Chapter 22: Luring the Snake from Its Lair

The cave lay hidden beneath the coastal cliffs on the southern side of Rum Island.

This was also where Noah and his crew had made landfall. Instead of heading to Sugarcane Town that day, the brothers Jay and Ari excavated a temporary underground cavern here.

With Ari's Hole-Hole Fruit abilities, he effortlessly dug out an underground space spanning several thousand square meters.

Once the wormhole opened, Noah and the others passed through one after another.

Seeing Powell sprawled out like a dead pig, Ari looked puzzled. "Big bro, is this guy really the mastermind? He doesn't seem all that special."

"Whether he's got something up his sleeve, we'll find out soon enough," Noah replied.

Lilith injected an antidote into Powell's body, and Noah casually doused him with a cubic meter of seawater.

Chilled to the bone by the icy water, Powell shuddered and slowly came to. Still clueless about his situation, the hefty man immediately started cursing:

"So cold! Where the hell did everyone go? Why aren't you—"

Suddenly, it was as if something clogged his throat, and panic flashed across his face. "Who are you people... Do you know who I am? Let me go, or else—"

"Or else what?" Noah interjected calmly.

Before he could finish, Lilith sidled up to him with a sweet smile and plunged a syringe into his arm.

"You... What did you do to me?" Powell stammered.

Moments later, he felt his arm heat up, followed by an unbearable itch that spread all over his body.

"Ahhh... It itches!"

Had he not been tied up, Powell might have scratched himself raw. Right now, he wished he could tear off his own skin and roast it over a fire.

After a grueling ten minutes, the venom's effects began to wear off. Powell lay limp like a puddle of mud, his sweat soaking through the blankets wrapped around him.

Lilith grinned. "Care to repeat what you just said, Minister Powell?"

"Please... Don't come any closer!" Powell cried, tears streaming down his face.

Noah stepped forward. "I'll ask, you answer. Why are the taxes in the Kingdom of Rum so heavy?"

"Ah... It's... It's to pay the Heavenly Tribute," Powell stuttered.

Noah glanced at Mary, who shook her head.

Unperturbed, he smiled and instructed, "Lilith, let's give our dear minister a bit more... encouragement."

"No, no... I'll talk, I'll talk..." Powell pleaded desperately.

But Lilith once again injected two syringes into his arm.

Soon, the cavern echoed with screams like a pig being slaughtered.

This time, the torment lasted a full twenty minutes. Afterwards, Powell's eyes were vacant, and he was utterly exhausted.

Noah repeated his question, "I'll ask again: why are the taxes in the Kingdom of Rum so heavy?"

This time, Powell finally broke down, trembling as he replied, "It's His Majesty the King. He ordered me to do it."

"Oh? Why does he need so much money? It's nearly ten times the amount of the Heavenly Tribute, isn't it?" Noah inquired.

"Huff... huff..." Powell caught his breath, then explained with a gloomy expression, "I don't know why. I was only promoted to Grand Minister three years ago."

"Has your king been acting strangely?" Noah asked.

"Strangely?" Powell furrowed his brow. After a moment, something seemed to click. "The current king ascended the throne five years ago. He's not the son of the previous king but his younger brother."

"Go on," Noah prompted.

"Five years ago, the former king's only son was killed by pirates. Not long after, the king himself died of illness. The current king was normal at first. But four years ago, the previous army commander, Clark, was killed by pirates. The king then promoted a man named Barton to be the new commander. After that, he started rolling out harsh laws one after another."

"Three years ago, the former Grand Minister, Earl Tim, was executed on charges of colluding with pirates. Then the king promoted me and had me implement various laws," Powell continued.

Noah pondered for a moment. "Is there anything unusual about this Barton?"

"Barton? There's nothing particularly odd about him, but he's quite formidable. If it weren't for his protection over the years, Rum Island would've been overrun by pirates. People call him a hero," Powell said.

"A hero?" Noah chuckled. "Sounds like a story I've heard before."

After asking a few more questions, Noah casually sealed Powell into a card.

Lilith seemed to catch on. "Big bro, do you suspect that Barton is up to something?"

"Whether he's hiding something, we'll find out tomorrow," Noah replied.

He quickly wrote a letter and gave Ari some instructions.

________________________________________

The Next Day

In Powell's mansion in Rum City, the butler discovered that Powell and his entire family were missing. Only a sealed letter remained.

Looking at the letter, the butler was tempted to read its contents but didn't dare break the wax seal.

"Someone, deliver this letter to the Corps Commander's residence," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," a servant replied.

After the servant left, the butler's expression grew conflicted. After wrestling with his thoughts for a good ten minutes, he quickly gathered a hefty sum of treasure, disguised himself, and slipped away from Powell's estate.

Meanwhile, over at Corps Commander Barton's residence.

Having received the letter, Barton wore a grim expression.

He hurriedly left with a few trusted aides, heading toward Sugarcane Town.

________________________________________

Five Hours Later

Forty-eight kilometers southwest of Rum Island, a sailing warship bearing the flag of the Kingdom of Rum appeared on the open sea.

A desolate island loomed not far ahead.

As they drew closer, Barton's face grew increasingly dark.

"Boss, we're here," a bald man informed him.

Barton clenched his fists. "Disembark. Keep an eye on my signal."

"Understood." The other five men were fully armed.

As the ship docked, Barton and his five subordinates leapt onto the beach, leaving the bald man to guard the vessel.

They trekked through the jungle and arrived at a grassy hillside.

Atop the hill stood a figure draped in a black cloak and wearing a swirling mask, gazing down at them from on high.

"Where's Powell?" the figure demanded.

"He's in a safe place," Barton replied, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Barton suddenly laughed. "What do you want? Name your price."

"Let me guess—what's your game? You've gone to great lengths to control the Kingdom of Rum. It can't just be for those worthless scraps of paper, can it?" the masked figure said calmly.

Barton smirked. "Worthless paper? That's over twenty billion Berries! Aren't you tempted? If you're willing to join us, I can give you half. Isn't life all about treasure? I can even make you a noble of the Kingdom of Rum. Beats risking your neck out at sea, doesn't it?"

"Tempting offer, but why should I join you? If I take you out, I get all the treasure," the masked figure retorted.

Barton's grin widened. "So you're after the money. No problem—we can be friends. Help me become the king of Rum, and I'll give you thirty billion Berries."

"Now that's making my heart flutter... Lord Sith!" the masked figure said with a hint of sarcasm.

"My friend, come and help—" Barton began, but suddenly froze, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"How did you figure it out?" he demanded sharply.

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