Unexpected Visitor

Krieg's expression changed at those words, and a gleam flickered in his eyes as if he had found hope...

Before Gin could answer, Krieg blurted out, "I'm willing!"

Krieg was a thorough egoist, and in his eyes, his crewmates and the like were merely pawns. Even Gin, his most capable subordinate, was someone he wouldn't hesitate to strike down in the original story.

And with the current situation, it was already certain that they would be locked up until they died.

Since there was hope of getting out, how could he possibly give it up?

Only then did Ener's gaze land on Krieg. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly with a hint of mockery. "My authority only allows me to release one among you to become my subordinate. So, are you stealing the chance for your own crewmate to get out?"

As soon as he said that, Gin and Pearl's eyes flickered. Especially Gin...

Although he was extremely loyal to Krieg.

At the same time, he understood his own predicament. To say he didn't want to get out would definitely be a lie.

Yet...

"Sigh!"

He looked at Krieg and finally let out a sigh. "Let the captain out!"

In the end, he still chose to give up this opportunity. Even though he could tell that Ener was aiming directly at him.

The more Gin acted like this, the more satisfied Ener was with him. Since Gin could be so loyal to Krieg, he figured that once he subdued him, he would be able to win his loyalty as well.

Ener chuckled instead. "Recruit him? If he can abandon you as a companion today, he can abandon me tomorrow. Tell me, who would take in a man like that?"

Krieg was left stunned in place, his eyes filled with resentment.

Ener added another line, "Think carefully! If you don't agree, then the rest of your life will be spent in a prison cell."

Gin looked at Ener, then looked at Krieg. Finally, he glanced sidelong at Pearl standing nearby.

Gin ultimately nodded. "I can agree, and I promise that after I become your subordinate, I will be unfailingly loyal to you. But I have two conditions."

Ener said, "Let's hear them."

Gin said, "Treat my captain well, and Pearl too."

Ener said, "Very well!"

Krieg was extremely furious, feeling as though he had been betrayed. "Gin, you..."

Ener swept a glance over, a cold light flashing.

It instantly made Krieg recall the scene of Ener acting like a rampaging god of murder, slaughtering the townspeople and pirates alike.

"Gulp..."

Krieg couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva instinctively, taking a step backward by reflex.

Ener couldn't help shaking his head; this fellow had already been scared out of his wits.

Just like in the original story, chased by Mihawk like a stray dog, he had no idea how this fellow had managed to recruit Gin in the first place.

He immediately turned his head to say to Tashigi, "Release Gin!"

Tashigi asked, "Just releasing him like that?"

She looked at Gin again, feeling deeply uneasy in her heart. This was a ruthless and cold-blooded pirate, after all!

Sensing her hesitation, Ener immediately reassured her, "Don't worry! Even for the sake of his captain, he won't pull any reckless stunts."

Hearing this, Gin carefully sized Ener up.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that this fellow who had defeated him understood him even better than his captain did...

"Sigh..."

Gin couldn't help letting out a sigh, finally looking at Krieg. "Captain, I'm sorry... There are no other choices now. If I go out, at least you guys will be able to live a bit more comfortably here."

"Clank..."

Just then, Tashigi opened the cell door, though her hand was already resting on the hilt of her sword. Evidently, she still didn't trust Gin.

She could never believe that a pirate would genuinely defect to the Marines.

Gin glanced at Tashigi, then walked over to stand in front of Ener. "Ensign!"

Tashigi said, "He has already been exceptionally promoted to Captain, he just hasn't changed into a Captain's uniform yet."

"Captain?"

Gin was slightly taken aback.

Ener laughed instead. "Isn't this thanks to the three of you? If it weren't for you guys, I'm afraid I'd have to grind for a year or half before I could be promoted to the rank of Captain."

Krieg: "..."

Pearl: "..."

Gin: "..."

"Hahaha..."

Ener couldn't help laughing out loud.

Seeing this, Tashigi couldn't help chuckling along as well. Indeed! If not for these three, Ener truly wouldn't have been promoted this fast.

Right after that, Tashigi said to Ener, "Captain Ener, Colonel Smoker has already prepared the Warship belonging to you. It's at the port right now, go take a look!"

"Oh?"

Ener wore a look of utter astonishment, which immediately turned into pleasant surprise. "I didn't expect Colonel Smoker's efficiency to be this high! I thought I'd have to wait ten days or half a month!"

Tashigi didn't speak, only offering a meaningful smile.

When Ener and Gin arrived at the port, the two of them were dumbfounded the moment they laid eyes on the ship.

Yet it wasn't because the ship was poor.

After all, it was a massive sailing ship with three decks, a length of a hundred meters, and a height of thirty meters, featuring a black panther figurehead at the bow. Among all the vessels throughout the East Blue, it could definitely be considered top-tier.

Ener couldn't help looking back at Gin, saying rather speechlessly, "If my eyes aren't deceiving me, this should be the Dreadnought Saber of your Krieg Pirates!"

Gin nodded, feeling speechless as well.

Because he even saw that the pirate flag on this ship hadn't even been taken down yet.

Ener turned his head to look at Tashigi. "Are there no other ships?"

Tashigi looked as though she had been anticipating Ener's expression right now for a long time, the corners of her mouth refusing to stay down. "Captain Ener, you should know as well. Although having the rank of Captain in the East Blue entitles you to your own Warship, they are generally filled by captured pirate ships."

"Besides, Krieg's pirate ship is really nice. It's a large vessel after all... If not for you, Colonel Smoker really wouldn't have been willing to part with it. After all, turning around and selling it to those merchants would net a pretty good profit."

What she said was indeed true.

Still, he really didn't need such a huge ship!

Getting a small or medium-sized vessel would have done. But now it seemed there were no other choices. Ener turned to look at Gin. "You know how to pilot this ship, right?"

Gin nodded.

Ener said, "That's good..."

Then he looked back at the Dreadnought Saber; it seemed he had no choice but to alter his plans a bit. He would head to Syrup Village first... However, he had to wait.

He had to wait for the Devil Fruit to be delivered.

So Lina could eat it.

Even though Krieg was held as leverage, he couldn't possibly treat Gin as a trusted confidant right away. A guard against others was still necessary.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed, and an unexpected person arrived in front of Ener's door.

"...I can't take it anymore!"

Yet this person never imagined that upon coming here, in broad daylight, he would hear such...

The corners of his eyes twitched involuntarily. "He truly is Burns's son..."