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The next morning—
Zechs and Pudding came downstairs.
While Pudding went to join Katakuri at one of the tables, Zechs slipped behind the counter and into the kitchen. Ruri was there, busy preparing breakfast.
The moment she saw him, memories of the previous night came rushing back, and her face immediately flushed red. "S-Sir…" she stammered.
"Good morning, Miss Ruri," he said.
Before she could react, he stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Mm—!" Ruri did not even have time to protest before he stole her lips.
It was nearly a full minute before Zechs finally let her go.
"W-what are you doing…? It's morning… a-a-and… my husband might walk in…" she said, flustered and breathless.
"Fufu… I think that would only make it more exciting for you, Miss Ruri, remember last night…" Zechs said with a chuckle, his hand giving her ass a firm squeeze.
Ruri shot him a glare, but the way she bit her lip betrayed her embarrassment.
"Anyway… how are you feeling?" he asked casually, ignoring her expression.
"There's still a bit of soreness… but I'm fine…" she replied quietly, blushing even harder.
The size of him had left her feeling stretched and distended long after the night had ended. Compared to Zechs, her husband, Alpha Male was not even half as big. It had been the first time she had taken something like that, and now a shameful fear lingered in her mind, that perhaps her body had changed, and that her husband would never be able to make her feel that way again.
Before she could dwell on the thought any longer, Zechs kissed her again.
"By the way… what's for breakfast?" he asked casually.
"O-Oh… it's stew and bread… please sit down… I'll bring it over…" she said, quickly forcing herself out of her thoughts.
"Okay…"
He gave her one last kiss before finally letting her go and leaving the kitchen.
As he walked out of the kitchen, Zechs happened to run into Alpha Male, who had just come downstairs in a hurry.
"Mr. Marine…" Zechs greeted him at once.
"Oh… it's you… boy…" the middle-aged Marine commodore paused for a moment before returning the greeting.
"You seem to be in a hurry?" Zechs asked.
"Ahh… yes… unfortunately, I overslept…" Alpha Male said with a helpless nod.
Normally, his wife always woke him on time. But today, for some reason, she had not woken him at all.
The thought left him a little dissatisfied, and he immediately strode into the kitchen. "Ruri… why didn't you wake me up on time?" he asked angrily. "I'm late now…"
He was a punctual man and hated arriving late to the office. Yet because Ruri had failed to wake him, he was now running behind.
"I-I did try to wake you… but you just wouldn't get up…!" Ruri quickly defended herself. "I thought you must have been very tired after drinking so much last night… so I let you sleep…"
Of course, she had not tried to wake him at all.
Instead, she had let him sleep while she cleaned the bedroom, wiping away every trace of what had happened the previous night between her and Sir. Afterwards, she had washed herself thoroughly, to remove his seeds from her cave and wore a high collar dress to hide the marks from last night before coming downstairs.
And once she had finished that, she remembered she still had to prepare breakfast.
More specifically… breakfast for Sir. As a result, she had completely forgotten about her husband.
Alpha Male frowned, unsure what to say. He had thought Ruri simply had not bothered to wake him… but if she had tried and he still slept through it, then he could hardly blame her.
"Forget it… I'm going…" Alpha Male said, not noticing the fear and panic in Ruri's heart.
"Mr. Marine… why not join us for breakfast?" Zechs called from behind him.
"Haven't got the time," Alpha Male replied. Then he said to his wife without turning around, "Bring me lunch this afternoon. As for breakfast… I'll eat at the cafeteria."
"Okay…" Ruri agreed.
With that, Alpha Male started to leave. But just before he stepped out, he remembered the strange dream he had last night. It made him pause for a moment before he shook his head.
'It was just a dream…'
Still… his eyes drifted toward Zechs for a brief moment.
Sensing the Marine's gaze, Zechs smiled faintly and asked, "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Marine…?"
"What did you say your name was again… boy?" Alpha Male asked.
"Sigma. It's Sigma, sir…" Zechs answered without missing a beat.
"Sigma… is it…?" Alpha Male muttered. He frowned and repeated it under his breath. "Sigma… Sigma… Sigma… Zigma? No… that's not it… it doesn't match…"
He shook his head in annoyance. "Forget it… I'm getting late…" Then he hurriedly left.
