Confronting Jack

The tense standoff reached its peak over the port; a single spark could ignite a deadly battle.

At that very moment, a blinding crimson light suddenly rose on the other side of the port.

With a sharp whoosh, the Beasts Pirates' signature warning flare exploded in mid-air, billowing thick red smoke that was extremely conspicuous.

It was the subordinates who remained on the warship who found traces of the suspected defector.

Jack abruptly turned his head, cursing a vulgar curse, his eyes blazing with malice. He glared fiercely at Chunwu, his gaze extremely savage, as if he had memorized this confrontation and would surely settle scores someday.

"Just you wait."

Leaving behind a heavy threat, he turned and galloped away, his massive body shattering the stone slabs in his wake as he sped towards the direction from which the red smoke was rising.

The henchmen dared not linger and hurriedly followed, the dark mass of people receding in an instant, and the tense atmosphere at the dock finally eased slightly.

Chunwu slowly loosened his grip on the rudder, his fingertips soaked with fine, cold sweat.

The brief standoff just now, seemingly calm and peaceful, was actually a close call, with each step teetering on the edge of a knife.

Rin leaped from the mast, landing steadily beside him, and said softly, "The signal flare originated from the Old Warehouse District. Jack's target is most likely hiding in that abandoned building complex. For someone to force Drought to personally cross borders and traverse the entire heart of the New World, this person's identity is definitely not simple."

Chunwu pondered silently for a moment, then quickly made a decision.

"All personnel remain on board and remain on high alert. All resupply is suspended until Jack has completely led his men out of the port area before continuing with the final arrangements."

Remember, do not get involved in this conflict. Do not steal prey, do not show your face, and do not give the Beasts Pirates any ammunition to cause trouble.

As he finished speaking, he looked up at the billowing crimson smoke in the distance.

"Come with me to the Old Warehouse District."

The premonition grew stronger.

The secrets hidden within the fugitive whom Jack relentlessly pursued are perhaps far more worthy of investigation than Jack the Drought the Drought's grand visit.

The sea breeze whipped and rattled the Gunbai flag atop the ship, making a crisp, rhythmic sound.

The red smoke rising slowly from the Old Warehouse District made the port, shrouded in Dusk, appear even more turbulent and shrouded in mist.

The Old Warehouse District, with its piles of discarded wood and rusted metal, exudes a pungent, musty odor that hangs heavy over the entire street.

The Beasts Pirates ' search party was conducting a brutal sweep through the center of the warehouse complex. The sound of doors being broken down echoed continuously, and rough shouts and yells rose and fell, startling the seabirds perched under the eaves into a frantic flight. The night was filled with chaotic noise.

Chunwu and Lin hurried along the narrow alleyway outside the warehouse. The bluestone slabs under their feet were covered with wet, dark green moss. The evening breeze carried the dampness of the sea and the stench of decaying waste. Every step they took was steady and cautious.

Rin suddenly raised her hand, firmly blocking Chunwu's path.

She focused her mind, subtly spreading her Observation Haki, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes. "There's an aura hidden in the deepest storage room, extremely faint, almost blending into its surroundings. It's not the weakness of someone severely injured and on the verge of death, but a state of deliberately suppressing Chakra and holding back all life force."

Chunwu frowned slightly, his scarlet Sharingan slowly gleaming in the Dark Night.

To be able to conceal one's aura to such an extreme degree is something no ordinary fugitive could do.

"The special training methods of professional secret agents, or the survival instincts developed from years of being hunted down."

"Most likely it's both," Rin added in a low voice.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a deafening roar erupted from the other end of the warehouse complex.

Jack's enormous, menacing head suddenly emerged from around the corner of the alley, his fierce gaze sweeping over his hesitant subordinates as he roared, demanding an explanation of the search's progress.

The henchmen were so frightened they froze, stammering and unable to answer.

The next instant, Jack grabbed one of his men who was nearby and slammed him against the stone wall with brute force, creating a whooshing sound.

The brick wall trembled violently, and broken bricks crumbled and fell to the ground with a dull, terrifying thud.

The remaining pirates were terrified and fell silent, their search becoming increasingly frantic.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Chunwu and Rin quietly circled around to the back corner of the deepest storage room.

Rin raised her hand in a silent gesture, indicating that she would go first to investigate.

Chunwu nodded slightly, his Three Tomoe steadily locking onto all the movements around him, standing guard outside the door, not letting any unusual activity slip by.

Rin gently pushed open the loosely ajar wooden door, and a sliver of Gecko slanted down from the dilapidated skylight, barely illuminating the small, dim interior space.

A small, thin figure was huddled in the corner. It looked about eleven or twelve years old. Its body was so thin that it was almost unrecognizable. Its thin shoulders and back were slightly hunched, revealing the fatigue of long-term fear and tension.

Her messy, unkempt black hair covered most of her eyebrows and eyes, leaving only a pair of wide-open eyes filled with lingering fear, clear yet helpless.

He was wrapped in a stained, tattered coat, his arms tightly gripping a wooden box wrapped in layers, his knuckles white and taut, the outline of his knuckles clearly protruding.

Her whole body trembled slightly uncontrollably, like a withered leaf swaying in the wind, but she gritted her teeth and held her breath, without uttering a single cry or kneeling down to beg for mercy.

Extreme fear swept over him, yet he fought with all his might to hold onto the last shred of stubbornness, refusing to completely collapse.

Rin tentatively took half a step forward, and the boy suddenly stiffened, tightening his grip on the box, his eyes instantly filled with wariness.

She immediately stopped, slowly bent her knees to squat down, softening her tone and aura, her voice as light as an evening breeze across the sea. "Don't be afraid, we are not Jack's people, we are Uchiha."

Upon hearing the negative statement, the boy's tense pupils relaxed slightly, and his chest heaved a little less, but the wariness in his eyes remained, and he continued to stare intently at the two people in front of him.

In this desperate situation, any stranger could be a deadly trap, and he dared not easily trust anyone.

Outside the door, Jack's roar and footsteps grew closer. The flickering torchlight shone through the broken wall of the adjacent warehouse, casting dappled shadows on the surface. The swaying Kakkō signaled the approaching danger.

Chunwu quickly turned around and glanced at the scene before making a decision.

He crouched down to meet the thin boy's gaze, avoiding any oppressive posture, and spoke in a calm and resolute tone, devoid of any malice. "We must get you out of here immediately. But before we leave, I need to clarify a few things."

"Who are you? Where did you escape from? What's hidden in the box you're carrying? Why is Jack willing to cross borders to catch you?"