"My Vice Admiral Uncle"

"Master, we've reached Farn Island."

Mammon's voice came from outside the storeroom.

Dimon left the storeroom and gave Mammon a barely perceptible nod.

"Bring those bounty heads and come ashore with me."

The heads of three wanted men had been stored in an old treasure chest and casually tossed into a corner of the storeroom.

Mammon walked over and opened the chest. After confirming that all three heads were intact, he picked it up and followed Dimon out.

When they reached the deck, an island lay close at hand.

Numerous ships were moored at the port, including a conspicuous warship.

The warship was a size larger than the Wave-Breaking Warrior beneath his feet, with an estimated displacement of over 3,000 tons.

Many Marines were busy carrying supplies across its deck, while an officer in a justice cape directed them.

"Move faster! We've got another mission after this... huh!?"

The officer suddenly noticed a newly arrived ship entering port. He turned to look, and shock immediately appeared on his face.

"The Wave-Breaking Warrior?!"

The Warrior Pirates!

Good grief, pirates actually dared to sail openly into an official port!?

After the shock came a surge of delight. The pirates had escaped him during a storm earlier, yet here they were delivering themselves to his door today.

"Everyone, highest alert!"

The officer shouted, then drew the saber at his waist. In a single leap, he crossed dozens of meters toward the Wave-Breaking Warrior.

Chapter 5: "My Vice Admiral Uncle"

Naturally, the Marines' movements didn't escape Dimon's notice. Standing on the deck, he saw everything clearly.

Ordinary pirates avoided warships like cats avoided mice, staying as far away as possible.

Fortunately, Dimon wasn't a pirate. He happened to need the Marines to collect a bounty and earn his first pot of gold.

He really had to thank the Warrior Pirates for that.

Not only had they supplied their blood as an ingredient for making wine, but they'd also generously handed him a bounty.

They were all good pirates, even if they were a little poor!

"Mammon."

As the thoughts ran through his mind, Dimon activated the Great Summoning Technique.

The moment the word left his mouth, Mammon moved.

He flashed forward, curling his right hand into a claw as his nails sharpened. He raised it and stopped the officer's descending slash.

The officer's expression froze. Without Haki, he had stopped his blade with his bare hand!?

"Who are you!?"

Mammon said nothing, merely gripping the blade tightly.

"Good afternoon, officer. I think you've misunderstood. I'm not a pirate."

The officer had leaped aboard and attacked the moment he saw them, so Dimon guessed the reason at a glance.

It was probably the ship beneath his feet that had caused the trouble. The captain of the Warrior Pirates had a bounty of "as much as" 84 million Beli, making him someone of note in the first half of the Grand Line.

If it had been a little higher, over 100 million, he could have squeezed into the ranks of the pirate super rookies. Only a few pirates like that appeared in a year.

"Mammon, stop. Give him what's in the chest."

"Yes, master."

Only then did Mammon release his tight grip on the blade and hand the chest tucked under his left arm to the officer before him.

The officer hesitated briefly, sheathed his saber, and took the chest. When he opened it, he was stunned.

Packed inside were the heads of three wanted members of the Warrior Pirates.

The three heads weren't fresh. They had clearly been dead for several days, and they seemed to have experienced something quite horrifying before they died, their faces frozen in twisted expressions.

"Are you bounty hunters?" The officer closed the chest and looked around the deck. Seeing no one else, he asked, "What about the rest of the Warrior Pirates?"

"Dead, of course. Their bodies have probably been picked clean by the fish by now. As for me... I can be a bounty hunter."

Meeting the officer's questioning gaze, Dimon nodded slightly. He didn't mind giving himself a temporary identity. It didn't cost anything, after all.

"Sorry for my rudeness earlier. I thought you were with the Warriors... My name is Pierce Ed, a Marine Headquarters Commodore.

I was chasing those pirates a few days ago. When I saw the ship you're on, I assumed it was them."

Commodore Ed offered a casual apology. He couldn't quite figure out who the two men were.

They had killed three members of the Warrior Pirates and even wiped out the entire crew. Their strength couldn't be underestimated.

But he knew all the noteworthy bounty hunters in these waters, and he didn't recognize either of their faces.

That wasn't unusual. Other Marines might not know them, but he often worked with powerful bounty hunters to capture pirates.

The bounty hunters earned money, while he gained merit and could rise through the ranks faster. That was how he had become a Headquarters Commodore at the age of twenty-two.

Of course, his Vice Admiral uncle had also provided a little insignificant help.

"Gentlemen, the bounties on the three pirates you killed were 84 million, 33 million, and 25 million, for a total of 142 million. You only receive seventy percent of the bounty for dead pirates, so the final amount is... 99.4 million Beli."

After doing the arithmetic in his head, Commodore Ed saw Dimon frown and added with a smile:

"Those are the rules. You didn't know?"

