Magnus had not expected that after more than a month on the vast sea, instead of encountering another pirate crew, they would run into a World Government ship first.
And it did not seem to be an ordinary ship.
"Captain, aside from that strange steamship, there are also two Navy warships!"
Two dark green Navy warships escorted the massive steamship from either side. Seeing this, Ripley and Rocks immediately grew tense.
"We'll go around them!"
Magnus frowned and gave the order.
Though he was a pirate, he was not mad enough to actively attack the Navy. Even if some called the Navy the World Government's lapdogs, it could not be denied that they protected many nations from pirate raids. Many Marines had joined with the intention of protecting civilians.
Clearly.
The two Navy warships were escorting the steamship in the middle. With a mission to carry out, Magnus did not think the two warships would take the initiative to attack.
What Magnus had not expected was that when he ordered Rocks to turn the Black Pearl around, the three ships across from them also turned their bows in their direction.
What did that mean?
Magnus was somewhat baffled. Had the White Wolf Pirates not appeared for nearly a year, and now they did not even have that much deterrence left?
Magnus had not expected the three World Government and Navy ships to turn toward them, but neither had the Marines aboard those three ships.
They had clearly taken the initiative to turn away, yet the pirate ship flying the White Wolf Pirates' flag had turned in the same direction.
Their last shred of wishful thinking vanished.
"Damn it, that's the White Wolf Pirates' ship, the Black Pearl! White Wolf Magnus must be aboard! They came for us!"
"How did the intelligence leak? We took a top-secret route!"
"Request support from Headquarters immediately!"
"..."
Chaos erupted across the two Navy warships. Howard Ackerman, the vice admiral responsible for transporting the cargo ship, looked especially grim.
"Calm down, all of you!"
Howard Ackerman slammed his fist against the table.
"I've already contacted Headquarters. A Fleet Admiral will come to support us. Our task is to hold off the White Wolf Pirates' attack until the Fleet Admiral arrives!"
He said that aloud, but Howard Ackerman had no confidence at all.
That was White Wolf Magnus!
Who in the entire Navy did not know that the White Wolf Pirates had not disbanded, and that White Wolf Magnus had even become powerful enough to injure a Fleet Admiral?
Headquarters was even preparing to further raise the bounties on every member of the White Wolf Pirates.
He was only a mere Headquarters vice admiral. He could use a warship's formidable firepower to drive off some Great Pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million.
But asking him to deal with White Wolf Magnus? That was simply asking him to die.
But with the arrow on the string, he had no choice but to fire.
Howard Ackerman did not believe that the White Wolf Pirates were merely passing by. If they were, why would they insist on blocking their route?
Magnus wanted to ask the same question.
Only pirate ships avoided warships. Since when did warships avoid pirate crews?
It was like two cyclists meeting on a one-way road. You tried to avoid me, and I tried to avoid you, only for the two of you to crash into each other.
"Prepare to fire!"
Howard Ackerman made the decision first.
"As long as we stop the White Wolf Pirates and prevent them from boarding, our victory will come once the Fleet Admiral arrives!"
"Yes!"
Magnus did not want a naval battle.
The giant craftsmen of Elbaf had once thoroughly inspected the Black Pearl. Although it had always been carefully maintained, decades had left quite a few cracks in the Black Pearl's keel.
If possible, Magnus wanted the Black Pearl to safely complete this final stretch of her journey. He would avoid every naval battle he could.
But clearly, the Navy warships across from them did not agree with him.
"Captain, they've launched an attack!"
"Rocks, Ripley, block all those cannonballs!"
A trace of viciousness flashed through Magnus's eyes.
He was no longer that decrepit old man from a year ago, too afraid to even make the first move.
Just two warships—
"I'll be back in a moment!"
Magnus would not actively attack the Navy, but if the Navy attacked him, he was not saintly enough to show mercy.
"If you want someone to blame, blame your commander!"
Magnus leaped from the Black Pearl.
Air Walk!
The Black Pearl was still around five kilometers from the three World Government ships, yet even from that distance, the Navy warships' shells accurately struck the Black Pearl's position. It was clear that the Navy gunners aboard were all elite.
But they should never have provoked them!
Slash Wave!
A long, narrow blade of light flew toward the two Navy warships. Compared to Nation Splitter, this long-range, lower-consumption slash was better suited to testing the warships' strength.
Because it was easy to block.
Iron Body Impact!
A dark figure leaped high from a warship, then smashed a fist toward the blade of light Magnus had sent out.
The familiar posture made Magnus's gaze sharpen.
Then he watched that figure get sent flying by his slash.
Wait, what?
Even Magnus, still in midair, was stunned.
You were that weak, and you still dared to block my ship? Were Marines these days not afraid of death?
That slash of his—
Any Great Pirate with a bounty over a hundred million could have blocked it easily.
"As expected of White Wolf Magnus!"
After being sent flying by Magnus's slash, Howard Ackerman looked at the bone-deep wound on his arm, and deep apprehension flashed through his eyes as he looked at Magnus.
He had overestimated himself and underestimated Magnus's terrifying strength.
"Surrender!"
"Vice Admiral!"
"Vice Admiral Ackerman!?"
"..."
Howard Ackerman waved a hand.
"The White Wolf Pirates are known for not killing. So long as Marines surrender, they will never mercilessly kill them. I don't know why they have their eyes on this shipment of Celestial Gold, but you can see it yourselves. Even if we keep resisting, we will only add to the casualties."
They were in the middle region of the New World. It would take a Fleet Admiral at least half a month to reach them. Even if a nearby Navy base could send reinforcements, what could the reinforcements from a mere Navy base do against the White Wolf Pirates?
"Don't worry. Though what we're transporting this time is important, we're facing White Wolf Magnus. Even if it gets stolen, the responsibility won't fall on us."
That was a monster capable of defeating even a Fleet Admiral. What could they possibly do against such a monster?
So the Marines surrendered.
When Magnus saw white flags rise from the Navy warships.
For a moment, he thought it was a Navy scheme.
Then, after he stopped attacking, he watched the two Navy warships swiftly depart, leaving only the cargo ship in the middle behind.
Magnus began to realize that something was wrong.
At last, Magnus saw the dazzling array of luxury goods filling an entire steamship, along with crates upon crates of gold, silver, and jewels piled inside the hold.
Magnus finally understood.
This ship was transporting "Celestial Gold."
He had robbed the Celestial Gold that the World Government's Affiliated Nations paid to the Celestial Dragons!
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