Chapter 181: Waiting for the Rabbit
Chapter 181: Waiting for the Rabbit
The massive black ship sailed alongside the towering walls of Heptaqua City, docking at the nearby island. As the ship came to a halt, the impatient pirates jumped off one by one, rushing from the small island towards the town.
The buildings on the small island looked impoverished and were clearly not their target. Their eyes were set on the riches within the walls—that was where the real plunder awaited.
A thousand pirates stormed through the city gates, immediately sparking panic among the residents.
"To the shipyard! Follow me, lads!"
Reneetia twisted her mechanical hammer, extending it into a long hammer, and led her crew directly towards the shipyard.
She had her eyes on the renowned shipyard of Heptaqua City, famous across the seas, and now that the opportunity presented itself, she wasn't going to let it slip away.
However, there wasn't much time for conversation. The best course of action was to seize the blueprints, the maintenance records, and the ship diagrams—anything that could help expand her technological prowess.
Maryca, on the other hand, led a group in a different direction, ransacking as they went and keeping an eye out for local specialties.
Lily headed straight for the uppermost part of Heptaqua City. Within the walls lived not only civilians, who were not their targets, but also the wealthy elite of the city, residing closest to the grand fountain.
Regarding the Carrera Company, Donquixote Doflamingo's intelligence provided a detailed introduction. It was a merger of seven shipyards, controlled by the local mayor, Iceberg. In addition to him, the shareholders of the other six shipyards also resided here!
There were also other related industries, and other wealthy individuals who profited from government business, all located in this uppermost section.
The higher one lived, the better they could avoid the Sea Gods and the tsunamis that couldn't reach these altitudes. It was an absolute safe haven for the rich.
In this bustling area, the safer the location, the more concentrated the wealth and the residents who could afford to live there!
"Pirates!"
"You shall not pass! We won't let you through!"
"How dare you invade during Mayor Iceberg's injury! Take them out!"
Although Heptaqua City lacked a Navy presence, there were plenty of burly shipyard workers. These men were not only used to dealing with pirates who came to get their ships repaired and then refused to pay, but they also knew how to fight back.
Facing the incoming pirates, they showed no fear. Instead, they grabbed their tools and charged forward to meet the invaders.
"Lightning Waltz!"
A bolt of lightning shot out, and in an instant, the crowd of shipyard workers was sent reeling. Mouths sprayed blood, eyes rolled back, and each person bore a gaping wound.
"Time is limited," Lily stated, standing at the center of the fallen crowd. She dragged her white lightning downwards and added coldly, "We must finish the raid before Saga returns. Don't waste time with these fools."
The shipyard workers were no pushovers; their physical conditions could rival that of Lily's crew. However, they lacked truly formidable techniques, and against Lily, or even someone like Paru, they stood no chance.
The raid proceeded smoothly. The pirates stormed into the upper echelons of Heptaqua City, breaking into mansions and manors, and carrying away countless treasures.
Nearby boutique shops were also plundered, and within just two hours, the raid was concluded.
Reneetia strode over the shipyard workers she had knocked down, making her way from the half-destroyed shipyard while holding the seized blueprints. "Is that all they amount to? Their technology might not surpass mine, but it's still worth studying," she scoffed.
She turned to look at her crew, who were busy carrying equipment, blueprints, and records, and shouted, "Hurry up, lads! Don't keep me waiting!"
"Yes, Lady Reneetia!"
Paru, at the forefront, hefted several large boxes and quickened his pace at her command.
As for the Adam Tree and such, Reneetia hadn't come across them, but it didn't matter. Saga had mentioned that he could procure them for her.
The diagrams and records related to ship dismantling, maintenance, and construction were a worthwhile haul.
The rest of the crew, who had split up to ransack different areas, had also returned with substantial spoils.
The boxes were filled to the brim with Berries, gold, silver, and jewels, and were carried from the upper levels of the city down to the entrance by the pirates.
Maryca arrived at the entrance with some food supplies and goods looted from the shops.
"Ah, a decent harvest," she said with a smile to Lily, who had arrived earlier.
The goods in the shops were minimal, mainly to satisfy the personal desires of her subordinates, who wanted to loot a piece or two of unique treasures for themselves. The real bounty was the water-water meat, a specialty of Heptaqua City, which flowed like water and was slippery, as well as a large amount of salt stored in cloth bags.
"Water-water meat, a delicacy of Heptaqua City. It's a great ingredient for cooking various dishes. Of course, the most rewarding thing was the tsunami that occurred last night," Maryca said with a laugh. "After the tide receded, a significant amount of salt remained on the rooftops. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to sun-dry them, so we didn't acquire a lot of salt. With this, we should be able to create more delicious dishes that Saga will enjoy."
Lily nodded. "Make a note of it. In the future, when we advance into the New World, we can trade for ingredients here to satisfy Saga's needs."
As she spoke, she scanned the area and, seeing that everyone had arrived, smiled gently. "Let's go. We'll head in the direction of the rail tracks to wait for Saga. Once we receive his message, we can depart."
This was the first time they had conducted a raid independently, without Saga's command.
It indicated that, to some extent, they could also stand on their own. As the navigator and commander of the ship, Lily found this fact comforting.
With this success to report to Saga, she could now hold her head high with pride.
The group exited through the gates, making their way down to the small island where their ship was docked.
Just as they were about to board the ship, Lily and Reneetia suddenly paused, a red dot appearing in their eyes as they stared at the ship in disbelief.
"Hmm?"
Maryca was a step slower, but she also sensed something amiss, her gentle smile freezing for a moment.
Hawkins had already climbed the gangplank and was about to reach the deck when he noticed their halt and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"
Bang! In the next instant, a massive fist pummeled him, sending him flying back down to the ground, where he left a small dent in the impact.
However, Hawkins quickly stood back up, brushing off the dust from his clothes as a smoking straw doll detached from his body.
Simultaneously, in the city of Heptaqua, a shipworker who had been knocked out from the battle now regained consciousness and was sent flying backward.
"Who would've thought someone would still be here, waiting. How surprising," Hawkins muttered.
Lily instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword, Maryca opening her smiling eyes, and Reneetia extending her mechanical hammer as they exclaimed:
"Hey! What are you doing here, old man? Weren't you supposed to leave already?"
Standing on the gangplank above them was a burly old man, dressed in a white suit and draped in a matching white Marine cape.
He clenched his fist and threw back his head in laughter. "Puhahaha! That was my ship leaving, not me!"
"Could a Naval Hero have such schemes as well?" Lily asked, her voice sharp.
"I just didn't feel like going to the Judicial Island. That Demon-Ordering thing is annoying," Cap shrugged, picking his nose indifferently. "So I had Bogart take people there, and I decided to wander around here. Imagine my surprise when I spotted your ship, puhahaha!"
He laughed, his eyes narrowing with mirth. "The more I thought about it, the more I realized how spread out you all were. It was the perfect opportunity, so I waited here for you."
"Well, isn't it the duty of the Navy to capture pirates?" Lily asked, drawing her sword, White Lightning. She faced Cap squarely, her voice cold. "Won't you let us go, then?"
Cap flicked his finger, sending a booger flying, as he grinned at them, his teeth bared. "I'm a Marine, after all. It's only right that I capture pirates, isn't it? Saga's gone too far, and if I don't capture you, the Navy will lose face!"
(End of Chapter)
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