One Piece: Pirate Code

Inside the Captain's Cabin.

Barbarossa sat behind his desk, a newly purchased sea chart spread before him. Across from him, nearly all the ship's officers were present.

Among them were the stocky first mate Felton, the balding, slightly overweight ship doctor Wood, the navigator William, and the newly appointed second mate, Harden. Harden was a tall, robust young man around twenty-five or twenty-six, with a gruesome scar across his throat—evidence of a near-fatal injury that, fortunately, had been treated in time. His raspy voice bore testament to the incident. Harden was a ferocious fighter, fearless in the face of danger. During the conflict at the Dampier restaurant against the Chef Pirates and Zeff, he had stepped forward twice, displaying courage fitting for a second mate, whose role often demands leading by example in battle.

"...We don't know how long we'll be lingering near the Calm Belt, so we must find a suitable place to stop," William said calmly. "Food, solid ground, and most importantly, water."

Barbarossa rested his chin on his hand, his single eye narrowing as he watched William speak confidently.

Having been a pirate for nearly ten years, Barbarossa had gone from being a hunted nobody to a notorious predator of rookies. He had encountered all kinds of pirates—reckless, cunning, ignorant, and devious.

He was well aware of William's increasing activity and charm aboard the ship since their recent journey. If this had been before the Karlmar City incident—when his brothers Rayce and Haireddin were still alive—Barbarossa might have admired William's resourcefulness and tried to recruit him fully.

But now, with his two closest comrades dead, Barbarossa could no longer tolerate William's ambitions. Still, he needed William's skills as a navigator, especially as they approached the treacherous Calm Belt. For now, Barbarossa would hold back his anger and focus on his immediate goal: finding the Devil Fruit.

Turning his attention away from William, Barbarossa looked at Felton, the first mate.

"The crew's morale is high, Captain! You can count on us!" Felton declared confidently, thumping his chest.

Harden, standing nearby, barely suppressed a sneer. Felton was clearly lying. Heading into the Calm Belt—a place even more feared than the Grand Line—was a move no ordinary sailor would support. If it weren't for Barbarossa's stubborn determination, no one would willingly make this journey.

Karlmar City, within the Treasurer's Mansion.

Colonel Roy strode into the reception room, ignoring the butler Eaton's polite bow. He pushed the door open and entered with his subordinate, Mouse, trailing behind him.

Alcatio, the Treasurer, quickly stood to greet him.

Roy, wasting no time on pleasantries, asked directly, "Have you made your decision?"

Frowning, Alcatio replied, "Are you sure this was Barbarossa's doing?"

"If not him, then who else!" Roy shot Mouse a glance, signaling him to close the door before continuing angrily, "I've already investigated. Before and after the incident, people saw the Redbeard Pirates landing on nearby islands. They even recruited new crew members. Didn't your informant aboard his ship tell you? His treasure might have been looted, leaving him desperate and reckless."

Previously, Kuro had informed Alcatio of the Redbeard Pirates' plundered warship and the theft of Barbarossa's navigation log and treasure map. Both Alcatio and Roy understood that Barbarossa, unable to bribe or sway his allies with profits, might resort to desperate measures to drag them into his schemes.

Reports from Kuro, testimonies from residents, and intelligence provided by Gin all pointed to the same conclusion: Barbarossa was responsible for the chaos.

Fuming, Roy took a long drag from his cigar, the glowing ember reflecting his rising anger. "That lunatic thought he could frame the Chef Pirates and force us to take revenge for him? What a fool!"

Alcatio sighed, caressing the gem on his ring. "Can't this be suppressed?"

"'Tequila Wolf' was commissioned directly by the Celestial Dragons. Its attack has drawn attention from both the World Government and Marine Headquarters. This isn't some low-level merchant's squabble that can be covered up," Roy retorted sharply.

Though reluctant, Alcatio finally sighed, his frustration with Barbarossa evident. "What's your plan, then?"

Roy smirked coldly. "Both the higher-ups and I need a scapegoat. Small-time pirates won't suffice. I need a significant enough target to clean my slate."

Roy could have shifted blame to another pirate crew, but why should he take risks for a madman like Barbarossa? The only way to protect his position—and potentially earn commendation—was to take down a major pirate.

"Barbarossa won't go down easily. He's a monster," Alcatio said, sighing again.

Snuffing out his cigar, Roy chuckled dismissively. "He's just a Devil Fruit user. I've seen true monsters in the Grand Line—elite pirates and Marine Headquarters officers. Barbarossa? He's nothing."

Seeing Roy's confidence, Alcatio chose not to argue further. He knew Roy had been trained by Marine Headquarters, making him far stronger than the average East Blue officer. Moreover, the Marines possessed seastone—a deadly counter to Devil Fruit users.

"I suppose it's time to find a new partner," Alcatio mused aloud.

"Pirates are a dime a dozen," Roy replied nonchalantly.

Alcatio nodded in agreement, though his thoughts unexpectedly drifted to William—the seemingly mild-mannered man he'd once met.

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