Chapter 9: The Fish-Man in the Cage

After sailing on the sea for several days, the two finally approached a small island.

The setting sun sank into the horizon, igniting the entire expanse of seawater; the flame-like orange-red intertwined and rolled with the deep azure, breathtakingly gorgeous.

Luo Di stood at the bow, already able to see the outline of the town from afar. The Den Den Mushi had rung many times over the past two days, but Luo Di had not answered any of them, and he did not know if that clown-like fellow had arrived yet.

If he could see Lu Fei's Bounty, it should be able to point him in the right direction.

Aside from encountering a few sea beast attacks, the sailing these past few days had been fairly smooth. After all, the surrounding islands and countries were all member states of the World Government, and with Navy patrols escorting them, the possibility of being attacked by pirates was greatly reduced.

But the closer one got to the Grand Line, the more the danger would increase accordingly.

Ka Li Na also walked over, looking excited as she said, "Ahead is Xiu Mao Gang. After passing Xiu Mao Gang and sailing about another 80 nautical miles, we will reach the Four-Leaf Clover Islands. Let's dock the ship, stay in Xiu Mao Zhen for the night, and then sail again tomorrow after replenishing our fresh water and food."

Hearing that they were going to dock the ship, Luo Di's body stiffened, and he had a faint, ominous premonition.

Could it be that I also have Lu Fei's protagonist's aura for encountering danger?

In order to improve his physique, Luo Di had been persistently training, so his consumption of food and water was also high. After a few days, the previous reserves were already bottoming out, which worried Ka Li Na to no end. However, thinking that Luo Di's "sea stomach" might be related to his ability, she didn't say much, only desperately guarding her own share.

Who told this guy to be the captain.

The reason Ka Li Na was so excited to see the town, besides the need to replenish supplies, was that she wanted to find a hotel to get a good night's sleep.

There was only one large room on this ship, where they cooked and slept. At night, the two of them squeezed into the hammock in the room. Because the room was crude, the sound of the sea breeze and waves echoed constantly, making it hard for her to sleep and inconvenient to toss and turn. When it rained, the roof would leak, which was extremely uncomfortable.

The main thing was that she couldn't take a bath, which was simply hell for someone who loved cleanliness like her.

It seemed he needed to get more treasure and buy a more luxurious ship.

Arriving at Xiu Mao Gang, the sailboat docked. Luo Di had Star Platinum furl the sails and drop the anchor, and the two went ashore toward the town.

……

Xiu Mao Gang, shipyard, inside the office.

A man of about forty, with a rugged appearance and several scars on his face, was sitting in the office smoking a cigar. Opposite him sat a thin, tall man wearing a Navy uniform and a mouse hat; the six long, thin whiskers on his face further accentuated his cunning image.

The scarred man exhaled a large cloud of smoke: "Lao Shu, what wind blew you to me today?"

Lao Shu curled the corners of his mouth: "Ya ya ya, Hanke, we are colleagues of many years; this attitude of yours won't do."

"Spit it out if you have something to say." The scarred man said irritably.

Lao Shu narrowed his eyes: "Yesterday, the unit led by Navy Lieutenant Commander Jige, who was stationed in Xiu Mao Zhen, died on a small island thirty nautical miles away. They say it was a pirate attack; you should know about this, right?"

Upon hearing this, the scarred man's gaze suddenly turned cold.

Lao Shu gave a cunning smile: "Don't be nervous. I came to talk business with you."

"Talk business?" Hanke said disdainfully: "I have nothing to talk about with you. Leave my shipyard; the matter you want to investigate has nothing to do with me."

"Listen to me finish first." Lao Shu said: "Your partner Meng Ka has already fallen. The one escorting him is Vice Admiral Garp; there is no possibility of him escaping."

"Garp..." Hanke muttered the name, his expression drifting, as if he recalled some past events.

Lao Shu continued: "The current temporary leader of the 153rd Branch is Li Pa. You should know that guy's personality. If he finds out about your cooperation with Meng Ka, he will definitely send troops to arrest you. Even if he doesn't arrest you, the business in Shells Town can no longer continue. I came here this time to talk to you about cooperation."

Hearing this, Hanke narrowed his eyes: "Lao Shu, your cunning is well-known; I don't trust you."

Lao Shu smiled: "Don't worry, I came with sincerity this time."

"Oh?" Hanke raised an eyebrow: "Then let me see your sincerity."

"Follow me." Lao Shu said, then stood up.

Hanke followed Lao Shu to a room in the shipyard, where more than a dozen Navy soldiers were guarding; they were all Lao Shu's confidants.

Before they even got close, they could already hear the clanking of iron chains, as if some wild beast was breaking out of its cage. Hanke and Lao Shu entered the room and saw an iron cage inside. A Fish-Man was tied tightly with iron chains, and there were several dried, unhealed bloody wounds on his chest and legs.

The moment he saw Lao Shu, a thick, murderous glint erupted in the Fish-Man's eyes. He moved his body violently, ignoring his own injuries, and slammed into the cage with all his might, his eyes looking as if he wanted to tear Lao Shu to shreds.

"Ya ya ya, how terrifying." Lao Shu laughed: "I didn't expect him to be so manic even after injecting him with ten times the sedative dosage for a normal person. What a disobedient beast."

Seeing this injured Fish-Man, Hanke's eyes suddenly lit up: "This is a Great White Shark Fish-Man, a rare species. Where did you get him?"

Lao Shu replied: "Arlong's crew was defeated by that Straw Hat kid. After the Navy escorting them left, I took some men over and found him on the outer coast. It took quite a bit of effort to catch him."

Hearing the name Arlong, a look of disgust appeared on the Great White Shark Fish-Man's face, as if he had some grudge against Arlong.

Hanke said: "An ordinary Fish-Man can sell for about 2 to 5 million Berries on the black market. A rare Great White Shark like this can sell for at least over 10 million. And since he looks so young, the price can be raised even higher. It seems you are indeed very sincere."

Lao Shu smiled: "I'll leave him for you to handle; we'll split the money half and half. As for the subsequent cooperation, we'll chat in detail tonight."

The Fish-Man Arlong's Tai Yang Hai Ze Tuan, under Lao Shu's protection, had long been entrenched in the Ke Mi Nuo Qun Dao and had even established Arlong Park, carrying out endless oppression on the surrounding towns.

Every month, Arlong would give Lao Shu a considerable sum of funds, and the two had been cooperating for many years, but Arlong's downfall caused Lao Shu to lose his partner.

Although he hated that Straw Hat Lu Fei, he was a cautious person and it was impossible for him to send troops to pursue him. Even if Lu Fei had a 30 million Bounty, Arlong had been defeated by him, and he was not willing to take that risk.

He had been mixing in the shadows of the East Blue for many years, dealing with both the underworld and the authorities, and he relied on being steady.

After Arlong was escorted to the headquarters, he, as the leader of this sea area, naturally took on the responsibility of cleaning up the aftermath.

Arlong's treasure and subordinates were all gone. Just as he was preparing to leave, he discovered a severely injured and unconscious young Great White Shark Fish-Man on the coast.

Although he didn't know why this Fish-Man was here, he was very clear about his value, so he brought him here.

Hanke changed from his previous indifference and smiled as he handed a cigar to Lao Shu: "It's almost mealtime. I have the best chef in the whole town here, and tonight I'll bring over the most beautiful women in town. You are much smarter than that guy Jige."