The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

"John, do you have any more questions? No one will interrupt us now."

"Reed, why get angry?"

John patted Reed on the shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"You should be glad there are a lot of fools in this world. If everyone were smart, how could we possibly enjoy wealth and luxury?"

"I'm telling you this because I consider you one of my own kind. The point of dealing with idiots isn't to wake them up, but to take advantage of their idiocy and squeeze every last drop of value out of them!"

"Take everything from them, and let them be trapped at the bottom of society for the rest of their lives, never able to rise up!"

"It's in our best interest that they remain fools forever!"

Looking at the sincere-looking man in front of him, Reed remained silent for a long time before nodding.

"I understand."

"You said before that we had no grudge against each other, yet you set a trap for me. Can you tell me why now?"

John took out a cigarette from his pocket, pulled one out, and offered it to Morgan.

Morgan chuckled smugly, opened his mouth and took the filter tip in, waiting for John to take out his lighter and light it for him.

John, however, made no move to light the cigarette, instead raising his chin to signal Morgan to answer the question.

Morgan gritted his teeth, bit down on the filter, and delivered his prepared speech with a sincere expression:

"I was only asked by Isaiah Campbell to get rid of you, and as for the reason... I don't know."

"Yes, thank you."

John nodded, then suddenly raised his leg and kicked Morgan in the groin.

Everything went wrong!

Morgan's eyes bulged out, his pupils instantly filled with bright red blood vessels, and he collapsed to the ground, hunched over like a boiled shrimp.

"Ugh... Ugh!!!"

Reed was startled, completely unprepared for John, who had been calmly offering him a cigarette just a moment ago, to suddenly kick him in the groin.

That's so...so exciting!

"You can sleep soundly tonight without worrying about this guy causing trouble."

John reassured Reed and then turned to go to the navigator's private room to rest.

Aren't you curious about who Isaiah Campbell is?

Reed called out to John, his brow furrowed and his expression grave.

Before John could respond, he continued.

"Isaiah Campbell is the boss of the Shells Town gang. He's the father of that young man named Hughes who barged in when we were having dinner at Ideal Restaurant that day."

"Don't underestimate them just because they're a gang. The current king of the Kingdom of Leon's wife's surname is Isaiah!"

"No matter how formidable your strength is, as long as you join the Royal Family and file a complaint with the Marine Headquarters, they can transfer you out of Branch 153!"

"As for Campbell colluding with pirates to murder marines... Do you know that there's a constituent country in the West Blue called the 'Flower Country'? Its royal family has several pirate crews with bounties on their heads, but the Navy defeats them without arresting them!"

"That's politics! Right or wrong!"

"Good night."

Despite the reminder, John waved his hand without turning around and walked straight to the navigator's cabin.

Reed knew all this on his first day in Shells, which was why he thought it would be boring to keep "HeartNet" running.

Ordinary people have absolutely no secrets from him!

Inside an office at the 153rd Naval Base, illuminated by a bright light.

"You did a great job, thank you for your hard work."

The man's calloused hands gripped the receiver, and as the call ended, he crushed it with a sudden, forceful squeeze.

"If we can't get rid of you like this, then we'll have to find a way to get rid of you."

"..."

next morning

Shellstown Port

A hundred marines lined up on either side of the bridge, while people gathered on the harbor shore, gazing at the distant horizon with complex expressions.

"Was it really that guy who bullied Sabrina who defeated Morgan?"

"Branch 153 issued a notice early this morning, how could it be fake?"

"Damn it! Why did it have to be that guy? I'd rather it was Colonel Burns who arrested Morgan!"

"Don't talk nonsense. That guy is a bit of a jerk, but you have to admit he's a righteous navy man..."

People are always more forgiving of the strong. As news of John's arrest of the notorious pirate "King Serpent" Morgan spread, his reputation instantly soared.

As the pale golden dawn shone on the harbor, people finally caught sight of a dark shadow on the distant horizon, which grew larger and larger as it approached.

"It's a warship! They've brought the pirates back!"

"Quickly! Make way!"

Burns looked at the much more "amiable" crowd with a complicated expression, and walked along the paths that had been opened up to the left and right towards the bridge.

