West Blue, Sunflower Island.
Buildings crowded a massive circular island shaped like a flower's disk.
As a mandatory transit point for several shipping routes, Sunflower Island bustled with heavy foot traffic and featured numerous ports and shipyards, making it a vital cargo distribution hub in the West Blue.
At that moment, inside a low building in the center of the island, sunlight streamed through the window blinds onto the deep red carpet.
Behind a broad solid wood desk, the head of the Capone family tossed the West Blue Times onto the desk.
Did they wipe out my men? Those fellows from Ohara...
He leaned back in his swivel chair toward the window, removed the cigar from the corner of his mouth, and exhaled a long stream of smoke with an unreadable expression.
"Tell me, how should we handle this?"
Three people stood on the opposite side of the desk—the designated next head of the Capone family, Capone Bege, along with his two capable subordinates, the advisor Vito and the combat captain Gotti.
The three glanced at each other, and Bege frowned. "Ohara isn't easy to deal with, and the other families are watching. We can't go all out... Should we do it like before?"
The so-called "like before" meant dispatching a few competent fighters to wage a battle at Ohara.
If they won, they could naturally demand exorbitant terms and ask for whatever they wanted.
If they lost, Ohara would also pay a certain compensation to smooth the matter over.
Both sides would have a graceful way out.
Of course, Bege knew that while it sounded like two possibilities, it really only had one result: losing.
Powerful as the Capone family was, they weren't strong enough to single-handedly blast through Ohara just by sending a few random people.
Unless he led the force in person.
But in that case, the other families surely wouldn't mind lending a helping hand, dragging Ohara into a messy war of attrition and causing the Capone family to bleed continuously.
Making a big issue small and a small issue nothing currently seemed like the most appropriate solution.
After all, no matter how much people talked about the Chest Hair Pirates, they were merely a black glove.
This vast sea was full of pirates willing to work and die for the Capone family.
If one died, they could just swap in another.
The head of the Capone family shook his head, pointing a thick finger at Capone Bege:
"I want you to lead the team in person and kill every last one of those historians in Ohara!"
The three people opposite the desk were startled.
"Father, what did you say?"
"Wait, it's not worth it, Boss!"
"Leave it to me!!"
Smack!
Bege irritably slapped Gotti across the head, turned back around, and braced his hands on the desk.
"Father, if we do that, the other four families will definitely seize the opportunity to strike!"
The head of the Capone family puffed out a cloud of dense smoke, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "What we want is for them to strike!"
Huh?
All three looked at the family head in incomprehension.
The head of the Capone family looked at Bege and said patiently, "Bege, the Capone family has reached its limit. You know that, right?"
Bege nodded.
The tentacles of the five great families already permeated every corner of the West Blue, leaving no room for further expansion.
Yet what did that have to do with attacking Ohara?
"If the current Capone family wants to keep growing, we can only look to the sea."
"But there are Marines on the sea, and the Happo Navy..." The head of the Capone family sneered.
"In the past, they would never have allowed us to meddle in affairs on the sea."
"But things are different now!"
"Why do you think I secretly left the family and came to Sunflower Island alone?"
"The time has come, understand? This is the turning point for our Capone family!"
He leaned closer to Bege, lowering his voice, his gaze fierce as a wolf.
"That batch of cargo... the one I had you hide."
"As long as the transaction succeeds, someone will be willing to carve off a slice of the marine pie and give it to us!"
"By then... when you take over as family head, the other four families will discover—hehehe~ the West Blue is no longer theirs to rule!"
A trace of surprise flashed in Bege's eyes.
He knew what that batch of cargo was; the volume was massive and extremely dangerous!
He simply hadn't expected it to tie into the development of the entire Capone family.
Seeing Bege's solemn expression, the head of the Capone family knew the other man understood the gravity of the matter. A hint of a smile curved the corner of his mouth as he leaned back into his seat and leisurely said:
"However, the other four families are certainly unwilling to see us take this step."
"In fact, they are already somewhat suspicious."
"That's why I want you to attack Ohara and wipe out those historians—make the commotion as big as possible! It's best if you draw the gaze of all the other families over there!"
"Hehahahaha~ If they want to meddle, let them meddle."
"Someone is already impersonating me back at the main estate. I will secretly oversee and complete the transaction here on Sunflower Island. By the time they react..."
The head of the Capone family exhaled a cozy stream of smoke. "There will no longer be a place for them in the future!"
Not long after, the office door opened.
