Chapter 83 Pirate Forbidden Zone (Part Three)

"Usopp, I'm so glad you're alright!"

The moment Kuro collapsed, Kaya suddenly rushed in, throwing her arms around Usopp, who lay sprawled on the ground, and wept bitterly.

"He, he..."

But Usopp was still paralyzed with fear, his trembling arm pointing at Kuro.

"He should be dead, barring any surprises. But the man with the goat horns isn't dead yet. Is he one of Kuro's men?"

Roland feigned ignorance, as if he didn't recognize any of them, and asked.

"That's Merry, my other butler. He's not one of Kuro's people. Is he really still alive?" Kaya exclaimed in joy.

"If you start tending to him now, he may yet survive," Roland said after examining Merry.

"That's wonderful!" Kaya immediately ran out to call for help. The villagers and the village doctor were outside the manor, so as long as she brought them in, Merry could be saved.

"Colonel Roland, have you solved the problem?"

Returning with Kaya was Major Penguins and several dozen marines.

"This is Hundred-Plan Kuro. Take him aboard the ship and see to it that his body is intact—I still have use for it," Roland instructed, pointing at Kuro’s bloody corpse.

"Yes, Colonel."

Without even needing Penguins to give the order, a few marines moved swiftly to lift Kuro’s body away.

Following behind them, Roland led Penguins and the others out of the manor, walking slowly toward the naval vessel moored at the dock.

He had come here for one reason only: to kill Kuro. Now that Kuro was dead, there was no reason to linger.

All that needed to be done was to order the warship to patrol the area for three days, just in case any other pirates contacted by Kuro showed up.

As for Usopp, Roland truly had little interest. It wasn't a matter of looking down on him; there simply wasn't a shortage of that type of character among the navy. In fact, with Usopp's timid nature, his presence on the battlefield would only dampen morale.

Not every member of the Straw Hat crew was suited for him. Take Chopper, for example—a reindeer raised by pirates.

Or Franky, who bore a grudge against the World Government. Though he possessed information about Pluton, Roland didn't need it; he trusted his system and his Devil Fruit, which would provide power far surpassing that of Pluton.

Simply put, when the time came to enter the Grand Line, the only Straw Hat crew member Roland intended to contend with Luffy for was Nico Robin, the so-called Devil Child. It wasn't so much the historical texts that interested him, but rather her exceptional intelligence skills, which would surely aid Akin and Uncle Jason.

Three days passed in a flash, and Roland set out on his journey back to Loguetown.

To his surprise, not a single pirate ship appeared during those three days. He didn't know whether Kuro had only ever contacted Buggy, or if the sheer size of his ship discouraged other pirates from approaching.

Regardless, with the allotted time up and no pirates showing themselves, it was time to return to Loguetown.

Once he bade farewell to Smoker, he would officially embark on the Grand Line and report to Navy Headquarters.

Unlike his last departure from Loguetown, this time there was no urgent mission, so time was on his side. In fact, as they passed by the Baratie restaurant, Roland even took Penguins and his new subordinates in for a grand meal.

By the time they returned to Loguetown, half a month had passed since the Syrup Village incident.

Along the way, Roland encountered quite a few pirates, but the highest bounty among them was only eight million—on par with the Pirate King of East Mountain, nothing formidable.

Still, these minor pirates contributed a fair share of slaughter points to Roland, increasing his total from 597 (with Kuro, 598) to 786, drawing him ever closer to the thousand-point mark.

This made Roland all the more eager to see what the fourth form of his Devil transformation would be.

Aside from the small fry, Roland had all the pirate captains’ bodies preserved aboard ship, just like Kuro, after the marines had handled them.

When he saw that familiar figure waiting by the dock—Smoker—Roland couldn't help but smile.

It seemed Smoker had finally let go of his anger.

And understandably so. Purging Loguetown of its criminal gangs was ultimately a boon for the town. Perhaps the bloodshed would dampen tourism for a while, but in time, who would remember all the souls lost at the execution square?

"Vice Admiral Garp has returned to Headquarters. He asked me to tell you that if you see Luffy, bring him in," Smoker said, watching Roland disembark from the warship.

"Luffy managed to escape? That’s just like him," Roland laughed.

But for Luffy to slip away, it was surely intentional on Garp’s part. With the navy at Garp’s disposal, the current Luffy would have stood no chance. How could he possibly have escaped otherwise?

"Kuro didn’t cause too much trouble, did he?" Smoker inquired.

"We arrived in time. With his bounty reissued, Kuro decided to go all in, but he was unlucky enough to run into me. Not a single person in Syrup Village was harmed," Roland explained.

After some small talk, Roland outlined his plan to Smoker and ordered the marines to bring all the pirate captains’ bodies, including Kuro’s, to the dock.

He called this plan the Pirate Exclusion Zone.

The idea was to display the bodies of these pirates at the port, as a deterrent to any would-be pirates.

Why not implement this plan on other islands? For one, Roland worried the branch colonels would avoid trouble and quietly take the bodies down once he left. For another, with Smoker in command at Loguetown, there was little risk of pirate retaliation.

From what Roland understood, the navy’s methods of combating pirates were limited to extermination and public executions. They had never tried to suppress pirate pride or seize the narrative.

This was why some people took pride in being pirates—even dreamers like Luffy aspired to become one.

All of Roland’s actions and plans were aimed at ending the Great Pirate Era. So long as it served that goal, no matter the cost, Roland would use any means necessary.

The Pirate Exclusion Zone was a simple example.

Smoker had no objections to the plan, but as both a navy officer and Loguetown’s chief administrator, he had to consider not only pirates but the town’s economy.

In his years at Loguetown, Smoker had seen pirates sneak ashore more than once. As long as they didn’t cause trouble, he turned a blind eye.

After all, pirates could be a valuable consumer group. They needed supplies, sought entertainment, and, unlike ordinary folk, they spent their stolen riches freely and lavishly.

How could Smoker completely refuse such a boost to the local economy?

If Roland’s plan went ahead, whether or not it truly suppressed pirate arrogance, Loguetown would certainly become a pirate exclusion zone.

Put yourself in a pirate’s shoes—upon seeing a row of notorious pirates’ corpses hanging at the dock, wouldn’t you feel uneasy? Would you still be eager to come ashore and spend money?

The answer was obvious.

"Smoker, I know what concerns you, but if you want to end this age of chaos, you’ll have to make sacrifices," Roland said.

"And if this place truly becomes a pirate-free zone, it’s true pirates won’t come to spend money—but what about everyone else? Remember, the world isn’t mostly made up of pirates, but ordinary people."

"Who wouldn’t want to live on an island completely free of pirates?"

Roland urged.

"I’ll give it some thought. For now, take these bodies back to base. Your supplies are ready—I’ll have an answer for you before you leave," Smoker replied.