Chapter 2: Florida

Kormo's death made the remaining pirates give up resistance and willingly surrender.

Inside the office, after simple bandaging, Kass, with his beard excitedly waving like waves, exclaimed, "Officer Kuro, 6 Million Berries Pirate! This is a significant achievement; you can advance further."

"Kass, you must remember, this is not solely my accomplishment; it's the achievement of many Marines. You saw it yourself, it was you who inflicted harm on Kormo, it was you who killed Kormo. I merely made a small and insignificant contribution," stated Kuro firmly.

"Officer Kuro!"

Tears of emotion welled up in Kass's eyes again.

Kass was an experienced Marine who had seen many instances where wiping out a pirate crew would lead to lavish praise for oneself, either boasting of unmatched combat prowess or commendable command skills. 

For someone like Kuro to acknowledge it as a joint Marine achievement was incredibly rare!

What a glorious moment it was.

A Marine like this should not stop here!

"I understand, Officer Kuro!"

Kuro nodded in satisfaction. "Then go outside, check, and organize the spoils of war."

"Yes!"

After Kass left, the Marines were busy transferring the spoils from the pirate ship, each one with a smile on their face.

Although Kormo's death meant a thirty percent reduction in the bounty, they could still claim their share of the money.

Bounty posters for pirates were not solely created for bounty hunters. 

Initially, they were established to stimulate the enthusiasm of the Marines. It was only later that the profession of bounty hunters emerged.

"Kass, there's a lot of loot, and with Kormo's head, we've achieved a great feat this time!"

A Marine grinned.

"Yeah, Petty Officer Kass, when we go back, we should be able to get a promotion. This was a major pirate!"

The Marine was excited.

He was a petty officer.

"Damn it, don't get too proud of yourselves!"

Kass roared, "Do you think all of this was done by you? No, it was Officer Kuro! If it wasn't for Officer Kuro leading the charge, where would you find the courage to face that monster? Letting a superior risk his life alone, is this how you, as Marines, should act!"

The Marines looked guilty.

"But even so, even so," Kass burst into tears, shouting 

"Officer Kuro still cares about us. He says this achievement belongs to everyone. Officer Kuro remembers the contribution of each one of you."

"Despite being the most injured, and giving the most, he still remembers us. With a leader like this, with such a commanding officer... Do you even have the face to boast about your achievements? What about your honor as Marines!"

"Officer Kuro."

"Sob, Officer Kuro is truly a great leader. I will follow Officer Kuro for the rest of my life!"

"Yes, with an officer like him, even if I remain a Seamen forever, I'm willing!"

"Sob sob sob, Officer Kuro, I will work hard and not let you down!"

Tears flowed from the Marines as well.

"A man as glorious as Officer Kuro shouldn't just be a Warrant Officer. We must let the entire East Blue know the name of Officer Kuro!" Kass declared solemnly.

"Let the East Blue know the name of Officer Kuro!"

The deck suddenly buzzed with noise.

"What are those fools arguing about again?"

Click.

Kuro struck a match, lit a cigarette, listened to the commotion outside, and furrowed his brow.

"Phew."

He blew a smoke ring and leaned back comfortably.

"I should have played my part well. When the credit for capturing Kormo is distributed, everyone gets a share, and my presence will be downplayed. Pirates are caught, the sea is calm, and I am safe. Ah, perfection."

(T/N: He doesn't know yet that, at this moment he knew, he fucked up.)

"Mirage" is one of the techniques of the Divine Wind Mirage Style.

The effect is to manipulate the blood of the struck individual, inducing hallucinations and tearing them apart from the inside.

Considering Kormo's thick skin, impervious even to bullets, it's impossible for a conventional weapon to cause harm. All the damage was done by manipulating the blood to create explosions.

Do you think you caused Kormo's injuries?

No, it was me, Kuro!

After a while, Kass knocked on the door again.

"Come in."

"Officer, the spoils have been counted. There are two hundred thousand Berries and several treasures."

Kuro nodded, "Follow the usual procedure."

"Yes!"

As per naval tradition, the spoils were turned in. However, given the financial strength of the World Government and the Marines, after deducting thirty percent, the remaining spoils were distributed among the participating Marines.

This practice had never failed.

It saved them the trouble of embezzling and reselling the spoils.

Therefore, being in the Navy was a very comfortable job, especially for non-frontline Marines.

"Also, there's a treasure map."

After a moment of hesitation, Kass placed the treasure map he held on the table.

"A treasure map?"

