The moment the lookout recognized the Vinsmoke vessel, his entire body tensed.
His face turned pale.
“How could this happen…?”
“Did we really sail into the middle of a Vinsmoke arms deal?”
“This is bad.”
He immediately understood the severity of the situation.
The Vinsmoke family’s reputation as one of the dominant powers in the North Blue was not an empty boast.
Even the Marines were wary of them.
Throughout the North Blue, there was an old saying:
You could offend the Marines.
You could even offend the World Government.
But whatever you did, never provoke the Vinsmoke family.
The saying alone revealed just how deeply the family’s power and influence had taken root throughout the region.
The Germa Kingdom was also unique among World Government-affiliated nations.
Despite possessing no fixed territory, it was still recognized as a sovereign kingdom under the rule of the Vinsmoke family.
Before long, Captain Caron arrived on deck.
The lookout immediately climbed down from the crow’s nest and hurried to his side.
“Captain Caron, we may have stumbled into serious trouble.”
“We’ve sailed directly into an arms deal involving the Vinsmoke family.”
“They’ve already noticed us, and they’re turning their cannons toward the warship.”
Caron’s heart sank.
He seized the lookout by the shoulders and stared at him with a grave expression.
“Are you certain?”
“That ship truly belongs to the Vinsmokes?”
As commander of the Mushroom Town Marine Branch, Caron knew exactly how much influence the family wielded in the North Blue.
He was only a Marine captain.
Compared with a military power like Germa, he was insignificant.
“The Vinsmoke family…”
“And of all things, we encountered them in the middle of an arms transaction.”
Caron felt a headache coming on.
“Captain, what should we do?”
Marines poured onto the deck and looked toward him anxiously, awaiting orders.
The moment they learned that the Vinsmokes were involved, all traces of their usual composure disappeared.
Years of fear surrounding Germa had left a deep impression on nearly everyone in the North Blue, including the Marines.
As Marines, they naturally wanted to stop pirates and criminals from openly trading huge quantities of weapons.
But this transaction involved the Vinsmoke family.
That changed everything.
“Captain!
The situation is getting worse!”
“The two ships are moving toward us!”
“Everyone, calm down.”
Caron rubbed his temples and spoke in a low, forceful voice.
Even Marines could not assume they would walk away unharmed after crossing the Vinsmokes in the North Blue.
Germa was not known for negotiating politely.
If they sank this warship, Marine Headquarters might condemn them or demand an explanation, but it was unlikely to launch a major campaign solely to avenge one branch vessel.
“Captain, there’s something else.”
Bart approached and lowered his voice.
“Besides the Vinsmoke personnel, I recognized several lower-ranking members of the Donquixote Family aboard the other ship.”
“Damn it.”
Caron cursed under his breath.
The Vinsmoke family alone had already placed him in an impossible position.
Now the Donquixote Family had entered the picture as well—the criminal organization led by the Warlord of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo.
The nature of the transaction was now obvious.
One side represented the Vinsmoke family.
The other represented the Donquixote Family.
By sheer misfortune, Caron’s warship had sailed directly into the middle of their arms deal and drawn the attention of both organizations.
One was among the North Blue’s most feared military powers.
The other served one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Either side would have been difficult to confront.
Facing both at once would trouble even a vice admiral from Marine Headquarters.
Caron was merely a branch captain.
He had never dealt with a situation of this scale before.
“Pass down my orders.”
“No one is to make the first move.”
“We’ll wait and see what the Vinsmokes and the Donquixote Family intend to do.”
“Remain alert, but do not attack unless I give the order.”
“I’ll negotiate with them personally.”
“Hopefully, this can be resolved without a fight.”
“If hostilities break out, we’ll be in serious trouble.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The Marines acknowledged his order.
Caron and Bart took their positions at the front of the deck.
Nearly a hundred Marines gathered behind them, fully armed and prepared for combat.
They watched tensely as the two ships drew closer.
Eventually, the vessels came alongside the Marine warship.
Each enemy ship carried between two and three hundred men.
Together, their forces numbered roughly five hundred.
Caron’s vessel held only a little over a hundred Marines, more than half of whom were inexperienced recruits.
The pressure on Caron continued to mount.
The Marines behind him tightened their grips on their weapons, as though the cold steel alone could provide them with a measure of security.
Caron could now clearly see the two men responsible for overseeing the transaction.
“Well, if it isn’t Captain Caron of the Mushroom Town Marine Branch.”
“What brings you all the way out here?”
A sharp, mocking voice carried across the water.
At the head of the first ship stood a middle-aged man nearly three meters tall.
He regarded Caron with an amused expression.
Behind him were two to three hundred vicious-looking fighters.
Cruel smiles covered their faces as they stared at the Marines like prey.
“A Marine captain?”
“Didn’t Brother Larmi kill several captains not long ago?”
“And what did the Marines do afterward?
Nothing.”
“Caron from Mushroom Town… I’ve heard the name.
He’s supposed to be fairly capable.”
“But compared with Brother Larmi, he’s nothing.”
“We represent the Vinsmoke family.”
“Do the Marines really dare interfere with us?”
“Even the World Government knows better than to act carelessly in the North Blue.”
The men laughed without restraint.
Led by Larmi, the Vinsmoke force showed no fear whatsoever as they looked down on Caron and his Marines.
At the same time, the crew of the second ship began jeering as well.
They were members of the Donquixote Family, led by a man named Jerick.
“Don’t tell me Captain Caron intends to stop a transaction between our two families.”
Jerick’s voice was cold.
He gave a derisive laugh.
“You’re only a Marine captain.”
“If the Marines sent a vice admiral, perhaps we might take this seriously.”
“But you?”
“You’re nowhere near important enough.”
From their arrogance, one might have thought that Vinsmoke Judge and Donquixote Doflamingo themselves were standing aboard the ships.
Caron’s expression darkened as he listened to their taunts.
He drew a deep breath.
Then the image of a certain terrifying young man appeared in his mind.
Caron leaned toward Bart and spoke in a low voice.
“Go and invite Mr.
Leon here.”