Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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"Is everyone here?"

Seeing that all attendees were present, Kuina, though young, exuded an extraordinary presence as she stood up. She scanned the room, her gaze sweeping across both sides of the conference table.

In an instant, the previously noisy room fell into silence.

Despite being high-ranking cadres in a mercenary company with countless employees, no one dared to breathe too freely in front of Kuina. They could only manage shallow breaths to keep their bodies supplied with oxygen.

In the past two years, Kuina's strength hadn't grown significantly due to her youth. However, she had become a powerful leader through her role in managing the company, especially since she had to assist Zoro, a battle-obsessed swordsman who knew little else but swordsmanship. 

Kuina had evolved into a formidable woman, capable of running a company with thousands of employees seamlessly. No one within the organization dared to underestimate her simply because of her age.

In fact, it could be said that within the company, Kuina's status far exceeded even that of Zoro, the company's founder.

The reason for today's meeting was because Kuina, who always kept a close eye on global events, had determined that the time had come. It was time for the mercenary company to take full action and officially intervene in the conflict between the Revolutionary Army and the World Government.

"Everyone..." 

Kuina's cold voice rang out.

A large world map hung behind her, clearly marking the current territories controlled by both the Revolutionary Army and the World Government.

As she spoke, the eyes of everyone in the room were fixed on her. 

"You've all seen the recent intelligence reports."

"The war between the Revolutionary Army and the World Government is escalating."

"You may have also heard that our company recently received numerous job offers from both sides, all of which I rejected with the highest authority."

"And I know some of you think my decisions have caused us to miss out on lucrative contracts, going against the original mission of the company."

"But what I want to say is this!!!"

"Think carefully. If we truly intervene in this war, or even try to influence its outcome... what will happen when the war is finally over?"

"No matter who wins or loses, will there still be a place for us in this world?"

At this moment, Kuina's eyes burned like fire as she coldly swept her gaze across the faces of everyone in the room.

Indeed, there had been quite a bit of internal unrest recently over this matter.

Though today's meeting wasn't called specifically to address this issue, the timing was perfect for Kuina to deliver a warning to the senior staff.

With the company's rapid expansion, the mentality of these former small-time nobles from the Coaster Kingdom and the managers recruited from other regions had drastically changed.

With the mercenary company's newfound power, many had begun to believe they were capable of controlling the world. 

Some, in defiance of the company's ban, had even secretly bypassed protocols and attempted to negotiate directly with the Revolutionary Army or the World Government to cut their own deals. 

Fortunately, Kuina discovered this early and harshly disciplined those executives, preventing the situation from escalating further.

There's an old saying: "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to fall." 

Due to the mercenary company's rapid expansion in the East Blue, it had drawn unwanted attention. 

If not for the outbreak of war, Kuina believed they would have already been targeted by rival organizations in secret.

Even so, she was wary of allowing the company to get too involved in the ongoing war. 

Instead, the company would provide limited protection to smaller nations to avoid direct conflict.

Once they fully entered the war as mercenaries, regardless of which side they chose or how many contracts they accepted from both parties, the outcome wouldn't be favorable for them. 

A stable post-war government would never tolerate a mercenary group as powerful and independent as theirs.

While Zoro was strong, having won the championship of the Second League Conference, that victory was due in part to many powerful contenders abstaining from participation, either to hide their true strength or for other reasons.

Moreover, the company's only real high-level combat power was Zoro. Should they be surrounded, they would be overwhelmed and face certain doom.

That's why, despite her father's connections to the Revolutionary Army, Kuina had refrained from choosing sides.

The top priority for the mercenary company shouldn't be throwing themselves into a war for profit. 

Instead, they should use this war to secure a future path for the company!

'Smack!'

With her point made, Kuina transitioned to the main topic of the meeting.

She slapped her hand on the large world map behind her and continued:

"The world is in chaos today…"

"Most of the countries and islands in the East Blue are under the control of the Revolutionary Army. But it won't be long before the World Government, with all its might, launches military operations against the more stable waters of the East Blue."

"Rather than waiting to be forced into the conflict when that happens…"

"I believe the mercenary company should prepare for danger now and take action in advance!"

'Whoosh!'

Kuina pointed to an island on the map, then lifted her head to address the room:

"So…"

"After thorough discussion between myself, Zoro, and King Laurent…"

"We've decided to relocate the mercenary company's headquarters to Dressrosa in the New World!!"

"What!?"

Kuina's announcement caused an uproar among the company's senior executives.

Their reaction was understandable.

The company had been developing in the East Blue for two years and had essentially become the invisible ruler of the region. The executives enjoyed privileges akin to those of the Celestial Dragons whenever they traveled.

Relocating to the New World would mean severing the connections and resources they had built in the East Blue.

And the New World…

That was a place where power ruled supreme!

In the East Blue, having a Pokémon with a strength level of 40 or 50 was enough to handle 95% of problems.

But in the New World, a power level of 40 or 50 was merely an entry ticket!

It was clear that if the mercenary company's headquarters really moved, whether they could maintain their current status remained uncertain.

Suddenly, whispers of panic spread among the senior executives.

However, this was exactly the reaction Kuina wanted.

