The Hunter of Pirates

"Someone like me, who started with bootlegging?"

Capone Bege swallowed the other half of the Devil Fruit, his gaze toward the middle-aged man filled with disdain.

"Simon, with your narrow-minded perspective, it's no wonder the Colo Family fell under your leadership. You deserved it."

As he spoke, Bege extended his right hand.

A subordinate dressed in a sharp black suit immediately stepped forward, handing Bege a pristine white handkerchief.

Bege used the handkerchief to wipe his mouth, the vile taste of the fruit still lingering. For the next month, he figured he wouldn't forget the gut-wrenching flavor.

The risks he'd taken tonight to secure this Devil Fruit had nearly cost him his life.

He could only hope the powers it granted would justify the gamble.

But even if the fruit's abilities proved unsatisfactory, tonight's events had allowed him to eliminate two key rivals—an outcome worth celebrating with a hundred gun salutes.

Simon, the head of one of the underground's five major crime families, struggled to rise but couldn't muster the strength.

Blood seeped from his wounds, draining what little vitality he had left. He could only glare at Bege with bitter resentment and unwillingness.

Decades of careful accumulation, overturned by the rapid rise of a bootlegger.

It truly was a single misstep that led to total defeat.

"If you play your cards right, even the cheapest liquor can sell for the price of gold," Bege sneered, savoring his victory.

"And old relics like you, stuck in the past, are destined to fade away sooner or later."

Bege let the handkerchief fall to the ground and turned to leave.

"Keep up with the times, Simon, or you're just a dead dog of the Colo Family."

The white handkerchief landed softly atop Simon's face, covering his final glare of hatred.

Behind Bege, his subordinates raised their guns and took aim at the dying man.

Bang! Bang!

The gunfire rang out like a relentless downpour.

"You lost miserably, Simon. At least let me give you a dignified death."

Bege's cold voice resonated as he strode away, unfazed by the massacre behind him.

The chaotic auction hall still had a few lingering spectators.

Among them were the notorious "Devil Sheriff" Lafitte, the gun-seeking Eustass Kid and Killer, and Sol, who had just acquired one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Blades.

Arthur, forced to stay as company by Sol, also remained.

He had watched Bege devour the Devil Fruit, something Arthur had long coveted. His heart churned with jealousy.

Robbing Bege briefly crossed his mind, but that would have been suicidal.

The sea of corpses was proof enough of that.

Capone Bege… ruthless to the core.

Having witnessed Bege's audacious strategy—baiting his rivals into a trap and taking them out—Arthur could only marvel at his ruthlessness.

Beside him, Sol watched Bege leave with admiration, remarking, "They say Devil Fruits taste worse than anything you could imagine."

Arthur glanced at Sol, thinking that no matter how disgusting the fruit was, he'd eat a ton of it if it meant gaining those powers.

"But, you know, you only need a single bite to activate it," Sol added with a mischievous grin.

"I was going to remind him, but there wasn't a good moment."

Arthur's face twitched in frustration.

Sol cast a quick glance at Kid, then shifted his focus to the auction hall's exit. "The show's over. Time to head home."

He sheathed the sword he had acquired, casually walking toward the door.

Tonight, Sol was impressed not just by Bege's commanding presence but also by rising figures like Lafitte.

As for Kid, already a familiar name to him, Sol had initially pegged him as one of the most promising upstarts.

But now…

An image of someone else surfaced in his mind, making him smile.

Sol gripped the hilt of his new sword tightly, walking away as Kid and others watched him leave.

One by one, the remaining spectators, including Lafitte, left as well.

Killer nudged Kid, saying, "Let's go."

Kid nodded, running his hand over the short sword and pistol holstered at his waist—his new purchases from the auction.

While not as refined as his usual flintlock, they'd suffice until he found something better during his future voyages.

As Kid gazed at the departing figures, he reflected on the night.

It had been more than just a spectacle; it was an opportunity to assess some notable competitors.

"It's time…" Kid grinned, stepping forward with purpose toward the exit.

Recruiting crew members. Securing a seafaring vessel.

In a place like this, with enough money, anything could be arranged.

~~~

The Auction Hall, Top Floor.

Standing before a floor-to-ceiling window, Ralph, the auction hall's master, gazed out over the brightly lit Mad Hat Town.

He listened silently as his subordinate delivered a concise yet comprehensive report.

Ralph's eyes, dark and unfathomable, betrayed no emotion.

They were as black as the abyss, void of humanity.

Once the report concluded, Ralph looked toward the distant silhouette of Wall Mountain under the moonlight.

Compared to tonight's chaos, what lay beyond that mountain was what truly occupied his mind.

"Any updates from the factory?"

"All is well."

"Good. Dismissed."

The subordinate left quietly, leaving Ralph alone in the room.

He continued to stare at Wall Mountain in silence.

~~~

The Dock.

Hack stood on the ship's deck, his expression easing as two figures approached under the cover of night.

Sabo and Koala had safely returned to the ship.

"We've got it—the layout map of the area behind Wall Mountain," Koala announced, waving the map triumphantly.

"Good work, Koala," Hack replied with a rare smile.

The mission was complete. There was no need for aliases anymore, so Hack used Koala's real name.

"Not just the map," Koala added, "Sabo also gathered intel on the approximate military strength and the number of slaves in the factory."

She glanced at Sabo, who had been uncharacteristically quiet.

"Sabo, what's wrong? You've been acting strange."

"Ah, it's nothing." Sabo smiled, scratching his head.

"I was just thinking… should we leave someone behind before the operation starts?"

"You want to stay?"

Koala immediately caught on and looked at him in surprise.

Hack rejected the idea outright. "That's unnecessary."

Before Sabo could argue, Koala pressed, "Why?"

Sabo scratched his head again and said earnestly, "Tonight, I encountered someone wearing a mask. Likely a Navy operative infiltrating the town. He might have some useful intel."

"Really?" Koala immediately thought of the masked figure who had saved the enslaved fish-man earlier.

"Was he carrying a flintlock rifle?"

Sabo was taken aback. "You've seen him too?"

Koala briefly described the masked figure and his actions.

After hearing her account, Sabo nodded thoughtfully.

Hack, a fish-man, frowned. "A Navy operative here, of all places…"

"That's not confirmed yet," Sabo replied cautiously.

~~~

When Sol returned to the weapon shop, the aroma of food greeted him.

Following the scent to the kitchen, he found Mobin and Sunny eating bowls of steaming noodles.

"Hey, you even made some for me!"

Seeing the beef noodle soup on the table, Sol's stomach growled.

He placed the newly acquired sword on the table, grabbed a bowl, and started eating.

Morin's gaze lingered on the sword.

"Sol, is that one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Blades from tonight's auction?"

"Slurp… Yep, it's called Chidori."

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