One Piece: The True Codex

"Why would you risk going to a place like the slums when you don't even have the ability to defend yourself?"

Dampier poured Dennis a glass of wine and advised him, "You're not like Stolt and the others. There's no need for you to risk your life like they do, and even if you wanted to, you couldn't."

Dennis gave a bitter smile, his face filled with helplessness. "If I don't take a chance now, I won't get another one. I'm already thirty, yet I've achieved nothing. Not only have I failed to advance in rank or position, I've been steadily falling behind."

"Just the other day, Aureliano, that spoiled son of Arcadio, asked to meet with me. We're the same age, yet he treated me like a subordinate while asking for my help. And I had to act like it was an honor. It's unbearable."

Dampier tried to console him. "He's the only son of the Minister of Finance. When Arcadio dies, he'll inherit the title of Count. How could you ever compete with that?"

"And what about Stolt?" Dennis took a large gulp of wine, his voice filled with frustration. "He looks so young—what, twenty? Yet he's already on par with me, maybe even more powerful and impressive."

With a loud clink, Dennis slammed the empty glass onto the table and said bitterly, "I'd rather bet everything to escape this mundane life, to be part of something big and achieve fame and fortune. But I don't even have the chance!"

Dampier's eyes flickered, but he said nothing. He silently refilled Dennis's glass, his expression unreadable.

After venting his frustrations, Dennis began to subtly probe Dampier for information about William.

What Dennis didn't realize was that Dampier's relationship with William was far deeper than his own. To Dampier, William was far more important than the city's sheriff. Dennis's poorly disguised probing immediately raised Dampier's suspicions.

Dampier, ever sharp, quickly sensed that something was amiss. Though he remained outwardly calm, he subtly turned the conversation around, extracting a wealth of useful information from Dennis instead.

After chatting for a while and drinking quite a bit, Dampier excused himself, claiming he needed to use the restroom. He left the private room, leaving behind a visibly intoxicated Dennis.

Once outside, Dampier turned to the two burly guards stationed at the door and ordered, "Watch him. No one goes in or out without my permission."

The guards responded with a respectful "Yes, sir," and Dampier quickly walked away.

...

After leaving the royal palace, William bid a cold farewell to Arcadio, who remained behind, stroking his beard with a smug expression as he watched William's figure recede into the distance.

William returned directly to his newly purchased estate in the noble district. Inside, Harden, Aramis, and other officers of the Morgan Pirates were resting. When William arrived, they immediately gathered around to inquire about the outcome of his meeting.

Upon hearing that Arcadio had recommended Kuro to lead the newly established department and proposed making it an independent entity, the sharp-minded Aramis quickly pieced things together. He realized that Arcadio didn't want to give William control over the department. By appointing Kuro, Arcadio had found a way to appease William while still keeping the department under his influence. Though Kuro was technically a member of the Morgan Pirates, he was ultimately loyal to Arcadio. It was a clever play on words, but Arcadio had technically kept his promise—the department would still be led by someone from the Morgan Pirates.

After Aramis explained this, the others, including Harden, quickly grasped the situation.

"Captain, just give the order," Harden said, his anger boiling over as he glared at William. "Say the word, and I'll take out that damn Count and that traitor Kuro right now! No wonder he didn't show up today—he must've gone crawling back to his old master!"

William waved his hand with a smile, his demeanor completely relaxed in front of his trusted officers. There was no trace of the stiffness he had shown earlier with Arcadio. "If we kill Arcadio now, all our efforts will have been for nothing."

William was about to say more to calm Harden down when someone informed him that Dampier had come to see him.

Though puzzled, William personally went to the gate to greet Dampier and escorted him to the living room. A few officers from the Morgan Pirates followed them inside.

Dampier hesitated, glancing at the officers, his meaning clear.

William, however, said, "I trust everyone here. Whatever you can say to me, you can say to them."

Hearing this, Dampier saw no point in playing coy. "Arcadio has Dennis secretly investigating you."

"Oh?" William's smile gradually faded. "And where did you hear this?"

"Dennis told me himself. He's under my control now," Dampier replied gravely. "Arcadio had his son, Aureliano, communicate with Dennis. But Dennis was so put off by that spoiled brat's attitude that he didn't fully follow through with the Count's instructions."

"However..." Dampier tapped the table with his fingers. "Dennis somehow got wind of the idea that you were involved in Andre's death."

William closed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment before exhaling deeply. "You really can't underestimate anyone, can you? Even a cowardly gambling addict has his uses."

"You've got him under control?" William asked, looking at Dampier.

Dampier nodded and added, "I've already extracted some information from him. He only recently started suspecting you and hasn't had a chance to share his thoughts with anyone else. He came straight to me to dig for more information about you."

"Arcadio probably just has his guard up. Today's maneuver with Kuro was his way of regaining some ground. It shouldn't be a big problem." William's fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of the sofa as he muttered to himself, "But you can never be too careful. Who knows how tight-lipped that gambler really is..."

After a moment, as if coming to a decision, William began issuing orders.

"Yasopp, Aramis, take a few men and keep an eye on Arcadio's estate. Report any unusual activity to me via Den Den Mushi. Yasopp, make sure to bring your rifle."

"Diego, Sherlock is still in the city. Find him and bring him back to the ship. Tell the crew to stay on high alert. If necessary, secure the docks and ensure the ship is ready to set sail at a moment's notice."

"Selkirk, take some men to the city gates. Likewise, secure them if needed."

"Harden, keep watch near Dennis's home and monitor his family."

As William issued commands, each officer responded loudly upon hearing their name and quickly left to carry out their tasks.

In no time, the room was empty, save for William and Dampier.

In front of Dampier, William used a Den Den Mushi to call Tony, instructing him to locate Nezumi and Gin.

Throughout this process, William maintained a stern expression, and Dampier remained silent.

On the other end of the line, it took Tony over ten minutes to find Nezumi.

After speaking with Nezumi, William's expression remained serious, but his tone became noticeably enthusiastic, a shift that left Dampier quietly marveling.

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