Mongge hadn't expected that after more than a month on the vast ocean without encountering a single pirate crew, he would run into a World Government ship first.
And it didn't look like an ordinary ship, either.
"Captain, besides that strange steamship, there are two Marine warships!"
Beside the enormous steamship, two dark-green Marine warships sailed as escorts. Seeing this, Lipri and Rocks felt their hearts leap into their throats.
"We'll go around them!"
Mongge furrowed his brow and gave the order.
Though he was a pirate, he wasn't so deranged that he would attack the Marines unprovoked. Some people called them the World Government's lapdogs, but it couldn't be denied that the Marines protected many countries from pirate attacks. Plenty of Marines had joined because they wanted to protect ordinary people.
It was obvious.
The two Marine warships were escorting the steamship in the middle. With a mission to carry out, Mongge didn't think they would attack first.
But what Mongge hadn't expected was that after he ordered Rocks to turn the Black Pearl, the three ships opposite them turned their bows in their direction as well.
What was that supposed to mean?
Mongge was baffled. Had the White Wolf Pirates been gone for nearly a year, to the point that they no longer had any deterrent?
Mongge hadn't expected the three World Government and Marine ships to turn toward them. The Marines aboard those ships hadn't expected it, either.
They had deliberately changed course, yet the pirate ship flying the White Wolf Pirates' flag had turned to follow them.
Their last shred of hope vanished.
"Damn it, that's the White Wolf Pirates' ship, the Black Pearl! White Wolf Moger must be aboard. They're coming for us!"
"How did the intelligence leak? We were following a top-secret route!"
"Quick, request reinforcements from Headquarters!"
"..."
The two Marine warships descended into chaos. Vice Admiral Howard Ackerman, who was in charge of escorting the cargo ship, looked positively grim.
"Everyone, calm down!"
Howard Ackerman slammed his fist against the table.
"I've already contacted Headquarters. An Admiral will come to reinforce us. All we have to do is hold off the White Wolf Pirates until the Admiral arrives!"
He said it confidently enough, but Howard Ackerman had no confidence in his heart.
That was White Wolf Moger!
Who in the entire Navy didn't know by now that the White Wolf Pirates hadn't disbanded—and that White Wolf Moger had grown powerful enough to injure a Marine Admiral?
Headquarters was even preparing to raise the bounties of every member of the White Wolf Pirates.
He was only a low-ranking Headquarters Vice Admiral. Using the warships' firepower to repel a few Great Pirates with bounties over a hundred million was within his abilities.
But sending him to fight White Wolf Moger? That was as good as asking for death.
But the arrow was already on the string. He had no choice but to release it.
Howard Ackerman didn't believe for a moment that the White Wolf Pirates were merely passing by. If they were, why had they deliberately blocked his path?
Mongge was wondering the same thing.
Pirate ships avoided warships. When had warships ever avoided pirate crews?
It was like two people on bicycles meeting on a one-way street. One tried to avoid the other, the other tried to avoid him, and they ended up crashing into each other.
"Prepare to fire!"
Howard Ackerman made the first move.
"As long as we hold off the White Wolf Pirates and stop them from boarding, we'll win once the Admiral arrives!"
"Yes, sir!"
Mongge didn't want a naval battle.
The giant shipwrights of Elbaf had once carefully inspected the Black Pearl. Though it had been diligently maintained over the years, decades had still left plenty of cracks in its keel.
If possible, Mongge wanted the Black Pearl to complete this final stretch of its journey safely. He would do everything he could to avoid a naval battle.
But the Marines across from him clearly didn't share his wishes.
"Captain, they're attacking!"
"Rocks, Lipri, stop all those cannonballs!"
A trace of murderous intent flashed in Mongge's eyes.
He wasn't the same old man from a year ago who hadn't even dared to make the first move.
Just two warships...
"I'll be right back!"
Mongge wouldn't attack the Marines first, but if they attacked him, he wasn't kindhearted enough to show mercy.
"Blame your commanding officer!"
Mongge leaped off the Black Pearl.
Skywalk!
The Black Pearl was about five kilometers from the three World Government ships. Yet even from that distance, the Marine warships' cannonballs still landed precisely where the Black Pearl was. Their gunners were clearly elite.
But they shouldn't have provoked them!
"Wave Slash!"
A long, narrow arc of sword light flew toward the two Marine warships. Compared to Hagoku, this long-range slash cost less energy and was better for testing the warships' strength.
It was easy to block.
"Iron Body Impact!"
A dark figure leaped high into the air from one of the warships, then punched at the sword light Mongge had sent flying.
The familiar stance made Mongge's eyes narrow.
Then he watched the figure get sent flying by his slash.
Seriously, man?
Mongge, still in midair, was stunned.
If you're that weak, why would you dare to stop my ship? Were the Marines these days no longer afraid of dying?
His slash...
Any Great Pirate with a bounty over a hundred million could have blocked it easily.
"As expected of White Wolf Moger!"
After being sent flying by a single slash, Vice Admiral Howard Ackerman looked at Mongge with deep apprehension, his arm bearing a wound that went down to the bone.
He had overestimated his own strength and underestimated Mongge's terrifying power.
"Surrender!"
"Vice Admiral!"
"Vice Admiral Ackerman!?"
"..."
Howard Ackerman waved a hand.
"The White Wolf Pirates are known for not killing. They won't slaughter Marines who surrender. I don't know why they're after this shipment of Celestial Gold, but you've all seen it: if we keep resisting, we'll only suffer more casualties."
They were in the middle of the New World. It would take an Admiral at least half a month to reach them. Even if a nearby Marine Base could send reinforcements, what could the troops from a single base do against the White Wolf Pirates?
"Don't worry. What we're transporting is important, but we're up against White Wolf Moger. Even if it gets stolen, we won't be to blame."
He was a monster who could defeat even an Admiral. What could they possibly do against someone like that?
So the Marines surrendered.
When Mongge saw the white flags rise above the Marine warships,
He briefly thought it was a Marine ploy.
But after he stopped attacking, he saw the two Marine warships swiftly sail away, leaving only the cargo ship in the middle behind.
Mongge began to realize something was wrong.
At last, Mongge saw the dazzling array of high-end goods packed into the ship, along with boxes and boxes of gold, silver, and jewels piled in the hold.
The worry weighing on Mongge's heart finally came true.
This ship was carrying "Celestial Gold."
He had robbed the Celestial Gold that the World Government Affiliated Nations paid to the Celestial Dragons!
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