One Piece: The True Codex

The reason Bluejam had been summoned was simple: the waters surrounding the Navia Kingdom had effectively fallen under the control of William and his Morgan Pirates. Any merchant ship wishing to trade in the area—or even just pass through—was required to pay a significant toll.

The toll fees varied depending on the nature and profitability of the ships. Of course, there had been numerous incidents where ships attempted to underpay by using disguises or falsifying their ledgers. To address such issues, William had even established a dedicated department to investigate and resolve these disputes.

For ships that merely tried to cheat the system, William usually issued warnings or employed intimidation. However, for those that outright refused to pay, William's orders were clear: sink them all.

After being reprimanded by William for a previous mistake, Selkirk became meticulous in his duties. One such incident involved Count Pere, a noble from the Goa Kingdom similar in rank to Count Arcadio. When Pere's merchant ships refused to pay the toll, Selkirk followed orders and sank them without hesitation.

Upon receiving the news, Count Pere was furious. Seeking revenge against the Morgan Pirates, he turned to a relatively infamous pirate crew in the waters near the Goa Kingdom: the Blue Sapphire Pirates, led by Captain Bluejam.

The collaboration between nobles and pirates, offering mutual protection, was not unique to William and Barbarossa. Bluejam and his crew operated under a similar model, though their ties with the nobles ran even deeper.

Bluejam often handled the dirty work for the nobles of High Town in the Goa Kingdom. Beyond seeking the protection of the kingdom, his ultimate ambition was to become a noble himself.

Count Pere exploited this desire, hinting that he would speak highly of Bluejam in this matter, thus convincing the pirate captain—who had some reputation and strength in the region—to go to war with another major pirate crew for the sake of a hollow promise of nobility.

Although Bluejam was blinded by the allure of a noble title, some of his crew members remained clear-headed.

"Captain, the pirate crew we're targeting is strong," his navigator warned bluntly. "They were formerly the Red-Beard Pirates. After 'Red-Beard' Barbarossa was killed by their new captain, the crew was restructured and renamed. Both the crew's overall strength and that of their captain, who killed Barbarossa, are not to be underestimated."

"There are so many rumors—who knows which are true and which are false?" Bluejam said, rubbing his chin. "I've heard that Barbarossa was killed by the local Marines. That's what the nobles of the Goa Kingdom told me as well."

The circumstances surrounding Barbarossa's death had indeed been subject to strange rumors. The official narrative was that he had been killed by Colonel Roy of the 16th Marine Branch, a story widely accepted among the Marines and the upper echelons of the kingdom.

However, many of the older pirates aboard the Morgan Pirates' ship knew the truth. Loose-lipped and prone to boasting in taverns, they had inevitably leaked details about how William had defied his superior and killed Barbarossa. As a result, this version of events was more commonly believed among the general populace, though it lacked concrete evidence and was considered less credible compared to the official account.

Hearing Bluejam's words, some of his crew members wanted to voice further concerns, but Bluejam waved them off impatiently. "What kind of pirates are we if we're so timid?"

The navigator tried to argue, "Even if the rumors are false, that's still their territory. I'm worried..."

"We won't attack them head-on," Bluejam interrupted with a sly grin. "Count Pere said we could use the merchant guild's flags and ships. We'll disguise ourselves as ordinary merchant vessels. When the Morgan Pirates approach to collect their toll, we'll catch them off guard and wipe them out."

Bluejam was a domineering captain aboard his ship. Seeing that his mind was made up and that he wouldn't listen to reason, the crew exchanged glances and gave up on trying to persuade him.

"The only thing to watch out for is the Marines," Bluejam continued. "Count Pere mentioned that the commanding officer of the 16th Marine Branch is a ruthless man who relentlessly hunts down pirates in his jurisdiction." He spat on the deck. "I bet the Morgan Pirates are just a dog he's raising. Once he's driven out the other pirates, he's using them to collect money under their name."

"Those Marines—they're rotten to the core," several crew members chimed in agreement.

...

Bluejam might have thought he was being cautious, but as soon as he entered the Navia Kingdom's waters, William was alerted to his presence.

William had established an extensive network of informants through the merchant guilds and the villages and ports under his control. While it might be an exaggeration to say he had mobilized the masses, many local residents who held favorable views of the Morgan Pirates would report suspicious individuals to the guild or the pirates' stationed personnel. After verifying the information, these informants would receive rewards of varying amounts.

This network, which seemed useless during peacetime, proved invaluable in critical moments. William spent a significant amount of Beli each year maintaining it—something that someone like Bluejam could neither understand nor imagine. Pirates like Bluejam, who had spent their entire lives in the East Blue, likely had never heard of civilians voluntarily providing intelligence to pirates.

Under the guise of merchant guild ships, Bluejam's crew inevitably docked at villages and towns to resupply and rest. Despite their attempts at disguise, they couldn't completely conceal their suspicious behavior. It didn't take long for their identities to be exposed, and the information was quickly relayed to William.

In a dusty construction site in Kalmar City's slums, William read through the incident report in his hands, which also included Bluejam's bounty poster. A smile slowly spread across his face.

Aramis, noticing this, asked curiously, "What's making you smile like that?"

"When you're feeling drowsy and someone hands you a pillow, why wouldn't you be happy?" William chuckled. "Now we have both a scapegoat and an excuse. Vallon's grudge will soon be avenged."

Aramis froze for a moment, his expression twisting slightly. Nearly two years had passed, yet Vallon's death still weighed heavily on him. Though he had occasionally resented William for the slow pace of his revenge, he understood that William now bore the responsibility for countless lives and couldn't make decisions recklessly, ignoring the safety of his other subordinates.

"Let's head back. We need to inform Nezumi and Gin to be ready," William said, rolling up the incident report and bounty poster before heading toward the noble district.

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~

The story isn't over...

🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?

🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?

✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?

✨patreon.com/GoldenLong