Chapter 68

Chapter 68 - Warship

The Marines came prepared this time, bringing with them all the wanted posters that matched the reported bounties from Adrian. However, upon cross-referencing, none of them corresponded.

One clever soldier splashed cold water on Black to wake him up and asked about his origin.

Black confessed that he had lied about his bounty. He had inflated the bounty on his own poster from 16 million to 76 million and had deceived his underlings.

The ship had been seized from a group of relatively unknown small-time pirates who had been fooled by his 76 million bounty claim. He used this to rally his underlings and seize the ship.

Of course, he wasn't entirely without skills. He had some navigational knowledge that allowed them to sail smoothly on the Grand Line for a few months. He also managed to seize quite a bit of loot by bluffing.

Because they had avoided major conflicts, his bounty hadn't increased much, and the low-ranking lackeys who didn't pay much attention to intelligence remained unaware of his true capabilities.

Recently, Black had heard about an unlawful zone on the Sabaody Archipelago, a place where anything goes. He planned to take his underlings there to claim a territory and then gradually exploit his strengths, recruiting powerful subordinates to help him conquer the world.

However, his plans were foiled as soon as he set foot on the island, and he collapsed at the feet of T-Bone, crying and begging for mercy.

Righteous T-Bone didn't buy into his lies, and with a kick, he knocked Black over. "Save these words for the judges on Enies Lobby. If I were to release you, what would become of the future for the civilians?"

Adrian, now aware of the truth, expressed his disappointment but maintained politeness. "I apologize, Rear Admiral, for reporting the case without verifying his true bounty."

"This is not your fault. There are still many cunning pirates in the world. It's the responsibility of the Marines to ascertain their identities and apprehend them," T-Bone said sternly. "Despite the discrepancy in the amount, he is still a wanted criminal. Please follow me to the base to collect the bounty."

"Alright, then what should be done with this pirate ship?" Adrian was unsure how true bounty hunters would handle a captured pirate ship, as he had only seen them being sunk by regular Marines.

T-Bone explained, "Since you defeated the pirates, this ship and everything on it belong to you. If you have no intention of keeping it, you can turn it over to the Marines for salvage, or you can sell it to nearby shipyards."

The Marines who had come this time were practical and didn't try to deceive Adrian, who was unfamiliar with the process.

An officer kindly reminded him that if he turned the ship over to the Marines, he might get a lower price, but they would ensure he didn't get cheated. If he sold it to a shipyard, the price would depend on his negotiation skills.

Adrian had no intention of keeping the ship. Even if he wanted to go out to sea, he wouldn't use this old vessel. Selling it seemed like a better option, especially since he knew people at the shipyard.

He never expected that his first time on a ship at this time would be to the Marine base.

Because some of the pirates were injured and unable to move, Adrian suggested lending the ship to transport them.

T-Bone then directed about twenty Marines to carry the injured pirates onto the ship. The anchor was raised, and they sailed along the coast toward the Marine base.

Adrian's bubble car, loaded with goods, was not forgotten either.

The movements of the Marines operating the ship were disciplined, much like the standard movements described by Artoria. It was clear that they were well-trained.

During the brief time they spent on the sea, the enthusiastic Marines took the opportunity to clean the deck. Accustomed to the tidiness of warships, they couldn't stand the dirty and disorderly deck.

Following the World Government's designated waterway, they sailed to a harbor behind the Marine base.

Because he had always collected bounties at the front of the base's buildings, it was Adrian's first time seeing warships.

Docked in the harbor were one large and three smaller warships. Only a few soldiers were on guard duty on the large ship, while dozens of soldiers were training on the smaller ones.

Even though they were smaller warships, they still seemed much superior to the ship beneath Adrian's feet.

On the clean white sails was painted a blue seagull symbol. The hull, covered in special camouflage, was fitted with neatly arranged gun ports. The more Adrian compared, the more he disdained the ship beneath him.

Tom stood on Adrian's shoulder, looking left and right curiously. He even jumped onto the deck and imitated the Marines by jogging, standing at attention, and saluting with a backwards hand.

Some Marines found Tom's behavior amusing, but unfortunately, lower-ranking soldiers like them couldn't bring extra things on missions, or they would surely have fed Tom.

Most of the soldiers stationed on the Sabaody Archipelago had been directly dispatched from Marine Headquarters. They were spirited and disciplined, and Artoria nodded in approval after observing their training.

T-Bone had called the base ahead of time, and upon entering the harbor, they underwent identity verification before being allowed to dock.

T-Bone said, "Please follow me."

They couldn't freely enter the interior of the base's buildings. Adrian and the others followed T-Bone, circumventing the main structures and arriving at the front.

In the familiar exchange area with a familiar face, Lieutenant Kuro was still looking lazy, but he straightened up when he saw T-Bone—this upright and stern colonel was rather annoying with his lectures.

"We meet again, Little Brother Adrian," Lieutenant Kuro greeted Adrian with a salute before addressing T-Bone.

Adrian responded politely, "Yes, it seems I'm troubling Lieutenant again."

T-Bone explained the situation, and Lieutenant Kuro, for a change, filled out a form and handed it to T-Bone to sign. Then, the bounty was paid.

The total bounty for Demaro Black, plus their weapons and some armaments from the ship's hold, amounted to 16.5 million. This time, the bounty was finally deserving of a black suitcase full of money.

"By the way, Little Brother Adrian, this is my Transponder Snail number. Next time you come to claim a bounty, you can notify me in advance so I can prepare," Lieutenant Kuro handed a note to Adrian.

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Adrian felt that Lieutenant Kuro's enthusiasm today was unusual.

"Not at all, not at all. This way, we can expedite the process," Lieutenant Kuro said.

T-Bone praised, "It's good to have such dedication as a Marine. Lieutenant Kuro, keep up the good work. I believe it won't be long before you're on par with me."

Lieutenant Kuro chuckled. After T-Bone and Adrian left, his assistant happily remarked, "Lieutenant, are you finally thinking about getting promoted?"

"Promotion? Don't talk nonsense," Lieutenant Kuro muttered

, "If I get promoted, I might be transferred. Transfers might mean more dangerous missions. I just want to live peacefully until retirement."

"Then, why did you give him your number..."

"To remind me when he calls, so I can take time off and have someone cover for me."

"..."

"Even if it's just helping with bounty claims, it's still a contribution. A few million for small fry pirates doesn't matter, but this guy has captured pirates worth tens of millions within such a short time. Who knows what else he'll achieve in the future?"

Lieutenant Kuro calculated. If a few more pirates worth tens of millions were sent his way, he might actually amass enough contributions.