Chapter 55: Farewell, Departure, and the Pirate Flag

"Officer, this..."

The marine guard on surveillance clearly hesitated; Rat sensed it immediately and spoke up:

Brazier, if you pull this off, you’ll get a share of A Long’s wealth. After I’m promoted, you’ll be the next base commander!

"Yes, sir!"

He hung up the call.

Rat recalled Gao Wen’s face and his own past experiences; a nameless fire burned inside him. After a moment of silence, he picked up his pen and began writing furiously.

A few minutes later.

A fiercely worded report, along with three photographs, was transmitted from Marine Branch 16 to Marine Headquarters.

The headquarters liaison stared at the printed photographs and paused, startled.

"This knight, Gao Wen... why does he look familiar? Like someone I saw in a movie?"

He said.

Then he picked up Gao Wen’s previous bounty poster, compared it briefly, and gradually relaxed:

"Similarity exceeds seventy percent. It’s common for pirates’ appearances and builds to change drastically within a year or two. Probably nothing wrong—just my overthinking."

He said.

The liaison nodded, carefully verified Rat’s report, then submitted it for further review by a vice admiral at Marine Headquarters.

Several days later.

Cocoyasi.

With the fall of the A Long Pirates, not only Cocoyasi Village but dozens of nearby villages were freed from their former oppression.

The name of the Gao Wen Pirates spread through the region, and they were quietly dubbed the Dragon-Slayer; some villagers even spontaneously erected a statue of Gao Wen at the harbor.

It was just that the design...

"Why does this keep looking more and more like that guy from the movie?"

Keluo muttered, staring at the crude statue by the harbor.

Gao Wen’s lip twitched; he walked away quickly.

At the harbor.

Crates of supplies were loaded onto the ship. Even though the waterline had reached its limit, Jin could not stop more and more Cocoyasi villagers from hauling crate after crate into the harbor.

"Everyone!"

"That’s enough! Our ship can’t take any more!"

Jin shouted to the crowd, but only earned their warm laughter in return.

"You saved the whole village—don’t let your benefactors leave with regrets!"

"Exactly!"

"This is my last bit of cured meat—oh, and some oranges and barley wine~"

As he spoke, he pulled out three massive crates from behind his back. Jin’s head spun, but he couldn’t refuse the increasingly enthusiastic villagers.

Seeing the sincerity on their faces, he finally understood why his comrades returning from Crow Harbor had worn such expressions.

Pirates, long hated, despised, and feared, suddenly feeling genuine affection and gratitude from others—this brought a new, indescribable feeling.

At this moment, not just Jin but everyone aboard felt their actions had meaning.

Gao Wen and Keluo walked side by side, struggling through the crowd of villagers to board the ship, yet still could not deter the throng gathered at the harbor.

Jian, his chest wrapped in bandages, just regained mobility, stood quietly at the harbor’s edge, watching.

A sea breeze blew—no more the whirring of windmills.

He had been Cocoyasi’s peacekeeper; he should have reported pirates to the Marines. But this time, he threw the Den Den Mushi away.

"They’re pirates... really!"

Then, suddenly.

Gao Wen’s voice reached Jian’s ears.

"Take this!"

Jian instinctively caught the object thrown his way. He looked closer—it was a Den Den Mushi. His expression froze.

"I won’t take anything from pirates!"

Gao Wen reminded him:

"You can contact Nami."

"Don’t make it a habit!"

Jian’s face flushed. He said nothing, slipping the Den Den Mushi into his chest pocket.

Beside him, Nokigao couldn’t help but smile faintly, murmuring:

"That man won’t let Nami cry, will he?"

"He dares!"

Jian feigned anger, but his gaze remained fixed on Gao Wen:

"I looked into them. They protected Crow Harbor, saved its civilians, and their strength is immense."

Though I hate to admit it, and I don’t want Nami to become a pirate, Knight Gao Wen—they’re different. Compared to A Long, they’re clearly the better choice.

"After all, that child’s dream is to map every sea on Earth."

Nokigao looked at Jian in surprise:

"For you to say that? That’s rare."

"Hmph!"

As the two chatted idly, Nami’s voice suddenly cut in.

"Hey, everyone!"

Gao Wen turned on deck.

Nami sprinted toward them, arms full of map-drawing tools—tools that once brought her nightmares, now carrying her dreams.

No longer forced to fight for A Long’s ambition.

But to fight for her own dream, for her crew’s voyage!

"I haven’t boarded yet!"

"You’re late, kid!"

Keluo dropped his act, his tone darkening—but Nami didn’t care. For the first time, she could say her real name.

No longer hiding to protect her companions’ lives.

She had already bid farewell to Jian. Now, her mind was clear: only the sea and the voyage ahead.

Thud!

Nami stepped onto the deck, greeted everyone, then rushed to the navigator’s cabin.

She carefully placed her belongings on the empty shelf.

Map paper, drawing pens, compasses, several orange trees she’d begged from Nokigao, and the windmill she’d just taken from Jian’s head...

Nami opened the porthole. A sea breeze blew in; the windmill on her desk spun with a whirring sound.

A few minutes later.

Nami flung herself onto the bed, sniffing—the scent was exactly as it had been when she left.

"From today, this is my space!"

Several pirates passing by peeked through the doorway, smiling clearly. Nami turned, stuck out her tongue playfully.

She was about to shut the door when she remembered something. She rushed out, climbed onto the deck, and saw Jian and Nokigao watching from the harbor.

"Hey!"

Nami waved at them:

"When I finish mapping every sea on Earth!"

"I’ll come back!"

Jian stared at Nami, stunned.

"I haven’t seen that expression on her face in so long."

"Yes. Since Bell-mère died, she hasn’t smiled like this."

They waved to Nami. The pirate ship slowly set sail, heading toward the distant horizon.

Nokigao turned her gaze back to the harbor.

The sea wind howled, snapping the pirate flag loudly. A Long’s head was mounted atop the flagpole, unmistakable.

No villager found it cruel. They only regretted they couldn’t eat A Long’s flesh.

Nokigao asked:

"Will the Marines remove that flag from the harbor?"

Jian replied coolly:

"Who cares? Will the Marines even bother with this place? Or... do you think Rat has the courage to take down that man’s flag?!"

(End of Chapter)