– Bellamy –?

  One thing we still needed to do after Sabaody was to bring the Thousand Sunny to safety. Which in this case amounted to towing the ship to Amazon Lily to be kept in trust until such a time that the Straw Hats had need of her again. Seeing as Bonney was busy with Kuma – Law as well for that matter – and the Revolutionaries were cooking up something big, I was the logical choice to oversee this task.

  "You just wanted to see your girl again, didn't you midget?"

  "It's a pure coincidence, I assure you."

  "Which one? Nico Robin being on Amazon Lily – where you personally brought her to I might add – or you unilaterally deciding that Baltigo wasn't a safe place to hide a ship? Hmmm?" Urouge said, pushing his grinning face into my personal bubble. I tried and failed to ignore it.

  "Fine, I wanted to see her and bringing the ship back is a nice excuse." I sighed. "Happy?"

  "Very." The smug bastard smiled in his usual broad way. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, I assure you."

  "I'm not ashamed, ya big lug."

  "Then what's got you so down, midget?"

  "I don't know. Stuff."

  "Stuff." Urouge blandly repeated, unsubtly prompting me to elaborate. For some reason, I chose to humor the bastard.

  "It's just an idle thought to be honest. I'm probably overthinking things, but…"

  "But?"

  "Well, the original reason Robin was travelling with me was because I rescued her from Tequila Wolf." I told him.

  "And it was right honorable of you to do so."

  "Then, it was because Luffy decided to regather his crew in two year's time instead of the three days he'd originally planned for."

  "To train and get stronger I assume." Urouge mused. "Considering the mess we ended up in recently, I can't say it's a bad choice. I'm still not seeing the problem though."

  "Of those two years, one is already gone. Even if Robin elected to spend the next year with me, I can't help but wonder: what comes after?" I asked.

  "Ooooh, dear." Urouge sighed, his head tilted upwards to stare into the night sky as if seeking divine intervention.

  "Will she stay with me or rejoin Luffy as I fear she will? What would that mean for our relationship?"

  "It'll be a long-distance relationship. No big deal."

  "The average long-distance relationship doesn't last very long I hear."

  "You aren't exactly average, are you? Neither of you." Urouge pointed out, an elbow digging into my the side. "Make it work. And if that worries you so much, simply convince her to stay with you. I'm sure she can achieve her dream – whatever it may be – just as easily with you if not easier than with Straw Hat."

  "Forcing that choice upon her seems a bit cruel, don't you think?" I rebutted, though honestly I wasn't sure why I did so.

  "It's a bit selfish, I admit, but not necessarily cruel. And you shouldn't forget you're a pirate." Urouge said, crossing his arms. "You are allowed to be selfish. It's in the bloody job description."

  "If it's a difficult choice, asking her to make it myself is sure to make her unhappy. I don't want that." I stated. "And if it's an easy choice, it's liable to destroy what little chance I'd have at a long distance relationship."

  Urouge's reaction to my words differed rather strongly from what I'd expected. For one, he looked at me as if I were a simpleton. And two, he seemed really frustrated with me.

  "Bloody hell. Angst. Seriously? As if that ever made any relationship issues better. What are you, a bloody teenager?"

  "I like Robin, ok?" I exclaimed, spreading my arms out wide. "And it's my first relationship, so excuse me if I'm a bit worried about the giant obstacle I can see rushing in my direction."

  "This is more than just a bit, I'd say." Urouge scoffed. "Where'd the confident Bellamy go who declared he'd become the strongest man in the world?"

  "He's still here." I grumbled, only to have a large hand smack me across the back with enough force to make me stumble forward a few steps.

  "Then bloody man up, midget. Face the problem head on and talk to your girl about it."

  "…"

  "Or better yet, stop worrying about something that may or may not become an issue in the future. You love the girl? Then make every day and moment count." He suggested. "If it was meant to be, then divine providence will provide a way. And if it wasn't, then let her go and cherish the memories you made."

  "Isn't it best to plan for things you know are coming?"

  "Not when it's something you think is coming, but don't know for certain. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of your nightmare scenarios never occur. Ergo, there's no need worrying your little head about them." Urouge replied. "Solve any problems as they arise and don't let your insecurity sour what could be. Because if anything is going to ruin your relationship, that is it."

  "Did I sound that insecure?" I asked, glancing up at my friend who glared down at me.

  "Didn't you listen to yourself, midget? If I didn't know any better, I'd have said you were a completely different Bellamy from the one I befriended. What if she leaves me after a year, oh no!" Urouge said, mimicking my words in as exaggerated a manner as he possibly could.

  "Geez, that sounds really, really cringey when you say it." I mumbled. My face was aflame, I could feel it.

