One Piece: The True Codex

Arcadio wasn't sure how long he had been deep in thought, but when he finally came to, Clough had already arrived.

Although Clough was still nominally Arcadio's subordinate, the distance and estrangement between them felt even greater than that between William and Arcadio.

Arcadio forced a gentle smile and invited the somewhat reserved Clough to sit down, then instructed the butler to serve him tea.

"You've been working and living on a pirate ship for quite some time now," Arcadio said with a smile. "Have you ever thought about coming ashore?"

Clough paused briefly as he raised his teacup, while Arcadio continued, "Would you like to become an official of the kingdom? Perhaps even have a chance to become a noble?"

Arcadio watched with satisfaction as the previously reserved and indifferent Clough revealed an unmistakable look of desire upon hearing those words.

...

A few days later, several warships began docking one after another at the port of Kalmar City.

The other ships and crew members of the Morgan Pirates, who had been patrolling the seas under their control, had now all gathered in Kalmar City.

At the dock, Selkirk, Yasopp, and other officers who had been assigned elsewhere surrounded William, who had come to greet them.

"Captain, I have some matters to report," Selkirk said immediately upon seeing William.

"Is it about the docking fees?" William asked as he turned and began walking toward the city, not even looking back.

William had been operating in Kalmar City recently. After becoming a noble, he temporarily delegated the task of collecting fees from passing and docking ships within their territory to Selkirk.

"Many ships are unwilling to pay the fee," Selkirk said, keeping pace with William.

"Unwilling to pay?" William suddenly stopped in his tracks upon hearing this, turning to look at Selkirk and pointing to the curved blade at his waist. "Is the sword at your side, or the cannons on the ship, just for show?"

Selkirk hesitated. "Many of these merchant ships have ties to nobles from various kingdoms, so..."

"So what?" William's expression darkened.

William's authority on the ship had grown significantly. The Morgan Pirates were not run like Shanks' cooperative-style crew. William not only possessed the strongest combat power but also controlled personnel and finances. His word was law aboard the ship.

He wasn't just the captain of the Morgan Pirates; he was also the sole shareholder representing the pirates within the Four Seas Trading Company, as well as a stakeholder in Dampier's Arms Company. Even the officers couldn't challenge his authority.

Seeing William's displeasure, Selkirk, a veteran who had braved the Grand Line, grew uneasy and tried to explain. "I just thought that getting into conflicts with these nobles might make it harder for our crew to maintain a low profile."

"Acting on your own initiative," William said as he turned and continued walking toward the city. Just as Selkirk began to breathe a sigh of relief, William added, "Your job is to carry out my orders. Any trouble or consequences that arise are my responsibility. Your task is to execute without compromise!"

William was indeed dissatisfied. Though he often relied on cunning strategies, he was a leader who took full responsibility for his decisions. Within his team, he formulated the strategies, and any resulting issues or repercussions were his to bear. He would never shirk responsibility, even if problems arose, because it was he who had given the orders.

All his subordinates needed to do was execute his strategies. Yet Selkirk had failed even at that.

William had assumed that Selkirk, with his North Blue background and typically reserved demeanor, would be ruthless and efficient when carrying out tasks in the East Blue. But now it seemed that William hadn't fully understood him. The usually quiet former pirate captain occasionally acted with misplaced cleverness.

"Understood," Selkirk said, pressing his lips together.

William followed up with another question: "Which kingdom's ships are refusing to pay the fee?"

"One merchant captain claimed to be operating under a noble from the Goa Kingdom..."

"Sink any such ship on sight!" William interrupted. "What nonsense about Goa Kingdom nobles. I've made it clear: any ship that refuses to pay the fee will be sunk. There's no room for negotiation here."

"Understood," Selkirk said, nodding again without further argument.

As the two discussed business, the other officers of the Morgan Pirates followed silently behind. Although William didn't demand strict military discipline aboard his ship, his influence as their leader naturally fostered a sense of order among both the crew and the officers, making them far more disciplined than most other pirate crews.

Not far away, Dennis stood watching. As the city's sheriff, he was tasked with assisting William and his militia in restoring and maintaining order throughout Kalmar City.

He stared blankly at William and the officers of the Morgan Pirates trailing behind him. It wasn't until they approached that Dennis snapped out of his daze.

"Welcome, everyone. Since we'll be working closely together, let me, the local host, treat you all to a welcome feast," Dennis said cheerfully.

"No need," William replied with a polite smile, declining the offer.

He glanced back at the officers behind him and explained, "Our arrival has already caused quite a stir. To avoid any leaks, it's best to act quickly."

Dennis was taken aback. "Quickly? You mean now?"

"Of course."

As William spoke, he began assigning tasks, instructing the officers to split into groups of two or three, each leading a contingent of crew members to form multiple teams.

The officers who had remained by William's side, such as Harden and Aramis, had already been briefed on the targets they were to eliminate. With their guidance, there was no concern that the recently arrived Selkirk and others would be unclear about their objectives.

As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a thief who can evade capture forever. Since being officially tasked with handling Kalmar City's public order—particularly in the slums—William had immediately adopted an aggressive approach.

He had no interest in crime prevention or passive defense, which would consume too much manpower, resources, and energy. Instead, he aimed to expand his influence among the slum residents by eliminating the violent and criminal gangs that held sway over the area. These gangs, due to their environment and nature, wielded significant local influence and were potential competitors for regional control.

Violence was the cornerstone of the Morgan Pirates' survival and their greatest strength. William intended to use this opportunity to crush all opposition while simultaneously intimidating the local population.

With their tasks assigned, William and the members of the Morgan Pirates quickened their pace, heading toward the slums.

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