"It's only natural for the Navy to confiscate the bodies of pirates!"
Nezumi clicked the safety off, his voice dripping with malice. "You, kid, have been uncooperative, sneaky, and downright rude. Now I suspect you're hiding something—perhaps some unspeakable crimes. Men! Seize these people and the entire ship! Take them all back for a thorough interrogation!"
"Colonel!"
The Lieutenant beside him couldn't help but speak up. "Isn't this… a bit too excessive?"
"Shut up! Who's the commanding officer here, you or me?"
Nezumi, furious, slapped the Lieutenant across the face. The Lieutenant took the blow and lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
When Nezumi turned back, he saw Xiano looking at him as if he were an idiot. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Huh?" Nezumi was stunned for a moment before his anger flared. "You dare insult a Navy officer? You must have a death wish!"
"See, you still don't get it. You were so afraid of the Arlong Pirates that you didn't dare provoke them while they were alive. Only after they died did you have the guts to come out and scavenge."
Xiano sighed lightly, flexing his right hand. "So here's the question: where do you get the courage to mess with someone even stronger than them?"
"Is it because I'm just a civilian, so you think I won't fight back and will just surrender quietly?"
On the shore stood a massive rock, about four or five meters tall, with the words "To Cocoyasi Village" carved into it.
Xiano casually grabbed the rock, and with a rumbling sound, it was uprooted from the ground. He weighed it in his hand for a moment before hurling it toward the warship, all while Nezumi watched in disbelief.
Whoosh—Boom!!
Just as the rock was about to hit the mast, Xiano nonchalantly raised his finger and fired an Air Finger Gun. The rock exploded mid-air above the warship, shattering into countless tiny fragments that rained down like dust.
"What the…"
The sailors still on the deck were frozen in place, staring up in shock.
Nezumi's jaw dropped so wide it could have fit half of Chopper.
"I forgot to mention, the entire Arlong Pirates didn't last twenty minutes against me."
Xiano smiled. "I wonder how long you, the Navy base colonel, and all the sailors on this warship will last?"
Nezumi shuddered, finally snapping out of his daze.
At that moment, he finally realized—
The person standing before him wasn't some simple, burly villager. He was a ruthless and terrifying figure, far more dangerous than Arlong himself!
"A misunderstanding!"
Nezumi's face twitched as he forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace. "It's all a misunderstanding! You're free to go wherever you want. We wouldn't dare stop you. We'll leave right now, right now!"
With that, he turned and scrambled back toward the warship, stumbling so badly he nearly lost his shoe. But he didn't care, rushing into the cabin as fast as he could.
Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, he only calmed down once he was out of Xiano's sight. From behind the door, his shrill voice barked:
"What are you all standing around for? Get this ship moving! Back to the base!"
Hahaha! The villagers watching from a distance burst into laughter.
The marines lowered their heads, unable to hide their shame as they lined up on the deck. The lieutenant sighed deeply, quietly pulling up his collar to cover half his face.
"Following a superior like this, I bet we'll feel inferior when we meet colleagues from other bases," Man-Scar leaned on the railing, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Then he turned to Xiano, who was walking onto the deck, "Boss, should we set off too?"
"No, you go ahead," Xiano shook his head slightly, glancing in the direction where the warship had sailed away. "I still have some business to take care of."
What's this about?
Man-Scar widened his eyes, then saw Xiano beckoning them all over. "When you arrive at the 77th Branch Base, do this and that... then just wait for me to return. Got it?"
"Yes, boss!"
Man-Scar shivered. Truly, the boss was ruthless, but it was the right thing to do. He wholeheartedly supported it.
...
Night deepened.
The sea under the moonlight shimmered with ripples. The warship with white sails cut through the waves at full speed, heading straight for the 16th Branch Base.
Completely unaware that, just beyond their line of sight, a small boat had quietly been following them for some time.
On the small boat.
Xiano took a sip of wine, his expression indifferent as he gazed at the distant blurry black dot.
He was someone who could easily be soft-hearted, but once he hardened his resolve and decided someone deserved to die, it wasn't so simple to let them off.
Nezumi fell into this category.
Even though today he had been so frightened by Xiano's threat that he nearly wet his pants.
Once he returned to the base, sat back at his desk, and got used to the feeling of being in a position of power again, his resentment would quickly surge back.
And this guy happened to be the nearest naval base commander to Cocoyasi Village, practically the local authority.
Sitting in this position, the underhanded ways he could make life miserable were countless. And once Xiano left his hometown and officially set sail, who knew how Nezumi might retaliate against Cocoyasi Village.
Better to strike first.
There's a saying: you can't guard against a thief forever.
After checking the wind and currents, Xiano ignored the warship ahead, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to meditate.
The speed of the warship was beyond what his small, rickety boat could match. If things continued like this, the distance would only grow, and he wouldn't be able to catch up. So, for now, he couldn't act.
But, as the saying goes, the monk can run, but the temple can't. After sunset tomorrow, both ships would arrive at the 16th Naval Branch Base one after the other.
When the night was dark and the wind high, there would be plenty of time.
...
In the blink of an eye, more than twenty hours had passed.
In front of the gates of the East Sea's 77th Branch.
The large ship that originally belonged to the Arlong Pirates, now renamed by Xiano as the "Orange Garden," was docked at the military harbor.
Man-Scar led Nami, Nojiko, and the others, who were looking around curiously, off the ship. Before they even stepped ashore, they were greeted with enthusiastic applause and a welcoming party.
"You're early! Several hours earlier than the time mentioned on the phone!" A female colonel with a mohawk, smoking a cigarette, greeted them with a hearty laugh. "I'm Sophia, the commander of the 77th Branch. Welcome, everyone!"
"You're too kind," Man-Scar hurriedly extended his hand for a handshake. "Doesn't that mean you also arrived several hours early and have been waiting here?"
"Not at all, I just received the news and rushed over," Sophia replied honestly, laughing heartily. "But indeed, I should have come earlier. No amount of courtesy is too much when dealing with the heroes who defeated the Arlong Pirates!"
"To be honest with you, ever since I received the intelligence that the Arlong Pirates were in the vicinity, I've been so worried that I couldn't sleep well. I originally planned to join forces with the 16th Branch and our colleagues from the 24th Branch in the north to catch them off guard and strike them unprepared."
Sophia rubbed her temples with a hint of frustration.
"But who knows what that newly appointed guy at the 16th Branch is thinking? He kept hemming and hawing, finding all sorts of excuses to delay. Back and forth, we missed the best opportunity for action."
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!