Brother Jango, You Wouldn't Want To...

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Jango was the First Mate of the Black Cat Pirates and could be said to be Captain Kuro's most trusted subordinate. With him serving as an insider, the chances of successfully taking down Kuro would greatly increase.

"In countless battles before, who knew how many companions had been accidentally killed by Captain Kuro's Silent Step? Yet Captain Kuro never cared in the slightest."

"As long as someone obstructed his plans, even a companion would be killed!"

"Do you understand?"

"He is a cruel, heartless monster. Everyone is merely a pawn to him, disposable at any time!"

Jango coldly recounted Kuro's strength and brutality, along with various events from the past, seemingly trying to frighten Luo Ya into backing down.

"Even if it were me, once Captain Kuro noticed anything unusual about me, he would kill me without mercy just to be safe!"

"."

The room fell silent.

Fullbody's face turned pale. He had indeed been frightened by Kuro's cruelty and cunning. The title "Hundred Plans" was absolutely well deserved.

Great strength combined with a shrewd mind had built Kuro's fearsome reputation. It was far more than a simple case of one plus one equaling two.

Luo Ya wore a strange expression as he asked Jango a question that struck at his soul. "Since even you are just a pawn, why are you still loyal to Kuro?"

"."

Jango's brain crashed.

That was right!

Captain Kuro trusted no one, not even him. There was no friendship or any other bond between them.

Why was he loyal to Captain Kuro?

Fear?

Yes, fear!

He was afraid Captain Kuro would kill him!

The corners of Luo Ya's lips curled up as he whispered into Jango's ear like a demon, "Rather than live in fear of death, why not help us Marines put an end to that fear?"

"As long as Kuro is taken down, that merit alone will be enough to spare you the death penalty."

"Not only that, I can guarantee in the name of the 153rd Branch that we will vouch for you in court and exempt you from imprisonment."

"You will break free from Kuro's control and gain true freedom."

"Well, Brother Jango?"

"The most important thing about being a pirate is freedom, isn't it?"

Freedom?

Jango's pupils trembled.

How long had it been since he had heard those two words? Hadn't he chosen to go to sea and become a pirate for freedom and treasure?

Beads of sweat slid down his forehead.

Ten minutes later.

Jango, his clothes soaked through with sweat and his body nearly dehydrated, raised his head. His cracked lips trembled slightly, and his voice was incredibly hoarse.

"Tell me, what should I do?"

"Very simple!"

Luo Ya smiled.

Having Jango as an insider was not enough. They also needed bait that Kuro would find difficult to resist, and that bait happened to be right beside him.

Luo Ya told Jango his plan.

After pondering for a moment, Luo Ya still felt a little uneasy. If this guy's acting was too poor and Kuro spotted the flaw in advance, everything would go down the drain.

"Brother Jango, I remember you're very skilled at Hypnosis, right?"

"Of course!"

Jango proudly raised his chin.

Compared to his personal strength, Hypnosis was his greatest skill. It was also how he had risen to the position of First Mate.

"Very good!"

Luo Ya narrowed his eyes.

"Hypnotize yourself!"

"Huh?"

Jango froze, not quite understanding.

"I said, hypnotize yourself!"

Luo Ya coldly emphasized, "Hypnotize yourself into forgetting that you defected to us, and set a signal. Once you hear that signal, you will recall today's memories. Can you do that?"

"Yes!"

Brother Jango swallowed hard.

How could this young Marine be even more cautious than Captain Kuro? He had even taken Jango's ability into account.

That way, Captain Kuro would never notice anything unusual about him. No, it should be said that even Jango himself would not know he had betrayed Captain Kuro!

What a despicable Marine!

Still not reassured, Luo Ya thought for a moment and decided to add another layer of insurance. He pointed at the trembling Fullbody beside him, the corners of his mouth stretching to his ears.

"To prevent you from betraying our Marines at the final moment, there's something else I must remind you of."

"For this plan, Fullbody and I have bet everything on you. If it fails, Fullbody and I will definitely face military punishment!"

"I personally don't care, but Fullbody will probably spend the rest of his life in Impel Down, ending his days under the double torment of brutal torture and betrayal by his closest friend."

"Brother Jango, you wouldn't want your closest friend to be tortured either, would you?"

Brother Jango's face went deathly pale.

Demon. This guy was absolutely a Demon!

Captain Kuro's terror was not even a tenth of his!

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Luo Ya lightly clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"Very good. I'm sure you understand the seriousness of the matter. Then let's begin. Aside from forgetting today's experience, there is also some intelligence you need to relay to your Captain Kuro."

"Yes, Lord Luo Ya!"

Half an hour later.

Brother Jango woke up on a small boat outside the harbor.

"Huh? I escaped?"

Brother Jango hurriedly looked around. He was the only one on the boat, and the Marines who had been chasing him were nowhere to be seen.

Seeing the Warship docked in the harbor, Brother Jango hurriedly rowed away from the island, not forgetting to raise his middle finger.

"Bye-bye, stupid Marines! As if you could ever catch me!"

"I've got to get back quickly!"

"This time, I got important intelligence. Once we steal their treasure, Captain Kuro will definitely give me a big share of the money!"

"Da-da-da, spin~ jump~"

On the deck of the Syrup Go.

Watching the small boat gradually sail away, Luo Ya withdrew his gaze in satisfaction. Now, all he had to do was wait for Kuro to take the bait.

"Huh? Di Ge, what's wrong?"

Luo Ya looked at Fullbody in confusion. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Fullbody's gaze seemed strange, and his body was trembling slightly.

Feeling Luo Ya's death glare, Fullbody shuddered and hurriedly put on a fawning smile.

"Luo Ya—no, Brother Luo Ya. You can just call me Little Di from now on!"

"..."

Luo Ya was speechless.

Had this guy been frightened by how he looked just now?

After hesitating for a moment, Fullbody cautiously asked, "Um, if we fail, will I really be thrown into Impel Down?"

"What nonsense are you thinking? I was just scaring him."

Luo Ya rolled his eyes.

"If this plan fails, whether we can even survive will be a question. How would we get the chance to face a military court?"

"Oh, right!"

Fullbody suddenly understood and slapped his palm.

Wait, wasn't that even worse?!

He had never planned to face the Black Cat Pirates head-on. According to his plan, once he completed the mission of protecting Miss Kaya, he would head to Marine Headquarters to report in.

But why had he suddenly gotten dragged into such a dangerous mission?!

"Luo Ya, we're brothers, right?"

"Of course!"

"You wouldn't sell me out too, would you?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then is it still too late for me to quit?"

"What do you think?"

Luo Ya chuckled.

Since he had become a Marine, there would be countless more dangerous situations ahead, not to mention the super-dungeon known as the "Summit War."

If he wanted to run from even this much danger, he might as well go home and raise pigs!

"Come on, let's have a drink to calm our nerves!"