One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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"Mama, these might be fake."

Katakuri hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward and spoke cautiously.

"Fake? If they're fake, who would dare to lie to me?"

Katakuri was at a loss for words, and after a long pause, he finally spoke, "I definitely wouldn't dare, but..."

Even though the term Four Emperors hasn't been coined yet, Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, has been notorious for decades and is undoubtedly a super pirate.

There are con artists out there using such tactics to swindle people. But once they realize they've scammed Big Mom, they'll surely apologize and back off.

Are there any pirates in the New World who aren't afraid of the Big Mom Pirates?

Yes, but very few!

And those few enemies wouldn't resort to petty tricks like this.

But no matter how you look at it, this flyer seems like a fake.

"Katakuri, are you questioning me?"

Big Mom's voice cut through, stopping Katakuri from finishing his thought.

"Mama, I'll look into it right away."

Katakuri's body tensed up at the cold tone in her voice.

Outside the palace, as he walked slowly under the sun, Katakuri lowered his gaze slightly, thinking to himself:

"Even though that flyer looks so fake, it doesn't hurt to try. It's only 100,000 berries after all."

"If it's real, delivering Gold Roger would definitely please Mama. After all, she's been obsessed with the Poneglyphs he stole for years."

"And if it's fake, I really can't believe anyone would dare to deceive us."

Having made up his mind, Katakuri quickened his pace.

But what he didn't realize was...

It was his confidence that led the Big Mom Pirates to lose more than half of their treasure in a short time.

If it hadn't been for his siblings holding him back, unwilling to accept further losses, he would have been swindled out of the rest.

Meanwhile, on the sea, a pirate ship resembling a white whale sailed freely.

The towering "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate sat on the captain's throne, gazing at the blue sea while sipping his drink.

In front of him was also a flyer that read, "I, Gold Roger, Need Money!"

"Father, should we give it a shot? After all, 100,000 berries isn't much!" Marco, with his golden punk hairstyle, flew over and suggested.

Everyone knew that their father and Roger were close friends. Since there was news that Roger might still be alive, it wouldn't hurt to spend a little to find out.

"Gurararara, no need, there's no point in giving money to a scammer."

Whitebeard, though appreciative of Marco's concern, declined.

Knowing Roger as he did, he knew Roger wouldn't do something like this.

Not to mention that Roger, who was terminally ill, had only a few days left before he turned himself in. What would be the point of saving him now?

This flyer was most likely the work of a con artist.

Whitebeard didn't see the point in wasting even a single berry on this.

That money would be better spent on more wine!

Seeing this, Marco didn't press further.

...

"Dad! Dad! Something's wrong!"

In the distance, a crew member ran up, shouting urgently.

"What's going on?" Whitebeard looked over, frowning.

"Harry, weren't you with Jozu in the nearby town getting supplies? What happened?"

Marco recognized the person as a member of the third division, led by Diamond Jozu.

Seeing Harry's panic, Marco immediately stood up.

"Don't worry, take your time and tell me. Did you run into the Marines, or did Kaido get drunk again?" Whitebeard asked in a deep voice.

Harry, still catching his breath, finally managed to speak clearly, "Father, Captain Marco, no, we didn't encounter any enemies."

"But Captain Jozu and a lot of the crew took off with all their personal money."

"They said they were going to meet a beautiful woman named Alice and give her a baby."

"I tried to stop them, but I couldn't."

Marco was stunned.

Having a baby with a beautiful woman?

Jozu may be young at twenty, but why the rush?

He didn't even wait to tell us first.

"Gurararara! Jozu is going to be a father too?"

"Which kingdom is Alice a princess of? I should be the one arranging the marriage," Whitebeard said, relaxing as he raised his glass, laughing heartily.

Harry swallowed nervously, but then mustered the courage to pull out a flyer from his pocket.

[Big Money for a Baby!]

["I am Alice, female, twenty-three years old, the twenty-eighth wife of King Stonelet, curvy and charming."]

["Due to my husband's early..."]

Whitebeard: 😶

Marco: 😶

Similar scenes were playing out all over the world.

"Hey, bro, you're way more handsome than me. You'll definitely get picked. Come on, let's go sign up."

"Dad, I found a great job! They pay big money for a baby, you know? Even if you don't get selected, you still get paid."

"Hahaha, I passed the medical exam! Looks like you guys didn't make it. This big money baby thing must be legit."

"But if you want to meet Alice, you gotta pay a meeting fee upfront. Guess I'll have to dig up all the treasure I've buried."