Bege and the other two walked out.
Vito and Gotti wore dumbfounded expressions, still immersed in the shock of the family head's meticulous plotting.
Bege's brain was already spinning.
"Vito, give the inventory list to Gotti."
Vito froze and blurted anxiously, "Leaving inventory work to someone else—handling it yourself is much safer!"
Was Gotti's impulsive and hot-tempered nature really suited for this kind of work?
The corners of Bege's mouth lifted slightly. "Even you think Gotti isn't suited for it, so outsiders will surely never guess what important cargo Gotti is counting every day!"
"Besides, Gotti's combat prowess offers better security."
Hearing this, Gotti proudly stroked the massive, heavy triple-barreled heavy machine gun resting on his arm and laughed boldly, "Leave it to me!"
As the combat captain of the Capone family, countless powerhouses had perished beneath this heavy machine gun of his.
Bege nodded, lit a cigar, clamped it in the corner of his mouth, and strode forward.
"For the next few days, put on a convincing act."
"Vito and I will go gather our subordinates and whip up momentum for the attack on Ohara."
"Gotti, don't just sit around either. Go round up all the small fry and hoodlums on Sunflower Island, and don't let those idlers ruin things."
"Remember, Ohara is nothing. The cargo is what matters most."
"But don't let your guard down either."
"In three days, once Father takes over, we set off..."
"Heh~ Those historians are probably still waiting for us to send people to 'provoke' them."
A trace of mockery flashed in his eyes.
"A bunch of fools whose brains have rotted from reading books!"
"Once Ohara is wiped out, from this day forward, the future of the West Blue will be decided by the Capone family!"
Historians?
What sewer-dwelling profession dared try to take advantage of the Capone family?
Get lost!
Hours later.
The news that historians had offended the Capone family had already spread among the gangs.
Outside a hidden dark harbor on Sunflower Island.
Two hoodlums wearing leather jackets and pants, covered in tattoos, squatted beneath a tree, their slick and cunning gazes constantly scanning the passing pedestrians.
All who passed by, upon catching sight of the "Roaring Doghead" velcro patch on the two men's chests, sensibly chose to make a detour.
This was the emblem of the Wild Dog Gang.
Being able to wear such a symbol on Sunflower Island meant that their strength had gained the recognition of one of the Five Great Mafia Families.
With territory of their own, they counted as a proper, established gang.
For instance, the street outside this dark harbor was managed by the Wild Dog Gang.
At that moment, one of the hoodlums toyed with a dagger, glancing sideways at his companion with a frown.
"Mohawk, what are you looking at?"
"West Blue New Discoveries... is that how you read it?"
The hoodlum with a Mohawk hairstyle proudly shook the magazine in his hand.
"Didn't the boss say we're dealing with historians? I specifically bought a magazine related to historians!"
The dagger-wielding hoodlum snatched the magazine away in a single motion.
He saw a smiling young man in a dark blue coat with black hair and dark eyes on the cover, holding a medal symbolizing a historian in one hand while flashing a peace sign at the camera with the other.
Beneath the photograph ran a string of exaggerated headline text—The youngest historian in history makes his grand debut!
Mohawk leaned over from the side, saying excitedly, "Do you think that if we capture a historian, we'll get a reward from the Capone family?"
"I only joined the gang yesterday, and suddenly I'll be noticed by the Capone family and forced to join? What if I'm not mentally prepared to suddenly become rich?!"
The dagger-wielding hoodlum nodded. "There's that possibility..."
Before he could finish, the rolled-up magazine in his hand slammed into Mohawk's head. He raged:
"But there's only one historian on this thing, you idiot!"
"The West Blue is so huge, do you think you'll just happen to bump into one?"
"Instead of wasting time reading, you'd be better off coming with me to shake down a couple of unlucky bastards!"
Mohawk cradled the magazine shoved back into his chest, looking rather disappointed.
Indeed, even if he hadn't spent many days in school, he knew the probability of such a thing happening was far too low.
He scratched his head and prepared to toss the magazine away when his movements suddenly paused, and he stared blankly ahead.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" the dagger-wielding hoodlum frowned, suspecting he had recruited an absolute moron.
"D-Dagger..."
Mohawk grabbed the dagger-wielding hoodlum, glanced back and forth between the magazine in his hand and the scene ahead, and became so excited he incoherently stammered.
"I-I think I really found a historian!!"
Amidst the distant crowd, a dark-blue-coated figure with short black hair flashed past and disappeared.
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