Morito slowly withdrew his Byakugan vision.
Though he couldn't hear what the Navy Captain was saying, it wasn't hard to guess from the man's expression and gaze that they seemed very displeased by their arrival.
"Heh. Interesting."
Morito's mouth twitched, a faintly exasperated look on his face.
He was being looked down on by a bunch of nobodies?
Kazan noticed Morito's expression and asked instinctively, "What's wrong? Is something off?"
"Don't hold me back."
Morito dropped the inexplicable remark, leaving Kazan utterly baffled.
Me, Kazan, holding him back?
How could that be?
Frances Island, in the first half of the Grand Line.
A small island whose main industry was winemaking.
Golden Lion had set his sights on the island's fine wine, so he had stationed one of his main fleets there.
The warships led by Vice Admiral Akita, carrying more than a thousand Navy soldiers, arrived at the island.
A few small boats were scattered around the harbor. It was so quiet that it looked like a little fishing village, not an island with a thriving wine industry.
The silence was eerie. It felt far too unnatural.
The Flying Pirates were no weak force, and the Navy had spent a month preparing. Golden Lion hadn't been sitting idle, either.
Anyone with eyes could see there was something strange about the island.
"Vice Admiral Akita, something's wrong with this island," his adjutant warned in a low voice.
"Something's definitely off. The harbor is too quiet."
Akita nodded slightly and peered through his binoculars.
The vast harbor was empty of large ships. Only a few battered little boats bobbed up and down with the waves.
"Frances Island's wine is famous throughout the first half of the Grand Line. There's no way we wouldn't see even a single merchant ship."
"I'll take a squad ashore to investigate. Keep in contact at all times!"
Akita lowered his binoculars and thought for a moment before deciding to go ashore and have a look.
If the Bourne Pirates had abandoned Frances Island, they would have to report the news to Marshal Kong immediately.
The enemy wouldn't lose any strength just by abandoning the island. If the Bourne Pirates weren't here, then another unit would have to face them instead.
"Vice Admiral Akita, let me lead the squad!" The adjutant hurriedly spoke up to stop him. "The Bourne Pirates may know we're coming and have set an ambush."
There was no reason for the highest-ranking officer to take a risk. That wasn't how you planned a battle!
The other side played a three, and you answered with your trump card?
Akita shook his head. "Since there may be an ambush, I can't let my men take the risk. I'll lead the squad. If we run into trouble, I can retreat right away."
"You'll be in charge here. Stand by to provide artillery support!"
Akita then turned to Morito and Kazan. Ten minutes before reaching their destination, everyone aboard the warship had gathered on deck.
"You two will temporarily join the squad and come ashore with me to take a look."
Morito: "???"
So you wouldn't risk your men, but you'd take the two of them along instead?
If you wanted to get yourself killed, then go alone, damn it!
Why drag him into it?
Binoculars couldn't see what was happening on Frances Island, but Morito's "binoculars" and "X-ray vision" could.
The island was crisscrossed with trenches and traps. Pirates armed with swords and guns were hidden among the trees.
Akita was a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters, and his strength meant he had nothing to fear.
But the nobodies going ashore with him would definitely get wiped out in one go!
As Morito grumbled inwardly, Akita's men weren't having it. Why were those two nobodies going along while they were being left behind?
Did that mean they were even less capable than two nobodies?
Who was he trying to insult?
The weakest Navy soldiers aboard the warship were still first-class privates. Surely they were stronger than two nobodies who weren't even third-class privates?
They weren't bragging. Any one of them could take on ten soldiers like those two!
"Vice Admiral Akita, let us go with you!"
The Navy soldiers erupted into protest, indignantly volunteering for the mission.
Morito, who had been about to speak, immediately shut his mouth. He'd meant to advise Vice Admiral Akita, but given the situation, nothing he said would make a difference.
He was only a Reserve Navy soldier. His words carried little weight.
If he tried to warn them, they might think he was just afraid of dying!
"Silence!"
His men were fired up, and Akita was pleased. These were his soldiers!
But soldiers had to obey orders.
"Follow my orders. Get ready, and we'll leave at once!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Akita's command, the adjutant immediately turned to arrange the speedboat for the landing.
Until they knew what was happening on Frances Island, they couldn't simply sail the warship straight toward it.
If they had an Admiral aboard, it wouldn't matter. They could just steamroll their way through.
But Vice Admiral Akita wasn't strong enough to overpower the Bourne Pirates.
"Vice Admiral Akita, shouldn't you reconsider? If these two go with us to scout Frances Island, we'll have to split our attention to protect them if anything happens!"
"Exactly. Even if we're two men short, there's no need to bring two Reserve Navy nobodies, is there?"
The Navy soldiers selected for the reconnaissance team discussed the matter among themselves.
Given the situation, the Bourne Pirates might have left Frances Island, but it was more likely that they were lying in wait there!
Vice Admiral Akita hadn't even trusted his adjutant to lead the landing party. Why would he bring along two Reserve Navy stragglers?
No one could understand it.
At that moment, Kazan finally understood why Morito had told him not to hold him back earlier.
"Follow orders!"
Akita's words silenced everyone. He hadn't seen Morito or Kazan fight with his own eyes, but surely they were no weaker than the first-class petty officers.
Besides, he'd personally promised Admiral Zephyr that he would keep the two of them safe.
How could he do his best to protect them if he didn't keep them where he could see them?
The Bourne Pirates might be waiting in ambush on the island, but that didn't mean they wouldn't attack the warship.
Seeing that Vice Admiral Akita had made up his mind, the others fell silent.
Morito frowned. He could see all the pirates lying in wait on the island. How could he warn Vice Admiral Akita and get him to believe it?
Revealing his Byakugan was out of the question.
"Forget it. I'll figure something out when we get there!"
Morito steadied himself, then followed the others onto the speedboat. The little boat set off straight for Frances Island.
Frances Island had a distinctive landscape. Steep cliffs rose from the sea along three sides of the island, leaving only one narrow, gourd-shaped inlet where the harbor had been built.
There was only one way on or off the island.
The warship anchored offshore and dispatched a speedboat carrying more than twenty people toward the harbor.
A pirate underling lowered his binoculars and reported quietly, "Boss, the warship stopped offshore. They've only sent one squad to check things out."
"Looks like we won't be able to wipe them all out after all."
Bourne, the sword-wielding pirate with a bounty of 290 million, narrowed his eyes dangerously. A cold glint flashed in them.
Even a mosquito was meat. They'd been lying in wait for so long, so they had to get something out of it!
"Get ready. As soon as they come ashore, take them out!" Bourne said in a low voice.
"Boss, something's wrong! There's a Vice Admiral standing at the bow of that speedboat!"
Before you continue