"I gave that greedy executioner a million berries, but why haven't I seen any news about Gold Roger yet?"

"Bro, my captain Roger was released, I'm sure of it. He took five million berries from me yesterday to buy a ship, and he's coming to pick me up."

"I know this girl who said her grandpa's tea isn't selling. It's just too sad."

While the Fraud Department was running at full capacity, the top Marines weren't sitting idle either.

After receiving orders from headquarters, they all abandoned the pirate crews they were chasing and redirected their ships to their assigned sea areas.

Somewhere along the Grand Line...

Several heavily armed merchant ships sailed in formation.

On the deck, a chubby boss lay back on a chair, enjoying the sun.

Surrounded by strong, armed men on guard, they patrolled the area vigilantly.

"This era of great pirates isn't so bad after all."

"One trip now earns as much as dozens of trips before."

The boss chuckled as he pulled out a stack of berries from his coat, counting them with glee.

Only civilians suffer in these chaotic seas. For someone with connections, a ship, and weapons, it's like heaven.

Compared to the past, delivering regular goods now yields profits dozens or even hundreds of times higher.

He and his backers have made a killing.

As for pirate threats?

Not a problem.

First, there are more men on board than in most pirate crews, and after training, they're even tougher than rookie pirates just starting out.

They've also got plenty of weapons and cannons to blast any pirate ship to bits before it even gets close.

As long as they don't have the bad luck of crossing paths with a powerful crew, they can fend off any pirates that come their way.

Sometimes, they even take the spoils from weaker pirate groups, claim the pirate heads for bounties at Marine bases, and earn some extra cash.

And if they ever face a crew they can't beat, no big deal.

They'll just escape on a smaller boat, hire a new crew, buy a new ship, and set sail again.

Usually, pirates are too busy looting to bother chasing those who escape.

"As for the losses, just make the civilians cover them. Raise the prices several times over to make up for it."

In short, it's a seller's market right now.

No matter how outrageous the prices get, unarmed civilians have no choice but to accept them—they can't even bargain.

"Thank you, Roger, thank you for this wonderful era!" The fat boss pressed a stack of berries to his lips, kissing it greedily, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

At that moment:

"Boss, I spotted a ship!" The lookout poked his head out from the railing and shouted loudly.

Instantly, everyone was on high alert.

"Is it pirates?"

The fat boss panicked, quickly getting up and rushing to the bow to take a look.

Though he trusted his guards, fighting pirates was no joke—their cannon fire was just as deadly.

He was already considering hiding in the lower cabin for safety.

"It's not."

The lookout scrutinized the ship with binoculars for a long time before saying, "It's the Marines. They saw us and are heading this way."

Everyone relaxed at once.

The fat boss let out a long breath.

"It's the Marines, so no need to worry."

"Let them come aboard!" the fat boss ordered with a wave of his hand.

Soon, the warship and the merchant ship were side by side.

Fresh from battle with pirates, Rear Admiral Momonga, reeking of blood, stepped onto the merchant ship's deck with his men.

"Greetings, Master Marine. You've worked hard. Here, have a smoke."

The fat boss bowed his head, grinning widely as he offered a cigarette.

Momonga glanced at him briefly but didn't take the cigarette.

"Are you all merchant ships?"

"Yes, yes, we're just carrying ordinary goods."

"Sailing in such dangerous times without fear—must be quite profitable."

The fat boss, hearing this, quickly pulled out several more packs of berries from his coat, slipping them discreetly where no one could see.

He smiled and said, "No, no, it's just hard-earned money. We're mostly trying to help those in need, making sure people don't go cold or hungry."

"What's your destination?"

This time, Momonga took the berries but didn't pocket them.

Instead, he openly counted them in front of everyone.

The fat boss was taken aback, confused by Momonga's actions.

The officers he usually dealt with would quietly feel the thickness of the bribe and then discreetly pocket it. They wouldn't make it so obvious.

Why was this Marine acting so differently?

"Maybe he's just an arrogant officer," the fat boss thought, but he quickly answered, "Sir, we're passing through Yaba Village, then heading to Anluo Tadu."

"Yaba Village? Are you certain?"

"Yes, sir."

Momonga suddenly chuckled, handed the money to the soldier behind him, and raised his hand.

"Hands up, don't move!"

"Drop your weapons and put your hands over your heads!"

The soldiers from the warship immediately rushed down, effortlessly subduing the unsuspecting guards.

The fat boss was stunned. "Sir, what's the meaning of this?"