Once the Marine was gone, Pudding leaned closer and whispered, "He is suspicious of you, Zechs-sama…"
"Doesn't matter… we're leaving today anyway…" Zechs said with a shrug.
"We're leaving today?" Pudding blinked, a little unwilling. They had only arrived yesterday. They had barely rested, and now they were already leaving again.
She even feared that they were going to encounter more disasters if they ventured out… so she wanted to stay a few more days on the land.
"It can't be helped…" Zechs replied with another shrug.
"What can't be helped, Sir…?" Ruri asked as she carried over a tray.
"It's nothing, Miss Ruri…" he answered lightly.
She placed the tray on the table and served them breakfast.
"Oh… I see…" she said quietly, a bit disappointed that he didn't tell her. But couldn't push him, and just said, "If there's anything… please tell me. I'll do my best to help…"
Then she turned and started to walk away.
Pudding puffed out her cheeks and repeated Ruri's words under her breath in an exaggerated, comical tone. "We wewe sw we we… we we we we we we we we we we…"
Katakuri glanced at her and was faintly amused.
Zechs, meanwhile, clamped a hand over Pudding's mouth, silencing her. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned toward the proprietress. "Miss Ruri..." he called. "There is actually something you can help me with..."
"Yes? What is it?" she asked, turning back with an expectant look as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"I was wondering if you have newspapers," Zechs said. "Not just today's… but from the past several months."
"I have about a week's worth of newspapers… but not several months…" she replied hesitantly.
"Is that so…?" Zechs murmured. "Is there anywhere on this island where I could find them?"
"Um…" Ruri thought for a moment before nodding. "The Marine Base should have them."
"Right… the Marine Base…" Zechs said, his eyes lighting up slightly. "Of course…"
"If you'd like, I can help you with it," Ruri offered. "I have to bring him lunch this afternoon anyway… so you could come along and I'll tell a marine officer to let you read them."
"Is that so…? Then I guess I'll have to accompany you to the Marine Base," Zechs said with a nod.
After that, he asked several more questions. Was there a shipwright on the island who could build a ship? Where could he get a Log Pose? Were there any maps of the surrounding seas?
Ruri answered every question patiently. By the end, after answering them all, she could not help but ask, "Sir… are you going to leave this island soon?"
"Yes…" Zechs answered without denying it.
"Is… is that so…?" Ruri replied, her voice trembling slightly. At that moment, she realised that what had happened between them would never become anything more. The thought made her heart ache. "I… I see…" she whispered.
Her eyes turned red. Then she spun around and hurried back into the kitchen.
A little later, a faint whimper came from inside.
It was obvious enough that she was crying.
"Look at that… You broke her heart…" Pudding said. But she did not sound particularly upset. If anything… There was a small trace of satisfaction in her voice.
Zechs merely shrugged. This was hardly the first time something like this had happened.
"She'll still come back later…" he said calmly. "Something like… wanting to enjoy the last few moments with me before I disappear…"
Pudding puffed out her cheeks at that, but Zechs had already moved on to what he considered the more important matter. "It's related to the bet I have with Linlin," he said. "I have to win."
"Hmm…" Pudding hummed softly. She scooped up a spoonful of food and fed it to him while he continued speaking.
"I have to win in every category. I want an overwhelming victory… a crushing one. I want to beat her so badly that it completely destroys any hope she has of taking control of the crew."
"But how are you going to do that?" Katakuri asked. He knew his mother well. And because of that, he knew better than to underestimate her.
Pudding also looked at Zechs curiously, though she continued feeding him as she listened.
"The other categories aren't much of a problem," Zechs said after swallowing the food. "Personal strength, crew strength, bounty… and even the last category doesn't concern me that much." He paused for a moment. "The real problem is treasure. I need a treasure so unique… so absurd… that Linlin won't have any chance of beating me at all."
He doesn't know what kind of treasure she'd bring, so he wanted to have a treasure that'd ensure his win, no matter what treasure she brings.
