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Chapter 23: Taking the Initiative
Chapter 23: Taking the Initiative
The grand mansion at the highest point of the town was even more dazzling than the rest of the settlement, resembling a medieval noble's castle as it overlooked the town below.
Sarge encountered no obstacles on his way and only faced resistance when he reached the mansion's door, where he was stopped by a group of guards.
There were over a hundred guards, and as soon as they saw the approaching pirates, they didn't give Sarge a chance to speak and charged forward.
And then...
There was no "and then."
Without Sarge lifting a finger, Lily drew her rapier and moved gracefully among the crowd, her blade a cold glimmer. With just two passes, a third of the guards lay on the ground, defeated.
Ajin brandished his walking stick and leaped into the fray, his iron ball crushing a large group with each swing, taking out another third.
The remaining third were dealt with by Paru and the remaining pirates.
In an instant, the guards lay on the ground.
Sarge stepped over the fallen guards, glanced at them, and shook his head. "They get paid over a hundred thousand berries a month. What a way to make a living."
Bang!!
Ajin spun his walking stick, and the iron ball smashed open the thick door. The pirates, their faces twisted with ferocity, charged inside and began searching for valuables.
"Tsk!"
Sarge was surprised as soon as he stepped through the door. The walls were covered in gold foil, and the wall lamps emitted a golden light. Expensive carpets, redwoods, and a table set with pricey-looking wine...
He picked up the bottle of red wine, poured himself a glass, and then eyed the goblet in his hand. "Even the damn cups are studded with gems. You really know how to live it up!"
"Spare me! Spare my life!"
A man with a brain full of fat and a body like a pig was dragged out by the pirates and knelt before Sarge, his chubby face devoid of color from fear.
"I am the mayor of this town. I have money, lots of it! Please don't kill me!" He pleaded, his tears and snot flowing.
"Of course, I know you have lots of money. Relax, I'm here for your fortune, not to take your life."
Sarge swirled the red wine in his goblet and took a slight sip. "So, Mr. Mayor, you wouldn't want my crew to go through all the trouble, would you? Tell us where you keep your money, and we'll make it quick and easy for both of us. But..."
Lily pressed the tip of her rapier against the mayor's neck, and the sharp blade sliced through a layer of his fat, drawing blood.
"Yikes!"
The mayor let out a strange cry and scrambled backward, away from the rapier.
Sarge gave Lily an appreciative look and said to the mayor, "If you lie to me and I find another stash of money, things won't end well for you."
After this show of force, the mayor dared not keep any secrets. Besides, he couldn't have hidden anything anyway. These pirates were relentless in their looting, even taking down the nicer-looking gems and clocks. Some had already started preparing to smash the walls to check for secret compartments.
To prevent the house from being destroyed, the mayor revealed where he kept his money.
Soon, gold bars, coins, gems... large amounts of berries and even expensive wines, and high-end ingredients from the kitchen, were all carried out by the pirates. The sheer quantity made Sarge's eyes widen.
"Captain, this is all my wealth." The mayor rubbed his hands together, wearing a embarrassed smile.
"Just a mayor, and you have so much money. Do you have some special business connections?"
Though ashamed, he truly had never seen so much money in his life.
"No, Captain. It's just that I have the power to collect taxes."
The mayor pinched his thumb and forefinger together, leaving a slight gap between them, and smiled ingratiatingly. "I just, uh, collect a little extra."
This statement caused Lily's eyes to turn cold, and her rapier trembled slightly as if she were searching for the right angle to deliver a fatal strike.
"You're damn right I will!" Sarge growled, finishing the wine in his cup and pocketing the gem-studded goblet before leaving the mansion.
Lily hesitated for a moment before sheathing her rapier and following Sarge.
"Oh? I thought you'd go through with it," Sarge remarked with a touch of surprise. "Why the change of heart?"
"There's no need," Lily replied, gazing at the buildings in the town. "Even if this mayor dies, another will be elected, and nothing will change."
She lowered her voice, a steely resolve in her eyes. "Instead of hoping that someone's death will bring change, it's better to let them realize that only by taking the initiative can they truly make a difference."
Sarge grinned, his teeth flashing in the light. "Exactly."
"Captain! We've spotted the Navy ship!"
One of the pirates, who had been scanning the sea with a telescope, called out.
"Persistent devils! Let's move, lads!" Sarge shouted, urging his crew to quicken their pace toward the Black-Sail Navy ship.
"My money!!!'
Inside the grand mansion, the mayor writhed in agony on the floor, lamenting the loss of his hard-earned fortune. In just a few short minutes, everything had vanished.
"Damn those pirates! They'll pay for this!" he cursed, pounding the floor in frustration. Then, a sly smile curved his lips. "I'll just have to raise taxes again. The townsfolk dare not defy me, and with a little extra squeeze, I'll recoup my losses in no time."
"That won't do!"
A voice startled him, and he turned to see a group of young men entering the room. One of them kicked the mayor over, knife in hand.
"What are you doing?!'' the mayor shrieked, his eyes wide with fear.
"Do you remember my father, who was driven to his death by your taxes?" the youth snarled. "During the storm, he had to go fishing because he couldn't pay enough tax. He died out there!"
The young man knelt, his knife hovering over the mayor's neck. "I've been wanting to avenge him, but your guards were too many. Now I have my chance."
"You can't kill me! I'm the mayor! You'll be committing a heinous crime!" the mayor shouted.
"Who knows?" The youth's voice was cold. "The pirates came, and if you die by their hands, who would blame them?"
Sssst! The knife pierced the mayor's neck, and he convulsed, his eyes bulging as he tried to grab the youth's hand.
But it was too late. The other youths joined in, each plunging their knives into the mayor's body until his plump form lay still.
"What do we do now, Boga?" one of the youths asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"We set sail!" Boga declared, his eyes shining with determination. "We'll become pirates, too! That way, if another mayor like him ever comes along, we can do what those pirates did and kill him! That's how we protect this town and its people!"
"I'm with you, Boga!"
"Me too!"
"We're all orphans. Let's go to sea together!"
The youths voiced their agreement.
"But we have no money or ship," one of them worriedly pointed out.
"We do now!"
One of the youths spotted something on the floor and picked it up. It was a gold bar, glinting in the lamplight.
"Those pirates left us something. We have the funds now!"
(End of Chapter)
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