Ruthless Hog Departs

When it came to this point, the merchant ship side, which had firearms, definitely had the advantage, and the pirates suffered far more losses than the merchant ship.

"You, hurry up and help the Old Captain fight, otherwise, everyone will die," Ivan said to the guards around him.

"But?" They were concerned about Ivan's safety and hesitated. These guards no longer cared about their own lives. Even if they died in battle, their families would receive a generous pension. However, their mission was to protect this batch of goods, and more importantly, to protect the person in charge of the goods, which was Ivan.

Although Ivan was inconspicuous in the merchant association, in their eyes, he was a distinguished and important figure, so protecting Ivan was their priority.

"If the Old Captain is defeated, none of us will survive. If we help the Old Captain defeat Fire Wolf Hog, then the remaining pirates will be insignificant," Ivan analyzed calmly.

What Ivan said made sense, and since it was his request, the guards, holding their weapons, rushed towards the battling Fire Wolf Hog.

"Damn it, old man, wouldn't it be better to just lie down obediently?" Hog was very angry. The guy in front of him was the biggest stumbling block preventing him from achieving his goal. He threw a punch at the Old Captain's chest. The Old Captain took two steps back and blocked the punch with his sword. A "clang" sound echoed.

"Haha, I'm not so old that I can't move yet! Hog," the Old Captain laughed heartily, constantly defending with his sword. It wasn't that he didn't want to attack, but rather he wanted to conserve his strength and stamina, as Hog's offense was too fierce.

Hog, in order to defeat the Old Captain quickly, was going all out, not wanting to give the Old Captain any chance to breathe.

And at this moment, these guards were sent over by Ivan. The remaining pirates wanted to provide support because the final victory now depended on the battle between Hog and the Old Captain, and they didn't want any variables to appear in the fight.

"Bang bang!" Gunshots rang out continuously, aimed in the direction of these pirates. The sailors from the merchant ship and other sailors stepped forward, blocking the pirates.

The addition of a few guards added a slight variable to the battle between the Old Captain and Hog, giving the Old Captain a moment to catch his breath. However, compared to Hog, their strength was vastly different.

Hog easily dodged their attacks and landed a punch on one of the guards, sending him flying. With another punch, his cruelty was revealed as he smashed another guard's head with all his might. A "crack!" sound, as if hearing a skull split open.

This contained his anger, his ambition. The thing he desired was right before his eyes, yet he was blocked by one person after another, unable to obtain it.

He vented his anger on these guards who rushed forward. Suddenly, a sword flashed as he lunged. The Old Captain seized the opportunity while Hog was venting on the guards and found a weakness in Hog.

Facing this sword, Hog naturally felt a sense of crisis. His combat experience was very rich. At that moment, a guard charged forward, completely disregarding his own life, to hold Hog back. Clad in armor, he swung his long saber at Hog. Hog snorted coldly, Armament Haki wrapped around his body, blocking the attack. He kicked the guard in the abdomen, sending him flying.

However, this meant he couldn't avoid the Old Captain's sword, which was right in front of him.

"Sizzle!" The sword pierced Hog's chest. Hog twisted his body to dodge, but even with Armament Haki, the sword still hit him. The long sword struck Hog's arm, his left arm.

A cruel smile appeared on Hog's face. Armament Haki covered his right palm, and he directly grabbed the blade of the sword stuck in his arm. At the same time, he kicked the Old Captain. With his weapon caught, facing this kick, the Old Captain was somewhat helpless and let go of his long sword.

He dodged the kick. Although Hog took a sword strike, the Old Captain lost his weapon, and his combat power greatly decreased. Hog endured the pain and forcefully pulled the long sword out of his arm, throwing it aside. He quickly ran towards the Old Captain. With Hog's gaze fixed on him, the Old Captain didn't even have a chance to pick up a weapon.

"Quick, quick, all of you, go up and block Hog for me!" Ivan, watching the battle, shouted. He hadn't expected such a sudden turn of events in the fight, and he underestimated Hog's ruthlessness, which was not only directed at others but also at himself.

