The Milk Collector Had Changed

The people in town were going about their lives as usual when a shout suddenly rang out.

"The Big Mom Pirates are here!"

The others were baffled. So what if they were here? Why shout about it? It wasn't as though they'd never come before.

Then they realized something was wrong. It was only the fourteenth. Didn't the pirates usually come on the fifteenth? Why were they a day early?

The townspeople looked for whoever had shouted, suspecting that person had made a mistake.

"Does anyone know who shouted just now?"

"No. The voice came out of nowhere, and now we can't find the person either."

"That's strange. Who was it?"

They were certain someone had shouted, but that person had vanished. Now they had no way of knowing whether the warning was true.

At a loss, someone went to the two captains of the King's Guard and explained what had happened.

"They're here? Could someone have gotten the date wrong?"

Quinta frowned. True or not, they could find out by going to the coast.

Everyone was making too much of a fuss.

But the townspeople had already sent someone to look, which was why they found it so strange. Someone from the Big Mom Pirates really had arrived; their pirate flag was flying on the ship.

"It's definitely them. We thought it was strange too. Why would they come now? Weren't they supposed to arrive tomorrow?"

"It's all right. Luckily, we've prepared everything in advance."

Marcus patted Quinta on the shoulder, telling him not to worry.

The Milk Factory always prepared its milk a few days early in case something unexpected happened.

Quinta nodded, then sent the townsman back.

They would handle this. Perhaps the pirates had simply been in a hurry and arrived a day early.

But the