The Hunter of Pirates

The blue mask with circular holes was what tipped Mobin off about Killer 's identity.

Considering that Kid was also in Mad Hat Town, Mobin became even more certain.

"Why is he here? To help Kid buy a gun? But that gun… it seems to be the flintlock that Yasopp bought yesterday."

Mobin discreetly observed Killer , speculating on his motive for coming to the shop.

As soon as a customer entered, Sunny put down the auction catalog she was reading, swiftly adjusted her expression, and looked up at Killer with an emotionless face.

For shops like theirs, smiling or providing any kind of service was unnecessary.

If you want to buy, buy. If not, leave.

A very straightforward principle.

Killer entered the shop, surprised to find that the troublesome old man Kid mentioned wasn't there. However, he didn't dwell on it.

He was here to buy something, and it didn't matter who was manning the shop, as long as someone was there.

Walking briskly to the counter, Killer straightforwardly placed four stacks of cash on it and said directly, "Four million, for the Kinu pistol."

"The Kinu pistol is priced at 3.8 million."

"Doesn't matter. You can keep the extra 200,000 for yourself."

"Oh, but the gun has already been sold."

"?"

A question mark seemed to appear above Killer 's head.

If it's sold, why waste my time?

Suddenly, he began to understand why Kid often got annoyed with this shop.

Since setting out to sea, when had they ever encountered a merchant like this?

But on second thought, Killer realized it might actually be a good thing that the gun had been sold. They could simply take it from the buyer later.

If they wanted something, they'd take it. If they didn't like someone, they'd kill them. That was their way.

After all, the four million Beli he was using now was something they had robbed the night before.

With his thoughts clear, Killer asked, "Who bought the gun?"

Having spent years in this business, Sunny could easily discern the underlying intent behind Killer 's question.

It was nothing more than the pirate's standard procedure—find the buyer and rob them.

Under normal circumstances, Sunny would never reveal a client's information. It was the baseline rule for any seller.

But this time was different, because the buyer was Yasopp from the Red-Haired Pirates.

Sunny looked at Killer and calmly said, "The gun was sold yesterday afternoon to a man named Yasopp."

Hearing this, Killer grabbed the cash and turned to leave without wasting another word.

The name "Yasopp" seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he didn't think too much about it.

Since the gun was sold yesterday afternoon, Yasopp was likely still in Mad Hatter Town.

Leaving the weapon shop, Killer headed straight for the tavern where Kid was waiting.

What followed was obvious—find the buyer, seize the gun, and leave town.

From the shop's doorway, Mobin watched Killer 's retreating figure with a look of pity.

But knowing that Shanks and his crew had already left town, he couldn't help but feel regret.

Otherwise, he would have loved to watch Kid's group attempt to rob Yasopp's Kinu pistol.

Closing the door slightly, Mobin turned back toward the counter. He had intended to tease Sunny, perhaps with a comment like, "You're quite the troublemaker," but she was already engrossed in reading the auction catalog again.

Given her habit of scrutinizing a single newspaper for hours, Mobin wondered how much time the auction catalog would occupy her.

Mobin was somewhat intrigued by the auction itself and quietly stood behind Sunny to sneak a look at the list of items.

"A famed blade, one of the fifty good-quality swords? Who knows when I'll even learn how to use a sword…"

"Huh? They're even auctioning off Fishman slaves? Starting price is 1 million Beli… Too bad I'm broke. Otherwise, I'd buy one just to see if the Hunter's Notebook works on Fishmen."

"Fragrant skunk? Description says it's an unprecedented species of skunk that emits a pleasant smell? What nonsense! And it's classified as a rare beast?"

"Ugh, the list mostly consists of weapons. Swords, flintlocks… Makes sense, though. The buyers are mostly pirates, so demand for weapons is naturally high. It's different from auctions for nobles, which are mostly about slaves."

"Looking through the list, the only heavyweight items are the Devil Fruit and the famed blade. The latter doesn't hold as much value as a Devil Fruit but is still a rare find."

Standing behind Sunny, Mobin browsed through the varied items, amazed by the auction catalog.

Compared to the Hunter world's auctions, dominated by antiques, the pirate world's auctions were far more fascinating.

The diverse assortment of goods stirred Mobin's desire to buy.

After finishing the catalog, Mobin quietly left the counter and resumed his training in a corner of the shop.

Although this type of training wouldn't yield immediate strength improvements, it was steady progress over time. For now, it was better than doing nothing.

"Way past lunchtime, and Sol still hasn't returned," Mobin noted.

Perhaps Sol, still fuming from yesterday's encounter with Shanks, needed time to cool off.

For some reason, Mobin felt he had figured out why Sol hadn't returned yet.

In the rowdy tavern, Kid saw Killer return empty-handed.

"Didn't sell it to you?"

Kid's eyes turned cold, his rising anger transforming into a destructive urge.

Killer shook his head. "It's not that. The gun was bought by someone named Yasopp."

"Oh? When?"

Kid's interest was piqued, a chilling smile forming on his lips.

He couldn't afford to provoke the enigmatic Sol, but surely he could deal with the one who bought the gun.

"Yesterday afternoon."

"Find him," Kid said, standing abruptly and heading for the door.

Killer tossed some cash on the counter and followed close behind.

Mad Hatter Town didn't explicitly forbid fights between factions, but one rule was clear:

Don't harm the merchants' lawful interests.

Simply put—pay for what you buy.

Trying to cheat?

You'd better be prepared to die.

As the two walked down the bustling street, Killer suddenly said, "That name—Yasopp—it feels familiar."

"Then think harder," Kid snapped, glancing at him.

Now that Killer mentioned it, Kid also felt a vague familiarity with the name.

Yasopp…

As they walked, the two suddenly stopped.

Though Kid's expression remained menacing, his intimidating aura noticeably diminished.

As for Killer , his masked face revealed nothing.

After a long silence, Killer muttered, "What should we do now?"

"Leave!" Kid growled through clenched teeth.

Though he loved collecting weapons, not all were must-haves.

But the Kinu pistol was different—it was meant to be part of a matched pair, a short blade and a short gun, for combat rather than mere display.

That was why he had been so persistent, even lingering in Mad Hatter Town longer than planned.

But now that the Kinu pistol was out of reach, there was no reason to stay.

At that moment, a man engrossed in an auction catalog walked toward them without looking up.

As the man approached, Kid made no effort to avoid him.

Thud…

The man, who had bumped into Kid, stumbled back several steps, dropping his catalog.

"You blind idiot—"

Before he could finish, Kid, venting his anger, punched the man, sending him flying a dozen meters away.

"Trash like you dares to set sail?" Kid spat, disgusted, before noticing the dropped catalog.