The riot in Navarone ceased abruptly, silence creeping back. No one knew why, and there was no time to ponder.
Following Wendy, Jonathan walked near the sea under the cliffs. This area, submerged at high tide, was a rare visit even for the base commander.
Steady steps led to a large cave, forgotten unlike the underground cells—a former dock for repairing warships damaged in battles when pirates roamed nearby. As pirate activity waned, it lay abandoned. Suspicious, indeed. Jonathan grunted.
"Forgot about this place. Right, only accessible now," he said.
"Weren't you already aware? Perfect spot to hide something," Wendy replied.
"Old age, I guess. Haven't been here in ages. Didn't even know where we were headed," Jonathan chuckled.
"Really? Seems deliberate to me," Wendy said casually, suspicion lingering. Was Jonathan, a renowned strategist, truly blind to subordinates' misdeeds? There had to be a reason.
Jonathan shook his head, sighing. "Don't overestimate me. Look at the base—pirates escaped, one man wrecked it. I'm getting old, never thought I'd be this outmatched."
"Maybe they were just tough," Wendy offered.
"Pathetic, isn't it? My skills are rusty."
"But I think you can handle it," she smiled.
Humble or lying, Jonathan deflected with a grin.
"Appreciate the faith, but legends exaggerate. 'Hedgehog' fortress? Look at it now. Reality's underwhelming."
"Life's unpredictable," Wendy said.
"Makes it fun. Falling feels oddly good," Jonathan laughed, standing at the cave's entrance, his innocence childlike, genuinely enjoying the chaos—a maverick marine.
Wendy smirked, amused by his eccentricity.
Drake and Shepard arrived, rattled and injured. Shepard had a bandaged cheek; Drake, wrapped in bandages, bore battle scars. Exhausted, they addressed Jonathan.
"Vice Admiral! Sorry, the pirates stole ships and escaped!" Drake cried.
"We need headquarters' support now!" Shepard urged.
Their argument shifted. "Shepard, reporting now shames Navarone! We must solve this ourselves!" Drake insisted.
"Idiot, they took all the ships! What can we do?" Shepard retorted.
"But Navarone's worth must be proven!"
"Pride's worthless now! Letting pirates escape shames us more!"
Their bickering escalated, neither backing down. Jonathan sighed, clutching his head; Wendy shrugged, smiling wryly.
"Enough, you two. No time for this," Jonathan snapped.
"But Vice Admiral, we can't stay calm!" Drake protested.
"I know. Focus. We have serious matters," Jonathan said sternly, silencing them.
Wendy led them into the cave, up man-made stairs to an open space. A massive vault loomed. Jonathan nodded, Drake fell silent, Shepard looked uneasy. Unfamiliar with the place, they scanned it.
Wendy stopped, facing them, ready to work. Her voice grew serious.
"I'm Wendy, Navy Headquarters auditor. I investigated Navarone's unclear fund movements. Here's my report," she began.
"Funds? Embezzlement?" Shepard stammered.
"This vault holds unlisted funds. I didn't open it but confirmed the contents," Wendy stated.
Reactions varied. Shepard panicked, Drake stayed quiet, Jonathan listened as waves echoed in the silence.
"I found records elsewhere. Over seven years, 230 million Berries in undocumented transactions," Wendy continued.
"Seven years? Unbelievable," Shepard gasped.
"It's true. The records confirm it," Wendy said calmly.
Tension thickened. The three focused on her.
"No mere soldier could do this. It required rank and cooperation. Only one here could manage it," Wendy said.
"Wait! You suspect me? I know nothing of this place or money!" Shepard protested.
"Not you, Lieutenant Commander. Just witness," Wendy smiled, her gaze shifting.
"Why, Major Drake?" she asked.
"What!?" Shepard turned to Drake, stunned.
Drake, hat shadowing his face, stood motionless, staring at Wendy. Shepard, incredulous, pressed, "This is nonsense! Drake's too straight-laced for this!"
"He knows. He's known since we arrived," Wendy replied.
"True, Drake? Why?" Shepard demanded.
Drake, silent, looked down. Shepard watched anxiously.
Jonathan, hands behind back, stood expressionless, unnervingly calm. Wendy realized he'd known, commissioning her audit deliberately—perhaps out of care for those close, avoiding direct confrontation. Ten years of oversight, or later realization? Either way, a cover-up.
Shepard alone was shocked, eyes wide.
Silence lingered until Drake exhaled, resolute. "I never meant to betray. It was necessary."
"Why, Major? To shame the Vice Admiral?" Shepard snapped.
"For Navarone. Headquarters deems it useless. Funds were needed for equipment, food, expeditions—endless needs. We couldn't rely on them anymore," Drake said.
"For Navarone?" Shepard muttered.
The quiet amplified the surreal moment. Pirates forgotten, this issue loomed larger.
