"Have the Gawain Pirates left?"
"Yes, their ship's gone. Looks like they took that woman Arlong toyed with."
"Good! Now's our chance!"
At the 16th Marine Branch, Mouse leapt from his chair, electrified by Blazer's report.
Without hesitation, he rallied a large force, dispatching three warships from the port, following the current straight to Cocoyasi.
…
Half a day later, Mouse eyed the approaching Cocoyasi port, his gun hand trembling with anticipation.
With the Gawain Pirates gone, the villagers were easy prey.
Can't handle Fish-Men? I'll handle these peasants.
Blazer, at his side, watched the bustling port, hesitating. "Sir, do we really need to go this far? Thousands of people…"
He froze, voice cut off, as Mouse pressed a flintlock to his head.
"Useless pity."
Bang!
A bullet tore through Blazer's skull, spraying blood and brains.
Blood splattered Mouse's face, amplifying his savage expression.
He was here to claim credit for defeating Arlong's crew, seize their wealth, and erase his ties to Arlong.
The last was most critical.
Watching Blazer's body slump, Mouse grew eerily calm, shaking off his greed-fueled haze.
Life trumped glory.
Anyone who knew of his Arlong connection had to die.
"Set sail!" he barked.
The stunned crew, eyeing Blazer's corpse, hurried to obey, fearing they'd be next.
At the port, a familiar pirate flag caught Mouse's eye—skull on a round shield, Gawain's banner.
Worse, a rotting Fish-Man head—Arlong's—adorned its peak.
Mouse knew what a pirate flag on an island meant.
But fear of exposure and lust for Arlong's wealth and glory outweighed caution. Destroy the evidence, claim the credit, and he could rise, maybe even to Navy Headquarters.
"Move in! Round everyone up!" he ordered.
Three warships docked, hundreds of armed Marines swarming the village, dragging villagers to the port.
Ajiken, shielding a nervous Nojiko, confronted Mouse. "What's this about, Captain?!"
"Everyone here?" Mouse ignored him, scanning the crowd, his expression easing. He smirked at Ajiken. "How's this script: Arlong's crew slaughters the village, Captain Mouse heroically defeats them?"
"You call that justice?!" Ajiken roared, thinking, Gawain was right. This bastard planned to target Cocoyasi!
Recalling Gawain's parting words, Ajiken calmed, meeting Mouse's mocking gaze. "Only the living define justice!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Ajiken shot back. "That flag belongs to the Gawain Pirates. Even a monster like Arlong fell to them. You ready to face him?"
Mouse, undeterred, set on attacking Cocoyasi, raised his flintlock.
Ajiken gritted his teeth. "Gawain left you a letter. You'd better read it."
"A letter?" Mouse frowned. "Hand it over."
Ajiken passed him the letter. Mouse glanced at it, his face draining to a sickly white, sweat pouring down.
Ajiken noticed his trembling. "What'd he say?"
"Get lost!" Mouse snapped, panic-stricken.
The letter read: "I have all evidence of your ties to Arlong. If anything happens to Cocoyasi, it'll be on the Navy Criminal Investigation Service's desk—Black Horse Tenzo's—by morning!"
"Even in Impel Down, I'll find you and gut you like Arlong!"
At the final word, Mouse's hand shook. He looked at Ajiken. "How'd Arlong die?"
Ajiken's lips curled viciously. "Know how to clean a fish? Ever had sashimi?"
"What?"
"Scale, bone, gut, and slash." Ajiken's face gleamed with satisfaction. "When I saw Arlong's body, he was in pieces."
"It's still in Arlong Park. No one bothered to collect it. Go see for yourself."
Imagining the scene, Mouse shuddered, fleeing with his Marines.
"Madman! Absolute madman!" he cursed. "Going that far for those lowlives?!"
Minutes later, he calmed. "So, he's got the evidence. I won't get the credit, but I'm safe from the Investigation Service for now."
"Good… good…" Mouse muttered, color returning to his face.
The warships left as fast as they'd come.
Ajiken patted Nojiko's back, eyeing the departing fleet and the pirate flag at the port. "Cocoyasi's safe now, from pirates or Marines."
Gawain's calm face flashed in his mind. He shook his head. "Reliable guy, but a bit old for Nami. Still…"
Nojiko looked puzzled. "Ajiken, what?"
"Nothing. Just thinking you're about old enough to find a boyfriend. How about—"
"Get lost!"
…
The next day, Mouse returned to the 16th Marine Branch.
As he stepped off the gangplank, a familiar figure approached, and unfamiliar Marines snapped up their flintlocks, aiming at his head.
Mouse recognized the man. "Commodore Pudding Pudding? What's this?"
Pudding Pudding glared, voice icy. "You're done. Don't make this harder."
Mouse realized Gawain had outplayed him. Seeing the setup, his legs buckled. "Commodore, there's a misunderstanding, I—"
Pudding Pudding sneered. "Save it for the Criminal Investigation Service!"
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If you want to read more than 20 chapters early feel free to visit pa tre on . com /Archus