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Chapter 356: A Small Fraction of Pirates Do as They Please
Chapter 356: A Small Fraction of Pirates Do as They Please
An inside ambush and an outside attack are completely different concepts.
He had been pondering this matter before, and while he had taken precautions, he had not yet encountered such a situation.
But just one day later, trouble arrived! And it came on the heels of his bounty being issued, further increasing his fame.
Was this an infiltration and ambush?
No!
This was a slap to the face!
A hard slap, at that!
"Lily."
"Fix Island is on the fringe of our current sphere of influence, in the southwest direction, close to Kaido and Big Mom. It specializes in producing feathered chickens and pumpkins—you praised the pumpkin cold soup that Marika made last month, which came from that island."
Without waiting for Sag to ask, Lily replied directly, "There are two thousand two hundred and twenty-five people on the island, and we originally stationed one hundred and fifty men there. The extra people must be either recruited locals or members of other pirate groups."
"The small captain there, if I recall correctly, is 'Brony Swaffe,' a forty-six-year-old man with a bounty of twenty-six million berries, nicknamed 'Big Baton.' He retired half a year ago due to injuries sustained in battle and had been stationed in Storm City all this time. After we conquered Fix Island, we sent him there."
It was impossible for Lily to remember all ten thousand subordinates, but she could remember the administrators of their territories.
She paused before continuing, "Now they're all dead. If it was the doing of pirates who joined the cause, then that guy must be a formidable opponent; otherwise, it would be impossible to take down nearly two hundred of our men."
As she spoke, she turned to Gabra and instructed, "Give me the details."
As a special agent, he should have clarified most of the details before reporting.
Whether he was intelligent or not, this was basic knowledge for a special agent.
Gabra thought for a moment and replied, "From what I understand, the bodies on Fix Island were left untouched, and their heads weren't taken either. However, our men's belongings are missing."
"The civilians' possessions were left undamaged, and there were no casualties among them."
This statement caused Lily to furrow her brows.
Sometimes, one could deduce a person's identity based on their handling of a situation.
Bounty hunters sought heads, the Navy arrested people, and most pirates were solely interested in wealth.
In the face of unknown attacks, one could often determine the identity of the assailants based on these tendencies.
But now, it was a bit tricky to make a conclusion.
"Strange," Lily mused. "Since they didn't take the heads, it means they're not after the bounty, and leaving the bodies behind suggests they're not Navy either. It must be the work of pirates, but why would they attack our territory? Could it be a vendetta?"
Most pirates were motivated by greed, but a small fraction did as they pleased.
However, the problem was that anyone who dared to cause trouble in their territory was signing their own death warrant.
Even if it was a vendetta, it wouldn't end well for them; they were the Calamity Pirate Group, after all!
"Are there any distinctive features?" Lily asked.
"I'll make a call to confirm right now."
"No need."
Sag suddenly spoke up, stopping Gabra from making the call.
He waved his hand and said, "Lily, let the fleet disperse once they reach the sea area. Those who need to return can go back, and the Death Harbinger will follow me to that Fix Island. I'll go there and see for myself!"
Hawkins sat on the sofa, drawing Tarot cards and arranging them on the coffee table before speaking:
"In that case, Sag, your success rate is infinitely close to 100%."
His divination rarely went wrong, and this was the highest probability, an inevitable occurrence.
...
Some time later.
Upon reaching the sea area under the jurisdiction of the Calamity Pirates, the grand fleet dispersed, with some ships heading to their respective bases and others sailing towards Ohara Storm City to rest and recuperate.
Soon after, Moria, Arkin, and Ulqui also left.
With the annihilation of Whitebeard's remnants, they needed to expedite their efforts to consolidate their control over those territories as quickly as possible.
As for the Death Harbinger, it set sail with Ras and three hundred Demon Clan members, along with an additional two hundred subordinates, directly towards Fix Island.
After a few more days, Sag arrived at his destination.
Fix Island wasn't very large; from a bird's-eye view, it resembled a small hill, gradually sloping upwards from a low-lying area. There were no towns, only a dozen or so villages.
When they had conquered this place before, they had killed the local village chiefs who had a bad reputation and replaced them with obedient and well-respected individuals. They worked alongside the dispatched pirates to manage the island.
At the landing point, as the massive black ship docked, the welcoming party stood straight, their faces filled with awe as they gazed upon the enormous vessel.
They remained in this stance until a gangplank was lowered, and Sag descended.
"My Lord."
The man leading the welcoming party was named George, one of the most reputable individuals on the island, chosen to manage this island.
At that moment, he bowed respectfully towards Sag.
"Lead the way."
Sag wasted no time in small talk and proceeded towards their destination with his entourage, led by George.
"Did you get a good look at the person?" Lily asked during the journey.
"No, I didn't."
George thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I only heard the sounds of fighting coming from that direction, and when I ran over, I heard Captain Swaffe shouting something about 'traitors.'"
"Moreover, it was in the middle of the night. By the time I got there, everyone was already dead. My apologies, Lady Lily."
The Calamity Pirates' bounty notices served as identification within their territories. Every member, especially the high-ranking officers, was well-known and easily recognizable.
There were only a handful of high-ranking officers, and if one couldn't identify them, they might as well be dead.
The outpost where the fallen subordinates were located was on a high plateau near the island's center. From this vantage point, one could observe nearly half of the island's villages, and it was also quite close to two of them.
If the pirates had any needs, they would go to the nearby villages to purchase goods.
It was similar to a Marine branch base, with personnel stationed to maintain fair trade, though they offered more than the World Government.
It was said that the World Government imposed heavy taxes, but Lord Sag's taxes were much lighter. Moreover, the Marines sometimes collected taxes arbitrarily, which was something Lord Sag would never do.
So, even though they had only recently conquered this island, the locals were quick to pledge their loyalty.
"My Lord, we've arrived."
George led Sag and the others up a slope to a hillside, and after a short walk, they reached the outpost.
As soon as they entered, a putrid stench assaulted their nostrils.
The smell was so strong that Marika, a chef with a sensitive sense of smell, scrunched up her face in disgust.
She detested the smell of rotting corpses, and if not for Sag's instructions to leave the bodies untouched, they would have likely been buried by now.
The outpost was in disarray, with the corpses of their comrades lying rotting on the ground. However, one could still discern the injuries inflicted upon them, and the surrounding campsite and half-built structures were destroyed, bearing the clear marks of a fierce battle.
Even on the ground, Sag spotted a half-burned matchstick, indicating that the attackers had intended to raze the place to the ground but ultimately hesitated and refrained from doing so.
Sag scanned the area and said to Lily beside him, "Make a note of it. This was done by the Longarm Tribe."
(End of Chapter)
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