The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

"She broke her promise first, so how can you blame me for abandoning her after starting something?"

"Hey! There are so many people watching. Show me some respect. After all, I'm your boss."

Reed raised his hands and grasped John's outstretched index fingers, then turned his head left and right, giving a warning look to the sailors who were eavesdropping while working.

Chapter 45: Thank you "Moon God Virgil" for the first monthly vote!

"Then mind your own business."

John pulled his index finger from Reed's palm and wiped it disdainfully on the epaulettes of Reed's justice coat.

He felt wronged too. Isn't the point of life to "have enough to eat and wear and then think about sex"?

Unlike scumbags who would go to great lengths to deceive and sweet-talk their way into having sex, he honestly laid everything out in the open.

Unexpectedly, he himself was the one who was deceived.

unacceptable!

"Sigh, you'd better be careful, the mayor won't let you off the hook."

Reed tiptoed and whispered in John's ear, who was a head taller than him.

"The mayor originally intended to marry Sabrina to the son of the Grand Councilor, but due to certain circumstances, the negotiations could not be reached and the matter was put on hold."

"Now that you have taken Sabrina's virginity and made such a big fuss about it, the mayor and the Grand Councilor will definitely take action to save face."

"What? They dare to attack a fine naval soldier? Are they pirates?"

John raised an eyebrow and immediately began his accusatory tactic.

Now, those who oppose him are all damned evil pirates!

“Uh…” Reed was speechless.

You? An excellent naval soldier?

Don't make me laugh!

However, while John is indeed annoying, his shameless personality combined with his monstrous strength means he's bound to rise to a very high position within the Navy.

He needs to invest in advance and latch onto a powerful backer!

"Alright, let's not talk about these boring trivial matters. Let's talk about our objective this time." John couldn't wait to make a name for himself.

Reed nodded, his expression serious.

"The target this time is 'King Cobra' Morgan, with a bounty of ten million Berries."

"The Morgan Pirates have been roaming between several kingdoms, including Leon and Felose, intercepting merchant ships and collecting protection money."

"Not to mention anything else, even the gangs in our town and the Feloce Merchant Guild have to give the Morgan Pirates 20% of the profits from their smuggled liquor."

"His nickname is 'King Snake'? Is he a Devil Fruit user?" John grasped the key point.

Pirates have all sorts of nicknames, often derived from their previous professions, Devil Fruit abilities, unique behavior, clothing, and so on.

The nickname "King Cobra" immediately made John think of the king cobra.

"Yes, Morgan is a Zoan-type Snake-Snake Fruit user in the King Cobra form."

Reed nodded, confirming his guess about the agreement, and then proceeded to discuss the relevant information.

"We've had Morgan on our radar for a long time, but strangely enough, he always gets wind of our arrest operation in advance, which has caused us to miss him time and time again."

Reed paused for a moment at this point.

He knew perfectly well that he was a worthless navy officer who only cared about making money, so he could project his own experience onto others and speculate that the Morgan Pirates might be colluding with a high-ranking navy officer in the East Blue.

"Our operation this time was prompted by a distress call from a merchant ship belonging to the town's gang, which claimed that it had been intercepted by the Morgan Pirates and were demanding protection money."

"Didn't they always pay protection money normally before? Why did they suddenly think of asking the navy for help this time?"

John's eyes flashed, and he looked at Reed with a smile.

Reed frowned and lowered his voice:

“I also felt something was wrong, so I planned to go there slowly. It’s better to be punished than to lose my life.”

"A smart person."

John made no secret of his admiration for his "boss".

Unlike on land, at sea there are no fixed routes, but there are escape routes in all directions, so the easiest option of waiting for someone to run into a trap is simply not feasible.

Moreover, the sea offers a panoramic view, unlike land where one can find a suitable location to hide and ambush.

Under all circumstances, the navy's only advantage at sea is that its warships can travel faster than pirate ships.

However, when encountering well-equipped pirate crews, even their only advantage—their vehicle—will be rendered useless.

Therefore, justice is always delayed.

Under such circumstances, the Morgan Pirates' practice of collecting protection fees without killing or robbing was acceptable to passing merchant ships.

It's simply a matter of sharing some profits. Once the goods are delivered to land, the price can be raised a bit, and the losses can naturally be recovered from the buyers.

