The Strange Pirates

The next morning, Carlos gathered his trusted confidants—essentially the Mafia members who had been with him the longest, whose loyalty ran deeper than that of ordinary Mafia Members.

He told them he planned to leave Iron Island for Maglin Island and asked them to keep it secret and help cover for him.

After that, Carlos secretly left the Mansion, boarding a merchant ship owned by a trade association in which the Mafia held shares, and quietly departed Iron Island for Maglin Island.

Maglin Island was the central hub of the Southern West Sea, a commercial nexus with dense population, advanced transportation, and abundant resources. It was the stronghold of the John Family, one of the Five Great Families of the West Blue Mafia!

On the surface, the island was governed by officials like the mayor, but the true masters were the John Family. They secretly controlled the appointment and promotion of officials, manipulated both overt and covert military forces, and had their tentacles in every industry on the island. They were the real rulers!

Iron Island was several hundred nautical miles from Maglin Island, with several islands along the way. Barring accidents, the journey would take about ten days.

On the boundless sea, the weather was clear, with not a cloud in sight. Seagulls called in waves, and the ocean swelled gently. Four large ships departed from Iron Island's port, heading for Maglin Island on business.

Two of the ships were merchant vessels, and two were escort ships. The merchant ships carried mostly refined iron ore of great value, and the seas were far from safe, so escorts were necessary.

Though the Great Age of Pirates had not yet arrived, and pirates were not numerous in either the Four Seas or the Grand Line, those who survived on the sea had real skill—even the pirates of the Four Seas.

Unlike the era after the Great Age of Pirates, when pirates surged like a tide and the Navy couldn't handle them all, leading to a mix of quality and mediocrity, in this age when pirates were still few, those who managed to survive in the West Sea were quite formidable!

It was his first time at sea, and even though it wasn't his own ship, Carlos was still quite pleased. Dressed in white trousers and a shirt, he eagerly watched the ocean. In this endless expanse of sea, he felt utterly insignificant!

After half an hour, Carlos grew bored and returned to his cabin, passing the time with cultivation and reading, occasionally taking a stroll on the deck.

Thanks to the Mafia's maneuvering, Carlos had become a distinguished guest on this ship, enjoying excellent treatment all around.

When the ship stopped at islands for supplies, Carlos would also go ashore to explore different customs and scenery.

The Four Seas were still relatively stable. The weather at sea wasn't yet bizarre and unpredictable, and connections between islands were fairly close. Though there were many differences, there were also many similarities.

It wasn't like the Grand Line or the New World, where each island was completely different from the next!

The first six days of the voyage were calm, with no incidents. But on the evening of the seventh day, as the sea and sky mirrored each other, painting the world in crimson, trouble struck.

Piercing alarm bells rang out across all four ships. Carlos came out of his cabin to the deck and frowned deeply. Ahead on their course, five Pirate Ships flying pirate flags were lined up in a row, backlit by the setting sun, charging straight at them!

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

"How is this possible? This isn't even their usual hunting ground! Why are they here?"

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

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

As the five Pirate Ships appeared, chaos erupted on every vessel. The crew fell into despair and panic, one step away from utter hopelessness.

"Abandon the merchant ships! Everyone get to the faster escort ships immediately and flee! Hopefully, the value of the two merchant ships will be enough to satisfy them and they won't chase us!" The captain in charge of the four ships made a snap decision, and the order was relayed swiftly.

Hearing the command, the people on the two merchant ships scrambled frantically, pushing and shoving toward the escort ships. Under the threat of death, all etiquette, virtue, and dignity were cast aside. They only wanted to reach the escort ships as fast as possible.

Carlos, however, remained calm. He followed the crowd onto an escort ship without panic, but his mind was not at ease. Something felt off. Was his luck really that bad? His first time at sea, and he ran into pirates—pirates operating outside their usual territory, no less...

Just as Carlos stepped onto one of the escort ships, sharp whistling sounds cut through the air. A volley of black cannonballs flew in, exploding around the four ships and sending dozens of water columns into the air.

The pirates had begun their attack!

With the bombardment, greater panic spread. The crew members who hadn't yet boarded the escort ships were spurred into a frenzy, climbing desperately. Some were pushed into the sea, crying out for help in terror, but no one saved them. The cruelty of the sea was beginning to show...

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" the captain in his ornate brocade robe shouted.

At the order, the helmsmen of the two escort ships immediately steered away, heading in the opposite direction from the pirates. The ships separated. Some crew members still climbing or not yet aboard wailed in despair, cursing and swearing, but the escort ships sailed on mercilessly.

Most of those abandoned had only two fates: killed by the pirates or taken as slaves. Only those with a useful skill might be absorbed into the pirate crew.

So, having a skill really mattered, no matter which world you were in...

Carlos couldn't do anything about it. He pitied the abandoned, but he wasn't the captain, and he didn't want to reveal his strength or identity. He couldn't command anyone else.

Carlos fled with the two escort ships, keeping a constant eye on the pursuing pirates. He noticed that one of the five ships had stopped, but the remaining four showed no sign of slowing down. They opened full sail and chased relentlessly...

Carlos's frown deepened. Something was very wrong. Most pirates were after wealth. They should have been able to tell the difference between merchant ships and escort ships.

The message was clear: take the goods and let them go. Why were the pirates still chasing?

Wasn't this just making extra trouble for no gain?

Even a rabbit bites when cornered, let alone armed escort ships with cannons. Even if the pirates caught them, they'd suffer casualties. Why not just take the easy loot?

Bloodthirsty? Stubborn? Or... was there someone or something on the two escort ships that they were after?

Carlos couldn't figure it out. Why?

Not enough intel...

Seeing the four Pirate Ships still in hot pursuit, the others were equally baffled. They're still chasing? Do they really want to kill everyone?

So the two escort ships opened fire. If they wanted everyone dead, they weren't going to just sit and wait for it.

Boom, boom, boom...

Bang, bang, bang...

For a moment, over the blue sea, the roar of cannons and the crack of gunfire rang out continuously. A small-scale naval battle had begun.

Carlos grabbed a Rifle and started shooting. Beneath his sunglasses, his two-tomoe Sharingan and Byakugan activated simultaneously. Every bullet he fired hit its mark, sending deadly lead peas into the bodies of the pirates...