  "Well, now you know what it felt like from my end." Urouge grumbled. "If you want to become the strongest man in the world, then grow a bloody spine. One that isn't going to dissolve into nothing the moment emotions get involved. After all, the title you're trying to claim doesn't only refer to the strength of arm…"

  "…but also to the strength of character, strength of will and strength of heart." I said, finishing his sentence.

  "Exactly. Love her fiercely, love her passionately and love her enough to let her make her choice. You're not going to be able to force her to stay anyway."

  "Nor would I want to. I want her to be happy, Urouge. Just, if she were happy with me, that would be the best."

  "Then make her happy. Problem solved. If she insists on paying back a debt to Straw Hat or to do her duty as a crew member and fulfil her captain's dream…well, the solution is simple ain't it?"

  "Help Luffy become the Pirate King?"

  "Yep. Not sure that'll be enough on its own, but it should at least swing the scales in your favor. The rest is up to you." Urouge grinned. "Plus, people change crews all the time."

  "Not when the crew is like family."

  "It's like marriage. You leave your old family to join a new one. Well, maybe not leave leave but you get the picture."

  "I do. Thanks, Urouge. By the way, you really sounded like a priest today."

  "...did you forget that I am one? Of course I sound like a bloody priest."

  My light pat to his shoulder was returned to me with interest. Lots of interest.

  "Feeling a bit better, Midget?"

  "Y-yeah." I managed to get it, while trying to regain my balance. "Still don't have a clue as to what I'm going to do when the time comes, but for now, I'll take your advice and live each day to the fullest."

  "Now that. That is the second-best decision you'll ever make." Urouge claimed, prompting me to raise an eyebrow, which conferred a universally recognized message.

  "If this is the second, what's the first?"

  Urouge's answering grin was infectious.

  "Becoming my friend, of course."

  – Ross –?

  Oddly enough, nearly getting killed by Kizaru hadn't done much to Ross in terms of aggravating his paranoia. Or for that matter, his host of phobias which he kept in his closet. This was, of course in part, because an encounter with a marine Admiral pretty much already topped his list of nightmare scenarios. Though to be fair, those pirates who didn't balk at the idea of such a close and personal encounter were few and far in between. If even the senior commanders of the Four Emperors were wary of such a high ranking navy officer, Ross' own position on the matter wasn't anything to write home about.

  Still, a far more influential reason for his surprisingly calm mindset was that Ross had simply been mentally prepared for such a situation, months prior to it actually occurring. A large part of what made paranoia so exhausting was the vastness of the unknown from whence surprises and dangers could arise. This naturally led to those afflicted from it seeing threats everywhere, suspecting conspiracies in the most innocent of places and displaying generally heightened levels of anxiety.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  However, if one could see the danger coming a mile away, it allowed one to adapt. The fear was still there, but unlike the scary fog that usually surrounded Ross, an Admiral was a clearly defined menace. This meant Ross' mind had very little playroom to exponentially worsen his sense of apprehension by imagining the threat to be larger than life. As such, despite being the largest source of peril Ross had encountered to date, the feeling of dread had been comparatively small when seen in relation to the level of hazard an Admiral represented.

  That was not to say he hadn't been terrified when Rivers sighted Kizaru barreling down towards them back on Sabaody, because he had been. But the point Ross was trying to make, was that having a rational level of fear of something was very different from the irrational terror which usually assailed his mind. It… felt good to know what he should be afraid of. To only experience the rightful amount of distress a situation warranted and no more. Like, really good.

  This was all to say that…Ross had come to an epiphany of sorts. It was a similar case to when he'd discovered prior to Tequila Wolf that in order to be a well-rounded, dangerous combatant, all he'd have to do was master everything. If knowing what he faced and knowing the identity of his bogey man was what he needed to assuage his paranoid mind… then that was what he needed to do. Know everything.

  If he managed that, admittedly difficult task, then Ross' world was sure to change. Instead of wildly searching for threats everywhere, instead of relying on instinct and his limited life experiences, Ross would be capable of systematically ruling out everything that didn't deserve his suspicion. The fog would be lifted, and Ross would be able to see. To recognize what was dangerous and what was not, based upon a perfect understanding of the world. He'd be able to…relax.

  Even should his knowledge not achieve the desired state of perfection, learning more about the world and all her dangers wouldn't hurt. Of course, in order to do that, Ross needed information. More information than could ever be gathered over the course of a single individual's lifetime… at least if done so via his own five senses. What Ross needed was a network. An intelligence network, either his own or one who's resources he could use.

  Fortunately, the Bellamy Pirates already had access to the latter. Disco operated one of the most expansive intelligence networks on the planet with dozens of warehouses stuffed with scrolls, books and other records about everything that could possibly ever be of relevance. And all of it was open to the Bellamy Pirates, which not-so coincidentally, included Ross. It wasn't nearly enough of course. In time, Ross would need to set up his own organization to diversify his sources and hence decrease the risk of Disco pulling the wool over his eyes, but it was a good start nonetheless.