"I just came from Yaba Village. The villagers told me how you've been exploiting shipwrecks to make a fortune during this pirate crisis."

Momonga didn't even look at him as he walked towards the cargo hold, his Justice cloak billowing behind him.

He continued, "You usually sell a piece of fruit for 10 berries, but recently you charged 240 berries, didn't you?"

"That's wrong, sir! Impossible! Those peasants are slandering me!" The fat boss, now sweating profusely, hurried after Momonga , pleading his case.

But Momonga ignored him and proceeded straight to where the goods were stored.

After forcing open the locked wooden door and peering inside, Momonga's eyes lit up with interest.

"Originally, I was just going to collect some taxes from you, but since you've made so much profit off these shipwrecks, I'm announcing that all your cargo is now confiscated." He turned around, speaking with righteous authority.

"No, you can't do this!" The fat boss's eyes widened in shock, his head shaking wildly like a pendulum.

He had invested a significant amount of money into this trip. If his goods were confiscated, not only would he lose everything he'd earned, but he would also be deep in debt.

How could he allow that to happen?

"I'm here to inform you, not ask your permission. What are you all standing around for? Start moving the cargo to the warship."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers quickly saluted and immediately rushed into the cargo hold, carrying out all the supplies.

"You call yourselves Marines? How can you do something like this?" The fat boss, realizing the situation was dire, rushed over to Momonga, pointing at the justice cloak and loudly demanding answers.

Momonga chuckled.

"Justice? You, an unscrupulous merchant who hikes prices a hundredfold, dare to speak of justice to the Marines? If you had only doubled or even multiplied prices a few times, given the circumstances, you might have made some profit without issue. But you got greedy."

"You jacked up the prices by dozens of times, sometimes hundreds. No matter how much money people had, it was never enough to buy what they needed. Yaba Village wasn't destroyed by pirates; it was bled dry by you."

He waved his hand dismissively, tired of dealing with the fat boss. "Take him away!"

"No! You can't do this! I'm sailing under the orders of our king. Aren't you afraid of being held accountable by the World Government? We're a member nation!"

As the fat boss was dragged away by the soldiers, he struggled frantically, trying to reason with them.

"Accountable? Our acting Fleet Admiral received a license directly from the Five Elders. Not just a few cargoes—if necessary, they could take much more. But what's the point of telling you this? Accept reality and stop resisting!"

Momonga paused, shaking his head, uninterested in further conversation.

"You're not Marines—you're bandits, pirates!"

"I'll take this to the king! I'll make sure your Fleet Admiral gets an earful!"

"My goods, my berries! Waaaahhhh!"

The fat boss's helpless cries echoed through the air as he was taken away.

Scenes like this were playing out along multiple trade routes.

Just like Momonga , other Marine officers were confiscating merchant ships whose prices started at exorbitant levels.

Some officers, more irritable and extreme, used their swords to silence rebellious noble representatives outright.

Those merchants who were willing to pay steep taxes were allowed to continue their business.

Meanwhile, Sakazuki was also in the midst of his own battle.

A shockwave of heat and force erupted.

Two tall, powerful figures separated on the street.

Norton the Fire Wolf skidded back, his feet dragging across the ground for dozens of meters before he finally stopped.

His eyes narrowed, and he stared at the figure slowly emerging from the sea of flames ahead, clearly shaken.

"Damn, what a monster! And that magma ability—it's too much of a counter to me."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Norton shouted back to his crew, "How much longer until the magnetic force on the Log Pose stabilizes?"

"Captain, we've got almost two hours left," his navigator shouted, dodging a Marine soldier's sword and quickly checking the Log Pose on his wrist.

"Damn it! We can't wait that long!"

Norton gritted his teeth and sprinted towards his crew without another word. "Get back to the ship, we're leaving now!"

"But Captain, if the Log Pose isn't set, how will we reach the next island? We could get lost and starve to death at sea!"

"You want to stick around and find out what happens? That's a risk we'll have to take."

Norton pushed himself to his limits, desperation driving him forward. "If we stay here, that monster Vice Admiral will kill us all."

Boom!

At that moment, a burst of magma exploded from the ground, blocking Norton's path.

Sakazuki appeared in front of him, moving slowly but deliberately.

"Stop struggling, pirate. Can't you just surrender?"

"Why is your Vice Admiral different from the others I've fought?" Norton spat, his voice tinged with fear and frustration. "You're stronger than I expected."

Sakazuki narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

"If Fleet Admiral Akira hadn't personally ordered it, you wouldn't even be worth my time."