After retiring from the Navy, I became a doting husband.

"Damn it, the pirate ship arrived so quickly, what bad luck!"

At the port of Orange Town, a few dark clouds drifted across the sky, looming over everyone's heads.

People were filled with anxiety under the cover of dark clouds.

The townspeople, waiting for the ships to evacuate, were terrified, their faces contorted with grief.

No one expected the pirates to arrive so quickly.

The Navy has only been gone for a few days, and the pirates have already swaggered into Orange Town, acting completely lawless.

According to pirate tradition, if a town has resisted pirates or executed pirates by hanging, the pirates have the right to exterminate all the residents of the town and burn it down.

If these pirates were to storm the town, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Of course, the men in the town wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die. They gathered in groups of three or five at the port, armed with weapons such as swords, axes, and pitchforks.

Some even carried a few homemade cannons to the small naval fortress in the harbor, vowing to live and die with the town, but such people were still a minority, at most thirty or forty people, all of whom were young and strong.

The organizers were two elderly men. One of them was Mayor Budor, who was shouting everywhere with a megaphone. The other was a bald old man wearing a long robe with three prominent hairs on his head and carrying a sword on his shoulder, exuding the air of a swordsman.

This is Togo Sanmao, the owner of "Chessboard Kendo Hall," the only kendo hall in Orange Town.

With this addition, their fighting strength is still barely enough. If it were just a small pirate crew, they could probably handle it.

When the pirate ship docked, Martin also made a quick trip to the port.

His continuous use of shaving did not attract anyone's attention; everyone's attention was focused on the pirate ship.

Martin scanned the pirate ship carefully with his Observation Haki, and couldn't help but show a rather surprised expression, muttering, "What are these idiots trying to do?"

"Charge! Drive these pirates away!"

"Yes, yes, kill them all!"

Led by Togo Sanko of the Gopan Kendo Dojo, a group of people rushed forward wielding swords.

But the pirates who disembarked from the pirate ship shouted, "Don't attack, Master! It's us!"

"They're one of our own!"

"No, no, no..."

The group in front raised their hands, and the leader shouted, "Teacher, I'm Jason!"

Dongxiang Sanmao and the others were stunned.

The people following behind were also dumbfounded.

Aren't these so-called pirates the bounty hunter crew that Jason led before?

"Jason, what are you guys doing, bringing a pirate ship into town? Have you lost your minds?"

Dongxiang couldn't help but ask.

"Teacher, our ship broke down, so we simply stole a pirate ship. To make it easier to operate in the East Blue, we didn't even change the flag."

Jason stepped forward to explain, a sheepish smile on his face.

"You guys do nothing but pirate hunters all day long. Why don't you join the Navy and protect Orange Town instead?"

Dongxiang Sanmao complained, "Look at all the injuries you've sustained!"

Jason and the others looked apologetic and didn't dare to talk back, after all, this was their swordsmanship instructor.

"Mr. Martin!"

Jason looked at Martin in the crowd as if he had discovered a new continent.

He and the others immediately rushed to Martin and bowed down.

“Mr. Martin, please accept our worship.”

"Thanks to the precious sword you bestowed upon us, we were able to return to Orange Town alive."

"Mr. Martin, your knife has been a great help to us along the way!"

Martin was speechless at the sight of several people kneeling and bowing in public.

Normally, only those who have saved one's life or committed a serious mistake deserve such a kneeling ceremony, especially in public.

Even Mayor Budor and Dongxiang Sanmao were dumbfounded. Dongxiang Sanmao, in particular, was stunned. His disciple was actually bowing so deeply to an outsider. Even he, as the teacher, had not received such treatment. He focused his attention on Martin, his eyes showing not only shock but also a strange glint.

Martin nodded slightly; these people must have gone through a fierce battle in the East China Sea.

Judging from the wounds on these swordsmen, they must have been through many battles. A good sword could have allowed them to escape from a desperate situation and launch a counterattack.

"Get up, all of you. If you really want to thank me, just follow the contract."

Martin helped Jason up: "Remember, I am your investor. You don't need to bow so deeply. Just give me a sufficient return. Also... don't bow to me like this in front of others in the future."

Jason stood up: "I understand... To be honest, we made a fortune after capturing the pirates. We have everything you need, and we'll deliver it to your workshop in a bit."

Martin nodded and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly noticed a familiar figure.