He could sense that the people's previous admiration for him had disappeared.

She didn't even look at him anymore!

Burns clenched his fists involuntarily as he walked to the bridgehead, forcing a smile to welcome the arrival of his "hero."

Soon, the warship entered the port with the tugboat and lowered the gangplank onto the ferry bridge.

With the clanking of chains, the great pirate Morgan, shoved by two marines, slumped off the gangplank with his head hanging low.

Having been stripped of his rights as a man, Morgan had lost the arrogance he displayed when he was first arrested, leaving only endless coldness.

When Morgan reached the bridgehead, he stopped and glanced sideways at Burns, who was waving enthusiastically toward the deck of the warship.

Morgan's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he was impatiently shoved by the escorting marines, so he could only continue walking forward with resentment in his eyes.

"This guy's vitality is really strong. He was able to walk normally again after just one night."

"It must be that the Zoan type is about to awaken."

John and Reed stood on the deck, waving back at Burns' enthusiasm while whispering to each other.

"Awakening?! This guy is terrifying, we should have just killed him!"

Reed was about to step onto the diving board when he heard John's words and shuddered, tilting his body and about to fall.

John reached out and grabbed Reed's shoulder to steady him, then rolled his eyes and said sarcastically:

"Didn't you say that capturing alive is more meritorious than killing? You chose it, idol!"

Last night, Morgan howled in pain for hours in the warship's prison, keeping him awake and so angry that he wanted to kill him.

But Reed stopped him, giving a long explanation that capturing them alive would be more profitable than killing them.

In short, the Navy does not offer monetary rewards for capturing bounty hunters; otherwise, the profession of "bounty hunter" would not exist.

Where can you find such a good deal: money, promotion, and power?

Everything was done for the sake of justice and love!

However, there is a difference in the credit for capturing someone alive versus simply bringing back their head.

The captured criminals will be imprisoned in the "deep-sea prison" Impel Down, where they will be subjected to torture and human experimentation to shock the world.

Because value is generated at this point, capturing alive is considered slightly more meritorious than killing.

John didn't know how much "slightly higher" meant, but he was so eager for a promotion that he spared Morgan's life.

Chapter 55 The Hand That Manipulates in the Dark

As John stepped off the gangplank onto the bridge, Burns went up to him and raised his hand to pat him on the shoulder in appreciation.

John dodged to the side, so he could only awkwardly rub his hands together and praise:

"John, you did an excellent job this time! I've already reported this to Naval Headquarters, and you will be promoted directly to the rank of Lieutenant Commander!"

“Of course, for the sake of justice.” John nodded, his reply very formulaic.

Burns nodded in deep agreement, and followed John forward, deliberately raising his voice as they faced the gazes of the common people:

"You'll receive a transfer order soon. Headquarters will send you to Loguetown for a period of training. If you perform well, you'll be transferred directly to Marineford on the Grand Line, becoming an elite member of the Marine Headquarters!"

"it is good!"

As Burns finished speaking, some people in the crowd cheered with joy.

Arresting the notorious pirate and getting rid of this bastard who plagued the beautiful young lady of Shells Town, it's just too wonderful!

John glared at the bald man who was jumping up and down with excitement, then said meaningfully:

"From private to major, that's quite a leap. Colonel Burns, you must have played a significant role in that, right?"

"No, no, it's just that headquarters doesn't want someone as talented as you to be overlooked, especially since you've made such a significant contribution..."

Burns waved his hand, looking generous and righteous, as if this contribution to world peace was nothing.

Just as Burns was about to say something, a figure in a red dress blocked his path. His expression immediately turned strange, and he changed his words:

"Morgan, let me escort you back to base. A hero and a beauty, you two have a good chat."

Without giving John a chance to refuse, he led the escort team forward.

John stopped and stood there, looking at the red-dressed figure in front of him, feeling inexplicably irritated.

Sabrina stood in the street, her long, rose-red hair fluttering gently in the morning light, her jewel-like pink eyes gazing intently at her lover.

She raised her fair wrist, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and with a slight blush, tiptoed toward John.

As she approached, Sabrina pursed her red lips and uttered the concern she had mimicked a thousand times:

"John, are you hurt? Have you eaten properly?"