The Strange Pirates

The next morning, Carlos gathered his confidants—really, just Mafia Members who had been with him longer and whom he trusted more than ordinary members.

He told them about his plan to leave Iron Island for Maglin Island and asked them to keep it secret and help cover for him.

Afterward, Carlos secretly left the mansion and boarded a merchant ship belonging partly to a Mafia-backed trading company, quietly departing Iron Island for Maglin Island.

Maglin Island was the central island of the Southern West Sea, as well as a commercial hub. It had a dense population, developed transportation, and abundant resources. It was the headquarters of the John Family, one of the Five Great Families of the West Blue Mafia!

On the surface, the entire island was governed by the mayor and other officials. In truth, its real masters were the John Family. They secretly controlled official appointments and promotions, commanded both open and covert military forces, and had their reach in every industry on the island. They were the true rulers!

Iron Island was several hundred nautical miles from Maglin Island. They had to pass several islands along the way, and barring any accidents, the journey would take around ten days.

Under the vast sea, the weather was clear and cloudless. Seagulls cried overhead, waves rolled across the water, and four large ships left Iron Island's port, heading for Maglin Island to conduct business.

Of the four ships, two were merchant vessels and two were escort ships. Most of the cargo on the merchant ships consisted of refined iron ore, which was immensely valuable. Since the seas were far from peaceful, escorts were naturally necessary.

Although the Great Age of Pirates had yet to arrive and Pirates were not particularly numerous in either the Four Blues or the Grand Line, any Pirate who could survive at sea had real ability—even those operating in the Four Blues.

It was unlike after the arrival of the Great Age of Pirates, when Pirates erupted like a tidal wave and the Navy could not handle them all, resulting in wildly uneven quality among Pirates. In this era, when Pirate numbers were still relatively low, any Pirates capable of surviving in the West Sea were quite formidable!

It was Carlos's first time at sea. Though it was not his own ship, he was still quite excited. Dressed in white trousers and a white shirt, he eagerly watched the ocean. Before that boundless sea, he felt incomparably small!

After watching for over half an hour, Carlos grew tired of it and returned to his room, passing the time by training and reading. Occasionally, he would take a stroll on deck.

Through the Mafia's arrangements, Carlos had become an honored guest aboard the ship, and his treatment was excellent in every regard.

Whenever they passed an island and temporarily docked for supplies, Carlos would also go ashore for a walk, taking in the different customs and scenery.

The Four Blues were actually not too bad. The weather at sea was not yet so bizarre and unpredictable, and connections between islands were relatively close. Though there were many differences, they also had much in common.

It was nothing like the Grand Line or the New World, where one island could be completely different from the next!

The first six days of the voyage were calm, without any unexpected incidents. But at dusk on the seventh day, when sea and sky reflected each other and the world was dyed crimson, an accident occurred. Trouble arrived.

Piercing alarms rang out across all four ships. Carlos left his room and came onto the deck, his brows immediately furrowing. Ahead on their route, five Pirate Ships flying pirate flags were lined up side by side, charging toward them with the setting sun behind them!

"Damn it, it's the Mad Bull Pirates! We're done for!"

"How is that possible? This isn't even an area where the Mad Bull Pirates usually operate. Why would they suddenly appear here?"

"Bad luck, bad luck! We're finished!"

"Run! Run! I don't want to die!"

As the five Pirate Ships appeared, chaos erupted aboard every vessel. Everyone fell into despair and panic, only one step away from hopelessness.

"Abandon the merchant ships! Everyone, immediately board the faster escort ships and flee at once! Hopefully, the value of the two merchant ships will be enough to satisfy them so they won't continue pursuing us." The captain in charge of all four ships gave the order decisively, and it was quickly relayed.

Upon hearing the order, the people aboard the two merchant ships rushed toward the escort ships, scrambling over one another. Faced with death, all etiquette, virtue, and dignity were cast aside. They only wanted to get aboard the escort ships as quickly as possible.

Carlos did not panic. He calmly followed the crowd onto one of the escort ships, though he did not relax. Something felt off. Was his luck really this terrible? His first time at sea, and he encountered Pirates—Pirates operating outside their usual territory, no less...

Not long after Carlos stepped onto one of the escort ships, sharp whistling sounds tore through the air. Dark cannonballs flew over and exploded around the four ships, throwing up dozens of columns of water.

The Pirates had begun their attack!

As the bombardment began, an even greater panic spread. The Crewmates who had not yet boarded the escort ships were driven mad, frantically climbing aboard. Some were shoved directly into the sea and cried out in terror for help, yet no one rescued those who fell into the water. At last, the cruelty of the sea revealed a glimpse of itself...

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" the man in the ornate brocade robe shouted.

Upon receiving the order, the helmsmen controlling the two escort ships immediately set sail, fleeing in the opposite direction from the Pirates. As the ships pulled apart, some Crewmates who were still climbing or had yet to board wailed, cursed, and shouted in despair. Yet the escort ships paid them no heed and left without mercy.

Most of those abandoned Crewmates had only two possible fates: they would either be killed by the Pirates or captured and sold as slaves. Only Crewmates with useful skills might be absorbed by the Pirates and become one of them.

That was why having a skill was so important, no matter what world one was in...

Carlos could do nothing either. Though he pitied those who had been abandoned, he was not the captain. Moreover, he did not want to reveal his strength or identity, and he could not command the others.

Carlos fled along with the two ships, keeping a constant eye on the Pirate Ships behind them. He discovered that one of the five ships remained behind while the other four did not stop in the slightest, going full speed as they relentlessly pursued them...

Carlos's frown deepened. Something was wrong—very wrong. Logically speaking, most Pirates were after money, and there was no way they could not tell the difference between merchant ships and escort ships.

Their intentions here were already obvious: take the wealth and let them go. Why were the Pirates still chasing them so relentlessly?

Wasn't that an unnecessary effort with no benefit?

Even a rabbit would bite when cornered, much less escort ships armed with weapons and cannons. If the Pirates caught up and fought them, they would suffer considerable casualties even if they won. Wouldn't it be better to simply take a pile of wealth for free?

Were they bloodthirsty? Reckless? Or were they looking for someone or something aboard the two escort ships?

Carlos could not figure it out. Why?

There was not enough information...

Seeing the four Pirate Ships still pursuing them, everyone else was equally confused. They were still chasing? Did they really intend to wipe them all out?

Thus, the two escort ships opened fire as well. Since the Pirates wanted all of their lives, how could they possibly sit still and wait for death?

Boom, boom, boom...

Bang, bang, bang...

For a time, cannon fire and gunshots rang out continuously across the azure sea, and a small-scale naval battle began.

Carlos also obtained a rifle and began firing. Behind his sunglasses, his two-tomoe Sharingan and Byakugan activated at the same time. Once the bullets were fired, every shot hit its mark, deadly iron pellets boring into the Pirates' bodies...