At the same time, he became anxious, constantly sending out the remaining guards to help the Old Captain. After all, to achieve victory, their hopes could only be placed on the Old Captain.

Meanwhile, while they were still fighting, Teach had already arrived in the room of the person in charge named Ivan. Since no one was there, Teach easily entered the room. His eyes immediately fell on a suitcase by the window. The suitcase had two layers, and the second layer had a mechanism, making it difficult to open otherwise. However, none of this could stop Teach. The workings of this mechanism quickly appeared in his mind.

Teach easily disarmed the mechanism and took out the hidden Devil Fruit. It was a dark purple Devil Fruit, an Ancient Zoan type. Teach didn't recognize it, as he hadn't seen the complete Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia was constantly being updated. Unknown Devil Fruits were far more numerous than imagined.

Devil Fruits were very rare and precious, but to major powers and Great Pirates, they were just that; if they wanted them, they could obtain many Devil Fruits. For example, the Whitebeard Pirates' warehouse contained dozens of Devil Fruits, but only those with powerful abilities caught their attention.

However, Teach felt that the quality of this Devil Fruit should be good and carefully collected it.

He closed the suitcase and put it back in its original place, leaving no difference from when he entered. Then Teach walked out, closed the door, and quietly left.

Ivan and Hog were still unaware that the Devil Fruit they were protecting and longing for had already been taken by Teach.

One by one, guards charged forward, using their lives to block Hog's actions. The Old Captain gained time to pick up his weapon and, under the cover of these guards, continuously attacked Hog.

"Damn it." Dealing with the guards was easy, but it made him easily distracted, giving the Old Captain an opportunity. The battle between two powerful individuals of the same level allowed for no carelessness. Soon, with the help of these guards, Hog gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing this, the other crew members became anxious. Their losses in this battle were too great; more than half of their crew had sacrificed their lives here. They hadn't expected such a powerful defensive force from such a small merchant ship.

"Captain, retreat quickly, otherwise we will all be left here," a crew member shouted. Hog listened, feeling unwilling, but he also understood that if this continued, not only would he not get the Devil Fruit, but he would also die here. Since his plan had failed, his own life was more important. He knew what was more important.

Using his Fire Wolf Fist to push back the guards one by one, Hog took two steps back. "Then let's go quickly," Hog shouted, running to the side of the ship. He jumped back onto the Fire Wolf, and the remaining pirates followed, jumping back onto the Fire Wolf.

No one on the merchant ship pursued them. They were already exhausted and could not withstand further losses. Watching Hog's Fire Wolf set sail and head into the distance.

Smoke billowed everywhere, and bodies littered the deck, both enemies and comrades. Blood flowed on the deck, and a mournful atmosphere covered the air. The battle was over, but there was no joy of victory. The losses this time were far greater than those on Devil's Island before.

Looking at the corpses of their companions, who had been joking around just before, and who had lived and worked together, many sailors on the ship shed tears of grief.

The Old Captain looked at the bodies of the sailors on the deck, their familiar faces, each one he knew, but they were no longer here. There were cracks all over the ship, the most severe caused by the Fire Wolf Pirates' ship colliding with it, leaving a piece missing from the entire ship. There were also cracks in other places, mostly caused by the battle. This old ship was about to meet its end.

"Sigh!" This sigh was not just because he was old, but also because his heart was old. He would find a place to enjoy his twilight years. At his age, he couldn't endure any more hardships.

However, there were two people on the ship who were very happy: Teach and Ivan. Teach was happy because he had obtained the Devil Fruit and had gained much inspiration from Hog's Fire Wolf Fist, which he could use to perfect his taijutsu.

As for Ivan, he had protected the Devil Fruit and repelled the pirates who were after it. This way, as long as he delivered the Devil Fruit back, his mission would be considered complete. Little did he know what awaited him.

"Damn it, I can't get that Devil Fruit now. Those damned guards, and that old man." On the Fire Wolf Pirates' ship, in the captain's cabin, there was a loud bang, and a huge commotion erupted from inside. Hog's eyes were bloodshot, and the surroundings were smashed and thrown around. In short, the once tidy captain's cabin was in chaos, destroyed by Hog.

