Chapter 48: I Am a Person Who Easily Softens My Heart

"Confiscating the corpses of pirates is only natural for the Marines!"

Nezumi flicked the safety catch and said with a sinister chill, "You brat, constantly uncooperative, sneaky, and with such a terrible attitude; now I suspect you're also dirty, perhaps hiding some unspeakable crimes. Men, seize these people and the entire ship! Take them all back for a thorough inspection and interrogation!"

"Colonel Mr.!"

The adjutant beside him couldn't help but speak up, "Is... is doing this really not too inappropriate..."

"Shut up! Who is the superior here, you or me?"

Nezumi, furious and flustered, slapped him backhandedly; the adjutant took the blow squarely, lowered his head, and dared not speak again.

Turning back, however, he saw Siano looking at him as if he were an idiot: "Is there something wrong with your brain?"

"Hm?" Nezumi froze for a moment, then flew into a rage, "Daring to insult a Marine officer again; I see you truly have no regard for your life!"

"See, you still haven't realized it. You were so afraid of the Arlong Pirates that you never dared to provoke them, only coming out to pick up the scraps after they were dead."

Siano sighed lightly, flexing his right hand slightly, "So the question arises: where did you get the courage to provoke someone stronger like me?"

"Could it be that because I'm a civilian, you think I won't resist and will just obediently surrender?"

On the shore stood a huge rock four or five meters tall, bearing the large characters: "To Cocoyasi Village this way."

With a casual grab, Siano lifted the massive rock from the ground with a rumbling boom; after weighing it in his hand, he hurled it violently toward the warship under Nezumi's incredulous gaze!

Whoosh—Boom!!

Just as the boulder was about to strike the top of the mast, Siano casually raised his fingertip and added a Finger Pistol of Qi; instantly, the rock exploded above the warship, turning into countless fine stone powders that drifted down in a swirling cloud.

"This..."

The Marines still remaining on deck all kept their heads raised, stunned silly.

As for Nezumi, his mouth hung so wide open you could fit half a Chopper inside.

"I forgot to tell you, the entire Arlong Pirate Crew didn't last twenty minutes in my hands."

Siano smiled and said, "I wonder how many minutes you, a Marine Branch Colonel, along with all the Marines on this warship, can endure?"

Nezumi shivered, finally coming to his senses.

At this moment, he finally realized.

—The person standing before him was no simple, sturdy villager, but a ruthless and fierce killer several times more terrifying than Arlong!

"Misunderstanding!"

Nezumi's facial skin trembled as he forced out a smile uglier than crying: "Misunderstanding, it was a misunderstanding! Go wherever you wish; how would we dare stop you? We're leaving, we're leaving right now!"

Finishing his words, he hastily turned and ran toward the warship; his foot twisted, nearly flinging off his shoe, but he paid no heed, stumbling and staggering until he vanished into the cabin.

Just like an ostrich, only when he could no longer see Siano did he calm down, his shrill roar echoing from behind the door:

"What are you still standing there for! Hurry up and set sail, return to base!"

Hahaha! The villagers watching from afar burst into loud laughter.

The Marines all lowered their heads, barely concealing their shame as they lined up and boarded the deck; the lieutenant adjutant especially let out a long sigh, quietly pulling up his collar to cover half his face.

"Serving under such a commander, I estimate I'd feel inferior even when meeting colleagues from other bases," Manba remarked, leaning on the railing and clicking his tongue in sigh.

Then, looking at Siano who was walking onto the deck, he asked, "Boss, shall we set off too?"

"No, you go first." Siano shook his head slightly, glancing in the direction where the warship was departing, "I still have some matters to attend to."

What was he planning?

Manba widened his eyes, then saw Siano beckon them all over, "Once you arrive at the 77th Branch Base, do this and that, like so and so... then just wait for my return. Understood?"

"Yes, Boss!"

Manba shivered; truly worthy of being the boss, this was too ruthless, yet undeniably correct, and he supported it wholeheartedly.

Night grew deeper.

Under the moonlight, the sea shimmered with rippling waves; the warship, with its white sails unfurled, cut through the wind and waves, speeding toward the 16th Branch Base.

They failed to notice that, beyond their field of vision, a small boat had quietly begun following them at some point.

On the small boat.

Siano took a sip of wine, his expression indifferent as he gazed at the blurry black dot in the distance.

He was a person who easily softened his heart, but once he hardened his resolve and truly felt someone deserved to die, expecting him to spare a life again was not so simple.

Nezumi fell precisely into this category.

Do not be fooled by the fact that today this fellow was so threatened by a single warning from him that he nearly wet his pants.

But once he returned to base, sat behind his desk, and reacquainted himself with the feeling of commanding from a high position, his resentment would soon surge up all at once.

Moreover, this fellow happened to be the commander of the Marine branch base closest to Cocoyasi Village; calling him the local official of their hometown would not be an exaggeration.

Sitting in this position, the underhanded methods to disgust people were countless, and who knows how he might retaliate against Cocoyasi Village once he eventually leaves his hometown to set sail formally.

It was better to strike first.

There has always been the principle of catching thieves for a thousand days; there is no logic in guarding against thieves for a thousand days.

After confirming the wind direction and ocean currents, Siano paid no more attention to the warship ahead; sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes and fell into silent meditation.

The warship's speed was something his small, dilapidated boat could not match; continuing like this, the distance would only grow greater, making it impossible to catch up, so he could not make his move just yet.

However, the monk may escape, but the temple cannot; after sunset tomorrow, both ships would arrive at the 16th Branch Marine Base one after the other.

By then, under the cover of a dark moon and windy night, there would be plenty of time.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty hours had passed.

At the entrance of the East Sea 77th Branch.

The large ship, formerly belonging to the Arlong Pirate Crew and now renamed "Orange Garden" by Siano, was docked within the naval port.

Manba led Nami, Nojiko, and others, who were looking around curiously, off the ship; before they even stepped ashore, they were greeted by enthusiastic applause and a welcoming line.

"You've all arrived truly early! It's several hours ahead of the time mentioned over the phone!"

The female Colonel with a mohawk hairstyle approached, smoking a cigarette and laughing heartily, "I am Sophia, commander of Branch 77. Welcome, everyone!"

"You're too kind," Man Scar said hurriedly, taking the initiative to shake her hand. "Doesn't that mean you also arrived several hours early just to wait here for us?"

"No, I only just received the news and rushed over."

Sophia answered honestly, then laughed loudly, "But indeed, we should have arrived earlier. No amount of courtesy is excessive when treating the heroes who killed the Arlong Pirates!"

"To be honest with you, ever since receiving intelligence that the Arlong Pirates had come near this area, I've been so worried I couldn't sleep. Originally, I planned to join forces with Branch 16 and our colleagues from Branch 24 to the north, catching them off guard while they were unprepared and striking them by surprise."

Sophia rubbed her temples with a somewhat troubled expression.

"But who knows what that newcomer recently appointed to Branch 16 was thinking? He kept hemming and hawing, making all sorts of excuses to delay. Back and forth, we missed the best opportunity for battle."

(End of Chapter)