"Such a treasure… are you talking about the One Piece?" Katakuri could not help but ask.
In his opinion, only the One Piece could qualify as a treasure like that. If he had to be honest, obtaining it might actually be easier in this era than in any other. There were no Yonkō yet, and no emperors guarding the Road Poneglyphs.
"Zechs-sama… do you want to become the Pirate King?" Pudding asked, suddenly excited.
If they found the One Piece, then instead of Roger becoming Pirate King, it would be Zechs. As his maid, she naturally wanted her master to stand above everyone else.
"I've even mastered the ability to hear the Voice of All Things," she added eagerly. "Maybe I could translate the Poneglyphs…"
"The One Piece? Pirate King?" Zechs shook his head. "No. That's not my goal right now. It's too troublesome. The World Government would target us immediately."
There was another reason as well.
In this era, only three Road Poneglyphs were known. One lay on Fish-Man Island, another in Wano Country, and the third on Zou. The location of the fourth one, the one Linlin possessed in the original timeline, remained a complete mystery. No one knew where she had found it, or how.
Zechs did not believe he could locate it so easily.
More importantly, he was not even sure whether finding the One Piece would help him. For all he knew, perhaps only Nika could truly use it.
For now, he had no interest in touching something that sat at the very centre of the World Government's wrath.
Not when he still lacked complete confidence in his own strength. That was a matter for the future if he felt interested.
"If not the One Piece… then what treasure?" Katakuri asked, understanding and agreeing with Zechs' reasoning.
In truth, Zechs had two treasures in mind.
The first was the lost city of gold, Shandora… which would allow him to possess immense gold.
The second was Pure Gold.
As for Shandora, he already knew where it was. There was no need to search for it. All he had to do was travel to the first half of the Grand Line and reach that Sky Island.
The only reason he had never gone there until now was that he had not entered the first part of the Grand Line yet.
But obtaining Shandora felt too easy. Too simple.
It's not that he won't win from it… But he also wanted to try putting in real effort to obtain a treasure that would ensure his victory.
Because of that, he had no intention of making Shandora his target.
Instead, he looked at the two of them and said, "We're going to search for Pure Gold."
"Pure Gold…?" Katakuri repeated, blinking in surprise. The name sounded familiar, yet he could not quite remember where he had heard it before.
"Gold that is said to be worth enough to buy the entire world… and even extend a person's life?" Pudding murmured as she searched through the knowledge in her memories. Then she looked at him. "Zechs-sama… This Pure Gold… isn't that just a legend?"
"There's no smoke where there's no fire," Zechs said with a shake of his head. "It's real… Pure Gold exists…"
"But no one managed to find it even in my era…" Katakuri said.
His meaning was simple. Even if Pure Gold really existed, no one in his time had ever found it. At that point, it might as well have been a legend.
"That's because most people searching for Pure Gold have no idea where it actually is," Zechs replied with a mysterious smile.
The way he said it made both Pudding and Katakuri stare at him.
"Don't tell me… y-you know where it is?" Pudding asked. Her breathing quickened, and even the spoon in her hand trembled.
Gold is said to be valuable enough to buy the entire world… gold that could even stop ageing… who would not want it?
As a pirate, she wanted it.
As a woman, she wanted it even more.
Zechs would not age. He would remain young for countless years.
Pudding did not want to be left behind as someone who would slowly grow older and older.
If there were a way to stay young forever, then naturally, she wanted it in order to be able to continue to stay beside him and serve him.
Katakuri also felt his heart throb a little at the thought of acquiring Pure Gold.
He was already forty-nine years old, and he only had perhaps two decades left in his prime. He doesn't want that.
If there was a way to extend his life, stay in his prime for longer, and enjoy this era… then he wanted it too.
Zechs chuckled softly, satisfied by the greed and desire in their eyes.
Then he began to tell them a story. The story of the Island-Eating Lantern Fish.
"So… that Lantern Fish… the Pure Gold is inside it?" Pudding murmured in shock.
Then she finally understood why no one had ever managed to find it.
"But… wouldn't that make the search far too difficult?" she asked anxiously.
How were they supposed to track down a single Lantern Fish in an ocean this vast?
