The top floor office gradually quieted down.
The body of Mouse was tossed aside like a rag doll by Shano, landing on the desk, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.
Perhaps he never thought about it.
The safe he cherished so much, polishing it every day, turned out to be the weapon that killed him.
"..."
The Radio Snail remained silent, puffing on a cigar.
"Well, well, well."
After a while, a low magnetic voice finally spoke, "It seems Mouse's concerns were spot on, there really are deeply hidden pirates in the East Sea, daring enough to break into a Navy Base and murder the dignified base leader!"
Is this an assumption that I'm a pirate? Or just fishing for information?
Shano glanced but couldn't be bothered to respond.
He simply gathered the money from the safe and prepared to leave, casually saying:
"Can't be helped, this guy's loaded, let's see, this safe must have at least four or five hundred million Belly, tsk tsk tsk, what a windfall."
In reality, it wasn't that much, just over a hundred million in total, purely teasing the gullible.
"Four or five hundred million Belly?!!"
The Radio Snail's eyes widened in fury, jumping up angrily, "Damn it, I knew this Mouse was unreliable, even dared to pocket my money!"
Gritting his teeth, he continued:
"Hey! Kid, if you've got the guts, tell me your true identity! Wouldn't have the courage to provoke the Navy by killing, afraid to reveal your name, huh?"
"Sure, sure."
Imitating a storyteller's tone, Shano chuckled, "I am none other than Clown Buggy, served as a crew member on the Roger Pirates' ship for years, traversed the New World, but I wonder if you have the courage to come personally and catch me!"
A crew member of the Roger Pirates?!
The person on the other end took a sharp breath; no wonder Mouse was so timid before, and so certain the other was a deeply hidden powerhouse...
Such a terrifying identity?
Was there really such a formidable figure in the East Sea, hidden for so many years without a trace, unbelievably well-concealed!
He was about to say something when Shano suddenly hung up the phone.
The money had been packed into the backpack, and Shano casually disposed of the safe.
200 points credited.
Considering Mouse's character weight and strength, receiving this much was unexpected.
It seemed Mouse really loved his safe.
Before leaving, Shano remembered something, pulled out a few red bean buns from his backpack, took a big bite of the bread layer, and scooped out the red bean paste inside.
Then rolled it into a small red ball, and with a smack, stuck it onto Mouse's nose.
"Done, a show must be complete."
Satisfied, he nodded, slipped out the window onto the rooftop, and in a few leaps, vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, at the building's main entrance, two Marines on guard were oblivious, yawning out of boredom...
......
—Swish!
At dawn, Shano Moonwalked onto the deck.
Scar and the others, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly opened the Orange Garden's lower deck door to retrieve the speedboat.
"Did you finish the affairs at Branch 77?" Shano tossed the backpack to the ground.
"Yes, boss, the bounty has been fully delivered to us."
Scar quickly nodded, "82 million Belly, not a penny less. That Mouse Colonel really bluffed, saying that most of the bounty would be diverted. By the way, that guy now..."
Shano looked at the two sisters coming over, raised an eyebrow, and said nothing.
Scar immediately understood, no longer pursuing the question, marveling at how the boss finished matters and returned in less than two days, such efficiency...
"What, more money?"
A dissatisfied voice came from behind, and Shano turned to look.
It was Nami, who had somehow sneaked a peek into his backpack, her face dropping in disappointment as she grabbed a handful of bills and threw them back.
"So boring, I thought you brought something delicious back, money, money, money, I'm sick of seeing these bills."
The last thing the family lacked was money!
Shano chuckled in surprise; such words shouldn't come from the Little Thief Cat. He couldn't help but flick her nose.
"Don't worry, we are going to Shimotsuki Village now. The amazing chef I mentioned before is there. When the time comes, you can order anything you like, and I'll have him make it for you, okay?"
"Really!"
Nami's eyes lit up, counting on her fingers, "I'll have seven dishes! Four... no, five desserts, and for the main course, orange marmalade omelette rice..."
"I want squid tempura and deluxe tamagoyaki too!" Nojiko excitedly raised her hand.
"Sure, sure."
Shano laughed, ruffling the heads of his two sisters, and energetically ordered, "Let's go, set sail! Starboard full rudder, next stop, Shimotsuki Village!"
......
During the days when the Orange Garden set sail toward Shimotsuki Village,
two pieces of news broke out, shaking the East Sea.
First, the Ah Long Pirates, which had terrified everyone after entering the East Sea from the Grand Line a while ago, were wiped out single-handedly by a swordsman.
Reporters have confirmed at Navy Branch 77 that this swordsman is none other than Shano, the former champion of the Asakura Island Sword Dao competition.
This immediately brought back memories for many East Sea people, who vividly remembered the clean, black-haired youth from the photo back then.
Who would have thought that in just a year, his swordsmanship would reach such a level? Even pirates from the Grand Line were no match!
For a while, Shano's tale became a hot topic in the East Sea.
As public opinion gradually fermented,
he unknowingly went from being recognized by some as the "strongest swordsman of the younger generation" to the widely acknowledged "strongest swordsman of the East Sea."
The other news was equally shocking.
The Captain Mouse of Branch 16 was found dead in his office in broad daylight, his nose pinched into a circus clown shape as a sign of provocation.
The one who killed him was none other than Clown Buggy, who had a bounty of 15 million Belly.
This wouldn't be significant, but Clown Buggy himself revealed that he used to be a crew member under Pirate King Gold Roger!
Once this identity spread, a frenzy erupted in East Sea public opinion. If Shano brought the public a sense of security and pride, Buggy brought the exact opposite—utter panic.
—What is the Navy doing! How can they allow such a notorious pirate to remain active in the East Sea!
Several royal families, including that of the Goa Kingdom, jointly pressured Navy Headquarters, which was caught off guard, having never expected such a big shark in the East Sea's small pond.
They responded immediately, issuing a new bounty, raising Clown Buggy's bounty to 80 million Belly!
And officially announced the dispatch of a fleet led by a Headquarters Vice Admiral to conduct a special cleanup of the Buggy Pirates entrenched in the East Sea!