Chapter 75 Apology bonus chapter

Chapter 75: I grew up listening to your stories

Apart from Vice Admiral Crane, there was another beautiful woman in the team who attracted attention. With black hair, a beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, a peach-colored top, and a long knife hanging from her waist, she had a slender and athletic thigh with a spider tattoo.

Later, as the substitute for the future vice admiral, Vice Admiral Gion, with the code name Momousagi , but her current rank is unclear.

Adrian stood obediently by the roadside, making way for the navy personnel. This grand display seemed to be directed at Doflamingo, but judging from the original trajectory, Vice Admiral Crane's operation this time was likely to be a failure.

As they passed by Adrian and his group, Vice Admiral Crane's gaze lingered a few seconds longer on Artoria and Ruimengmeng. The look in his eyes seemed to convey... appreciation? Could this old lady be interested in making a move?

Probably due to her mission, Vice Admiral Crane didn't say much and didn't linger.

Adrian learned about the aftermath of this incident at the tavern. Ignoring the drunken boasts and unreliable parts, the pieced-together facts were roughly like this:

Doflamingo, along with a bunch of miscellaneous troops, was surrounded by Vice Admiral Crane's forces and faced an almost one-sided battle. Doflamingo's troops were quickly wiped out.

However, Doflamingo himself suddenly disappeared without a trace, and none of the Donquixote Family executives appeared throughout the battle.

In other words, the one who was eliminated was likely a clone created by Doflamingo's String-String Fruit ability. After sacrificing a batch of subordinates to buy enough time, he and the executives managed to escape.

He's probably now striving to become one of the Warlords of the Sea. If memory serves, he stole treasure from the heavens and threatened the World Government to secure his Warlord position?

Could it be that Doflamingo's specific goal in coming here was for that?

He would need to use the Bubble-Lift Elevator to transport treasure to the Sky Island, Mary Geoise, and Doflamingo can fly. If he snatched it and fled from several kilometers up in the sky, who could possibly stop him?

Of course, it's also possible he planned to ambush before the treasure reached the Bubble-Lift Elevator. With so much money, it's not something he could handle alone.

Who knows just how much money that heavenly treasure holds? It's certainly enough to satisfy the extravagance of all the Celestial Dragons.

In any case, after Vice Admiral Crane's visit, it seems Doflamingo ran away. He never seems willing to engage Vice Admiral Crane head-on.

The next day after this incident, at noon, Vice Admiral Crane came to the tavern with a blonde female marine.

Even though she wasn't wearing her navy uniform, many patrons in the tavern recognized this famous admiral, and a buzz of discussions began as she walked past them.

Vice Admiral Crane was wearing a light purple shirt, black capri pants, and ordinary women's shoes. She walked straight to the bar counter before coming to a stop.

The female marine stood obediently behind her.

Could she really be here to poach us? Adrian quickly greeted, "What can I get for you both to drink?"

Vice Admiral Crane had a kind smile on her face, looking like an ordinary elderly neighbor. She glanced at the teapot in front of Artoria and said, "If possible, I'd like a cup of tea."

Adrian chuckled, "You're the first one to come to a bar for tea."

Vice Admiral Crane smiled and asked, "Is that inconvenient?"

"Not at all, of course not. Since you asked, we have to oblige," Adrian said to Artoria a few words.

Artoria nodded, poured two cups of tea, placed them in front of Vice Admiral Crane and her companion, and also brought out a plate of snacks.

"Thank you." Vice Admiral Crane lifted the tea cup and blew on it gently. "It seems the little owner here knows me?"

"Of course, I do. I even saw you on the street yesterday. The renowned Vice Admiral Crane," influenced by the patrons at the tavern, Adrian spoke without hesitation, "I grew up listening to your stories."

"Is that so?" Vice Admiral Crane took a sip of tea and asked, "So, which stories of mine have you heard?"

"Uh..." Adrian stumbled. I just said something casually. I only know you're an impressive naval officer. But Oda-san never told me about your deeds!

Seeing Vice Admiral Crane's teasing gaze and the giggling look of the female marine behind her, Adrian felt a bit embarrassed.

"At such a young age, you're quite the smooth talker," Vice Admiral Crane's tone sounded like she was reprimanding a junior.

"Haha, well..." Adrian chuckled awkwardly, "In any case, I know you're a very capable naval officer. May I ask what brings you here this time?"

"Then, I'll be straightforward. I want to invite you to join the navy." Before coming here, besides dealing with various events caused by Doflamingo, Vice Admiral Crane also asked the local navy about Adrian and his group's situation.

Although she didn't even know Adrian's name, the characteristics of the group were too distinct. Leaving aside the two beautiful women, especially the expressive cat, left a deep impression on the navy. Adrian, who led the group, was the most inconspicuous one.

Through the local navy, Vice Admiral Crane easily learned about the tavern's information: a young man who drifted here after a shipwreck, a clever cat, a mysterious but powerful and elegant guardian, and an ordinary-looking female server.

Vice Admiral Crane didn't delve too deeply into their origins. She valued their qualities and deeds: capturing several bounty criminals, and recently apprehending an entire pirate crew. They didn't seem to rely on these activities for a living; it seemed more like serendipitous encounters. Their speech and actions were unlike most bounty hunters—boisterous and crude. When they saw navy personnel on a mission, they would actively move aside.

In Vice Admiral Crane's eyes, the young man in front of her and the two "staff members" at the tavern weren't bad people. This quality was much more important than their origins.

Furthermore, Vice Admiral Crane valued Artoria's strength, which was why she had personally come to extend the invitation.

"Join the navy?" Adrian was thinking about how to diplomatically decline her offer. After all, he had a favorable impression of Vice Admiral Crane.

Joining the navy meant obeying orders and risking one's life at someone else's command, and the person issuing those commands could be very unreliable.

"Why would we want to join the navy?" After contemplating for a while, Adrian asked this way.

As soon as he spoke, Vice Admiral Crane felt that this might not go as smoothly as she expected.

But that was also normal. If they readily agreed as soon as she brought it up, then they might have already joined the navy when exchanging bounties, as there was a routine inquiry.

Of course, Vice Admiral Crane didn't know how lackadaisical the routine inquiries by the junior lieutenant (Kuro) responsible for bounty redemption were.