Uninvited Guest in Windmill Village

Windmill Village in the Kingdom of Goa had always been a peaceful little village.

Not rich, nor poor, the villagers lived simple and happy lives.

Occasionally, interesting things would happen. For example, not long ago, a man of mysterious origin appeared in Windmill Village, and then this man actually got into a fight with Vice Admiral Garp!

After that, the man set sail with Mr. Garp, claiming to be undergoing some kind of training, and hasn't returned since.

Makino sometimes wondered what Linley and Mr. Garp were up to.

One day, a dilapidated ship suddenly appeared at the port of Windmill Village.

A dozen or so people disembarked, all ragged and gaunt, as if they had just survived a great disaster at sea.

Kind-hearted villagers quickly brought them back to Windmill Village, and the Village Chief, Up Slap, personally welcomed them.

He led them into a room and had them drink several bowls of hot soup to warm themselves up.

After resting for a while, the group anxiously asked, "Have you heard of a man named Linley Barek?"

Hearing this, the Village Chief became wary and asked, "Who are you people?"

Unexpectedly, the group suddenly burst into tears, wiping their eyes as they said, "We are Captain Linley's crew! Our pirate crew encountered a shipwreck, and the captain got separated from us. We've been looking for him for a long time!"

Makino said with some surprise, "Huh? Mr. Linley is a captain?"

"That's right!" the mustachioed man at the head of the group said with a smile. "He's a Great Pirate with a formidable reputation!"

"But Mr. Linley never mentioned that," Makino said, confused.

"Perhaps he was afraid of exposing his identity and deliberately hid it," the mustachioed man replied.

"Then how did you get separated?" Makino asked.

Upon hearing this, the mustachioed man immediately began to recall the events, tears streaming down his face.

What followed was a moving tale of a great maritime adventure.

The kind-hearted villagers of Windmill Village listened and nodded, saying they knew the man named Linley. He had lived in Windmill Village for quite some time, but had just set sail a few days ago and they didn't know where he had gone.

The group continued to inquire about Linley Barek from the villagers, including how he had arrived in Windmill Village on Granny Siya's ship, and how he had worked at Makino's tavern for a while.

However, the Village Chief, Up Slap, who was standing nearby, felt something was amiss.

As someone who strongly disliked pirates, the Village Chief could usually recognize a pirate at a glance.

The man named Linley Barek had no pirate aura about him whatsoever.

Was he hiding his identity?

No.

The Village Chief frowned deeply.

Linley Barek was indeed a Wanted Criminal with a bounty of 100 Million Beli, but he had never mentioned being a pirate.

And that man was not the type to deliberately hide his identity, nor would he ever lie.

If that was the case, then there was only one possibility—

That group was lying!

This is bad!

Thinking this, the Village Chief's pupils suddenly constricted. Without showing any sign, he intended to slowly distance himself from the group and find an opportunity to notify Mr. Garp.

As long as Mr. Garp arrived, no matter what wicked schemes that group had in mind, there would be nothing to fear.

However, the mustachioed man at the head of the group noticed the Village Chief's intentions.

He gave a signal to the people next to him, and those pirates, who had seemed exhausted, suddenly perked up and quickly shut the room door.

The Village Chief Up Slap, Makino, and several villagers who had come to help were all locked inside the room.

The Village Chief's brows furrowed, and he shielded the villagers behind him, "What do you want?"

"You were just trying to call and notify the Marines, weren't you?"

The mustachioed man stood up and walked over to the Village Chief, kicking him away and then stomping on him several more times.

"Why bother with crooked thoughts? Just tell us Linley Barek's whereabouts!"

As this scene unfolded, the villagers in the room all realized what was happening.

That group was not Linley's crew at all, but ruthless pirates looking for Linley for some purpose!

The Village Chief, enduring the pain from being kicked, stood up and said to the mustachioed man:

"Linley Barek did live in our village for a while, but after he left at sea, he hasn't contacted us since."

"Are you kidding me, you old geezer!"

The mustachioed man curled his lips and sneered, "He escaped from Sabaody Archipelago on the Grand Line and then came to Loguetown. If he didn't have any acquaintances here, how could he have ended up in such a remote little village!"

Then, the mustachioed man's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Makino.

"Miss, you just said that Linley Barek worked at your tavern for a while, right?"

"What exactly do you want to do!"

The Village Chief blocked Makino, shouting, "If you have something against someone, come at me! Don't lay a hand on my villagers!"

Bang!

Another kick sent the Village Chief flying.

"You old fool, do you want to die?!"

"Stop!"

Makino spoke up, "Please don't hurt the Village Chief anymore. I know Mr. Linley. What do you want me to do?"

Upon hearing this, the man with the mustache chuckled, "We just want to get in touch with Linley Barek."

"That's impossible," Makino replied. "Mr. Linley just went out to sea in a small boat. He didn't say where he was going."

"Ah, what a hassle," the man with the mustache rubbed his neck and sighed helplessly. "It seems we'll have to resort to Captain Kuro's Plan B."

Afterward, the man with the mustache had two of his men tie Makino up. He smiled and said, "In that case, young lady, we'll have to trouble you to come with us."

"Let Makino go!" The Village Chief stepped forward, ready to fight them.

Bang!

Another kick sent the Village Chief flying backward again, crashing into some nearby clutter.

The man with the mustache drew the sword from his waist and slashed it down onto a wooden table next to him.

"Old fool, do you want everyone in this village to die with you?!"

Hearing this, the Village Chief understood that these people were truly ruthless pirates who killed without blinking.

It was precisely because of this that he became even more worried about Makino.

"Don't worry, this young lady is safe for now. Our only target is Linley Barek," the man with the mustache waved his hand, and two pirates carried the bound Makino away.

The Village Chief gritted his teeth and asked, "Where are you taking her?"

The man with the mustache drank some soup from the table and replied, "Loguetown."

"Hmph!"

The Village Chief's expression tensed.

On the other hand, the man with the mustache and the other pirates showed no intention of leaving.

"I think the scenery in this village is quite nice. It's perfect for resting!"

The man with the mustache continued speaking to the Village Chief, "Hey, hey, bring out all the good wine. This village is occupied by us for now. If you don't want anyone to die, don't notify the Marines. The time it takes for a Marine warship to dock is enough for us to kill many people!"

Then, the man with the mustache found a comfortable chair and sat down.

"We'll rest here and wait for news about Linley Barek!"

About a week later.

The Den Den Mushi in Makino's bar rang.

Buru buru buru... Buru buru buru...

Click!

"Hello, hello, Makino, miss me? I brought you back some special products from the island. Prepare some good food for me!"

Hearing the voice from the other end, the man with the mustache knew that Captain Kuro's plan had indeed worked.

He then burst into laughter, "Hehehehe, Linley Barek? We've been waiting for you for a long time!"

"..."

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, followed by a low voice.

"Who are you?"