It could be anywhere.
"I already have a few ideas about that," Zechs said.
But he did not explain them immediately.
"Even so… the search could still take a very long time. Which means the sooner we leave, the more time we'll have to find it before the two-year limit runs out."
Even if he failed to find Pure Gold, Zechs was not overly concerned.
If it came to that, he could always use Shandora as the treasure to win the bet.
Still… he wanted to try for Pure Gold first.
"Understood," Pudding said with a firm nod. "Then let's leave as soon as possible and start searching."
Earlier, she had been reluctant to leave the island so quickly.
But now… she wanted to depart immediately. In fact, the longer they stayed, the more she felt that someone else might find the Pure Gold before them.
Katakuri did not disagree, but he thought about it more carefully.
"We need a ship," he said. "And preferably a good one."
"Onii-sama, we don't have time to wait for a shipwright to build us a ship…" Pudding argued.
"But we still need a good ship," Katakuri repeated. Then he looked at Zechs and added, "We could steal one from a merchant… or there are Marine warships."
As captain, the decision was obviously Zechs'.
"Marine warships are always the best quality," Zechs said. "They're fast, durable, heavily built, and also with the latest technology. We'll take one of those."
Then he turned to Katakuri. "I'll leave that to you. Pick a Marine warship and get it ready to sail. And while you're at it… Destroy the other warships we aren't taking. It'll save us some trouble."
"Got it…" Katakuri said with a nod before taking a sip of his tea.
Then Zechs turned to Pudding. "Pudding-chan… supplies are your responsibility. Food, clothes, tools, medicine… whatever you think we'll need, get it."
"What about money?" she asked. "We don't have any…"
Zechs was about to suggest something, but before he could speak, her eyes lit up. "No, wait… I know. It's fine. Even without money, I can get everything we need…" Then she puffed out her chest slightly and accepted the task, with a grin, "Hehe… leave it to me, Zechs-sama…"
"Good," Zechs said. "Then I'll handle the last part. I'll raid the Marine Base, get the newspapers, and take anything else useful… especially any Log Poses I can find."
With that, the work between the three of them was divided.
After Zechs finished breakfast, Katakuri and Pudding left one after another to carry out their tasks, leaving Zechs alone in the tavern.
All three of them possessed Observation Haki, so even while separated, they could keep track of one another across the island.
There was no problem splitting up for now.
Left alone in the tavern, Zechs took out the pack of cigarettes and lighter he had stolen yesterday. He lit one, took a drag, and slowly exhaled.
"Fuuu…"
While he smoked, Ruri walked out of the kitchen with her eyes slightly red. But she didn't mention anything more, and while collecting the dishes, she asked softly, "Is there anything else you need?"
Holding the cigarette between his lips, Zechs reached out and casually caressed her ass. "Maybe some of this…"
"P-please… not… please don't…" she said, trembling as she stepped away, trying to put some distance between them.
After realising that he had no intention of taking responsibility and would simply leave, she no longer dared let herself get any closer.
"Are you sure?" Zechs asked casually as he exhaled another stream of smoke. "You might never get to experience what happened last night again…"
"I…" She hesitated and was a little tempted… Before she could make any decision, the sound of footsteps came from upstairs.
Her two children, Yu and Akari, ran downstairs.
"Mom… breakfast…"
"Mama… hungry…"
Their arrival immediately cut off the conversation.
Ruri stepped even farther away from Zechs and hurried back to the kitchen. "Go sit down… I'll serve breakfast…" she said.
"Umm…" the two nodded and sat down across from Zechs.
Yu glanced at him, then at the cigarette between his fingers. Meanwhile, Akari, just like before, seemed infatuated by him.
Zechs grinned and looked at Yu. "Want a smoke, kid?"
Yu looked tempted. Though shy and nervous, he almost nodded.
But before he could, Zechs smirked and shook his head. "Too bad, kid… you're still too young for this sort of thing."
The boy immediately deflated and puffed out his cheeks. "Humph!"
His sister stifled a giggle.
"What are we laughing about?" Ruri asked as she came out of the kitchen carrying two plates.