In addition, the Morgan Pirates, having received protection money, would also drive away or kill other pirates in order to ensure their long-term interests continue to be protected.

For merchant ships, they only need to deal with the Morgan Pirates, and they no longer need to worry about encountering other pirates who want to kill and rob.

In a sense, the Morgan Pirates are actually quite similar to the Navy. In fact, being pirates themselves, they might know better than the Navy where their fellow pirates might be hiding.

The Morgan Pirates are more efficient at fighting pirates than the Navy.

This is actually more advantageous for merchant ships!

But this time, the mutually beneficial situation was broken, and the merchant ships that had been paying protection money for a long time took the initiative to report the Morgan Pirates.

From a behavioral and interest-based perspective, this is highly problematic!

"But as partners of justice and heroes of the people, how can we back down because of a little difficulty?"

John grabbed Reed by the collar and said in a commanding tone.

"Let those sissies stick out their oars and row faster! I'm going to wipe out the evil Morgan Pirates in one fell swoop!"

"Uh... are you serious?"

Reed, still being held by the collar, blinked and looked at John in disbelief.

What's wrong with this guy now?!

"Justice will never be compromised!" John's expression was extremely serious, making it clear that he was not joking.

As a top-tier (T1) powerhouse on the high seas, even if he encountered the entire Roger Pirates, he could escape unscathed even if he couldn't defeat them.

He refused to believe that the massive Morgan Pirates could be swallowed up by him in one bite!

They must become stepping stones for his promotion!

at the same time

On the sea, two three-masted sailing ships were moored side by side, and cheers and applause rang out, as if a joint banquet was being held.

However, they were respectively flying the Isaiah gang's merchant flag and a pirate flag with a king cobra wrapped around a skull!

On the deck of the merchant ship, gang members and pirates gathered together, either drinking and boasting about their past exploits or gambling around a table.

In a corner, a young girl with long red hair and freckles on her face huddled around a pile of wine barrels, anxiously watching everything.

Her name was Norline, and she was a waitress on a merchant ship and also a Felose.

To survive, it was common for the Feluse people to work on boats alongside the locals of Shells, though they did odd jobs and received very low wages.

But today is strange!

Norline only discovered after boarding the ship that she was the only Felose person on board!

And not long ago, the merchant ship captain and the captain of the Kingja Pirates actually made a phone call to the Navy's 153rd Branch for help...

Chapter 46 The Will Within the Devil Fruit

What conspiracy are these people plotting? Norline, who witnessed it all, finds it hard to believe she'll be able to go back alive.

"Norin-chan!"

Suddenly, the merchant ship captain's soft yet eerie voice rang out.

Norline felt her hair stand on end, and a nameless fear gripped her heart. She quickly shrank into the pile of wine barrels, trying to hide herself.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and soon Norline's curled-up figure was covered by shadows.

Norline raised her head shakily, and what came into view was the merchant ship captain's obese body and his feignedly kind but chilling smile.

"Norin-chan, why are you here all alone? Don't you feel lonely?"

"Captain... I still have a cabin to clean, so I won't be attending the banquet."

Norlin forced a smile, stood up, and was about to leave from the side.

"As the main course, how can you not attend the banquet?"

The merchant ship captain suddenly grabbed Norline's wrist, his expression turning ferocious, and dragged her toward the cabin.

Norline struggled frantically, but it was all in vain in the face of the absolute difference in strength. She could only watch helplessly as she was pulled down the dark staircase leading to the lower cabin.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

"Help!!!"

The terrified cries for help attracted the attention of a group of pirates and gangsters on the deck. They exchanged glances and then revealed eerie smiles.

"Your first mate has some really unusual hobbies."

"I'll tell you this in secret, but don't tell anyone. It's said that the fierce cat first mate was rejected by many women before becoming a pirate because he's so ugly, so..."

"Shh! Are you out of your mind?! How dare you talk about the ferocious cat first mate's past!"

"Sorry, sorry, come on, let's continue drinking..."

The drunken pirate broke out in a cold sweat, awkwardly raised his glass with a smile, and tried to divert everyone's attention.

Not long after, a piercing scream came from the cabin below deck; just by listening to the sound, one could feel how much pain and despair the person in question was experiencing.