"Ah~"
On the calm sea, Alvin stopped his jet ski, leaned back with his hands behind his head, and let out a long sigh.
A faint ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling across his sharply defined face as he stared at the deep blue sky, his thoughts drifting far away.
He could understand the actions of those civilians earlier.
They were grateful to him, yet they did not dare become too closely involved with a pirate like him. After all, they still had to continue living on that land.
By accepting those treasures, he had both accepted their gratitude and taken responsibility for what had happened in Skull Bay.
"Damn it! This is so annoying!"
Alvin cursed in irritation, sat upright, and continued steering the jet ski toward the next island before nightfall arrived.
The sea wind howled loudly as waves slammed against the hull, splashing seawater over him. His clothes quickly became soaked, yet the cold water did nothing to ease the restlessness in his heart.
The ocean stretched endlessly ahead of him.
He simply moved forward.
——The next morning.
At the Marine Headquarters of Marine Headquarters, sunlight streamed through the tall windows and illuminated the spotless floor.
Brannew hurried into the office of Sengoku while holding a piece of intelligence in his hand. His expression was unusually serious.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Brannew saluted respectfully before handing over the report.
Sengoku accepted the document calmly and slowly unfolded it to read.
After a moment, he looked up and gave an order.
"Call Vice Admiral Tsuru here."
"Yes!" Brannew immediately turned and left.
Not long afterward, Tsuru arrived at the Fleet Admiral's office.
She pushed open the door and walked inside with steady steps. The moment she entered, she spoke.
"What happened, Sengoku? Something serious?"
"You should read this first."
Sengoku did not answer directly. Instead, he handed the document to Tsuru.
Tsuru accepted it and sat down across from him before carefully opening the report.
The office fell silent.
The only sound was the soft rustling of paper.
Brannew stood quietly to the side, hardly daring to breathe.
After finishing the report, Tsuru slowly raised her head. Her expression had become just as serious as Sengoku's.
"Sengoku, are you suggesting that the rise of Red Hawk might disturb the current balance of the seas?"
Sengoku nodded slowly.
The tension in his face eased slightly as he spoke in a deep and authoritative voice.
"This old man believes Red Hawk will enter the Grand Line very soon. Once he does, we must take action. We cannot allow him to act freely. He must be kept within controllable limits."
"I understand."
Tsuru gave a slight nod.
"When the time comes, I will arrange for someone to deal with him and force him to advance toward the New World as quickly as possible. He must not be allowed to stir up too much trouble in Paradise."
She knew Sengoku's judgment was correct.
Red Hawk Alvin might create waves across the seas, but he absolutely could not disturb the delicate balance that currently existed.
In the eyes of the World Government, the existence of pirates served a purpose.
Pirates acted as a constant "threat" that encouraged affiliated nations to obediently pay their Heavenly Gold.
With the strength of the World Government, eliminating most pirates would not be difficult.
However, doing so would not serve their interests.
They never acted without profit.
Furthermore, the World Government represented justice and authority in the eyes of the world. It had to maintain an image of strength and righteousness.
Only with a steady and controllable presence of pirates could they continue to demonstrate their so called justice.
After the discussion ended, Tsuru immediately began implementing the plan.
She understood the power of propaganda.
The world needed to view Red Hawk Alvin as a ruthless and terrifying pirate.
Therefore she contacted World Economy News Paper and requested that they publish the events of Skull Bay according to the instructions she and Sengoku had provided.
——
High above the skies of the New World.
A massive airship drifted through the clouds, pulled by a flock of enormous albatrosses.
It constantly shifted its position while floating among the clouds.
This was the headquarters of the World Economy News Paper.
Inside the airship, activity never stopped. Staff members hurried through the corridors while preparing various news reports.
Big News Morgans sat in his spacious office while holding the intelligence sent from Marine Headquarters.
At first his birdlike face showed mild interest.
But after reading the document completely, a mocking smile appeared.
"The same old routine. All the good deeds belong to the World Government, and every evil crime is blamed on pirates."
"What a hypocritical world."
"Gahahaha!"
Morgans burst into loud laughter that echoed through the office, though a hint of bitterness lingered within it.
He could not help recalling his former glory in the underworld.
The great news king Morgans.
And now?
A tool cooperating with the World Government.
Still, he understood something clearly.
He had no choice.
He was waiting.
Waiting for an opportunity to oppose the World Government.
Waiting for an era of chaos powerful enough to shatter the existing order.
"Someone!" Morgans suddenly shouted.
A staff member quickly opened the door.
"President!"
"Print this news exactly as written on tomorrow's front page."
Morgans gave the order while a complicated light flashed in his eyes.
"Yes!"
The staff member accepted the command and hurried away.
Soon, the so called "atrocities" committed by Red Hawk Alvin were transmitted by telegraph to printing presses across the seas.
Printing machines began roaring as countless newspapers were produced and prepared for distribution around the world.
Red Hawk Alvin was depicted as a brutal and evil pirate.
Meanwhile the World Government remained the noble symbol of justice.
Across this seemingly calm yet secretly turbulent ocean, a storm centered on Red Hawk Alvin was quietly forming.
Various forces were preparing themselves.
The tides of change were coming.
And Alvin, the pirate considered a threat by the World Government, was sailing toward unknown waters without realizing he had already become a crucial piece within their grand design.
——
At this moment, Alvin had already arrived in the Cortes Kingdom.
This country was also plagued by gangs and mafia organizations that controlled nearly every street.
It was also Alvin's hometown.
The place where he had grown up.
His grandmother had died in a gang shootout.
Although he had later recklessly killed a gang leader in retaliation, he never believed that the matter had truly ended.
In this world, his grandmother had been his only family.
The only person who truly loved him.
Those gangs had to pay the price.
This time he returned aboard a merchant ship.
After stepping ashore, he discovered that very little had changed during the years he had been gone.
The city remained just as chaotic as before.
More than a year had passed, and Alvin himself had changed greatly.
Without comparing him directly with an old photograph, people on the street would never recognize him.
Stepping onto the land where he had grown up after more than a year away, Alvin felt a complicated mixture of emotions.
He did not stay at the harbor for long.
His steps moved almost unconsciously toward the direction he remembered.
Soon he arrived at the entrance of his former home.
Looking at the slightly worn door, Alvin's hand trembled faintly as he slowly pushed it open.
With a creaking sound, the door gradually opened and a stale smell drifted outward.
Inside the house, years of neglect had allowed thick spider webs to cover every corner.
In the dim light they looked like enormous nets swallowing the entire home.
Furniture lay scattered everywhere as if someone had violently searched the place.
The whole house was in complete disorder.
Alvin stepped inside slowly and brushed away the spider webs blocking his path.
He entered the small living room and bent down to pick up a photograph lying on the floor.
A thick layer of dust covered the photo.
He gently wiped it clean.
As the dust disappeared, his grandmother's warm face slowly appeared.
In the picture she was smiling kindly.
Her eyes were filled with affection.
"Grandma… I'm home."
Alvin gently stroked the photograph.
His lips trembled slightly as he spoke in a low voice filled with longing.
His gaze slowly swept across the room.
It was as if every small moment he had spent living with his grandmother still remained here.
Warm memories flooded his heart like rising tides.
His eyes gradually became moist.
——
Not far outside Alvin's home, a gang intelligence agent had been secretly watching the area.
The moment he saw Alvin enter the house, terror instantly filled his face.
Red Hawk Alvin.
He had truly returned.
...
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