When Zoro first founded the company, he hadn't anticipated its rapid growth. In the early days, no one had thought much about company management. 

At the time, officials from the Coast Kingdom, sent by Laurent, filled key positions within the company. 

As the company expanded, these fortunate individuals accumulated wealth through their positions, even becoming trainers who possessed powerful Pokémon.

In Kuina's eyes, their contributions had reached their peak. Now, that chapter was closing.

For the mercenary company to thrive during these turbulent times, they needed to shed the elements hindering their growth and take root in new soil.

Kuina had no intention of expelling these loyal officials, but she planned to reassign them to other roles, making room for more capable leaders.

A few months ago, Kuina had already dispatched four trusted veterans—Alvida, Koby, Johnny, and Yosaku—to Dressrosa to lay the groundwork for rebuilding the base.

After Doflamingo and his family left, the old king of Dressrosa, supported by his people, successfully reclaimed the throne.

Due to the hardships he had endured, the king was struggling to maintain stability in his kingdom and desperately needed the backing of a powerful ally.

Additionally, Laurent's father had maintained a close relationship with King Riku, and King Riku saw Laurent, who inherited his father's legacy, as a reliable partner.

Thus, the process of establishing a new base proceeded smoothly, with hardly any obstacles.

In the end, Kuina made her decision clear. She left no room for debate and issued the order directly:

In one week, the headquarters relocation would begin.

After the migration, the company would hold its first mercenary conference to select the top warriors and provide them with significant resources for dimensional transactions.

With Kuina's command, the entire mercenary company sprang into action.

...

...

"Phew! Finally, it's done."

As the meeting concluded and the senior executives left the room, only the two founders, Zoro and Laurent, remained. Kuina wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

After all, she was still just a teenage girl.

Though she had been resurrected and had experience far beyond that of most people her age, maintaining a cold, commanding presence in front of so many high-ranking individuals left her mentally exhausted.

"Thank you for your hard work, Kuina," Zoro said, handing her a cup of hot tea and a handkerchief to wipe her sweat. A hint of guilt crossed his face.

After all, both he and Laurent, the company's founders...

One was a battle-obsessed fighter, and the other, a king with endless responsibilities, barely had time to manage the company.

Over the past two years, thanks to Kuina and Johnny's help, the company had grown into the powerhouse it was today.

"It's alright," Kuina said, taking the handkerchief and dabbing her forehead. She smiled slightly at Zoro. "You're the one who has to work hard."

"Once we move to the New World, there will be terrifyingly strong figures everywhere..."

"If we accidentally provoke one of the Four Emperors or the warlords wandering the New World, it'll be you, the boss, who will have to step in and handle things."

"Hah! Don't worry, leave it all to me!" 

Zoro patted the Pokéball on his waist and adjusted the twin scabbards on his back, his eyes full of confidence.

Although he had never faced those seasoned veterans, Zoro was convinced that with his current strength, he had nothing to fear from anyone in the world!

Especially after winning the Second Pokémon League Tournament, many claimed he was already the world's greatest swordsman.

The reason he hadn't yet challenged Mihawk for the title he'd long pursued was that Zoro felt he relied too much on the power of his Scyther and Doublade. He hadn't yet reached the point where he could claim that title for himself.

Nevertheless, Zoro was determined to fight Mihawk eventually, just to see how far he was from claiming the title of the world's greatest swordsman.

And he believed that once the headquarters moved to the turbulent New World, that opportunity wouldn't be far off.

Just as Zoro was about to continue the conversation, the Rotom phone on Kuina's waist suddenly rang with a melodic ringtone.

"Huh?"

Kuina muttered, pulling out the phone and answering it.

Thanks to the dimensional transactions they'd conducted over the past two years, their membership levels had increased, and the Rotom phones they used had upgraded to include voice chat and video call functions.

Although it wasn't as advanced as the Rotom phone Leo used, it was still impressive for the world of pirates.

After all, no matter how expressive a Den-Den Mushi was, it couldn't replicate the scene around the caller.

Of course, even with modern technology, there were occasional mishaps.

Kuina answered the call, and instantly, Alvida's large, smiling face filled the screen, leaving no empty space.

"Kuina!" Alvida greeted cheerfully.

Since losing at the Beauty Conference, Alvida had focused entirely on the company's development.

As a fellow senior executive and one of the few female leaders, she had now become Kuina's personal assistant.

For the headquarters relocation, Alvida had been in charge of negotiating with building material suppliers in the New World.

It had to be said... 

Her intimidating appearance gave her a significant edge in closing deals, as if the position were tailor-made for her.

However, Alvida hadn't called just to boast about her success.

After exchanging pleasantries, she got to the point.

"Kuina, just yesterday, we picked up a pair of samurai—a father and son—who were shipwrecked."

"Oh?" Kuina's eyes widened slightly. "Is there something special about them?"

She knew Alvida wouldn't call her over something trivial.

As expected, Alvida nodded on the screen and continued:

"At first, we thought they were just ordinary survivors of a shipwreck..."

"But last night, Koby used his Observation Haki and sensed that something was off with the father and son."

"This morning, to test the father's abilities, we asked Johnny to engage him in a swordsmanship duel..."