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Chapter 904: The Captain Fighting for Survival for His Kin
Chapter 904: The Captain Fighting for Survival for His Kin
Kuro believed that if someone wanted to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, their strength alone might suffice—but this particular individual required deeper analysis. Kuro needed an intelligence report to understand his trajectory.
Since the Seven Warlords of the Sea’s formation, those who actively sought the title had generally been dangerous. Apart from Law, that weak little brat, the others were all threats.
Blackbeard was a prime example. His rise was precisely why Kuro approached the selection process cautiously. The last thing he wanted was another monster slipping through.
Going further back, there was Donquixote Doflamingo—a dangerous criminal who’d coerced the World Government into granting him Seven Warlord status with the Heavenly Gold incident. If someone similar emerged, especially under Kuro’s command, mistakes could cost more than just lives. The real damage would be to Kuro’s reputation.
Kuro picked up the call-transponder snail on his desk and dialed.
The snail’s face shifted to a cold, mustachioed visage.
“Lucci.”
“Kuro? What now? I’m CP0 under the World Government, not the Marines. And certainly not under your Vice Admiral rank—mind your place!” Lucci snapped.
“Gathering intelligence feels like pulling teeth with you. We’re all part of the same system—don’t be such a miser, Lucci.”
Kuro exhaled smoke. “Ever heard of Joe Rudolph?”
“The World Government hasn’t issued any orders. CP has no obligation to cooperate with you, Kuro.”
Lucci paused. “He’s a Half-fishman captain with influence in the New World. A troublesome figure. Underwater, he’s as formidable as a fishman, preying on New World pirates. He’s infamous there.”
“Did CP ever engage him?” Kuro asked.
“We did. He once sought Seven Warlord status, but the World Government declined due to the human Kingdom’s stance and Jinbei’s presence in the Seven Warlords. His fame was limited to the New World—not widespread across the Grand Line.” Lucci explained.
The World Government historically required Seven Warlord candidates to be widely known across the Grand Line. Joe Rudolph’s reputation was merely regional, and not as a noble pirate. He was a ‘scavenger’—pirates either killed him or were killed by him.
“What’s his endgame?” Kuro pressed.
Lucci fell silent. “Perhaps… recognition for Half-fishmen.”
Kuro agreed.
Half-fishmen faced prejudice from both humans and fishmen. Pirates despised them for their black-market tactics, and the Marines had no reason to protect them. Joe Rudolph was caught in the middle.
“You want to make him a Seven Warlord?” Lucci asked.
“He approached me directly. If his motives are pure, it’s not impossible.”
Kuro leaned back. “His strength is undeniable, and his options are limited. Outside the Seven Warlords, he has nowhere else to go.”
Kuro didn’t care about political pushback. If Joe Rudolph’s intentions were clean, the Seven Warlord title could be his.
Strength alone wasn’t the issue. With survival space this narrow, clinging to a powerful patron was the only choice. That he hadn’t pledged to the Four Emperors yet suggested disdain for them.
A pirate avoiding the Pirate Emperors but seeking Seven Warlord status? He wanted order, not chaos.
Still…
“It depends on his sincerity.”
Kuro stared at several heads on his desk. “A few old men’s heads won’t cut it.”
---
“Here’s your bounty.”
Klah handed Joe Rudolph a check. “Six hundred and eighty-three million Beri. You can cash it at the World Bank.”
Joe Rudolph didn’t take it. “Can this be converted to supplies? My people need resources.”
Klah shrugged. “Use the money to buy what you need.”
Joe smiled faintly. “You may not grasp our struggles. Half-fishmen resemble both humans and fishmen, but we carry fish traits—like these whiskers, or my poreless skin and gills. Humans won’t trade with us. In the New World, even finding merchants is a battle.”
“Wait—people refuse money?” Klah asked.
“Merchants will take it. At a price.”
Joe’s smile never wavered. “But it’s extortion. My people stretch six hundred million Beri across thousands of kin. Supplies drain quickly. Even six hundred million won’t grant stable survival.”
Six hundred million could fund a lifetime of luxury for one. But for a Half-fishman? A hundredfold markup. A newspaper costs one hundred Beri for others—ten thousand for them. News birds never discriminate, but merchants do.
Joe Rudolph sought the Seven Warlords not just for survival but legitimacy. As a World Government-sanctioned pirate, nations would respect him. No more begging greedy merchants. That was the dream.
Secondly, he wanted a legal foothold for his people. Why he rejected the Four Emperors.
Joe was strong—few had bested him. Kaido once recruited him, but Joe despised chaos. Kaido hated weakness, and Joe’s people had their frail.
Big Mom’s offer? Soul longevity—tempting, but Joe refused.
Shanks? His rules suited Joe best. But even so…
Pirates remained pirates. Joe became one for survival, for his people—not to embrace lawlessness.
World Government acceptance was impossible unless he became a pirate. Only as a Seven Warlord could he exist within the system.
Yet he couldn’t risk antagonizing the World Government, forcing him to hunt pirates relentlessly in hopes of recognition. Still, no response.
This time, desperation drove him to the G-3 fortress, seeking Golden Lion.
He would become a Seven Warlord, at any cost.
(End of Chapter)
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