Pirates: How Many Divisions Do the Five Elders Have? Pew Pew Pew Pew Pew~

Soon, in the seemingly feeble yet intensely hot flames, Santini's body slowly turned to ash.

The earlier clashes had punched a hole through the mountain, and the air flowing through it lifted the ashes, carrying them on the sea breeze into the boundless ocean.

Just as Santini had said in his final words, this great pirate, guilty of countless crimes, would never leave the sea, even in death.

Meanwhile, Ryze and Ashe had finished scattering the ashes of the other pirates.

Ryze took out a string of prayer beads and began chanting a prayer for the dead, continuing until the last pinch of ash had blown out of the cave and vanished without a trace.

It was a habit Ma Qiao had developed since transmigrating.

It came from a series of cautious-protagonist novels he had read on Qidian years ago.

They really were excellent guides to life after reincarnation.

Especially when one's protagonist halo wasn't strong enough, it was essential to clean up thoroughly and avoid bringing trouble upon oneself.

After all, Brook's experience made it clear that souls existed in the world of pirates.

There had even been passing mentions of the Land of the Dead in the Wano Country arc.

So Ma Qiao believed that seeing the dead off and letting them be good people in their next lives counted as doing good deeds and accumulating virtue for himself.

If sales of Short-Lived Ghost Whiskey and Life-Shortening cigarettes stopped this very moment, Ma Qiao would die of old age in another 271 years!

Life was that fleeting. He had to make plans for what would happen after he died of old age.

To be honest, for a few seconds, Ma Qiao had admired Santini's loyalty.

Pirate King really was a hot-blooded shonen manga. There was no shortage of heroic figures among the pirates.

But it was also true that Santini had destroyed villages and towns and slaughtered civilians.

At best, he was like Li Kui and his ilk, possessing nothing more than some cheap loyalty to his buddies.

Like a good girl who smoked, drank, and had tattoos, who would never settle down to a peaceful, ordinary life even if she married an honest man, he could no longer turn back.

Although he hadn't saved him, Ma Qiao was serious about keeping his promise.

Ma Qiao would pass Santini's words on to Laqiuba exactly as they had been spoken.

Then he would personally execute Laqiuba and give him a dignified end.

Because Ma Qiao knew Laqiuba's future all too well.

Laqiuba was one of the few great pirates with a bounty over ten million ever caught at Whiskey Peak, so the Marines had taken him away a month ago.

Ma Qiao also remembered him very clearly.

Although his appearance had been brief, Laqiuba had appeared in the original story.

Only, by then, he was no longer a high-spirited great pirate, but a slave wearing a collar, put up for sale at the human auction in the Sabaody Archipelago.

He had long since lost the courage to pursue freedom as a pirate, and the dream he had pursued as a pirate had been trampled beyond recognition. In the end, Laqiuba chose to bite off his own tongue and kill himself, showing the last of his pride as a pirate.

Compared to a fate like that, it would be better to die like a man of the sea...

At least, that was what Ma Qiao thought.

But Laqiuba should still be serving time in the Crimson Hell of Impel Down, with several years to go before he became a slave.

So Ma Qiao wasn't in a hurry to find him and pass on the message.

For now, there was something more important waiting to be dealt with.

Santini had shouted fiercely, but he'd gone easy with his blows.

Lieutenant Nezumi, despite his broken bones, was still clinging to life, forcing Ma Qiao to put in a little extra work.

"It's all your fault! You cost me millions!"

Ma Qiao looked at Santini, now reduced to ashes, and the other minor pirates, whose bounties ranged from tens to hundreds of thousands. His heart was bleeding.

If he hadn't needed to silence them, they would all have been his bread and butter!

"Hey, young hunter, what are you talking about? I already know you're not a pirate. Hurry up and carry me out. My legs are broken!"

Lieutenant Nezumi struggled to put on a friendly expression.

The ruthlessness of Ma Qiao and his group had truly frightened him.

He swore to himself that once he got out of the cave, he would board his ship and hurry back to the branch without looking back.

Once he was back at the branch, there would be plenty of ways to get revenge on this brat. By then, even all of Whiskey Peak would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board.

As the official in charge, Lieutenant Nezumi had a hundred ways to put this Pirate Hunter hideout out of business.

But before that, it was best not to show any hostility.

This brat was a lunatic who might do anything.

Ma Qiao sneered without answering, while the free trio silently walked over and began to surround Nezumi.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Nezumi's forehead, and he hurriedly said:

"If you need a rest and don't want to do any heavy lifting, go outside and call my men to carry me. Don't worry, I've already forgiven your rudeness!"

"Go on, of course I'll go!"

"Damn it, you're playing dirty with me, huh?!"

Lieutenant Nezumi found that no matter what he said, Ma Qiao and his group acted as though they hadn't heard him, remaining completely unmoved.

"Damn it!"

Lieutenant Nezumi realized something was wrong and hurriedly pulled a syringe filled with a drug from his pocket.

It was a banned drug he had stolen from the base. He hadn't originally intended to use it on himself, but had planned to use it to control some troublesome pirates after going to the East Blue.

But at this point, he couldn't worry about that. The Pirate Hunters in front of him looked more and more dangerous!

Steeling himself, Lieutenant Nezumi plunged the drug into his thigh muscle, and the pain from his broken bones soon eased.

He immediately struggled to his feet, his legs twisted at a bizarre angle, and ran desperately toward the cave entrance.

Although the drug was working, the pain from his broken bones still twisted Lieutenant Nezumi's face.

And the reason he was suffering this torment was entirely because this damned Pirate Hunter had played mysterious and refused to help him!

As he drew closer and closer to the entrance, Lieutenant Nezumi looked back and saw that Ma Qiao and the others hadn't followed.

Relieved, he could no longer contain his emotions and began cursing loudly. "You pretentious bastard, you actually let me get this badly hurt! Just wait until the Marine Branch investigates you..."

"Pew pew pew pew pew~~"

Halfway through, Lieutenant Nezumi suddenly frowned.

He seemed to have heard something.

But there was clearly no one around.

Suddenly, Nezumi noticed that his chest was wet, and there was a slight pain.

With the anesthetic masking it, he belatedly looked down.

A dark red dagger jutted from his chest, blood gushing down its blade.

Nezumi turned his head, a look of surprise, even terror, frozen on his face.

As though he were looking in a mirror, a face identical to Lieutenant Nezumi's slowly became solid from transparent behind his head, wearing a cruel smile.

"I am—the doom—from the sewers—"

Twitch, the Plague Rat, seemed to be venting all his anger at being forced to remove his facial fur on Lieutenant Nezumi.

He viciously twisted the [Doran's Blade] in his hand, thoroughly shredding the lieutenant's heart.

"Farewell, my other self!"

Twitch pulled out the dagger, and Lieutenant Nezumi slowly fell.

Li Kui had slain Li Gui; the real rat had killed the fake rat.

The [Ignite] skill activated once more...

Lieutenant Nezumi's sinful life came to an end, and he turned to ash, vanishing completely from this world.

The murmured prayer for the dead sounded in the cave once again.