Broken Faith

Lesson 17: To not bow to a World Noble is to declare war on the World Government

Gunpowder. Also known as 'black powder'. The first explosive to ever be created, and the first to be weaponised. You had some yourself actually. It was the propellant your bullets used, nestled in that pistol on your leg. It wasn't the strongest thing in the world, especially since nitroglycerine and TNT were invented, but it was by far the cheapest of the three.

After all, in an age of pirates and pillaging everyone needed to defend themselves.

That didn't mean it was easy to get though. Purchases were monitored heavily, and not one group or organisation was allowed to buy more than five 1kg barrels worth at once. After a barrel was used up, it would be bought back to be filled up again. That limited the supply any one group could get their hands on. And it was next to impossible to swindle the merchants. Each one was specially trained, and some said that they were more tight lipped than the majority of the Marines.

Which was why as soon as Sabo said that Higuma had been gunpowder smuggling, the alarm bells in your head started screaming at you. There was no way that Higuma, the guy lazy enough to try and intimidate a small village with mere swagger, would do something as time consuming and complex as gunpowder smuggling?

It was as you had feared, there was something bigger at play here. Far bigger.

At least you had some money to spend. Miss Garnetta at the craft store had accepted the jewellry boxes with fervent praise, and had even insisted on paying you double the agreed amount. Much to your dissatisfaction obviously, but Sabo had been elated. And you supposed that you could use it as bribes if needs be. Information never came cheap.

"So what now?" Sabo asked once the craft shop bell tinkled their way out, "We ask around?"

You hummed, furrowing your brow. "We don't exactly have much to go off of... But first we need a place to leave the cart."

He winced and scratched his head, "Yeah..." You both turned to the large thing, "It's a bit too big to drag through town isn't it. Can't we just abandon it somewhere?"

"The guards might be suspicious if we come out without it," you noted.

"True. But if we just abandon it, it's just going to get stolen."

Sighing, the two of you sat for a moment in deep thought. Before you came to the conclusion that maybe just putting a tarpaulin over it would be alright... maybe... if you were lucky...

Fine so it was a long shot! But it wasn't as if you had any other choice!

"Where to now?" Sabo turned to you after tying down the final corner.

You tapped your chin, "I'm not quite sure... I was hoping that you'd have a better idea about where would be a good place to start." It was why you'd bought him along to begin with. Although, as much as you hated to admit it, you were so glad you weren't trying to deal with a tricky thing like this alone.

"We could search round Town Square?"

"I don't think Higuma is smart enough to try and hide a horde of illegal gunpowder in broad daylight."

"Then should we ask around the residential areas for more information?"

"That's no good either," you mused. "All we have right now are rumours, and those are often exaggerated beyond belief. Chances are we'd end confuse ourselves by different variations of the same fact. It's better to go straight to the source."

Sabo faltered a little, "Right... yeah that makes sense... I'll keep thinking."

It was a little rude of you to keep shutting down his suggestions like this, but the two of you had stepped onto a knife edge as soon as you'd started digging into this. If you did the slightest thing wrong, there could be disastrous consequences. You didn't know who you were really up against here. Asking too many questions to the wrong people might end up endangering everyone you cared about.