A Dark and Stormy Night for Murder

I was feeling dejected, and then just a few days later, I suddenly heard that the Arlong Pirates had been wiped out, and the heroes who rid the people of their scourge were now standing before us!"

Sophia said this, her expression suddenly turning solemn. She then raised her right hand first. "Marines, all attention! Salute the heroes!"

Swish swish!

The surrounding marines snapped to attention, saluting in unison. This sudden action startled Nami and Nojiko greatly.

"Hey, Nojiko."

Nami's face flushed, and she whispered into her ear, "Do you think the marines at this base are much stronger than those at Branch 16?"

"Really?"

Nojiko tilted her head and shook it. "I'm not sure about their combat strength, but their military bearing is definitely much better. They look very imposing. It seems this Captain Sophia is much more competent than that Rat."

"Thank you, thank you,"

Scarred had never received such treatment before, his mouth splitting into a wide grin.

Although he knew it was because of his boss's reputation, he felt a sense of pride. His face flushed, and he quickly said, "But we can't accept the title of heroes. The entire Arlong Pirates were taken down by Boss Xianuo single-handedly."

"Ah, I know. I heard you mention it on the phone."

Sophia smiled and nodded, looking around with some curiosity. "Hmm, where is Lord Xianuo? Isn't he here?"

"He is here, but he just fought a big battle and hasn't recovered from his injuries. He also caught a chill at sea, so he's a bit weak and not fit to be seen. That's why he hasn't disembarked. Please forgive us."

Scarred apologized, pointing to a spot on the ship.

Sophia followed his gaze.

Indeed, she saw a sturdy figure in a black robe leaning against the railing, a long sword on his back. He smiled and waved in their direction.

But this was immediately followed by a violent coughing fit. He clutched his chest and, supported by two crew members, limped away and entered the cabin.

"I heard Lord Xianuo is still very young. Last year, he won the Kendo Tournament championship on Asagiri Island. Now he's defeated a powerful enemy like the Arlong Pirates. I imagine his swordsmanship has greatly improved. He's not just the strongest of the younger generation; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the strongest swordsman in the entire East Blue."

Sophia withdrew her gaze, her face filled with regret.

"What a shame. I'm also a swordsman. It's rare to have this opportunity. I was hoping to spar with Lord Xianuo and have him guide my swordsmanship."

"R-really?"

Scarred gave a dry laugh. He recalled the scenes he had witnessed on the mountain: the hollowed-out mountain, the flying giant trees, skin impervious to bullets...

Boss Xianuo, he... should still be considered a swordsman, right?

At the same time, on the top floor of the Branch 16 fortress.

Rat's face was grim. He kicked open his office door and strode to the spacious desk, sitting down in the familiar leather armchair.

"That brat..." He clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.

Where did he come from? When did the East Blue get such a ruthless character? He was a complete monster!

With such strength, why wasn't he making a name for himself in the Grand Line? Why was he hiding in a small village as a farmer?

"Just you wait..."

Rat's hatred was insatiable. He couldn't afford to provoke him for now, but wouldn't he leave his hometown someday? When that day came, his family, and those foolish villagers who dared to laugh at him...

Ring ring ring~!

The Den Den Mushi on his desk suddenly rang.

Rat was jolted from his thoughts and quickly picked up the receiver. "Hello... Huh? It's you? Rear Admiral, didn't we agree to contact next week? Why now..."

"Just a few days early, what's the difference? I say, is my share of the money ready?"

A deep, magnetic voice came from the other end of the receiver. At the same time, the Den Den Mushi produced a pair of sunglasses from somewhere, put them on, and lit a cigar, leisurely puffing away.

"Ready, ready!"

Rat replied hastily, pressing a red button under his desk. The bookshelf behind him suddenly rotated, revealing a huge metal safe.

Opening the safe door, it was filled with stacks of green ten-thousand-Belly notes. A rough count showed at least a hundred million Belly.

"A total of ten million Belly. Don't worry, I'll go to the bank tomorrow and deposit it into your account." Rat pulled out a stack, closed the safe, and counted the money with a smile.

"Ten million Belly?"

The other party paused for a moment, then his tone turned cold.

"Rat, are you joking? The agreement was thirty percent for the first year, wasn't it? You've been in office for almost a full year. Don't tell me you've only earned thirty million Belly in total."

"Money is hard to earn, and shit is hard to eat, sir."

Rat hastily complained, "This place is remote and desolate. Many villages are in the middle of nowhere. In reality, I haven't even earned thirty million yet. It was difficult enough to come up with ten million. I just rounded it up and wanted to thank you for your guidance to Arlong and his crew a while back."

"...That's barely acceptable. Fine, let it be for this year."

The magnetic voice said coldly, "Next year, this figure should not be less than thirty million. Remember, it was the military merits I allocated to you that allowed you to become the base commander of this branch. It's worth far more than this amount."

"Yes, yes, I understand, Rear Admiral."

The rat nodded repeatedly, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"Speaking of which, sir, I recently offended someone. That guy is quite capable, and I'm a bit worried he'll come to my door for revenge, so I was thinking if I should strike first and get rid of him..."

"Quite capable?" The magnetic voice let out a scoff. "In a place like the East Blue, what kind of deeply hidden experts could there be? What's his name?"

"His name is..."

BOOM!

At that instant, the glass outside the window shattered violently.

A dark figure, who had been hiding outside listening for a while, suddenly stepped into the office on the top floor.

The rat instinctively turned his head at the sound. Before he could react, a powerful hand, like a pair of iron pincers, tightly gripped his throat, lifting him high off the ground like an eagle snatching a chick.

It's you!

You actually dare to come here?!

The black-haired youth before him had an indifferent expression. The rat's eyes widened in disbelief. He struggled desperately, wanting to speak, but could only manage a low, pained "Mmmph" sound.

"Rat? Rat!"

An anxious voice came from the other end of the receiver. "Hello! What's going on?! What happened over there?!"

No one could answer.

In the rat's terrified pupils, the black-haired youth reflected was slowly revealing a sinister smile, then suddenly grabbed his entire head and violently slammed it against the iron door of the safe!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Once, twice, thrice... Xianuo's movements were swift and decisive, one after another, giving the rat no room to struggle at all.

"Mmm, mmm..." At first, the latter let out faint groans, but soon he completely stopped moving. The metal safe door was gradually smeared with blood and brain matter, caving in bit by bit