One piece: Black Cat

"Shit, we're under attack!"

The five major crime families had their fingers in countless illegal enterprises, but their most notorious operation was the transportation and sale of contraband. These weren't mere rumors, their smuggling routes were an open secret in the criminal underworld.

"What the hell?! Hey, Marines! Have you betrayed us?!"

"N-no! I properly excluded this area from today's patrol route—" The corrupt marine's voice cracked with terror. "I'm sorry, but I'm nothing but a worthless piece of scum, lower than a cockroach..."

"What's wrong with me all of a sudden?" Another voice drifted across the deck, hollow and defeated. "I want to become moss... I want to become moss and live a quiet, humid life in the shadows..."

These guys are pathetically easy, I thought, watching Perona's ghostly minions systematically drain the fight from our enemies. The fact that these operations were "well-known" meant that with careful observation, their routes could be easily discovered and intercepted.

"Daz, the warehouse is probably concealed somewhere below deck," I called out, surveying the chaos. "If anyone down there hasn't been neutralized by Perona's assault, feel free to cut them down. Go find it."

"Roger that," he replied, his blade-arms gleaming as he headed toward the ship's interior.

It seemed these particular smugglers had been secretly trafficking narcotics within the family structure, aided by marines they'd bought with bribes. The corruption ran deeper than I'd initially suspected.

Who would have thought that those obviously suspicious waters I discovered while tracking naval movements before visiting Perona's island would lead to such a jackpot?

"Robin, how does it look outside?" I asked, raising one hand to my ear.

A pair of lips bloomed from my palm, positioned perfectly next to my ear—one of Robin's most useful abilities for covert communication.

"Yes. I can't see any approaching vessels," her voice whispered through the conjured mouth.

"Good. If things go sideways, retreat with Perona to safety. In the worst-case scenario, abandon ship entirely and escape. If it's just Daz and me, we can catch up using Geppo."

"Understood."

•~•

What am I going to do about Robin? The thought had been gnawing at me since we'd discovered her stowed away in our cargo hold.

The reputation I was trying to build, the brand, so to speak, couldn't afford to crumble now. I had to protect it with everything I had. If someone like Sakazuki came charging after us screaming "Devil child!" I'd probably wet myself in terror.

Even in that nightmare scenario, I couldn't afford to show weakness. I'd make Daz interim captain, ensure everyone else escaped safely, and then face death with whatever dignity I could muster...

Though I'd probably die horribly in that case.

That kind of traumatic experience would definitely leave psychological scars on Robin, adding to her already tragic past. I had to avoid that outcome at all costs.

Besides, there's no point overthinking things when I'm reincarnated as a character who's supposed to be cunning.

What mattered now was developing our strategy and executing this raid flawlessly.

"I still can't believe a Marine was working with the Family," I muttered, stepping over an unconscious smuggler.

"You might not understand this since you're from the East Blue, but it's actually quite common," Robin's voice replied through her ability, having overheard my comment.

Seriously? I'd thought corruption like Nezumi's collaboration with Arlong was an aberration.

"There are all kinds of marines," she continued. "At the lower ranks, you often find those who team up with crime families or local mafia, making extra money by threatening civilians or taking bribes."

"So the people here fall into that category?"

I felt a knot of worry in my stomach about our potential haul. If the cargo contained luxury contraband, gold bars, or stolen funds, we'd struck it rich. But if it was something like drugs, we'd have to burn everything, and that would mean scrounging for every piece of valuable material we could find.

Maybe it'll be easier if I can get Robin to help with her powers.

"Captain, I think this is it," Daz called out. He'd been systematically checking areas while stepping over enemies completely incapacitated by Perona's negative ghosts.

"A hidden compartment in the floor?" I examined the concealed entrance he'd discovered. It reminded me of smuggling ships from old space war stories.

"Daz, stay alert."

Given the ship's size and external appearance, there had to be significantly more storage space than what we'd seen so far. There was a real possibility that someone was guarding the hidden warehouse below.

"Robin, tell Perona to scout inside with her ghosts."

