One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

"Commodore Karl, you may not be aware, but the situation in the West Blue is extremely chaotic right now."

The base commander began his explanation, his tone filled with frustration.

"In the past, when the mafia still had power, we relied on them to generate results for ourselves. But ever since the 'Red Church' appeared, we've been at a loss on how to handle them.

"The church members openly preach justice and peace, making it nearly impossible for us to act against them. What's worse, every month, we naval bases are required to hand over a portion of our funds and weapons to the higher-ups. Because of that..."

The commander detailed every aspect of the West Blue's turmoil without reservation.

This allowed Karl to finally understand that the West Blue was far from peaceful, despite appearances.

Even Capone Bege, who was deeply entrenched in the underworld, was unaware of the extent of the complexities here.

The naval forces Capone Bege had seen were merely for show—a facade to maintain appearances—entirely different from the naval base where Karl was currently stationed.

But that discrepancy was also due to Capone Bege's habits.

He had always avoided interacting with any Marines outside of Karl. Over the past five years, he hadn't once actively visited a naval base unless invited to one of the strongest ones.

"So that's how it is... It seems the Navy in the West Blue operates the same way."

Karl shook his head in dismay.

Having already dealt with similar issues in the East Blue, he had hoped for something different in the West Blue. Unfortunately, the same systemic problems had reared their head once again.

The Navy's current structure made such corruption inevitable.

In the Four Blues, only a small number of base commanders were dispatched directly from Marine Headquarters.

After all, the Four Blues were not the World Government's primary focus compared to the Grand Line.

This lack of oversight allowed corruption to thrive in the Four Blues, with few consequences.

By contrast, the Marines stationed in the Grand Line faced stricter monitoring, making such widespread corruption nearly impossible.

"So, what you're saying is that your superiors have been sheltering a number of mafia groups and pirates? And now that the 'Red Church' has gained influence, they're helping these criminals evade capture?"

Karl's voice was cold and sharp. "It's infuriating. These people not only exploit their subordinates but also accept bribes from criminals. I can't just let this slide. The West Blue deserves a reckoning."

"Commodore Karl, it's been like this for a long time," the commander said with a bitter smile.

"When I took this position ten years ago, the situation was far worse. The mafia was so emboldened that they practically formed their own nation, all with the approval of our superiors."

His tone conveyed resignation, a man who had seen too much and lost hope for change.

Karl nodded, adjusting his coat as he stood up.

"Very well. I'll conduct my own investigations into the other naval bases. As long as the stories align, I'll personally handle this mess.

"And to think I was worried about finding pirates to fight. It seems these people have conveniently saved me the trouble!"

With a chilling laugh, Karl walked out of the room. His laughter, though outwardly mirthful, sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.

The base commander watched Karl leave, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"At least he didn't ask about where the weapons went. If Marine Headquarters found out that our base has been selling arms on the black market... that'd be disastrous."

The commander slumped back into his chair, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped catastrophe.

But then, a shadow appeared in the doorway.

Squinting at the figure, he opened his mouth to yell, but quickly stopped when he recognized who it was.

"C-Commodore Karl?!"

The commander's voice trembled with disbelief.

Karl scratched his head, wearing an embarrassed smile as he picked up his forgotten cloak.

"I came back to grab my cloak... but it seems I overheard something interesting. Care to elaborate?"

The base commander's face turned ashen, his body frozen.

He never expected Karl to return so suddenly. Convinced the young Marine officer had left, he had let his guard down and spoken too freely. Now, it was clear: Karl was not someone who could be easily fooled.

Resigned, the commander spilled everything.

Beyond corruption and protecting pirates and the mafia, the naval bases had also been engaging in arms trafficking, secretly selling warships to the black market.

The reason was simple: survival.

By the time the bases received their allocated funds, the higher-ups had skimmed off nearly 90%, leaving them with barely enough to operate.

Without additional income, the bases couldn't even feed their personnel, let alone maintain operations.

Karl understood their plight but remained firm.

"I can't condone your actions, but I won't hold it against you this time. Just don't do it again."

For the rest of the day, Karl visited most of the naval bases in the West Blue.

Every base told the same story.

By now, Karl had pieced together the truth: the intelligence Capone Bege had provided was completely disconnected from reality.

The corruption had spread so deeply that even information from the West Blue was controlled by a network of self-serving naval officers.

"Capone Bege, gather a crew for me. They don't need to be fighters—just sailors who can navigate ships."

After giving Bege a few brief instructions, Karl headed for the West Blue's largest naval base.

Unlike the smaller, rundown bases he'd visited, this one was grand and opulent.

The walls were tall and ornate, and there were over a dozen warships docked—more than even Loguetown had under Karl's command.

The personnel here numbered in the tens of thousands, far more than the Marines Karl once managed in the East Blue.

Karl had built Loguetown into a stronghold through sheer effort and skill, supported by Belmer's exceptional administrative talents.

But this base was entirely different.

Its prosperity was built on exploitation, extortion, and accepting exorbitant bribes from pirates and the mafia.

Now, with the mafia in decline and pirates scattered, the base had shifted to protecting the remnants of these groups in exchange for money.

This was what enraged Karl the most.

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