Racing Against Time!

"Fools are not worth mourning!"

Greed is not the original sin; ignorance is.

Glancing with distaste at the corpse of the rat, Lowett took a deep breath and closed his eyes in thought.

What should I do?

Give up now?

The situation has changed. Knowing that Momonga had already sensed something was wrong here, Arlong must be under surveillance. If I go now, I might be walking right into a trap.

With the full force of a distinguished Navy Vice Admiral surrounding us, even if Arlong and I joined forces...

No, wait.

There's still a chance!

Suddenly, Lowett's eyes lit up.

A full-scale encirclement is impossible!

The soul-vision of the rat clearly showed that Momonga was still drifting at sea.

I almost fell into a mental trap.

Distance, that's the inescapable problem on the high seas!

The Pirate World isn't like the Mage World; they don't have teleportation gates. Knowing information doesn't mean you can get there instantly.

"Knowing about Klar Village only proves that Momonga's scout came nearby, but he himself was being led around and is far from here."

Without evidence, Momonga has no reason to bypass Branch 16 to conduct an investigation. That would instantly make it clear that Branch 16 is problematic and spark discussion.

Exposing their dark side to the world is an outcome the Navy cannot tolerate.

"Moreover, the rat even hid his true location from Momonga, so the actual time of his arrival here is not within the other party's knowledge. Without contact, they won't notice anything unusual for now."

"Even if they do notice, with the warship accelerating..."

Lowett glanced at the warship stained red with blood, a smirk playing on his lips.

I'm not without one!

Considering all this, he should actually thank the rat.

Not only did it provide transportation, but it also bought him precious time to eliminate Arlong's domain before Momonga could.

"Black Knight, bring all the Zombie Puppets aboard the ship, and depart immediately!"

Having figured out the crucial point, Lowett suddenly turned and issued the order.

"Roar!"

From here to Arlong's domain will only take a few hours.

As long as I move quickly, Momonga won't be able to do anything to me.

The cunning Navy Vice Admiral gave me a perfect intelligence gap. If I had proceeded with the original plan of attacking leisurely, Momonga would have happily watched the tigers fight and then reaped the benefits.

The Navy has a long history of such tactics.

But he definitely wouldn't have expected me to be able to use soul-searching to obtain information and find the key to breaking the deadlock.

"Strangely, I feel like I'm becoming more familiar with my identity."

Standing on the deck of the warship, Lowett's expression was playful.

Engaging in wits and battles with the Navy, dodging pursuit, isn't that just the daily life of a pirate?

Three hours later, a Navy warship.

"What did you say?!"

Behind his desk, Momonga's eyes widened, and he stood up in anger.

"The rat is in trouble?"

The Vice Captain who came to report the situation was sweating profusely, lowering his head and not daring to look at him. "Y-yes, by all accounts, the Captain should have arrived long ago, but he hasn't sent any news back yet."

Even if he encountered a battle, three hours is a bit too long.

"Scoundrel!!"

Momonga was furious, his Haki radiating outwards.

He wasn't angry at the rat, but at his subordinates.

He had always assumed the rat was hiding far away, and even if he had to rush there, it would take a day. He never imagined it would only take a few hours, from afternoon to dusk.

Such important information, and they only reported it now. Momonga knew the reason: they didn't want him to know what the rat had done, fearing repercussions.

But now that the rat was missing, the Vice Captain and the others were in a panic...

"As expected, a big fish!"

Momonga's face was grim.

To be able to prevent hundreds of soldiers from sending distress signals, the opponent's intention in hiding in Klar Village was obvious.

If it weren't for themselves, they would surely have to fight the Fishmen!

"Vice Admiral, should we rush over there now?"

The adjutant asked.

Considering the usual speed of pirate ships, three hours wasn't too long; they could still catch up.

No matter how big the problem with that rat was, he represented the Navy. Such actions were a slap in the face to the Navy!

However, Momonga pondered for a moment and decisively shook his head.

"No, there's no need! Don't forget our true objective."

They only had one warship and couldn't split their forces. Rescuing the thousands of civilians in Arlong's territory was the top priority, more so than pursuing that group of unknown criminals.

This was a difficult choice.

Was the Navy's authority more important, or the lives of the common people?

The adjutant gave a wry smile and then saluted respectfully.

"Understood!"

Immediately, Momonga glanced at the terrified Branch 16 Vice Captain standing before him and let out a cold snort.

"How far is it from here to Arlong's territory?"

Plop!

The Vice Captain immediately knelt on the ground, trembling.

A dark and windy night, perfect for murder.

The world was pitch black, and even the stars in the sky had hidden themselves in the dark clouds. It was incomprehensible, as they looked down upon the people fighting and killing each other on the sea with fear.

Standing before Arlong, Kuroobi and the others didn't dare to breathe.

A terrifying killing intent, cold as ice, licked at their necks, causing them to break out in a cold sweat.