Kuro was initially intrigued, but upon looking at the map, he lost interest.

"Florida's treasure? People still believe in that?"

The treasure map was crudely drawn, vaguely depicting a local jurisdictional sea area with a few seemingly simplistic routes, leading to an island.

Florida's treasure has become a legend in recent years.

Legend has it that there was a great pirate named Florida who plundered the treasure of an entire kingdom and hid it on a certain island.

Such treasure maps appeared every once in a while, and Kuro didn't know how many he had seen, and each time the location was different.

Over time, not many people believed in it anymore.

But there were always some hopeful individuals who would collect these treasure maps, attempting to find the so-called "treasure."

"I also find it hard to believe," Kass said. "Officer, should we return?"

Kuro nodded, saying, "Then we'll—"

"Report!

A Marine suddenly stood at the doorway, saluted, and said, "Officer Kuro, Corporal Kass, we received a fax from the branch. It says Roronoa Zoro has been captured."

"Hmm? That famous pirate hunter? Why capture him?" Kass frowned.

"It's said that he offended Master Helmeppo."

"That Helmeppo again!" Kass exclaimed in frustration.

"Officer, if only you were a Captain," he looked at Kuro, but Kuro dryly said, "Then let's go take a look at the location on the treasure map."

"Officer Kuro?" Kass was a bit puzzled.

Kuro spoke firmly, "Kass, don't underestimate such treasure maps. The legend of Florida's treasure circulates every year. If it's fake, why would people tirelessly collect these maps?" 

"We are Marines, and everything we do must be taken seriously. If it's fake, it's just a waste of effort, but if it's real, it could be the treasure of a kingdom." 

"Those people have lost their possessions; they might not be living well, might be going hungry. The sins of pirates need to be ended by us, the Marines, to protect civilians. It's the duty of the Marines!"

"Yes! Officer Kuro, I'll change the course immediately!"

Kass's expression became serious, and he saluted with a straight posture.

Those who knew navigation were rare talents, and on this ship, no one understood navigation better than Kass.

After successfully convincing Kass, Kuro sighed in relief.

He was a Marine from Branch 153.

Yes, the branch is ruled by the Axe-Hand Morgan.

It was also Luffy's first stop.

With Zoro captured, it meant the plot had begun. In the next few days, Luffy would arrive, defeat Morgan, and liberate Branch 153, which was under powerful control.

Kuro didn't want any involvement with Luffy.

Anyone causing trouble was blacklisted by him, strictly avoiding any encounters.

Why bother going out to sea for patrols when he could comfortably stay safe in the branch until retirement?

Moreover, if he returned now, what if the plot changed? What if Zoro didn't join Luffy? Then Luffy would have to find a new companion in the East Blue.

What if he didn't find a suitable one? What if he stayed in the East Blue for too long?

With Luffy's troublesome nature and strength, few could handle him causing trouble in the East Blue. If he had to go catch him, it would never end.

What if his strength was exposed, and he got recruited to the main base to go to the New World and capture pirates? It would be endless trouble.

He wasn't afraid, he just didn't want to change the plot.

Yeah, that's it.

One day later, the warship reached the location described on the treasure map.

"Officer, it's Galamoro Island."

On the ship's bow deck, Kass, holding a telescope, looked at the volcanic island ahead and said to Kuro.

Upon hearing this, Kuro completely relaxed.

He had been to Galamoro Island two years ago to buy supplies. It was just an ordinary town; there couldn't be any treasure.

That also meant there was no danger.

"Officer, there's a pirate ship!"

Kuro hurriedly asked, "Which pirate flag?"

"Not a very well-known pirate flag... The bounty shouldn't be high."

Kuro believed in those words. Kass was a very serious person, and he took wanted posters more seriously than bounty hunters did. 

If he said the bounty wasn't high, then it wasn't high.

"Fire the cannons, sink it," Kuro ordered.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The cannons roared, and several cannonballs landed near the pirate ship. One hit the pirate ship, causing an explosion.

No reaction from the other side.

The pirate ship seemed deserted.

Despite firing more cannonballs, the pirate ship remained motionless. If there were pirates on board, they should have reacted by now.

However, Kuro had no intention of stopping the bombardment. If it could be sunk, why not sink it?

After a dozen cannonballs, a shot hit the opponent's ammunition storage, causing an explosion, and the ship slowly sank.

Using binoculars, Kuro observed; that there were no signs of life on the ship.

As the warship approached, a group of Marines rode small boats to the wreckage of the pirate ship. 

