"Meat! Get your meat!"
"Fruit!"
"Fresh seafish!"
The bustling port was a cacophony of hawkers' cries and chattering voices, a vibrant hub of activity.
This was the Kingdom of Chenoat, located at the southern tip of the East Blue, an island blessed with eternal spring.
A ship with no flag, its sails dyed black, slowly docked. A group of about ten people disembarked, their aura imposing.
The leader, a man with a stern face, scanned his surroundings. The group then walked straight through the crowd, heading towards the inner city.
Their appearance made the people at the port tense up slightly. They breathed a sigh of relief as the group moved away.
"That guy just now looked really familiar... like I've seen him somewhere before," a young man at a fish stall said, staring in the direction the group had gone, a puzzled look on his face.
"You think so too? I felt the same way, but I can't quite place him," the person next to him replied, surprised.
"Creak!" The door of a tavern in the inner city was pushed open, and the group entered.
The chatter in the tavern died down for a moment as everyone turned to look at the newcomers.
"Boss, drinks," Vice said, approaching the bar. His menacing appearance made the bartender a little nervous.
"Y-yes, sir!"
The ten found a corner table and sat down. Aside from Vice, none of them had spoken a word since entering. The tavern patrons gradually averted their gazes, though some of them flickered with recognition.
"Someone like that actually showed up here! No way!" a hushed voice whispered from another corner, filled with disbelief.
"No matter what... if you don't want to die, everyone should just keep quiet."
The conversations gradually subsided, and the tavern, almost imperceptibly, fell silent.
A stemmed glass, filled with red wine. Wilder narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the tavern.
Claire sat beside Wilder, attentively refilling his glass.
Ashin, his head lowered, his face obscured by the shadow of his sunhat and his ever-present mask, did not drink.
The others, aside from Bica and Franpetar, who maintained their composed and elegant demeanor, gulped down large mouthfuls of alcohol like thirsty cattle.
"We'll rest for a bit, then split up. Within a day, I want information on all the factions in Chenoat, including the royal family," Wilder said, his low voice reaching the ears of Vice and the others after he set down his glass.
The crew nodded.
Under the nervous gazes of the tavern patrons, the group finished their food and drinks and left.
Once outside, they immediately dispersed in different directions, with only Claire remaining at Wilder's side.
"Extra! Extra! The World Government and the Marines have released the latest bounties! All major participants in the Summit War are listed!"
A newsboy ran through the streets, passing by Wilder and Claire.
"Claire, buy a copy," Wilder said after a moment of silence.
"Yes, Boss." Since Claire was the only one who hadn't been seen... or rather, hadn't participated in any crimes, she was the most suitable person for this kind of public errand.
A short while later, Claire returned with a thick stack of wanted posters. Wilder wasn't in a hurry. He and Claire bought some clothes in the town before finding a place to settle down.
Taking out the wanted posters, Wilder sat on the sofa and began to read.
"Just as I thought..."
His predictions were largely accurate. The Marines were focusing heavily on their group, especially on him, Wilder.
Setting aside the other pirates' posters, he laid out his crew's. His own bounty was the highest.
[Giant Serpent, Lucifer Wilder, Bounty: 500,000,000 Berries!]
"The Marines... really think highly of me, huh?" Wilder grinned, looking at the amount.
As for the others, aside from Claire who hadn't received a bounty, their bounties had all increased.
Vice's bounty had been raised to 100 million.
Eigg: 80 million.
Bacon: 130 million.
Ashin: 120 million.
Yves: 98 million.
Sherilmo: 142 million.
Bica: 212 million.
Franpetar: 100 million.
Each person's bounty had increased by at least 10 million. This was the price of escaping Impel Down.
As darkness fell, Vice and the others gradually returned to Wilder's lodgings. By the time everyone was assembled, the information gathering was nearly complete.
The Kingdom of Chenoat was ruled by the Cheno royal family. The current king was Cheno Baksha, and he had three princes. Of course, that was only on the surface.
In reality, Baksha had an illegitimate son who was not acknowledged. He was born to a commoner woman before Baksha had ascended to the throne. Aside from the royal family, no one knew of his existence.
Besides the royal family's information, the factions within Chenoat had also been thoroughly investigated.
There were three main powers: the underworld, the merchant guilds, and the pirates at sea. The merchant guilds were the most powerful.
"Boss, according to the information I gathered... Baksha's illegitimate son, Cheno Koya, is actually the head of the underworld," Sherilmo reported.
"That's right, and as far as I know, Koya's relationship with the royal family isn't good," Eigg, who rarely spoke, added.
Wilder listened to the reports, various ideas swirling in his mind. Finally, a plan took shape.
The next afternoon, Wilder and his crew left their lodgings and headed straight for the headquarters of one of the island's largest factions, the Cloud Sea Merchant Guild.
A slaughter unfolded in secret, silently and without a trace. The masters of the Cloud Sea Merchant Guild lay dead in pools of their own blood.
"Establish a merchant guild. Recruit personnel," Wilder said, biting down on his cigar, his feet planted on the blood-soaked floor, his expression emotionless.
"Boss, what should we call the guild?" Claire asked, standing beside Wilder, seemingly unfazed by the bloody scent filling the air.
"Let's call it Black Serpent," Wilder said casually, turning to walk out the door. Claire acknowledged with a "Yes, sir," and followed him with light, quick steps.
Vice and the others continued to search for any remaining guild members, leaving none alive.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of another faction, the underworld's Koya Security Company...
Eigg, Ashin, and Franpetar walked in.
"Who are you?!" The guards at the door of a luxurious corridor blocked their way.
"Fwish!" Blood splattered. Eigg wiped his dagger, his expression unchanging, and pushed open the door.
"Cheno Koya, right? We need to talk." Pushing the door open, Eigg's dead-fish eyes locked onto the young man sitting on the sofa, drinking wine.
The man was somewhat surprised by their intrusion. He glanced at the doorway, his pupils constricting as he saw the guards' corpses lying on the floor. He instantly calmed down.
"What do you want with me?"
Koya stared at Eigg and the others, his voice calm.
"Something good."
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