So they aren't bounty hunters. A bounty hunter couldn't possibly be unaware of that. But it doesn't matter. As long as there are bounty heads, what difference does it make who provides them?

Dimon realized he'd given himself away, but he wasn't the least bit embarrassed at being exposed. As long as he wasn't embarrassed, someone else would be.

"So that's how it works. I really didn't know that before."

"People outside the trade don't tend to know much about these things."

Commodore Ed immediately set his mind to work and asked as he pondered, "May I ask your names?"

"I'm Roronoa Zoro, and he's Mammon."

At that, Commodore Ed cast a seemingly casual glance at the quiet Mammon.

He hadn't forgotten that Mammon had called him "master."

A slave?

The slave looked strong, at least much stronger than Ed, but he wasn't wearing a slave collar. That was somewhat strange.

His master, Dimon, on the other hand, looked fair and delicate. The two looked more like a young nobleman traveling with his powerful slave bodyguard.

"Mr. Zoro, I have a proposal regarding the bounty you're owed.

Ninety-nine point four million Beli doesn't look like a very auspicious number. I can make up the difference out of my own pocket, bringing the total to 150 million Beli."

There's a deal that good?

Dimon was slightly taken aback. "And what are the conditions?"

"Simple. You just have to give up claiming publicly that you... and your subordinate killed those three pirates. Once you have the money, none of this will have anything to do with you. How about it?"

Why would he do that?

Dimon put his mind to it and guessed the answer in three seconds.

Could this guy be planning to claim the credit for himself?

No, bah!

He's exchanging a pile of cold paper for warm merit.

Having figured it out, Dimon couldn't help smiling. "I see... But does being a Marine really pay that well? Colonel, we're talking about 150 million. If you pay for it yourself, that means you can't collect the bounty from the Marines, right?"

"My family stands behind me. For generations, we've been pillars of the Marines!"

Ed looked proud as he spoke of his family.

Apparently finding Dimon tactful, he casually added:

"Marines can't collect bounties for capturing pirates, of course, but there are bonuses. And my uncle is a Headquarters Vice Admiral."

Tsk, tsk. Every world really is the same. Even within the enormous Marine organization, connections run deep.

Dimon guessed that with a little maneuvering, Ed could use the bonus from above to cover the expense.

At that thought, something stirred in Dimon's heart. He immediately offered a few flattering words, then changed the subject.

"Commodore, I agree to your deal in principle, but I have one small request."

"Go ahead, if it's something I can do for you."

"A Devil Fruit costs 100 million Beli on the black market. I can give up the bounty, and I'd like to buy a fruit from you."

"A Devil Fruit?"

Commodore Ed was visibly taken aback.

Dimon smiled. "With your family's influence, I imagine that shouldn't be difficult?"

Damn. I've bragged, and now it'll be a little hard to back down...

Ed kept his expression unchanged. This was no longer just a matter of his personal pride; his family's honor was at stake.

"If it's too much trouble..."

"It's simple!"

Ed unconsciously straightened his back, then frowned. "It's just that, as far as the price goes, the black-market price only represents the minimum value. A Devil Fruit you can buy for 100 million won't have a particularly good ability, and you'll also have to pay the price of being unable to swim. Are you sure you want to exchange 150 million for one?"

Dimon simply smiled without speaking, wearing an expression that said, "If you find it difficult, then forget it."

"I understand."

Ed took a deep breath and silently did some calculations.

If he borrowed his family's connections and found a way to buy one from the Underworld, it wouldn't even cost 150 million. He might be able to get one for 120 million, or even 110 million.

With that in mind, he promptly took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

"This will take some time. I can't guarantee when I'll be able to buy one. My Den Den Mushi number is on this paper. Contact me through it in a month."

"All right. I hope we work well together, Colonel."

Dimon put the slip away and nodded. "I'm going ashore to get supplies next, so I won't keep you."

The two sides exchanged contact information, and the secret deal was halfway done.

Dimon wasn't worried in the least that Ed would renege. At worst, he could use force to collect. He'd be even happier if Ed did renege.

Before long, the ship docked.

The two went ashore, and port workers immediately came up to greet them warmly, repeatedly calling them "travelers from afar" before guiding them to an imposing building near the port.

Compared with the two- and three-story houses in town, the six-story port authority building stood out from the crowd.

Colonel Ed watched Dimon and his servant leave, then turned back to the warship and entered the captain's cabin.

Ed picked up a Den Den Mushi and quickly dialed a number.

Meanwhile.

The Dressrosa Kingdom, in the New World on the Grand Line.

Purururu~ purururu~

The Den Den Mushi's ringing sounded through the quiet bedroom. A moment later, a figure rose from a lounge chair, walked over, and picked up the receiver.

The man wore sunglasses and a pink feather coat, and walked with his feet turned outward.

"Fufufufu... It's me. You know this number, so who are you?"