Outside, the pirates listened to the commotion from the pirate ship and their captain's roars. They were cautious and silent, fearing they might anger the captain, who was in a rage.

"Since that's the case, if I can't have it, then no one else will easily deliver this Devil Fruit," Hog said slowly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, gritting his teeth.

The Fire Wolf Pirates returned to Mud Island in a sorry state. The huge losses shocked the entire island. This was a top-tier pirate group in the vicinity, yet they had suffered such heavy losses, losing eighty percent of their crew.

This made everyone very curious. Soon, they received news that the Fire Wolf Pirates had gone to rob a merchant ship and had underestimated the merchant ship's defensive strength, resulting in a mutually destructive outcome.

More importantly, there was a Devil Fruit on that merchant ship, and Fire Wolf Hog had gone to rob the merchant ship for that Devil Fruit, but he failed in the end.

This news was personally obtained from the mouth of the Fire Wolf Pirates' captain, Hog.

Suddenly, all the pirates on Mud Island became excited. A Devil Fruit, such a great treasure of the sea, was actually on a merchant ship. The Fire Wolf Pirates had consumed most of its power, and almost all the pirate groups set out. Even those without strength wanted to witness the excitement.

And Fire Wolf Hog very kindly pointed them in the direction.

"Wh-what's going on? Where's the Devil Fruit?" Ivan was going crazy. He had happily returned to check on the Devil Fruit he had hidden, but when he opened it, he found that the Devil Fruit was gone. He rummaged through the small compartment, but found only air, nothing at all.

Ivan's face was contorted. He had put so much effort into this, thinking he had finally secured it, only to lose it in the end. How could he possibly accept this?

"Yes, yes, it must have been the Fire Wolf Pirates who took it. They came with such a grand display, fighting even with heavy losses. They must have been after the Devil Fruit," Ivan seemed to be losing his mind, placing the blame for the lost Devil Fruit entirely on the departing Fire Wolf Pirates. "They must have left because they already had the Devil Fruit in hand."

Constantly on the move, the merchant ship soon arrived at the second island on this route, Cedar Island. It was an island rich in timber, mostly cedar trees, which is why it was named Cedar Island. It was also one of the foremost shipbuilding islands in the New World, home to many shipwrights and a major gathering place for shipwrights in the New World, with numerous shipyards.

The merchant ship docked at the island's port, and Teach and Mobius disembarked. "Boss Teach, aren't we taking the ship anymore?" "Heeheehee, the fate of this ship has already been decided. With so many of our forces lost, it's no longer safe. The other passengers are getting off too," Teach chuckled.

Mobius glanced to the side and indeed, as Teach had said, the ship was no longer safe. The passengers he had briefly met were already disembarking with their luggage.

Looking back at the merchant ship, it was damaged and seemed somewhat defeated.

On the ship, the Old Captain held a lit cigarette, took a puff, and slowly exhaled. The sailors stood behind him as he spoke to Ivan, the person in charge, "I am truly sorry, but for the sake of this ship and the sailors on board, I can only take you this far. As for compensation for the failure, I will give it to you later."

"How can this be? Didn't you promise to take us back to Pet Island? You're the captain with the most credibility in these waters," Ivan was anxious. He hadn't expected the Old Captain to abandon him at this crucial moment, especially considering how much he had relied on the Old Captain's formidable strength through all the difficulties they had faced.

"I'm sorry, I've decided to retire. My credibility is no longer my concern," the Old Captain smiled and said to Ivan, "You may leave. Our sailors will help you unload the cargo."

Seeing that the Old Captain's mind was made up and knowing time was of the essence, Ivan quickly found another transport ship and left in a hurry. However, what he didn't know was that someone on the island had been secretly watching them. With the Den Den Mushi, news of him having the Devil Fruit had already reached Cedar Island. Ivan hadn't expected Hog to be so ruthless as to leak the information about him having the Devil Fruit.

The Old Captain watched Ivan's retreating figure without a word. After sailing the seas for so many years, he was sensitive to people's gazes, especially those that didn't know how to hide their greed. This was the true reason for his decision. Just as he had said, it was for the ship and for the sailors on board.