Before long, as Yahn awoke from a comfortable nap amidst the sea breeze, the Navy warship had already docked at a port.
"We're here," said Kuzan lazily, stretching as he stood up beside Yahn, who had just woken up.
"Where is this?" Yann asked groggily.
"This island is called Capone Island. It's the base of the 'Capone Mafia', one of the four major underground forces in the West Blue."
Pausing, Kuzan added, "Since we're passing by, we might as well take them down and report back."
"Mhm…"
Yahn rolled over and muttered, "Then go ahead, Brother Kuzan. I'll wait for you here."
"You're not coming? Didn't you say you were really interested in the Mafia?" Kuzan asked, a little surprised.
"I think I found my dream in a nap just now, so I need to go chase it again. Compared to the Mafia, that feels a bit more urgent," Yahn said, waving him off.
---
Clearly, Yahn was just making excuses — probably just trying to avoid earning any more merit, and was determined not to even step off the ship.
But...
Kuzan casually picked him up and said, "Yahn, this won't do. The Mafia's here for you, and you, the protagonist, won't even show up? That's kinda embarrassing for me, isn't it?"
Yahn's mouth twitched. "Brother Kuzan, you're not seriously trying to shove all the credit for wiping out the Mafia onto me, are you?"
"What do you mean 'shove'?" Kuzan smirked and said:
"I received a tip-off from a concerned civilian named Trafymore Yahn, reporting that the Capone Mafia was wreaking havoc in this sea region and severely disrupting the lives of countless civilians. Following this tip, and with the help of Trafymore Yahn himself, the Navy rooted out the Mafia entirely."
He paused, watching as Yahn's face slowly froze.
"So, whether you get off the ship or not doesn't really matter. The credit's already yours — you can't escape it. Might as well come along."
"I... I never filed a report," Yahn said, trying to defend himself.
"No, you did," Kuzan said with a straight face. "I can testify to that. Admiral Sengoku even has your signed report in hand."
!!!
Yahn.
A report? Signed? When the hell did I write that?!
And who would ever use their real name to report something these days?!
It's fake — it has to be fake. That damned old man must've forged my handwriting.
"Kuzan, this is slander!" Yahn snapped, clearly annoyed.
"Then take it up with Admiral Sengoku. I'm just following orders," Kuzan replied calmly.
"This goes against protocol! It's falsifying credit — a serious offense. I just want to live as a good person. Don't force me," Yahn struggled, trying to resist.
"How is this falsifying?" Kuzan said, holding back laughter.
"You were determined to eliminate the Capone Mafia, but since you're just a civilian, you entrusted the report to your adoptive father — who has connections within the Navy — to submit it on your behalf. This is all in accordance with commendation procedures."
Hearing that, Yahn felt a sharp headache coming on and muttered, "That damned old man... To go this far? And what do you mean some connections — that's practically pulling strings at the highest level!"
"Glad you understand. Now, come with me. After all, you're the one most interested in this Mafia group," Kuzan said, trying again to coax him off the ship.
Then, he grabbed Yahn by the hand and started dragging him toward the port.
"Wait, wait—!"
Seeing that logic wouldn't work, Yahn quickly changed tactics and tried an emotional appeal:
"Brother Kuzan, you know me. I really don't want to earn credit. My frail body barely qualifies for a low-level Navy post. If I get promoted, I won't even be able to protect my subordinates."
"Besides, we've drunk together, shared a bed, marched into battle shoulder to shoulder. Can't you just pretend you didn't find Capone Island?"
"Wait—seriously—I'm not feeling well. I might have a condition where I get seasick after landing…"
Unfortunately, Kuzan was unmoved. His pace didn't even falter.
He simply said, "If I take care of this, Admiral Sengoku will let go of my fight with Sakazuki."
Yahn shouted in frustration, "Kuzan! You were the last honest guy! How could you sell me out over a few crumbs from the old man?!"
"It's not about crumbs. A Navy man follows orders," Kuzan replied with his usual lazy tone, completely unconvincing.
---
Sometimes, when resistance is futile, the only thing left is acceptance.
Capone Island, as it turned out, had a distinctly American aesthetic. The people they passed mostly wore black suits, their expressions cold, with an air that screamed keep out.
More importantly...
Yahn's eyes darted around. He quickly noticed something — many of these people had obvious bulges under their jackets.
Guns.
Nearly everyone was armed.
At the entrance to the town, a sign stood tall — "Liberty Town" — with a small note underneath:
"The freest place in all the seas. Even the air tastes sweet. The island's best gun shop is 300 meters ahead, turn right."
Yahn looked back and forth several times, then suddenly exclaimed, "Wait — is that an advertisement?!"
"Who knows?" Kuzan replied lazily, continuing into the town.
---
The next moment—
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
A burst of gunfire erupted ahead, but the townsfolk barely reacted. They calmly ducked into nearby buildings like it was just another Tuesday.
This only made Yahn and Kuzan, standing at the town's entrance, stand out all the more.
But soon, two crisp BANG! BANG! gunshots rang out, and the earlier wild gunfire stopped abruptly.
People came back out, casually dusted off their clothes, and resumed their business as if nothing had happened.
"No wonder this is the Mafia's base," Yahn said, his mouth twitching. "The locals are... impressively composed."
"Interesting place," Kuzan agreed.
Blending in with the crowd in their plain black outfits, Kuzan and Yahn continued deeper into town.
Along the way, Yahn glanced around. Many buildings on both sides of the street were riddled with bullet holes — a silent testament to the town's brand of freedom.
Soon, a large pool of blood came into view, with a group of black-suited men methodically scrubbing the street clean.
---
Currently at chapter 235 for advance chapters
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