One Piece: The True Codex

"Even though the threat of Sea Kings is greatly reduced, it hasn't disappeared entirely. Crossing the Calm Belt still demands immense physical and mental effort. Pirates are at their weakest during this passage," Barbarossa said, his good hand instinctively rubbing the hilt of his sword as a sly grin spread across his face. "That's precisely the best time to strike them—and there's a good chance they'll have a Devil Fruit onboard."

Barbarossa's words had already attracted the attention of the surrounding crew. His voice grew louder as he spoke, eventually transforming into a rallying speech:

"When I first set sail and found myself in dire straits, it was in that region that I obtained a Devil Fruit, and it changed everything for me! That place is my lucky ground, and I believe that hasn't changed. If we can find another Devil Fruit there, we'll avenge Reis and Hayreddin, and reclaim everything we've lost!"

Barbarossa wasn't lying. When he, Reis, and Hayreddin first set sail, they had faced a situation similar to William's current predicament. They were pursued by a notorious veteran pirate and had fled all the way to the outskirts of the Calm Belt. Their fortunes turned when they encountered a pirate crew returning to the East Blue from the Grand Line, exhausted from their journey across the Calm Belt. The Red-Beard Brothers paid a heavy price but ultimately defeated the opposing crew and consumed a Devil Fruit.

With the powers granted by the fruit, Barbarossa rose to prominence, eventually becoming one of the most feared pirates in the East Blue and forging connections with Arcadio.

The circumstances back then were even more desperate than they were now, but Barbarossa had persevered. He believed that fate would favor him once again. If he could find another Devil Fruit and present this priceless treasure to Arcadio and Roy, they would be unable to refuse his request and would even offer him a hefty sum of cash in return.

With Arcadio and Roy's support, Barbarossa felt confident in his plan to hunt down Zeff and the Cook Pirates. Killing them would not only satisfy his need for revenge but also grant him access to their hoarded treasures. Solving these issues would lift him out of his current predicament—all he needed was a Devil Fruit.

Barbarossa gazed upward, as if he could see through the cavern ceiling to the sky above. He was convinced that he would find a Devil Fruit and continue his legendary tale in the East Blue.

William studied Barbarossa's determined expression and was certain that with just a little push, Barbarossa would inevitably turn against Arcadio.

William now understood why Barbarossa had managed to suppress his fury despite Arcadio's humiliations. Barbarossa believed he still had a fallback plan—the Devil Fruit was his final bargaining chip. With such a treasure worth billions of Beli, he thought he could mend the rift between them.

But what if he couldn't find the Devil Fruit? Or worse, what if Barbarossa discovered that even with the fruit, he couldn't repair their fractured alliance?

The Calm Belt stretched across the East Blue, vast and boundless. The odds of encountering a pirate crew fortunate enough to cross the Calm Belt safely—and for them to have a Devil Fruit—were slim.

Of course, slim odds weren't zero, so there was still a chance. It all depended on luck. But William detested relying on the fickle whims of fortune.

As William sailed toward the outskirts of the Calm Belt with Barbarossa, Gin was busy cleaning weapons at the Marine 16th Branch.

After brutally interrogating Ward for information, William had decided to infiltrate Barbarossa's ship under disguise. He had also instructed Gin to remain behind and infiltrate the Marines, which explained Gin's absence during the subsequent events, including the reception of Sherlock and other affairs.

In fact, even before clashing with Barbarossa and Arcadio, William had considered embedding someone within the Marines. As one of the most powerful forces on the sea, the Marines' movements were crucial to monitor, and their intelligence was invaluable. Additionally, William had entertained the idea of stealing military technology, such as weapon designs or even combat training manuals.

William didn't believe that even a small dojo like Koushirou's could provide advanced swordsmanship training while the globally significant Marines lacked technical expertise for training their soldiers.

Initially, William wasn't in a rush to execute this plan. He intended to wait for the right time, perhaps after his smuggling operations expanded into new territories, before planting Gin within the Marines. However, following Vallon's incident, this plan was forced into action.

Gin's assignment to Roy's command was a stroke of luck. At the time, William hadn't been certain which Marine officers were colluding with Arcadio and Barbarossa. Based on geographical analysis, he deduced that the Navia Kingdom's surrounding waters fell under the jurisdiction of the 16th Branch, making its officers the most likely candidates for such collusion. Even if his guess was wrong, it wouldn't hinder his plans.

The Marines, under the World Government, held a lofty position, independent of kingdom rule. However, their recruitment system struck William, a modern-day transmigrant, as laughably simplistic. Initially, he had assumed that the Marines and World Government would conduct background checks akin to those on Earth. But after living in this world for some time, he realized he had vastly overestimated them.

The recruitment process was outdated, and the semi-autonomous management of each Marine base meant that the quality of recruits varied wildly. It wasn't uncommon for fugitives from various kingdoms to join the Marines to escape capture.

Thus, Gin had easily transformed into a Marine recruit at the 16th Branch. His skills and bribes soon won the favor of Lieutenant Nezumi.

Gin wasn't sure whether Nezumi valued his money or his skills more.

Nezumi was undoubtedly a greedy man, a fact Gin had no trouble confirming. Gin despised his shifty superior but couldn't deny that William seemed to "appreciate" such an overtly corrupt individual. Through well-placed bribes, Gin had obtained plenty of useful intelligence from Nezumi, which he then relayed to William, aiding him in refining his plans.

After finishing his weapon cleaning, Gin checked the time, packed up his tools, and left. He headed down the corridor to his quarters, where he retrieved a box of cigars and a bottle of sherry from under his bed.

He then made his way to the duty room. After ensuring no one was around, he knocked lightly on the door before entering.

Gin's eyes discreetly scanned the table filled with Transponder Snails, then shifted to a young Marine soldier who looked at him in confusion.

"Neil, do me a favor," Gin said with a smile.

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