I communicated through the regrown ear to relay instructions to the women waiting on our ship. One of Perona's floating spirits attempted to phase through the floor entrance... then immediately returned.

What?

"Captain-san," Robin's whispered voice reached me as she placed her right hand over her ear.

When I'd first recruited her, I'd told her to call me Captain, but she seemed to have interpreted it as part of my actual name. I'd grown accustomed to the formal address.

"Perona says her ghost can't penetrate that door."

Seriously?

"Seastone? I see. Tell them to secure the perimeter and maintain watch."

A hidden warehouse specially reinforced with seastone. Could there be a Devil Fruit user imprisoned inside? Though I couldn't understand why anyone would smuggle a living person with abilities.

Unless it was a Devil Fruit itself.

"Is it the same material as what the Captain carries?" Daz asked, referencing my seastone-tipped weapons.

"I'll handle opening it," I replied.

Daz stepped behind me, his blade-hands ready for action. One of the most frustrating aspects of inhabiting a child's body was the difficulty in moving heavy objects. I desperately hoped the next five years would pass quickly and without major incidents.

"Alright... here we go!"

After struggling with the heavy, creaking floorboards, I managed to reveal a hidden staircase descending into darkness.

This is more sophisticated than I expected...

"Captain, I'll take point," Daz offered.

I'm counting on you. Currently, he possessed the strongest resistance to physical attacks among our crew, making him ideal for situations like this.

Descending the stairs, we emerged into a surprisingly large underground space. What greeted us in that cramped chamber made my blood run cold.

"Captain, what is this?" Daz's voice carried a dangerous edge.

"Human trafficking," I answered grimly. "These are people destined to be sold as slaves."

Daz fell silent, then released a long, weary sigh as he surveyed the chained prisoners.

"Marines...?"

Indeed, among the captives were young, attractive marines—both men and women—hanging from shackles that bound their hands, feet, and mouths. Their uniforms were torn but recognizable.

"—That's why they fetch such high prices, kid."

A voice from behind made me spin around. A man who epitomized the stereotypical mafia enforcer stood in the shadows—sharp eyes, predatory demeanor, probably in his late teens despite his mature bearing.

"I never expected a brat like you to attack one of the Family's ships... but you're not half bad," he continued, stepping into the light. "I appreciate that you're a pirate who still wears a proper suit and maintains good grooming. I can respect someone who takes care of their appearance."

Wait a minute... Something about his age and the timing clicked in my mind.

"Capone Bege?"

The man's shoulders shook with quiet laughter when I voiced my suspicion.

"I've become famous enough that even 'Stealth Foot' knows my name," he said with obvious satisfaction.

Honestly, I have no real idea who you are at this point. All I could deduce was that, given the timeline, he'd probably become a mafia boss before eventually turning to piracy.

"Let me ask you something: why is my name spreading so quickly?"

"Huh?" Bege seemed genuinely surprised by the question. "You wiped out that entire Red Line bandit gang with their ten-million-berry bounty, so it's natural you'd become famous. Plus, as soon as you arrived in the West Blue, you took down a group of high-profile bounty hunters."

Were they really worth that much despite being so weak? Even with bounties, I'd assumed they were worth five million at most.

"So, what's the story with these marines?" I gestured toward the chained prisoners.

"Exactly what you guessed—they're slaves. More precisely, they're about to become slaves."

I don't understand the logic.

When it came to slavery, the Celestial Dragons were typically involved, arbitrarily labeling people as property and purchasing them from human auction houses.

Wait, let me think about this...

If I remembered correctly, the slaves that appeared in the series were mostly pirates, fishmen, or civilians. Marine slaves were notably absent. And if they were rare, that meant...

"Even the Celestial Dragons can't openly enslave marines without creating friction with the Navy and undermining the World Government's authority," I reasoned aloud. "So instead, attractive marines are bought and sold through underground channels. Is that correct?"

Hearing my deduction, Bege's grin widened appreciatively.

"Excellent, Kuro of 'Stealth Foot.' You maintain your appearance, your skills are sharp, and your intellect isn't lacking either."

He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with interest. "How about it, Stealth Foot? Want to join forces with me?"