After a thorough investigation, the Marines returned with a report.

"Officer, there's no one on the ship, and there's nothing. It's an empty vessel."

"Understood, then ignore it. Dock the ship and go check."

Kuro nodded, instructing the Marines.

As Kuro and his crew reached the small town at the foot of the volcano on Galamoro Island, he abruptly stopped.

"Officer, what's wrong?"

Seeing Kuro's odd expression, Kass inquired.

"Send a team ahead to explore, be cautious of any dangers."

Something was off.

Too desolate.

Kuro was cautious in his actions, remembering every island he visited. 

This island was completely different from the one he had visited a few years ago. 

The vegetable had noticeably grown, and there were no signs of animals.

In the regular weather regions of the Grand Line, unlike the unpredictable New World, the islands didn't undergo drastic changes in just a few years. 

The current overgrowth of vegetation indicated a lack of an ecological cycle with animals, resulting in its unrestrained growth, but only for inedible plants.

As Kuro walked, he didn't spot any decent wild vegetables. There were also no traces of large animals nearby, indicating the absence of any fierce beasts in the area.

Soon, Kuro arrived at the town.

A few years ago, this small town was thriving, with neat houses. But now, looking around, various plants had overgrown on the houses. 

He remembered there were fields nearby, but now they were mostly barren.

At the intersection, a few emaciated children squatted, playing games. 

One of them, upon seeing newcomers, paused for a moment and then ran into the town.

"The Marines are here!"

Doors opened, and the townspeople gathered around Kuro and his group.

The townspeople, too, looked emaciated, showing signs of long-term malnutrition. 

A frail old man walked up to Kuro, suddenly knelt, and cried, "Navy sir, save our town!"

As the old man knelt, the remaining townspeople also knelt one by one, crying continuously.

Kuro looked at the old man uncertainly, "Mayor Mendel?"

.....

Inside the mayor's house, Kuro sat in a chair, observing the surroundings.

It truly was a bare home.

A few years ago when he had visited, the mayor's house was still prosperous.

"Don't rush, eat slowly. If it's not enough, there's more on the ship." Kuro watched the mayor devour the food on the opposite side and spoke kindly.

"Okay, okay."

The mayor kept nodding, but his hands didn't slow down.

These people were starving. The first thing they did when they saw the Marines arrive was to ask for food.

Fortunately, Kuro had brought a considerable amount of food.

Kuro, who prioritized safety, naturally made thorough preparations for sea patrols.

The ship was commanded by a Warrant Officer, a small patrol ship with a standard crew of eighty people.

No need to mention, it was fully equipped.

Ammunition was packed, medical supplies filled, and of course, the food was also plentiful. To ensure survival, Kuro brought enough food to feed eighty Marines for three months.

"Burp."

Mendel rubbed his round belly, let out a satisfied burp, and tears welled up. "It's been a year. A whole year without enough to eat. Thank you, Navy."

"No need to thank us, Mayor Mendel. It's normal for the Navy to help civilians. Besides, a few years ago when I came to buy supplies, you gave me a lot of discounts."

Kuro shook his head and asked, "So, you haven't had enough to eat for a year? Why?"

As soon as this question was asked, Mendel's face showed a fearful expression. He shook his head frantically, 

"Just being able to eat is already a great blessing. Don't ask about the reasons. If there's anything in this town that catches your eye, take it. Even though we're already as poor as can be."

If they could leave, Kuro would certainly leave. 

However, as he looked at the mayor's numb and vacant eyes and remembered the image of the townspeople devouring the food, he sighed.

"We are Marines; we are not afraid. Please tell us..."

"Marine sir!"

Mendel moved, and glanced at Kuro, seeming to have made a certain decision. He said, "It's Florida, that devil, Florida!"

Florida?

"Is this Florida you're talking about, a big pirate?" asked Kass, standing beside.

"It's not about whether it's a pirate or not. It's that kind, a very rare kind... It's covered in white fur all over, like a ghost wandering around. Unfortunately, I can't see its face."

Mendel said in fear, "Since it came here a year ago, it has eaten all the food on the island. It doesn't allow us to escape. 

"Occasionally, ships come here, but whether they are pirates or treasure hunters, as soon as they arrive here, they inexplicably lose their strength."

"That devil forces us to confiscate the ships, and exchange the treasures for food for it to eat, leaving us with just enough to survive."

"As far as I know, we are still alive because we are still useful. Perhaps one day, when we are of no use, Florida will devour us. This is already a cursed little island!"

<End Chapter>

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