https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-212-Please-Put-on-Your-Clothes-Before-Reciting-Poetry/13536541/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-214-Dead-Men-Don-t-Get-Nights-Anymore/13536547/
Chapter 213: Chatty
Chapter 213: Chatty
"Tada Kingdom isn't afraid of pirates at all", Hugo explained. "Thanks to its long-standing reputation, major pirate gangs avoid coming here. As for small-time pirates, they can't even breach the harbor gates—they get eliminated long before getting close. These two years, I’ve accomplished nothing. It’s humiliating to face old friends and colleagues."
He covered his face in shame.
"What’s wrong with that?"
Kuro, surprisingly, seemed energized.
Accomplished nothing? No pirates?
Perfect!
"Peace is great, but look at this base—there’s no Navy here at all!"
Hugo sighed. "The original purpose of this Tada Town base wasn’t to hunt pirates but to conscript soldiers. We used to recruit Navy personnel here, but three years ago, no one volunteered anymore, no matter how generous the benefits. Now, the Navy here consists only of retained personnel and my subordinates."
"Tada Kingdom’s people are fiercely brave. The World Government has always valued their soldiers. But even before, it was hard to find recruits here, and in recent years, recruitment has completely dried up."
"Without Navy recruits and without pirates to hunt, I can’t complete missions. I’m stuck here. But as a Navy officer, how can I idly enjoy peace? I want to fight pirates! I want to return to the Grand Line!"
Hugo’s voice trembled. "When the howling winds rise and cannon fire roars, when Navy and pirates clash for peace and freedom on the Grand Line—how can this epic saga exclude me, Hugo?!"
"Don’t you all agree?!" He turned to Kuro and the others.
Kuro appeared to be listening, but his furrowed brow betrayed distraction. "Klah."
"Yes, the voice matches", Klah adjusted his glasses. "The tone is identical, but that’s what’s strange. With respect, Commander Hugo, you really didn’t send a distress call?"
"Me? I didn’t!" Hugo blinked. "Wait—you mean someone received my distress call?"
"Exactly. Based on the voice, we assumed the caller was in mortal danger. Yet here you are, perfectly normal. That’s the contradiction", Klah said.
Kuro nodded. "Normally, hearing your speech just now and the distress call, I’d think you’d gone mad from boredom. But something’s off now. You’ve been stationed here for years. Do strange things happen at night?"
He recounted Sipatia’s encounter to Hugo.
Hugo scratched his head. "If that’s true, there might be a conspiracy. But it doesn’t add up. Tada Town has a custom—no one goes outside after 9 PM. I’ve snuck out before. The streets were empty, nothing more. So I wrote a poem to the moon, naturally."
"Two years here—nothing unusual at all?" Kuro pressed.
"Actually, no. When I arrived, Tada Town’s residents had already stopped volunteering for Navy service. I asked why. Some wanted to join, but no one explained their reasons. Probably some hidden hardship. Since it’s the Kingdom’s internal affair, I once called higher-ups to report, but there was no response."
"Did you ever enter Tada Town itself?"
Hugo shook his head, rising to point out the window. "See that gate?"
At the edge of the towering buildings stood a massive door, reinforced with iron. Fortified turrets bristling with cannons flanked it.
"Beyond that gate lies Tada Kingdom’s interior. No one enters except through this harbor town. Guarding that door is the ‘Gatekeeper’ Gurgasofficer. As long as he’s there, no one gets through."
"Officer?" Kuro mused.
Now that he mentioned it, Sipatia had too.
"Exactly, officer."
Reverence flickered in Hugo’s eyes. "What Sipatia said is impossible. Gurgasofficer’s integrity wouldn’t allow betrayal. He strictly upholds justice, helps those in need. He’s a true knight. If I weren’t Navy, I’d follow him gladly."
Kuro stubbed out his nearly finished cigar and lit a new one, exhaling a slow trail of smoke. "Damn annoying."
Hugo offered no useful intelligence, yet the people Kuro met were real. Sipatia’s words might be deliberate disinformation—but maybe not.
"Report!"
Lieutenant entered with Tada Town’s Lieutenant, holding a Wanted Poster. "We confirmed it—Absolon is a pirate!"
The poster showed an aged photo of a young Absolon with a slicked-back hairstyle and brooding expression.
【Phantasm Devil】Absolon. Bounty: 300 Million Beri. Dead or alive.
"Three hundred million…" Lida scoffed. "Not that high."
"You must consider the timeline", Kuro replied. "This photo’s at least a decade old. Back then, three hundred million was huge. Today, his power would wipe out Super Novas. In the New World, he’d be a silver-tier contender."
"Confirming Absolon’s definitely a pirate."
"Where’s Sipatia?" Kuro asked.
"Commander, we found no trace of Sipatia. She doesn’t seem to be a pirate."
Kuro narrowed his eyes. "Interrogate Absolon. He must have critical intel. Bring him here."
"Understood!" Both Lieutenants saluted and left.
"Three hundred million!" Hugo gasped. "That man’s worth so much! Unforgivable! If I captured him, I could leave this boring place! But how did a pirate get here?"
Kuro glanced at him. "Either you’re clueless, or this place is. Didn’t you hear about the Top War a few days ago?"
"No broadcasts here. I only heard the Navy’s victory through radio. What a shame! Such an epic war, and I couldn’t participate! Just hearing about it, how can I grasp its grandeur? Without understanding its grandeur, how can I write poetry? Without poetry, how can people learn of the Navy’s greatness?!"
Hugo pounded the table, furious. "Unforgivable! Unforgivable! If I’d been in that war, I—"
"Stop, stop, stop." Kuro waved him off, his temples throbbing.
He realized—this guy was a chatterbox. Every sentence missed the point, dragging on endlessly.
(End of Chapter)
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