"N-nothing…" Yu said quickly. His face turned red. Afraid of being scolded, he hurriedly shook his head and buried his face in his soup and bread, silently hoping that Zechs would not say anything.
Ruri looked at Zechs. He merely shrugged and said nothing, leaving her with no choice but to sigh and head back into the kitchen.
As she walked away, Zechs rose from his seat and followed her. "Miss Ruri..." he called.
The moment she saw him enter the kitchen behind her, she trembled and instinctively shrank back. "S-Sir... please... I... I am afraid... a-and my children... they are just outside..."
"You misunderstand, Miss Ruri," Zechs said calmly. "It's about the offer you made earlier. You said you would help me read several months of newspaper collections from the marine base."
"O-Oh... It's about that..." she murmured. Relief washed over her, but beneath it was a strange disappointment. He had not pressured her anymore. He had not even asked again. If it had been her husband, he would have kept asking even after she refused once or twice, using excuses like not feeling well or being tired. But Zechs had not asked at all. Instead, he had simply stopped.
For some reason, that left her feeling lost. It went against the script she was used to... and, strangely, it upset her.
But since he was not going to ask, she could only force herself to ignore the matter and focus on his request instead. "Right... I still need to prepare lunch... and... there's still quite a bit of time..."
"I am sure Miss Ruri can hurry it up... otherwise, Commodore might go hungry..." Zechs said, quietly using his Persuasion trait.
Ruri did not understand why those words affected her so strongly, but the moment she heard them, she felt an urge to hurry. If she delayed any longer, her husband might go hungry.
"I... I understand..." she nodded. "I will prepare his lunch quickly."
"Good..." Zechs said with satisfaction. He left the kitchen, picked up the day's newspaper, and began reading through it.
Some time later, the two children finished eating. Yu ran outside to play with the other boys. Akari, however, unlike her usual self, who'd go out to play, sat down across from Zechs again.
From time to time, she shyly glanced at him.
Most of the time, she kept her head lowered. Then, after gathering a little courage, she would slowly raise it, steal a glance at him, become overwhelmed, and quickly look away again.
"What is it, girl?" Zechs asked casually, somewhat annoyed by how fascinated she had become with him. Her mother was far more to his taste. "Do you have something to say?"
At his question, Akari turned even redder. Still, she somehow gathered the courage to speak. "O-Onii-chan... will you... will you marry me?"
Zechs paused. Lowering the newspaper slightly, he looked at the girl.
She practically had hearts in her eyes. "God... sometimes this charm of mine is bloody annoying..." he muttered with a sigh.
Then he looked back at her and said bluntly, "Not interested in kids."
Akari looked crushed, but not completely hopeless. "W-What about when I grow up?" she asked quietly.
"We'll talk about it when you grow up," he said with a shrug, clearly not caring either way.
She pouted, but she no longer had the courage to say anything else. Instead, she remained sitting there in silence.
After a while, Ruri came out of the kitchen carrying the lunchbox. "We can go now... Sir..." she said softly.
"Finally..." Zechs said as he stood up. "I was getting tired of waiting."
Akari immediately got to her feet as well, clearly intending to follow them.
But Ruri stopped her and told her to go play with her brother instead.
The little girl could only pout before reluctantly running off.
"Let's go..." Ruri said. Then she left for the Marine base with Zechs.
…
On Pudding's side—
Inside a clothing shop, she selected several sets of clothes, not only for herself, but also for Zechs and Katakuri. Once she was done, she placed everything on the counter.
"Pack these up..." she said sweetly.
"Miss... Pudding..." the shopkeeper asked nervously, sweat forming on his forehead. "D-Do you have enough money?"
"Of course..." she replied with a smile.
Before the man could react, Pudding slipped her hand into his head and pulled out his memory reel. "Just a little editing... and done..."
She pushed the memory reel back inside.
The shopkeeper collapsed to the ground.
Pudding simply stood there and waited. After a short while, he finally woke up, looking dazed and confused, "W-what's going on?"
The moment he opened his eyes, she put on an innocent, worried expression. "Are you alright, Mr Shopkeeper?" she asked gently.
