Chapter 11: I, Keluo, Only Want to Live a Peaceful Life

East Sea waters.

A pirate ship followed Gao Wen's warship from a distance.

A thin man wearing star-shaped sunglasses stood atop the crow's nest, holding a telescope and looking at the warship several kilometers away.

After confirming the warship's identification number, the man took a Den Den Mushi from his coat and dialed it through.

"Moshi moshi~"

"Captain Keluo, we've confirmed the heading of Captain Morgan's warship. They should be heading to the nearby Water-Wood Island for resupply."

"Good."

On the other end of the line.

Keluo stared at the bounty poster in his hand with an expressionless face, his tone flat:

"Zango, once this matter is settled, I will grant you all a reward."

"Yes!"

A flash of almost tangible greed passed through Zango's eyes, and the arm holding the telescope trembled slightly.

He knew Keluo's temperament — vicious and cruel, cunning and treacherous, but absolutely true to his word.

Even after years of sailing the seas, having faced countless opponents.

From Marines to pirates, including fearsome figures like Morgan, Provincial Military Commander Krieg, and the Fishman Arlong — yet not a single one could match Keluo in wits.

Let alone that near-teleportation skill — once activated, it was indiscriminate slaughter, and absolutely no one could survive that ability!

Zango was absolutely certain of this, and his heart held an even greater dread of Keluo.

He lowered the telescope in his hand and directed the pirate ship to follow far behind the warship, precisely controlling the distance so that they would neither be discovered nor lose their quarry.

Clearly, he had done this countless times before.

……

The other end.

After hanging up the call, Keluo turned to look at the pirates before him, a deep, hidden disgust and weariness in his eyes.

To this day, he had forgotten the reason he first set out to sea, only knowing that the claw blades on his ten fingers had claimed countless enemy heads.

He had also risen from an ordinary pirate to become the captain of this crew — of course, only after killing the previous captain.

His bounty had climbed all the way to fifteen million.

Fighting, killing, plundering, living in a drunken stupor……

It was foreseeable that such a life would continue until the day he died at an enemy's hands.

Instead, he envied a peaceful life — tending flowers, raising dogs, enjoying afternoon tea and desserts, elegant and composed, just like the nobles he had seen at a banquet in his youth.

Rather than the present reality, where the moment he opened his eyes he had to think about evading Marine pursuit and seeking his next prey.

The path of a pirate.

Failure meant death.

"Who could possibly know?"

"I, Keluo, only want to live a peaceful life……"

Keluo murmured to himself, a trace of longing surfacing in his eyes.

"However, as long as the plan proceeds smoothly, those days will arrive soon enough."

Saying so.

Keluo picked up a pure white handkerchief and began gently wiping the claw blades that had accompanied him for years, as though caressing a lover.

Over a dozen minutes later.

Keluo stepped out of the captain's cabin. A group of subordinates had long been waiting on the deck; upon seeing Keluo arrive, a flash of unmistakable fear crossed their faces.

"Captain!"

Keluo had once again resumed his expressionless, cold demeanor. His icy gaze swept across the crew, sending a chill straight through their bodies.

"This time, our prey is Marine Lieutenant Commander Morgan."

"As long as the plan proceeds smoothly, I will temporarily leave the Black Cat Pirates next. The successor will be chosen from among Zango and the Cat Brothers."

"If the plan does not go smoothly……"

"Then I'll kill you all."

……

……

……

Two days later.

On the warship they had seized.

The lookout reported the situation to Gao Wen with a solemn expression.

"Captain Gao Wen, someone is tailing us."

"The other side is a veteran — the distance control is excellent, but over time cracks are bound to show."

"Initial assessment: not long after we left the deserted island, they had already picked up our trail."

Gao Wen's brow lifted slightly.

Ever since that day he realized the potential of the people on the ship was about to be exhausted, the experience they provided through cultivation had been steadily shrinking.

By now, even if everyone cultivated together, they could only provide a few scattered points of experience per day — sometimes even none at all.

Precisely when experience packs were urgently needed, Gao Wen naturally could not let these followers slip away:

"Can you tell whose people they are?"

The lookout shook his head:

"They aren't flying flags, but their conduct suggests they are undoubtedly pirates; we just don't know which pirate crew. However, daring to track a warship directly implies they have considerable backing."

"What should we do?"

The lookout's expression was somewhat panicked.

The pirates on the ship gradually gathered, and upon seeing Gao Wen's calm demeanor, they seemed to find their backbone, their expressions gradually relaxing.

Some even warlike individuals had already begun checking their firearms and ammunition, wiping their swords and weapons.

After more than a month of cultivation, their potential had been nearly excavated to the extreme, and their own combat power had naturally improved significantly.

Coexisting with the rise in combat power was the pirates' bloodthirsty instinct; they were craving a battle to prove themselves.

Gao Wen glanced at the eager crowd and said calmly:

"Move closer, prepare for battle, and capture as many alive as possible while ensuring our own safety."

"Yes!"

The crowd responded loudly.

The helmsman turned the wheel fully, raised the sails, and the warship skillfully turned around, opening full throttle to sail toward the distant pirate ship.

"Discovered?"

"True; tracking for so long without perfect concealment means discovery was inevitable."

Zang Gao watched the warship speeding toward them, a slight smile curling his lips, with no fear in his eyes:

"Even alone, the Captain could have slaughtered everyone on Morgan's ship; blame your bad luck for being chosen by the Captain to become part of his plan."

He turned to command his subordinates on the ship.

"Retreat! Regroup with the flagship!"

The pirate at the helm responded, just as he placed his hand on the wheel.

Several ear-piercing roars came from the sky.

Several cannonballs landed around the pirate ship, triggering violent explosions.

Water columns shot into the sky.

The Den Den Mushi in Zang Gao's arms rang at that very moment.

"I have arrived!"

Xiang Keluo's emotionless voice came through the receiver.

On the distant horizon, the pirate ship led by Xiang Keluo cut through the wind and waves, speeding toward the center of the battlefield.

Cannon mouths spewed flames, shooting out a skyful of crimson meteors.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Amidst the dense firepower, several cannonballs aimed straight at the warship beneath Gao Wen's feet.

As the pirates fled in panic,

Gao Wen drew the long sword at his waist; a silver-white flying slash shot out, slicing all the incoming cannonballs in half.

The sword intent, its momentum unabated, shot toward the sky, instantly attracting the gaze of everyone present.

"What is that...?"

Zang Gao didn't understand, yet he could feel a lethal threat emanating from that silver light.

Just as he was about to act, he saw a figure with golden hair leap from the distant warship, shooting toward the pirate ship beneath his feet like a cannonball.

"Wait!"

"You're not Morgan?!"

(End of this chapter)