Chapter 141: A Pirate is Always a Pirate
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They only felt fear now.
"President! I swear it wasn't intentional! I just couldn't accept it! We worked so hard for Whitebeard, risked our lives to save Ace, and I lost most of my crew, my brothers in the process. But in the end, he left me nothing. I only wanted what I deserved!"
Uchiha Kitaro nodded calmly and replied, "Hmm, I actually think you make a very good point."
The man's face lit up with a glimmer of hope.
"So," Kitaro continued, his tone icy, "I've decided to send you to Whitebeard. That way, you can confront him directly about his unfairness."
"That's bad!"
Everyone's expressions turned pale in an instant.
"Attack! Kill him now! If we don't take him down, we're all dead today!"
The tearful and pitiful man from moments ago now wore a vicious expression.
"Amaterasu!"
Without hesitation, Uchiha Kitaro unleashed Amaterasu. Black flames materialized and consumed the group.
"Arghhh!"
"It burns! Help us!"
"President! Lord Kitaro, We were wrong! Spare us, please!"
Their cries of agony filled the air, but Kitaro remained unmoved. A pirate is a pirate—greedy, lawless, and audacious. Such traits were deeply ingrained in their nature.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the distance. The pirates, desperate, turned to the newcomer as if grasping at a lifeline.
"Captain Marco! Please, beg the president for mercy! We've learned our lesson!"
The figure was none other than Marco, the former First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Looking at his former comrades now suffering, Marco's expression was cold and detached. "You deserve this."
It disgusted him to see his long-time companions resort to plundering Whitebeard's territories after his death.
And their words… Marco had heard every one of them.
Whitebeard had sacrificed everything to secure their survival, yet they showed no gratitude. Instead, they cursed him. How long had it been since his death? The man's body was barely cold, and their words cut deeper than any blade.
These men, once taken in by Whitebeard when they had nowhere else to go, now betrayed his memory without hesitation.
This wasn't the first group Marco had encountered doing such things. Over the past few days, he had come across several disguised former crewmates plundering their old territories.
For the first time, Marco understood Kitaro's sentiment—that such ungrateful wretches were better off dead.
Before long, the agonized screams faded, and the group was reduced to ashes by Amaterasu's unyielding flames.
"Marco," Kitaro instructed, his tone authoritative but calm, "handle the rest. Return all stolen goods to their rightful owners. A gentleman values wealth but takes it justly. Uchiha Security Company's duty is to safeguard the lives and property of everyone in our territories."
"Take what is fair, and leave what isn't. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" Marco replied firmly.
Over time, Marco had grown to admire the young president. Initially, he thought Uchiha Kitaro was nothing more than a money-driven opportunist.
During the Paramount War, that was the impression Kitaro deliberately gave. However, after working under him for some time, Marco realized that Kitaro was a man of strict principles.
The security fees Kitaro charged were only one-tenth of the residents' incomes, a remarkably low rate in the New World.
In comparison, Whitebeard's crew, with its massive 50,000-strong fleet, had to collect higher fees to sustain themselves. Even with Whitebeard's reputation, resources were stretched thin, and complaints were not uncommon. Marco had often shielded Whitebeard from hearing such dissent.
In contrast, the Uchiha Security Company operated with far fewer people but offered excellent pay and benefits.
After Whitebeard's death, Marco had no ambition to dominate the New World. Protecting his late captain's territories from invaders was enough for him.
"Remind everyone to train hard," Kitaro continued. "The company will conduct evaluations every six months. If someone's skills fail to meet the standard, they'll be reassigned to logistics or they'll even be fired. Uchiha Security Company only keeps elites. Do you understand?"
"Yes, President!"
Not long ago, Marco had witnessed the fabled Uchiha Clan in action. At Kitaro's suggestion, a so-called "friendly match" was organized.
In truth, it was a show of force.
Pirates, by nature, were unruly, but after being thoroughly crushed by a group of young Uchiha warriors, they understood the difference in power.
Out of the Whitebeard Pirates, only Marco, Jozu, and Vista managed to hold their ground.
Marco, though victorious, had to expend significant effort to defeat his opponent. Jozu, despite his win, ended up looking ragged, and Vista, though skilled, struggled with the Uchiha's unpredictable techniques.
To their distress, these young Uchiha fighters weren't even qualified to be division captains in their company.
So Kitaro made it clear: "In the Uchiha Security Company, only individuals at an Admiral-level of strength or close to it can become captains."
He appointed Marco as the Third Division Commander, Jozu as the Fourth, and Vista as the Fifth—not because they were currently Admiral-level, but because they had the potential to reach it.
To help them grow, Kitaro taught them specialized breathing techniques. Marco learned Flame Breathing, Jozu mastered Stone Breathing, and Vista, due to his dual blades, was taught Sound Breathing.
The techniques came with a catch: Kitaro's control.
The moment they consumed his blood, their lives were tethered to his will. Even the thought of sharing these techniques with others would alert Kitaro.
Most importantly, their lives were now literally in his hands. Should they ever betray him, Kitaro could end them remotely without hesitation.
With such measures in place, there was no fear of disloyalty.
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