Arrival at Hachinosu

New World, Hachinosu.

A pirate in the watchtower let out a hoarse shout:

"Look! The fleet's back!"

The shout was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, setting the entire harbor ablaze.

"Hahaha, wonder if they brought back any slaves this time!"

A one-eyed pirate missing his front teeth spat hard, rubbing his rough palm over his scar-covered face, greed glinting in his eyes.

"I want to live like one of those noble lords too—have those soft-skinned girls massage my back!"

Several of his companions burst into lewd laughter, their filthy remarks drifting away on the sea breeze.

"Becoming an allied nation was truly a brilliant decision!"

Another pirate wrapped in a tattered cloak suddenly raised his voice. He clenched his right fist against his chest and waved his weapon toward the towering ochre skull at the center of the island.

"Long live the Cult Founder! With the World Government backing us, we'll never have to fear the Marines again!"

The cheers rose higher and higher.

Ever since Hachinosu had become a World Government allied nation, scenes like this had become commonplace.

Under the principle that "the World Government does not interfere in the internal affairs of allied nations," the Ochoku Pirates, entrenched here, had become like beasts freed from their shackles, launching unrestrained raids against several neighboring countries.

They burned, murdered, plundered, and committed every evil imaginable, without the slightest concern for the Marines' attitude.

The Marines at bases along the route were furious but dared not speak. They had tried to intercept them many times, only to be forcibly recalled by their superiors on the grounds that "they could not interfere in the internal affairs of an allied nation."

The Marine soldiers could only watch helplessly as this blood-soaked fleet swaggered past their doorsteps time and time again.