The other person was wearing an elegant white dress, a sun hat, and a red coat, and was dragging a suitcase.

Although the other party seemed inconspicuous and always hid in the crowd, Martin was still able to keenly detect the other party's figure thanks to his Observation Haki.

"Mrs. Joel, what are you doing here?"

Martin strode forward and stood in front of the woman.

The woman stiffened for a moment, then turned around, her pretty face flushed. She opened her red lips and said, "I...I'm planning to move."

“Move? Mrs. Joel, the situation in the East Blue is complicated right now. The longer shipping routes are controlled by pirates, and no one can safely travel to Loguetown or other distant towns.”

Martin offered a kind reminder.

Although the other party had the ability to leave the town on their own, he still intended to try to dissuade them.

It remains unknown why this mysterious young widow left.

Why run away when the other person clearly admires you?

"I know……"

As Joel spoke, a dark wind rose from the sky, waves surged on the sea, and the dark clouds in the sky rolled incessantly, eventually bringing a torrential downpour.

"Gentlemen, those ships heading to other towns probably won't be coming."

"The Krieg Pirates, together with other pirate crews, have divided up the East Blue. Currently, our Orange Town is under the control of the Krieg Pirates, and the main shipping lanes are guarded by the pirate crews."

Jason loudly informed the people waiting to evacuate from the pirate port: "Those immigrant ships are actually under control. You will eventually be sent to the pirates."

Upon hearing this, everyone deflated like punctured balloons.

Joel was stunned for a moment, and could only walk back in the wind and rain.

Martin also braved the wind and rain to return home. By the afternoon, Jason and the others had delivered the materials and money they had obtained from the pirates to the workshop, cartload after cartload.

Martin was also impressed by the find: a small chest full of gold coins, worth about 10 million Berries, which meant he had recouped his investment and even made a profit. It also contained several gun forging blueprints, more than 30 guns of various types, and a quantity of ammunition.

In addition, there were 200 jin of steel ingots, and the steel ingots weighed a full two tons. In addition, there were more than one ton of other metals such as copper, iron, and tin, including three tons of high-quality coke.

Only after asking did they learn that the pirate ship captured by Jason and his crew had robbed a naval logistics transport ship, and these supplies happened to be on board.

These are the pirates of the East China Sea, lawless and unruly.

However, this also benefited Martin. Now that even cargo ships can come in, he was worried about not being able to buy forging materials. Now that he has so much stock, he has gained two hundred pounds more of the steel.

The previous investment returns were truly many times higher, which was a pleasant surprise.

After seeing Jason off and finishing organizing the materials, it was already late. Martin looked towards his neighbor's house in the night.

Joel's desire to leave must be related to himself.

It's necessary to go in person and clarify this matter.

In addition, he developed a strong interest in this beautiful woman who possessed extraordinary skills and wanted to find out more about her.

It's too late today, let's go early tomorrow, anyway the boat can't leave.

……

The next day was still cloudy and rainy, but the rain subsided slightly.

Martin changed into a suit early in the morning and bought two bottles of red wine before visiting. Just in case, he carried Senbonzakura on his back.

Bringing a knife on a visit is a bit strange, but safety comes first.

Arriving at Joel's door, they knocked repeatedly, but no one answered.

"That's not right. The ship is gone, and it's raining today. Joel should be at home."

"The door isn't locked..."

Martin simply pushed the door open, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted out. Several empty bottles were also visible in the entryway.

Is he drowning his sorrows in alcohol? Has he drunk too much?

Beautiful lady, that's perfect, let's have a drink together!

Chapter 36 The Drunken Homebody

In the entryway were Joel's shoes, along with some still-wet water stains, an umbrella, and several empty wine bottles.

Tut tut...

Martin used his Observation Haki to sense that Joel wasn't on the first floor, but in his bedroom on the second floor, where the smell of alcohol was stronger.

Is Joel suffering from a hangover from drinking too much last night?

If my visit was not at the right time, should I go back?

Wait a minute.

People with hangovers experience a significant decline in perception and motor skills, as well as mental strength and combat effectiveness.

Isn't that a perfect opportunity to investigate a beauty?

Martin simply picked up a scarf hanging in front of the door and wrapped it around his face to cover his features. He also took off his shoes and put down the wine.

Alright, now it's time to solve the mystery.

Yor is incredibly strong, proficient in Observation Haki, and even a Devil Fruit user. It's unbelievable that such a person would choose to hide in a small town.