Luca

After studying the system for a while, Luo Ze quickly put it away.

He was covered in blood. Though he had long grown numb to the pungent stench, the sticky sensation all over his body still made him uncomfortable.

He planned to stay at an inn in town for a few days. After hunting pirates nonstop for several months, he deserved a break. Besides, it was time to replace his clothes. They were soaked in blood, and no matter how Luo Ze tried, he could not wash them clean.

Over the next few days, Luo Ze stayed in town and wandered around. Sometimes he sampled the local food, sometimes he spent time in the rowdy, mixed-bag taverns, and one day, he even took a fishing rod to the shore to fish.

In short, Luo Ze had a wide range of interests, and he lived quite comfortably.

He had always believed this: striving was for the sake of living a better life.

He longed to grow stronger and become one of the strong. But that did not stop him from enjoying life. He was not a machine; he needed entertainment too.

However, while Luo Ze had been living comfortably these past few days, the Marines were in an uproar.

Some time ago, Marine Headquarters had issued a task to the Marine branch in Dog Town, but no one had answered the Den Den Mushi on the other end.

Sensing that something was wrong, Headquarters dispatched several Marines to Dog Town to investigate.

The Marines who received the order naturally went there. But when they entered the Dog Town Marine branch, their faces turned deathly pale at the sight before them.

Corpses filled the spacious hall. Since those Marines had been dead for several days, the stench was unbearable. The investigating Marines nearly passed out from the smell the moment they entered the hall.

The blood on the ground had dried, but countless ants and bugs had been drawn in by the smell, making the scene utterly disgusting.

The investigating Marines immediately submitted their report to their superiors. In an instant, the entire Marine organization was shaken!

How could there be someone in this world so brazen and utterly deranged?

There had been so many Marines at the Dog Town branch, yet not a single survivor had been left behind. Every last one of them had been slaughtered.

Moreover, the killer's methods had been so cruel that they were simply outrageous.

Marine higher-ups sent people to give the fallen soldiers proper burials, while each Marine family received a substantial sum in compensation.

At the same time, the Marine higher-ups attached immense importance to the matter. They directly transferred a squad of Marines from Headquarters to take up posts at the Dog Town Marine branch, promoted Luca, a Headquarters Commodore, to Branch Rear Admiral, and tasked him with investigating the incident.

Today was Luca's first day taking office at the Dog Town branch.

After arriving in Dog Town, the first thing he did was visit the graves of the fallen Marines.

"Soldiers, rest in peace. Justice has always stood with us. I will never allow that deranged criminal to remain at large. Rest assured, I will uncover the truth and give you an answer."

At the cemetery, Luca held a large white bowl filled to the brim with fine liquor. He stood there with a solemn expression and slowly made his vow. Then, with a swing of his arm, he splashed the entire bowl of liquor onto the ground.

"Salute!"

Luca shouted, and together with the Marine soldiers behind him, he saluted the fallen Marines.

"Fall out!"

Luca turned and led his men away.

He swore that he would make that damned criminal pay the price he deserved.

Another seven days passed.

Rear Admiral Luca threw everything he had into the investigation, but Luo Ze had left behind no trace whatsoever. The case was extremely difficult to pursue, and after seven days, there had been no progress.

Luo Ze had also heard that the Marines had sent a rear admiral to take over Colonel Yate's position. Early that morning, Luo Ze brought all the pirate heads he had collected that day and went to the Marine branch to claim his reward.

He felt no guilt over the massacre that day, nor was Luo Ze someone overflowing with a sense of justice. He only knew that Yate had intended to harm him, so Yate had died.

If Yate had not harbored ill intentions toward him, Luo Ze would not have attacked them. After all, it had been a good platform for cooperation, and he would not foolishly throw it away for nothing.

Still, he came prepared today. Who knew whether the newly arrived Marines would also have ulterior motives?

"Hello, I'm pirate hunter Killing Sword Luo Ze. These are the pirates I've hunted over the past few months. I would like to exchange them for bounties."

Luo Ze walked into the Marine branch and stated his purpose to a Marine at the service desk.

"Alright, please wait a moment." The Marine soldier nodded at Luo Ze, signaling for him to wait where he was, then opened a wooden door and walked out.

Very soon, a long-haired Marine officer came over. He sat down opposite Luo Ze and spoke slowly.

"Mr. Luo Ze, is it? You may take out the pirates' heads and wanted posters now."

The Marine officer gave Luo Ze a casual glance and said.

Luo Ze nodded. He tossed a thick stack of wanted posters onto the table, then poured ten pirate heads out of a large white sack.

"This is—"

Seeing Luo Ze dump out so many pirate heads, the Marine officer's pupils contracted. His mouth fell wide open in obvious shock.

"Twin-Gun Bartel, bounty of 7 million."

"Greatsword Barbara, bounty of 00 million."

"Bomb Man Rikibi, bounty of 000 million."

"Great Axe Rui Mengmeng, bounty of 4 million."

He read out the pirates' names in disbelief, his voice growing more and more alarmed.

"Sorry, Mr. Luo Ze, but this exceeds my authority. I need to consult my superior."

The Navy man's expression suddenly turned serious. When he looked at Luo Ze again, he no longer dared to be so nonchalant. Clearly, the owners of those heads had frightened him badly.

"It's fine." Luo Ze nodded lightly. He did not mind spending a little more time, as long as the Navy was willing to pay.

"Please wait a moment."

The Navy man said that to Luo Ze, then quickly walked out.

When he returned, a burly middle-aged man led the way in.

The officer from before followed obediently behind him.

Luo Ze gave the burly middle-aged man a deep look, his expression somewhat grave.

He could tell that the man before him was extremely powerful. The instant he saw him, he felt an enormous pressure weighing on his heart.

Luo Ze felt his hands trembling. He was a little excited—this was the first time he had seen someone this formidable. He almost could not stop himself from stepping forward to fight him.

"Haha, you must be Mr. Luo Ze! I'm Rear Admiral Luca. Let's discuss the bounty."

Luca had a bold and straightforward temperament. His voice was thunderously loud, almost deafening.