One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 27 I'm Not a Greedy Person

A steaming breakfast was laid out on the table: golden-brown fried eggs, two slices of freshly baked bread, a glass of milk, a rosy apple, and a pastry the size of a baby's fist.

It looked like he was an omnivore, but Roman ate with great satisfaction.

Her breakfast looked ordinary, but it actually cost a lot.

After all, all the ingredients, including the desserts, were imported from this country.

Now that she knew the country was having problems starting with the land, she naturally wouldn't eat it anymore.

Hartle's breakfast was no exception; of course, Hartle, who had earned money, wouldn't skimp on the cost of breakfast, but...

"You have a letter!" Hartel looked at Roman, who had eaten and drunk his fill, and casually tossed him a letter.

Seagulls are the sealing wax? This is the symbol used on official naval correspondence.

"If my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, the recipient of the letter would be the captain of the Yado Merchant Guild, right? It's for you, Uncle, isn't it?" Roman casually replied, lifting a corner of his veil slightly.

"Don't give me that crap," Hartel laughed and scolded. "What else could the Navy possibly need from a businessman like me? It must be the aftermath of you killing Shada. Besides, you've sent almost every notable pirate to prison these past few days. They're probably eager to find out who did it, aren't they?"

That's true. When they handed over the pirates for the bounty, it was in the name of the Yado Merchant Guild. However, if the Navy wasn't incompetent, they should be able to tell from the wounds on the corpses that the fatal injury was caused by one person.

Besides, Roman didn't intentionally silence them. Since they weren't Devil Fruit users, she simply beat them until they couldn't fight back and sent them in. But that was just a small fry; the Navy probably wouldn't take it seriously.

"This is your chance, Black Cat. With the pirates you've killed, if you join the Navy, you'll definitely be promoted quickly. Although you're a bit young, this is a chaotic world. Even pirates can come and go from Marineford openly now, so why can't you?"

Hartle had no shortage of complaints about the Seven Warlords system established by the Navy.

However, this also exposed the problem that the navy's manpower was indeed stretched thin, and it was necessary to contact powerful pirates for assistance.

Of course, the relationship is one of mutual exploitation, and both sides are willing to betray each other at any time given the opportunity.

If you have the ability and desire fame and fortune, joining the navy now would certainly be very beneficial.

"First of all, we haven't finished reading the letter yet, so we don't know what the Navy means. Secondly, you don't want such a useful employee like me, uncle. I'm really puzzled by your business acumen," Roman said, pretending to be funny.

"You make it sound like you'll stay on my ship forever. This is just a temporary stop for you. You have a much bigger world to explore, and you can't just stay in one corner. In that case, I might as well say it sooner rather than later."

"Maybe it will last a lifetime?"

"You're good at saying nice things. Forget it, I'm a businessman, not a dreamer. I don't indulge in unfounded fantasies." With that, Hartel gulped down the beer next to him.

"Take a look. It's best to reply to the official naval letter. Although I know that joining the military isn't your only option, having a large military force supporting you will definitely help you soar to greater heights."

After saying that, Hartel went for a walk.

Even when he wasn't at sea, he was a man who couldn't stay idle.

Although it is said that no merchant is without guile, in Roman's eyes Hartel was really quite conscientious.

"But I'm such a good employee, I deserve to have such a conscientious boss." Roman internally gloated before opening the envelope.

As for the contents of the letter, Roman opened it and found that its meaning was almost identical to what Hartel had said.

Besides voluntary enlistment and global recruitment, the Navy also has a special invitation system.

It must be said that, as expected of a super-large military force that has existed for 800 years, its response to the extraordinary Great Pirate Era is quite flexible.

The fact that they could use pirates to intimidate other pirates proves that their high-ranking members are definitely not rigid and inflexible.

As for this special invitation, it is mainly aimed at bounty hunters who are neither black nor white, or armed personnel who are not affiliated with any organization.

Such people typically operate in a gray area, earning money through both legal and illegal means. They are prone to going astray, and if they can be won over, the navy can also profit from them.

The letter essentially stated that the Navy was very grateful for the merchant guild's contributions to the North Sea and, if they didn't mind, hoped to have a gathering at the branch and would also like to bring along heroes who had vanquished the pirates.

Well, concise and to the point, sincere and heartfelt, and it doesn't forget to include an empty promise.

It's clearly stated below that the Navy is willing to give 1000 million Berries as a bounty to anyone willing to come.

It seems the navy officer who wrote this letter put a lot of thought into it, first expressing gratitude, then showing goodwill, and finally offering monetary incentives.

They have a deep understanding of human nature.

Unfortunately, the navy was not a good place for Roman.

Aside from their identities, the Navy has far more rules and regulations than pirates.

Braving wind and rain, chasing pirates everywhere, those with a little military rank have to review countless documents, and their salaries are still unknown.

Here, I only need to be a henchman. But if I go to a formal system like the navy, I'll have to develop in a more holistic way.

You need to be good at reading people's expressions, you need to be involved in military and political strategies, you need to do physical labor and fight the enemy, you need to handle a mountain of documents, and then there's the fact that in this kind of military system, bullying newcomers is all too common.

Furthermore, even if you manage to get through the rookie phase and become a team leader, whose team doesn't have a few troublemakers or political enemies?

Are we supposed to be constantly outwitting and outmaneuvering each other?

Just thinking about it makes me tired.

If Garp had been told these things beforehand, he might not have wanted to become a Marine.

Garp looks relaxed, but that's not universally applicable. After all, his work is almost entirely done by Vice Admiral Tsuru and Admiral Sengoku.

Without these great colleagues, you can only dream of not getting your work done.

Now that we've come this far, should we go or not?

Of course I'll go!

Ah, why do you think that is?

Since ancient times, merchants have never fought with officials. If an official has written to invite you, how can you really refuse to go?

For pirates, the Navy is their natural enemy, but for ordinary people, the Navy is mostly the protector of their homes, and the public has always supported the Navy.

This fact remains unchanged, even if there are scoundrels within the navy.

Moreover, if he really disrespected the Navy, it would have some impact on Hartel's future, and Roman naturally didn't want to implicate others.

That's right, she wasn't after 1000 million Berry.