"O-Oh... Miss Pudding..." he muttered, rubbing his head. "I... I do not know what happened... Did I lose consciousness?"
"That's right..." Pudding nodded. "After I paid you, you were about to pack the clothes... but then you suddenly fainted. I was so worried... I was even thinking about going out to call for help... but fortunately, you woke up first."
"I... I am sorry for causing you trouble..." the shopkeeper said awkwardly.
Realising his mistake, or rather, the memory she had given him, he apologised again and hurriedly packed up all the clothes.
'Hehe... with my Memo-Memo no Mi, why would I ever need to worry about paying?' Pudding thought with a smile.
Soon, she left the shop with several bags stuffed into a single backpack and headed toward the next store, ready to empty that one out as well.
As for guilt? As for robbing innocent people?
Please. She was a pirate. She always had been. Why would she feel guilty over something like this?
If anything, these shopkeepers should be grateful she was robbing them this way instead of using her enhanced strength to beat them and take everything by force.
"This..." Pudding murmured with a pleased smile, "This is what a pirate should be like..."
…
On Katakuri's side—
He moved even faster than Pudding.
By now, he had already taken control of every ship in the harbour. A Mochi Clone stood aboard each vessel, ensuring nothing went wrong. As for the crews... they had all been knocked unconscious before they could even react, then tied up afterwards.
Once he finished, Katakuri sat down at the edge of the railing of one of the ships.
"It will probably take Pudding and Zechs a while to get here..." he murmured to himself. "So I suppose I will have to wait a bit."
Still, he did not particularly care. His work was already done. Once the two of them arrived, they could simply set sail.
As for the remaining warships... Well... There was no need to talk about them...
…
Back on Zechs' side—
As Zechs and Ruri walked toward the Marine base, the awkward atmosphere between them only grew thicker.
Zechs did not care.
Ruri, however, seemed unable to bear the silence any longer and broke it. "Sir..." she began hesitantly. "Your name... is it really Sigma?"
"Nope," Zechs replied casually. "I came up with it on the spot when your husband asked."
'Thought so...' Ruri thought. She had already suspected that he had chosen that name just to mock her husband. After hesitating for a moment, she asked tentatively, "Then... m-may I know your real name?"
A faint smile curved Zechs' lips. "There might be a price for learning my name," he said mysteriously.
"A... a price?" Ruri repeated. For some reason, she had the feeling that this man was not ordinary. He carried himself like someone important... someone dangerous.
"Yes," Zechs said with a grin. "Do you want to pay that price, Miss Ruri?"
"I... I..." Ruri lowered her head nervously, unsure how to answer. She wanted to know his name. But at the same time, she was afraid of what he might ask in return and fell silent.
The awkward atmosphere persisted all the way to the Marine base.
Since they entered through the back entrance, only two marines stood guard at the gate. Both immediately recognised Ruri. "Madam Ruri..." they greeted respectfully.
Then their eyes shifted to Zechs. The young man standing beside Ruri caught both marines off guard. They could not help but wonder why he was here... and why he was entering the base through the back entrance with her.
Ruri turned to one of the younger sailors. "Sir Sigma here wishes to read some old newspapers," she said. "Help him with that."
As the Commodore's wife, her words carried the weight of an order. "Yes, Madam Ruri," the sailor replied at once.
He immediately led Zechs toward the base library. Ruri watched Zechs disappear into the library and then turned toward her husband's office.
…
Commodore Alpha Male's office—
After knocking on the door, Ruri stepped inside.
Alpha Male sat behind his desk, flipping through a thick stack of papers. When he heard her enter, he looked up. "Hmm? You're early."
"I thought you might be hungry," Ruri replied smoothly, careful not to mention that she had come early because Sir Sigma wanted something from the base.
"I see..." Alpha Male said lightly. Then he lowered his head again and continued flipping through the pages in front of him.
"What are you doing?" Ruri asked curiously.
"Looking through bounty posters," Alpha Male replied.
"Bounty posters? Why?" She sat down nearby as she asked.
"I have a feeling that this Sigma fellow... even if he does not look like it... is a little suspicious," Alpha Male said casually. "And I feel like I have seen his face somewhere before. I am not completely sure, so I am checking whether he appears on one of these posters."
