Dampier nonchalantly took the glass from William's hand and got up to pour himself another glass of whiskey. "You've been out of prison for quite some time now. Why haven't you taken the chance to enjoy a drink?"
"That's not the kind of question I'd expect from someone as sharp as you," William replied with a chuckle, pouring himself a glass as well. "Tell me, when I was out in the slums maintaining order, preventing riots, and mingling closely with the common folk, do you think it would have been better for me to appear disheveled and unkempt, or dressed to the nines and reeking of alcohol?"
Dampier didn't take offense at William's teasing. Instead, he raised his glass in a gesture of genuine admiration. "You're always so meticulous."
"Our subordinates can afford to be careless; we can't," William said, this time taking a small sip of his drink and savoring it. "Now, how are things in the Calm Belt? Any unusual developments?"
Dampier replied with confidence, "Rest assured, the traps are all set. Now, we just wait for the prey to walk right in."
Later that night, William and his crew set sail. They took with them the garrison forces that had defected to their side, as well as the Marine prisoners they had captured.
William stood at the stern of the ship, gazing at the distant port. Beside him, Gin asked calmly, "Where are we headed next? Should we retreat to the Calm Belt to lay low for a while?"
William withdrew his gaze from the port and glanced at Gin before looking out at the vast sea. Instead of answering directly, he chuckled. "I'm guessing that Garp and his forces are rushing back here as we speak. So, why should we panic and flee to the Calm Belt?"
As William and Gin conversed aboard the ship, chaos was unfolding in Kalmar City. With most of the personnel responsible for maintaining order having left, and the port crowded with civilians, the city's security had deteriorated significantly. Amidst the commotion, a group of armed men took advantage of the situation to infiltrate the noble district. The local nobles, who had narrowly survived the daytime massacre, hadn't even recovered from the shock when they were attacked by yet another group of marauders.
By the time Garp, along with Strawberry, Doberman, and several other Vice Admirals, finally returned from the Tequila Wolf bridge kingdom, the once-prosperous noble district of Kalmar City had been reduced to a ghostly ruin. What awaited them was a city in complete disarray, abandoned by both its former and new rulers.
The Vice Admirals were seething with rage, and even Garp, usually the most easygoing among them, couldn't suppress his anger.
Their fury wasn't just directed at the current state of the city.
After arriving at Tequila Wolf, the Marines had been on high alert, only to capture a few third-rate pirates who had been duped by Dampier into walking straight into their trap. Not a single important member of the Morgan Pirates had shown up. They had patrolled the waters near the bridge for ages, waiting for the Morgan Pirates—who never came—only to eventually receive news of the chaos in Kalmar City.
On their way back, they had also learned about the live broadcast. Smoker and Dalmatian—a Colonel and a Vice Admiral, respectively—had been severely injured by William, all of it unfolding before the eyes of the East Blue populace. The Marines' reputation had been utterly tarnished.
"So, you're telling me that Lieutenant Commander T. Penn was killed, Colonel Smoker and Vice Admiral Dalmatian were captured, and Major Gin defected? And not a single one of our commanding officers in Kalmar City was spared?" Garp asked, his fury evident in his sarcastic tone as he addressed a Marine soldier standing before him.
Before leaving, William had deliberately allowed some Marine soldiers to escape, ensuring that Garp and the others would receive this information.
The Marine soldier, intimidated by Garp's rare display of anger, lowered his head and responded in a small voice, "Yes, sir."
Vice Admiral Strawberry narrowed his eyes and asked in a serious tone, "How did they manage to reach Kalmar City so quickly? And how did they assemble without us receiving any intelligence about it?"
The steamship was one of William's most closely guarded secrets. Though he knew it would eventually become public knowledge as steamships were promoted, he wanted to capitalize on its element of surprise for as long as possible. To that end, he had evacuated Maple Village and the workers involved in the steamship's construction before the Marines arrived. Long before that, the Four Seas Trading Company and the Fifth Intelligence Division had already begun spreading rumors and misinformation throughout the East Blue.
Even if Garp and his forces had been more diligent in their investigations upon arriving in the East Blue, rather than becoming complacent after initially capturing William, it would have taken them time to uncover the truth about the steamship. Strawberry's question was entirely reasonable.
"They were using a black ship," the Marine soldier explained, gesturing with his hands. "It had no sails on the deck, only tall smokestacks."
Early steamships were often painted black because the primitive steam engines of the time produced a lot of black smoke and soot, which would dirty the ship's exterior. The black tar used for waterproofing the hull also contributed to the choice of color, making black both practical and intimidating. William's current steamship followed a similar design. As a pragmatist, he had opted to emulate this style. Whether it was intimidating was debatable, but it was certainly eye-catching. Nearly every Marine who had been to the port and seen the ship remembered it vividly.
"Steamships!?"
Garp, Strawberry, and Doberman exclaimed in unison.
The Marines and the World Government were at the forefront of technological advancement. Steamships had already been developed in Marine laboratories, but for various reasons, they had not been mass-produced. Many Marine soldiers were unaware of their existence, but high-ranking officers like Garp, Strawberry, and Doberman were naturally familiar with the concept.
"We really underestimated him," Garp said to Strawberry and Doberman. "I never expected him to successfully develop steamships. The Navia Kingdom was never known for its technological prowess."
Strawberry still looked puzzled. "But this still doesn't explain everything. How did Morgan William's forces manage to assemble so quickly? And where were they hiding during that time?"
Doberman's expression was cold as he replied, "What worries me most is the possibility that after rescuing Morgan William, they'll go into hiding again, like a bunch of cowards. And my concern might very well become reality. Based on their previous actions, they're like a pack of rats—always sneaking around and pulling off little schemes. They know they're no match for us. They're probably already planning to flee the East Blue. We'd better move quickly to seal off Reverse Mountain."
As Doberman finished speaking, the sound of a ringing Transponder Snail suddenly broke the silence. Strawberry hurriedly answered it, only to hear an anxious voice coming through the snail: "This is Tequila Wolf! Vice Admiral, it's bad—Morgan William and his men are here!"
(End of Chapter) 🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]