After an unknown amount of time, Arlong stretched his stiff neck and sneered.

"It seems I've been too quiet for too long..."

"Big Brother!"

Chuu couldn't help but look up, "Now..."

"It's not the time for impulsive actions... I know."

Arlong interrupted him, "The rats are all wiped out, and Momonga will surely attack in full force impatiently. If we don't leave tonight, we'll never be able to leave."

Arlong was just as aware of how far Momonga was from his territory.

"But, are you willing to accept this?"

Arlong glared with beast-like eyes, baring his teeth. "In the future, if we meet at sea, we'll just make way for them?!"

"Why?!"

"The sea is ours, the Fishmen's. We are born stronger and superior to humans; we are the true superior race!"

"Why should humans rule over us? Have you forgotten the slave markets of Sabaody?"

Fish-Man Island was the homeland of the Fishmen. Most of those who followed Arlong to the East Blue had witnessed the bloody, dark, and shameful reality of Sabaody Archipelago.

There was no love without reason, nor hate without reason.

Arlong's cruelty towards humans was a result of humanity's own actions.

Having said that, Arlong turned his head.

"You said he turned all the soldiers on that entire warship into flesh and blood, which then turned into black crows from over ten meters away?"

Kuroobi took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Yes, I suspect it's some kind of Devil Fruit ability that can be released remotely... Furthermore, the person in the black robe beside him, their speed is so fast they can run on the sea; they are also not to be underestimated."

Since they weren't planning to leave, the only option was to fight!

The power of a Devil Fruit user was undeniable, and the speed displayed by the person in the black robe was even more incredible; they couldn't afford to be careless.

"[Black Count] Lowett... Is that it? I've underestimated him all this time."

Arlong tapped his fingers on the table, and after a moment, he looked up.

"Go back to sleep, all of you. Rest well."

"Since you dare to provoke the Fishmen, be prepared to die!"

"Yes!!"

Fueled by deep hatred and racial pride, the Fishmen responded loudly.

The long night eventually came to an end.

When the first ray of dawn illuminated the land, all things awakened. The bright radiance dyed the horizon golden yellow, like golden reflections in the sky, beautiful and magnificent.

Splash!

The navy warship sailed straight towards the flimsy port of Cocoyasi Village, breaking the morning tranquility.

CLANG!!

The gangplank was heavily thrown onto the stone steps by the shore, and Lowett, holding his cane, walked down slowly.

"Desolate land."

Cocoyasi Village was not wealthy, possessing quite the flair of an American Western film. The dirt roads in the village would turn to mud once it rained, showcasing their poverty.

"You stay here and wait, understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

Wallace bowed respectfully and returned to the ship.

The Black Knight passed by him, and the intense aura of death made him involuntarily shiver.

"Hundred Plans" Kuro, how formidable a figure was he back then?

He had even broken through the Navy's repeated encirclements, making him one of the top Great Pirates in the East Blue.

In the end, he was killed by that adult, and even his corpse was controlled by them.

Wallace stood stiffly on the left side of the road, trembling.

SPLASH!

As the Black Knight descended the gangplank, more zombies emerged from the sea, crawling onto the shore one after another.

It was also the effort of this group of tools that allowed the completely overloaded warship to travel overnight and arrive here at dawn.

"Let's go!"

Lowett peeled an orange and chewed it in his mouth, his peripheral vision sweeping across the houses lining the street.

This village was already on edge; even the Navy's warships dared not appear.

Weakness is not a sin, merely a tragedy.

Living in chaotic times without the strength to protect oneself is undeniably painful.

Lowett's visit was certainly not to be a savior, so he paid no mind to the villagers peeking at him from behind their doors.

He led the Black Knight and the undead army towards Arlong's territory.

This battle was a race against time!

"The direction they're going... is Arlong's territory!"

In the pitch-black room, through the crack in the door, Nojiko's eyes widened, and she whispered before running towards the door.

"Stop!"

Kensuke quickly grabbed her, lowering his voice, "Are you trying to die? Didn't you see those are monsters?"

"But..."

Nojiko clenched her fist, "Nami is there!"

Last night, Arlong's group had been transporting weapons overnight in preparation for battle. Such a thing could not be hidden from Cocoyasi Village, which was just a stone's throw away.

Now that the enemy had arrived, as a member of the Arlong Pirates, Nami was also an "enemy."

"I..."

Kensuke's voice faltered. He glanced back at the villagers cowering in the room and said, "I'll go with you!"

"Kensuke!"

"No need to persuade me. As the village chief, how can I abandon Nami?"

By the way, I'm asking for recommendations and collections. The trial recommendation is unlikely to even reach a thousand. This result isn't bad, but it's certainly not good.

If collections aren't enough, recommendations will make up for it.

For next week's recommendation slot, I sincerely ask all fellow readers not to forget to cast your free recommendation votes daily.

Thank you!

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