As he spoke, he picked up another stack and handed it to her. "Look through these, too. Help me out."
There were thousands of pirates in the world. If he wanted to identify someone whose face he only vaguely recognised, he would need to search through a great many posters.
But Ruri did not immediately start flipping through them. His words had shaken her. Her body trembled slightly as she looked at him. "Y-You think... h-he might be a pirate?" she asked weakly.
"I'm not certain," Alpha Male replied. "But it is better to be careful."
At that moment, Zechs' earlier words echoed in her mind. 'There might be a price for learning my name.' Ruri's heart tightened. Perhaps her husband was right. 'This... this is dangerous for Sir Sigma...' she thought anxiously.
Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming urge to warn him.
Even if the other party was a pirate... a villain who had likely committed countless atrocities... and even if her husband was a man of justice, someone meant to protect people... Ruri still felt the urge to protect the villain.
The villain who had made her feel incredible last night.
Instead of telling her husband that she had brought him to the base and sent him to the library, she began thinking of ways to help him.
Her husband had ordered her to check the bounty posters, so she could not simply leave. That would look suspicious. Thus, she began flipping through the posters. But she did so with a different goal in mind. If she came across that man's bounty poster, she would quietly flip past it without showing it to her husband.
'Anyway... he plans to leave today... so... if husband is delayed for a little while...' she thought anxiously as she continued searching through the stack.
Unfortunately, her plan proved useless because she didn't find his bounty poster. Instead, it was her husband who found it.
"This face... this is him...!!! I knew it... my instincts were right. This guy really is a pirate... he even gave us a fake name... His real name is Asmodeus Zechs... I see... it's him... he's an extremely dangerous pirate...!!!" Alpha Male yanked the poster out of the pile and stared at it. Then his eyes widened when he saw the bounty. "900 million berries...!!!"
Just looking at all those zeroes made his heart tighten.
A pirate that dangerous had been on his island the entire time... and he had not realised it.
"This man is too dangerous... he needs to be put down..." Alpha Male said grimly as he stood up, still clutching the bounty poster.
"Don't... his bounty is too high... he'll be far too strong for you... please, don't go after him... let's just pretend we never recognised him... he'll probably leave soon..." Ruri said anxiously.
Of course, she was not truly worried for her husband.
She was worried about Zechs.
In fact, Ruri did not even understand how high a bounty of 900 million berries really was. But she had never seen a pirate escape her husband before, and she was not certain Zechs could escape him either.
"Don't be naïve," Alpha Male snapped. "A man this dangerous would never leave a town peacefully. He could slaughter everyone here at any moment. Before he can do something like that, he needs to be put down. Not just him, but his two companions as well. Those people need to be dealt with."
"But..." Ruri tried to protest.
"No buts," Alpha Male cut her off. Then he asked, "The three of them are still at the tavern, right?"
"Y-yes... they were there when I left..." she replied with a nod.
A lie, obviously.
"Good. If they're still there, I'll deal with them there. As for you... Stay here. The base will be safe."
Alpha Male immediately summoned his elite Marines. They armed themselves in a hurry, then rushed out of the office, murmuring among themselves that they were about to capture the infamous pirate Asmodeus Zechs.
Ruri was left alone in the office. But she did not stay there. The moment they were gone, she rushed out and ran towards the library, "I need to warn him… I need to warn Sir Zechs."
.
.
A/N:
I hope the readers will continue to give the story lots of Power Stones.
Comments and Reviews are also necessary, especially Reviews. The story has far fewer reviews than I'd prefer.
And naturally, the greatest support comes from Pa-t-r-e-o-n.
For me, who is trying to make full-time as a writer, Pa-t-r-e-o-n support is the most needed since this is my only source of income. So, if you love this story, and you can support me, please do so to help me stay consistent and motivated with writing.
On my Pa-t-r-e-o-n, you can read up to 28 chapters in advance before public release, and I generally post 6 chapters a week, meaning you'll get one extra chapter per week compared to the regular schedule, which is 5 chapters a week.
Pa-t-r-e-o-n:Knockturn_Alley