Chapter Sixty-Four: Naval Branch 158
Above the sea, a mast ship bearing the flag of the Sharphorn Pirate Crew sliced through the waves. On the deck, laughter and cheer filled the air.
“Brothers, we finally have a proper ship!” cried a burly man wearing a pirate hat, his face gleaming with oil.
“Yeah!” came the excited response as seven or eight pirates raised their cups.
“Let’s drink this water to toast our first great step!”
“Cheers!”
Everyone enthusiastically drained the fresh water from their wooden cups. After seizing the ship, they had discovered all the alcohol had already been taken. Fortunately, food and water remained. For now, they could only substitute water for wine.
The hat-wearing pirate finished his water, wiped his mouth, then grabbed a half-charred roast pork leg and took a fierce bite.
“Brothers, I promise you, when we reach Kaka Island, I’ll make sure the kitchen is stocked with strong liquor. Then we’ll drink to our hearts’ content!”
“Our captain is mighty!” his crew shouted in admiration.
“Hahaha!” The pirate with the hat laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the praise.
High atop the mast, Navy Colonel Robbie crouched on a yardarm, coldly observing the pirates feasting below.
“This is it?” Robbie stared at the pirate captain, who had his back turned. He was speechless. These scoundrels didn’t even know to post a lookout—they hadn’t reacted at all when the navy ships entered firing range. Even when he stepped onto the mast using Sky Walk, none of these idiots noticed a thing.
For headquarters to transfer him to the West Sea branch just to deal with such fools? He couldn’t fathom how the Sharphorn Pirate Crew had managed to capture the Platinum Gold Armed Merchant Ship.
Robbie stepped off the air, landing suddenly behind the pirate captain.
The festive atmosphere on deck halted abruptly.
The pirates stuffing their faces gawked at the white-coated Robbie who had appeared out of nowhere.
“What’s wrong with you guys?” the hat-wearing captain asked, puzzled.
Following his crew’s gaze, he sensed something amiss and slowly turned around. When he saw Robbie in his officer’s coat, his face changed dramatically.
Robbie frowned at him. “You’re not Kazt.”
The hat-wearing man suddenly lunged, reaching for his sword. But before he could draw it halfway, Robbie twisted his neck with a single motion.
“Trash.”
Robbie tossed aside the corpse and stared coldly at the remaining pirates.
“All right, let’s have a proper chat.”
Three minutes later, several more bodies littered the deck.
Robbie walked to the edge, signaling the navy ships to approach. Soon, two warships came alongside the Sharphorn pirates’ ship. Wooden planks were extended from the warships to the pirate vessel.
Robust navy sailors quickly crossed the planks, stepping onto the deck of the pirate ship.
“Colonel Robbie!” The sailors glanced at the bodies, then stood at attention and saluted.
Robbie nodded in reply.
A navy lieutenant came up to him, puzzled. “These aren’t the Sharphorn Pirate Crew.”
“Obviously,” Robbie said coldly, glancing at the corpses and then at the blood stains splattered across the deck.
“I asked around. The Sharphorn Pirate Crew is finished. Apparently, someone named Usopp took them out, and this bunch just took advantage and stole their ship.”
“Rival pirates killing each other?”
“No idea, and I don’t care to know,” Robbie replied, kicking aside a body and heading back toward the warship.
The lieutenant watched his back, asking, “Colonel Robbie, how should we report the suppression of the Sharphorn Pirate Crew?”
“Do you need me to teach you that?” Robbie looked back at the slightly nervous officer. “Do you want to give credit to some nobody?”
“……”
“After the sweep, sink this pirate ship and take some photographs for evidence. That should satisfy the Platinum Gold Merchant Association.”
“Understood!”
Ten minutes later, the two warships fired several rounds, sinking the Sharphorn pirates’ vessel.
Standing on the deck of his warship, Robbie watched the pirate ship as it tilted and sank beneath the waves.