  The downside to this plan was that it required funding. A lot of funding. More funding than Ross could feasibly provide or obtain on his own. Definitely more than could reasonably be obtained via raiding or treasure hunting. Heck, Disco had billions of belli in revenue every year and even he'd struggled after losing his Human Auction House. As the Bellamy Pirates – and Ross by extension – didn't have a reliable income source, Ross was unlikely to see his plan come to fruition any time soon. But…it was a goal he could work towards.

  According to Disco, Doflamingo used to run two spy rings at the same time. Admittedly, Disco had procured most of the necessary liquidity himself, but that wasn't the case for the Warlord's other network, which was a lot less financially self-reliant. As a result, its independence was limited, but it also meant the Warlord had sufficient resources at hand to maintain his influence and keep it afloat. The question then became, where did Doflamingo secure the gold to pay the bills?

  As far as Ross knew, it was via two major income streams. The first was his underground identity as the Joker, an international weapons broker with a thriving business. One had to remember that Disco's former Human Auction House with billions in revenue had been considered a mere affiliate. One that had been discarded like last month's sandwich, and from that one could guess what sort of vast sums the Joker dealt in. Of course, a large part of why Disco had been abandoned had to do with the anger of the World Nobles outweighing any financial gain continued patronage could provide, but still. The point remained.

  The second source of revenue was the Kingdom of Dressrosa, which served as Doflamingo's personal territory. Its residents paid their taxes, merchants passing through its waters paid their tolls and the kingdom's legitimate export business brought a steady influx of cash into the Warlord's coffers. While smaller than what the man earned in his role as the Joker, it was still not an inconsiderable sum. And that was from only one island.

  The Four Emperor's had dozens of islands and kingdoms, if not more, paying for their protection. Their territory was home to many more shipping lanes and trade posts than any single kingdom, even a major one like Dressrosa, could claim to possess.

  …

  Bellamy wanted to become an emperor. Well, he wanted to become the strongest man alive, but it would realistically end up being pretty much the same thing in Ross' opinion. Pursuing his captain's dream would necessitate clashing with the current Four. If they lost, Ross probably wouldn't be in a state to worry about anything any longer, but if they won? Their territory would be up for grabs. Territory meant steady income. Steady income meant Ross' chances of convincing Lily to open the purse strings would skyrocket. And once he did, Ross could get started on his plan. A plan so grand that one might even call it a dream.

  Speaking of which, hadn't Nero mentioned something along the lines of wanting to unite the entire New World under Bellamy's banner…?

  That Which Most Definitely Did NOT Happen.?

  Welcome to the Marineford Daily News, your only source of accurate and unbiased news.

  Today, the World Government expressed its concern about the unfounded rumors currently circulating in parts of society, which erroneously claim that members of the Worst Generation survived an arrest attempt by the Marine Corps. Some go as far as to insinuate that they not only escaped but did so despite Admiral Kizaru personally taking to the field. This is, clearly, a nonsensical proposition and worthy of no further consideration by those of below average intelligence. But for those capable of rational reasoning, there's the following to consider.

  The truth of the matter is – as asserted by the World Government – that Admiral Kizaru briefly visited the Sabaody Archipelago to inspect its rebuilt entertainment district. As the astute reader no doubt knows, the full course offered by the proprietors includes service at horrendously extravagant prices (spearheaded by the famed Shakky's Rip-Off Bar), participation in one of their many exercise regimens (such as combat classes which can get a little destructive on the local landscape) and a dip in the luxurious coastal waters. We were told that the Admiral was very thorough in his inspection, personally investigating if the offered services were all that they are purported to be.

  At the same time, the presence of the Worst Generation could not be independently confirmed, as all witnesses who'd falsely claimed to have seen them, retracted their statements after visits by individuals in black suits. Or were no longer available for comment, having left on an extended vacation to parts unknown.

  As such, it is the official position – and hence the to be accepted truth – that the Bellamy Pirates, together with their allies the Mad Monk Pirates, the Bonney Pirates and the Heart Pirates definitely did not fight a marine Admiral, almost drown him in the Ocean and escape their arrest. Anyone who claims otherwise is clearly delusional and as far removed from the truth as the east is from the west.*

  This was Marineford Daily reporting.

  And as always, please follow us to never miss an update on the best news reports this side of the Red Line.

  *As an interesting bit of trivia, we offer the following tidbit. Because the world is spherical – as proven by various scientists and explorers over the centuries – going far enough east means coming out west of where you started. It's a touching factoid, no?

  **On an entirely unrelated note, the Marine HQ has updated their bounty list, with substantial increases of promised monetary rewards for the heads of certain seafaring folk.