"Sir, this..."
The Marine assigned to surveillance was clearly hesitant. Rat naturally sensed it and said:
"Blazer, if you do a good job this time, you'll get a share of Arlong's assets. Once I'm promoted, you'll be the next base commander!"
"Yes, sir!"
He hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Rat recalled Gawain's face and his own previous experiences. A nameless fire burned in his chest. After pondering for a moment, he picked up his pen and began writing furiously.
A few minutes later.
A fiercely worded report, along with three photographs, was sent from Navy Branch 16 to Navy Headquarters.
The Headquarters liaison officer stared at the printed photographs and paused.
"Why does this Knight Gawain look a little familiar? It's like I've seen him in some movie?"
As he spoke.
He picked up Gawain's previous Wanted Poster and compared them briefly. Gradually, he relaxed.
"The resemblance is over seventy percent, and it's common for pirates' faces and builds to change drastically over a year or two. There shouldn't be any problem. I was overthinking it."
With that.
The liaison officer nodded. After carefully checking Rat's report again, he submitted it for further review by a Vice Admiral at Navy Headquarters.
Several days later.
Cocoyasi Village.
With the downfall of the Arlong Pirates, not only Cocoyasi Village, but dozens of nearby villages as well were freed from their former oppression.
The name of the Gawain Pirates spread throughout the region. They were vaguely being called Dragon Slayers, and some villagers had even voluntarily erected a statue of Gawain in the harbor.
Though the statue itself...
"Why does it look more and more like that one from the movie?"
Kuro looked at the crude statue in the harbor and muttered unconsciously.
Gawain's mouth twitched as he quickly