can know where every one of them is and what they're doing..."

He tried sending a message through the link to the nearest child. Little Bug, go to the docks and ask the crew of the White Wave where the black-haired woman who left on the ship eighteen days ago went.

Almost immediately, he "heard" Little Bug's response. Yes, Mr. Bezos! I'm going right away!

He had not truly heard a voice. The information simply appeared directly in his mind.

Bezos trembled all over with excitement. "Real-time communication... no delay... no need to run around..."

"And the links are encrypted. Outsiders can't intercept them," Yang Yunzhi added. "Unless you or I actively sever them, the links will remain permanent. Even if you are separated by thousands of miles in the future, you can still communicate at any time."

Bezos suddenly grabbed Yang Yunzhi's hand, tears welling in his eyes. "Sir! No, Chief! You are the person I was destined to wait for! My greatest dream has always been to build an intelligence network spanning the world, but I always thought it was nothing more than a fool's dream... I never expected it, never expected someone would truly understand me and even give me an opportunity like this!"

Yang Yunzhi was a little embarrassed by his sudden enthusiasm. "You... agreed that easily? You don't want to think it over some more?"

"Think about what?" Bezos wiped away his tears. "You couldn't find even one person in ten thousand who understands a strange hobby like mine! And you gave me the tools and opportunity to realize my dream! From today onward, you are my chief. If you tell me to go east, I will never go west!"

Yang Yunzhi did not know whether to laugh or cry. "All right, all right, calm down. Since you've joined me, there are some things we need to make clear."

He briefly explained his identity and objectives—on the surface, he was a Marine lieutenant, but in reality, he was building up power in preparation to oppose the World Government.

Bezos nodded repeatedly as he listened, not the least bit surprised or afraid.

In any other world, saying you wanted to rebel against the government would be outright treason.

But in One Piece, rebelling against the World Government was practically political correctness.

The reasoning was simple: setting out to sea as a pirate meant opposing the World Government anyway, and there was no shortage of men willing to sail the seas.