“Usopp… There’s no such person in the West Sea,” Robbie mused.
He was here solely to resolve the issue of the Platinum Gold merchant ship being plundered. Less trouble was better than more. Credit handed to him was not to be refused.
Silently noting Usopp’s name, Robbie entered the cabin.
Three pirate crews had attacked the Platinum Gold merchant ship. Sharphorn was only one; the other two still awaited him to lead their capture. If he kept watch over these waters, sooner or later he’d find his targets.
…
Nightfall Bar.
The wolf-mouse, whose wounds had recovered well, sat at the counter, listlessly fiddling with his glass.
“Tatamu, it’s been three days—why hasn’t Usopp come?”
“He said he’d see us the next day, and now it’s already the day after tomorrow and still no sign.”
The wolf-mouse sighed, as if he’d lost all purpose in life.
Tatamu shook his head. This was at least the tenth time the wolf-mouse had repeated those words. He had grown tired of responding.
“Maybe he’s afraid to show his face?” the wolf-mouse muttered.
Lately, every tavern talked about Mod’s exploits. If not for Lafitte’s latest feat, which diverted some of the attention, Mod would have been hailed to the heavens.
In the vast Mad Hatter Town, only a handful of pirates with bounties over thirty million resided. Yet suddenly Mod and Lafitte had appeared—unreasonably strong—and took down Kazt and Dennis.
Most pirates in town saw Mod and Kazt as having a feud, so their battle was understandable. But Lafitte was different—he was a pure menace. The people he killed had nothing to do with him.
Regardless, the wolf-mouse couldn’t figure out why Mod remained behind closed doors, nor did he dare check the situation at Saul’s Weapons Shop. If it was due to notoriety, it didn’t make sense. In a place like this, fame was the perfect pass, something most pirates desperately sought.
“Usopp, Usopp, what’s happened to you?” The wolf-mouse sighed again, but suddenly something felt off.
Smack!
He slapped himself unexpectedly.
The odd gesture caught Tatamu’s attention. The wolf-mouse stared wide-eyed, solemn.
“What’s wrong with me? Acting like I’m lovesick! Bah, I don’t like men!”
His face turned pale, then green, then as if he’d seen a ghost.
Tatamu watched the wolf-mouse’s bizarre transformation in silence, several dark lines appearing on his forehead.
…
Naval branches in the Four Seas were mostly named by numbers.
West Sea, Navy Branch 158.
Gion sat behind her desk, head bowed over reports just delivered by the intelligence unit.
Soon, someone knocked at the door.
“Come in,” Gion said without lifting her head.
A navy major pushed the door open.
“Rear Admiral Gion, just now, the base received Colonel Robbie’s victorious report—he suppressed the Sharphorn Pirate Crew with no casualties.”
“This doesn’t need to be reported to me,” Gion replied, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. This was only her temporary station, but due to her rank, every major event had to be brought to her attention.
“Yes, ma’am!” The major saluted and prepared to leave.
“Wait.”
Gion suddenly looked up at him.
The major stopped abruptly, turned, and gazed at Gion’s alluring face, masking his admiration and responding formally, “Do you have any further orders?”
“You just mentioned the Sharphorn Pirate Crew?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all. You may go.”
“Understood!”
The major turned and exited.
Gion looked down at the documents on her desk, murmuring, “Sharphorn Pirate Crew.”
With the intelligence provided by wolf-mouse, she instantly understood the connection, knowing what that casualty-free report on the suppression of the Sharphorn crew really meant. But she had no interest in pursuing the matter. In a vast institution, such things were inevitable.
“Bacchus Mod.”
Gion turned to the two names in her file. One was Usopp, the other Bacchus Mod. Usopp’s name had been crossed out, while next to Bacchus Mod’s, Gion had habitually marked “danger.”
Beside the list of names was a report of the Bacchus Trading Company being raided by pirates. Among them, the name Capone Bege stood out.