One Piece: The True Codex

Barbarossa, the captain of the Red-Beard Pirates, carried a bounty as high as 19 million Belly. In the East Blue, this made him one of the most formidable pirates, rivaled only by a select few notable figures such as "Red-Leg" Zeff, the pirate captain who also happened to be a chef.

Hayreddin, the navigator of the Red-Beard Pirates, along with another crewmate named Reis, were Barbarossa's most trusted confidants, having sailed with him since the very beginning. The two were also cousins.

Eaton handed a stack of documents to Arcadio, who briefly skimmed through them before passing them to Barbarossa.

"This is a schedule of the target ship's dock arrivals and departures, along with their regular sailing routes," Arcadio said calmly. "I want you to seize their cargo and kill everyone onboard."

Barbarossa remained silent, but Arcadio wasn't bothered. He chuckled lightly. "Your bounty has recently increased again, but I had someone suppress it, shifting the blame for the crimes onto other pirates. Nineteen million Belly is impressive, but it's still a far cry from crossing the 20-million mark."

"But won't my bounty go up again after this job? What's the point?" Barbarossa replied indifferently.

"As long as you keep the operation within the waters controlled by the Navia Kingdom, this matter won't make waves, and your bounty won't increase because of it," a voice interjected as the door creaked open.

Everyone in the room turned to see who had spoken. It was a short Marine officer, though his stature was small, his presence was anything but. Draped in the white coat of a Marine officer, complete with gold tassels on the shoulders, he also clenched a thick cigar between his teeth.

If William, Gin, or the others were present, they would have found him familiar. This short man was none other than the Marine commander who had once relentlessly pursued Danton's pirate crew, forcing them to flee in disarray.

Barbarossa and Hayreddin both frowned simultaneously, but Arcadio greeted the newcomer with enthusiasm. "Lieutenant Commander Roy..."

Before he could finish, a young Marine with shifty eyes and a sly grin, dressed in a standard Marine uniform, interrupted. "It's Captain Roy!"

"Nezumi!" Captain Roy raised a hand to stop the young Marine, Nezumi, from saying more. "The Count is an old friend of mine. Show some respect!"

Though Arcadio was inwardly displeased with Nezumi's rudeness, he didn't let it show. Instead, he clapped his hands together, feigning delight. "That's the best news I've heard all day."

Captain Roy was in charge of the 16th Marine Branch, whose jurisdiction included the waters surrounding the Navia Kingdom. He and Arcadio had known each other for quite some time.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Arcadio, Captain Roy sat on the sofa, positioning himself opposite Arcadio, Barbarossa, and Hayreddin.

At this moment, the room had gathered three types of people: a powerful noble of the kingdom, the highest-ranking officer of the local Marine branch, and one of the most infamous pirates in the East Blue.

Power, authority, and brute force.

On the grand stage of the world, such an alliance might seem insignificant. But in the East Blue, within the territory of the Navia Kingdom, the collusion of these three forces was enough to weave a suffocating net over ordinary people.

When predators in the natural world hunt for food, they never hold back, whether their prey is a fox, a rabbit, or a wolf.

"When is this rain going to stop?"

In the midst of the raging storm, Vallon shouted at the top of his lungs.

The torrential downpour had lasted for three days without any sign of letting up.

The cargo ship that Vallon and Edmond were tasked with guarding swayed precariously under the might of nature's fury, resembling nothing more than a toy boat struggling to stay afloat.

Edmond was busy adjusting the sails. The pounding rain and fierce winds forced him to shout at the top of his voice just to be heard. "Why do you care when it stops? Are you planning to sit here and wait for death?"

Vallon fell silent. He wiped the rainwater from his face, stealing a glance around. At the stern of the ship, he noticed a sailor waving his arms frantically, shouting something incomprehensible amidst the storm. Everyone else was too preoccupied with managing the ship to pay attention to him, and the sound of the rain drowned out his voice.

"Edmond!" Vallon called out.

Edmond, who had just grabbed a sailor slipping dangerously close to falling overboard, responded irritably, "What now?"

"There's something happening back there!" Vallon pointed toward the sailor at the stern.

By this time, a few other crew members had also noticed the sailor's frantic gestures.

Edmond and Vallon hurried over. When they reached the sailor, they finally heard what he was shouting. "There's a ship! Looks like a pirate ship! I saw a black flag!"

Edmond pulled out a handheld telescope from his coat and looked in the direction the sailor was pointing.

Sure enough, through the rain, a three-masted schooner was approaching them with clear malicious intent. The storm made visibility difficult, but occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the black flag tied to the opposing ship's mast.

"Another bunch of fools asking for death!" Edmond sneered coldly.

But the sailor who had raised the alarm suddenly shouted again, this time with a trembling voice. "It's the Red-Beard Pirates! It's the Red-Beard Pirates!"

The ship's first mate arrived just in time to hear this. Like Edmond and Vallon, his face turned pale upon hearing the name.

Barbarossa and his Red-Beard Pirates had roamed the East Blue for years, their infamy spreading far and wide. Protected from Marine crackdowns, their reputation had grown monstrous. Tales and rumors about them were endless—some claimed Barbarossa was invulnerable to swords and bullets, others said he had signed a pact with a sea demon, trading his soul for the ability to wield magic against his enemies. This, they said, was why he was so powerful and so merciless.

It was said that all prisoners captured by Barbarossa were sacrificed to the demon.

"Throw the cargo overboard! We might still have a chance to escape!" The first mate quickly assessed the distance between the two ships. Their vessel was a cargo ship, slower than the enemy's schooner. However, thanks to the storm, if they lightened their load and gained speed, they might be able to temporarily shake off the Red-Beard Pirates. In this weather, with such low visibility, losing them would make pursuit much harder.

"No way!" Edmond rejected the suggestion almost immediately. "In this kind of weather, if we lose our ballast, we might capsize!"

In truth, capsizing wasn't as likely as Edmond made it sound. His refusal was more about his pride. Other crewmates had never abandoned cargo and fled in disgrace. If he did so, he'd feel humiliated.

"What 'Red-Beard'? Signing contracts with demons?" Edmond scoffed, trying to rally morale. "Vallon, I bet he's just like that Danton pirate you told me about, making up stories to scare people."

"If he were really such a great pirate, he would've gone to the Grand Line long ago. Anyone still lingering here after so long is just trash. Over the past year, we've taken down plenty of pirates like this—cowards who only dare to terrorize civilians," Edmond said, grinning at Vallon. "I remember you told me about stealing Danton's treasure map. This time, I'll learn from you and rob an even bigger pirate!"

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One Piece:The True Codex

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