Wendy responded, "Funding issues, then. Headquarters is considering closure, so trouble's expected."
"Mocked as remote, called 'Hedgehog,' this is our hard-won peace. Under Jonathan, we repelled pirates. We can't abandon it," Drake said.
"But corruption? That's not you!" Shepard shouted.
"A small price. Without it, Navarone falls, endangering civilians. My sacrifice is nothing," Drake declared, unwavering.
Shepard slumped, stunned. Jonathan, silent, faced forward, avoiding Drake's gaze.
Drake bowed. "I'm sorry, Vice Admiral. I knew this would trouble you, but I wanted to protect Navarone. It's unforgivable, but…"
Jonathan turned to speak, but a creaking vault door interrupted, slowly opening.
The key wasn't removed. Wendy had infiltrated it with her ability, but only Drake knew how to unlock it. Why was it opening?
Fully open, it revealed Kiri, in a marine uniform, with 230 million Berries. He grinned at the four.
"Hey, am I interrupting?" Kiri asked.
Shepard gasped; Jonathan smiled. "We meet again, paper user. Didn't expect you here."
Kiri's paper ability bundled the vault's cash into a floating cube, weapon-like.
Jonathan drew his sword, facing Kiri, who glanced around calmly. "Thought there'd be more. Everyone on break?"
"I'm here. That's enough," Jonathan replied.
"Maybe. I'd prefer fewer, though," Kiri said.
"Sorry, we've got issues. Can't let you escape," Jonathan said.
"Nah, gotta meet my crew," Kiri replied, lighting a paper with a lighter and tossing it upward.
Four gazes followed. The ceiling, dozens of meters up, held dynamite fixed by paper.
"What!? You—!" Shepard shouted.
An explosion shattered the ceiling, raining massive rocks on the four. They dodged reflexively—Wendy vanished into the ground, Jonathan, Drake, and Shepard leaped back, barely escaping.
Kiri, on a giant paper bird,抱着 the cash, flew through the hole created, leaving the three behind, escaping the cave as planned.
All calculated. No pursuers amid falling rocks. He soared, overlooking Navarone.
He checked the port. No warships—his crew had escaped. Sighing, he muttered, "Now what? No ship, I'm stuck."
His paper ability couldn't sustain long flights. He needed a ship.
Circling Navarone, he grumbled, "Can't tame crows, huh? What do they eat?"
Scanning the sea, his face lit up. A ship with a familiar sail mark appeared.
Grinning, he flew toward it. Not fast, but steady. Voices grew louder, figures waving from the deck.
Seeing their faces, Kiri relaxed.
"Oi, Kiri!" Luffy called from the bow, standing despite the balance, waving eagerly.
Kiri waved back, descending. The paper bird dissolved, scattering sheets as he landed.
Crewmates rushed him, relieved. "Kiri! You're okay!" Luffy shouted.
"Worried us! Caught by the navy, yet you escape alone!" Usopp said.
"Sorry, long story," Kiri shrugged, smiling.
His unchanged demeanor reassured them. Luffy and Usopp exhaled, tension fading, feeling oddly empty.
No need to fight the fortress. Usopp and others rejoiced; some looked bored.
Silk, curious, asked, "How'd you escape? And that…?"
"Souvenir. Swiped from a hidden vault," Kiri said.
"Amazing, Kiri! All money?" she gasped.
"Yup."
Dropping the bundle, papers scattered, revealing cash. Nami's eyes gleamed, complaints silenced, kneeling as a money fanatic.
"230 million Berries, I think. For you, Nami," Kiri said.
"Love you, Kiri!" Nami beamed.
"Nami-san! What about me!?" Sanji wailed.
The deck grew noisier. Silk, smiling wryly, asked, "That much? Navy money?"
"Sorta. Dirty money, so it's fine," Kiri said.
"Dirty? That polar bear, the auditor—"
"Done deal," Kiri cut her off, smiling.
Silk sensed a deeper meaning, stopping herself. Kiri turned to Luffy.
"Let's get outta here. Pursuit's possible. Sorry for the trouble, Captain."
"No biggie. Everyone's safe," Luffy said.
"Let's go. Kiri's back, no reason to stay," Usopp urged.
The crew moved to sail. No need to linger near Navarone. They'd return to Partia. Even adventure-loving Luffy agreed.
Amid the bustling deck, Kiri paused, looking at the sea.
A hundred meters out, Donny the polar bear surfaced, staring at the Merry, unmoving, no intent to capture.
Their eyes met. Donny raised a paw, waving goodbye. Kiri chuckled, feeling no hostility—different from before. He waved back subtly.
Donny dove, vanishing. Luffy's voice broke through. "What's up, Kiri? Something there?"
"Nah, nothing," Kiri said, joining the crew.
No regrets, no hesitation. No need to look back.
Thus, they escaped Navarone, returning to Partia.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
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