"Isn't it natural for the Navy to seize the corpses of pirates!"
Mouse fidgeted with the safety lock, sinisterly saying, "You, kid, have been uncooperative, sneaky, and with a bad attitude. Now, I suspect you're not clean either, possibly shouldering some unspeakable crime. Men, seal off these people and the entire ship for me! Take them all in for a thorough inspection and interrogation!"
"Colonel sir!"
The adjutant beside him couldn't help but speak, "Isn't this, isn't this too inappropriate..."
"Shut up! Are you the officer or am I the officer?"
Mouse flew into a rage, slapping backhandedly, and the adjutant received a solid slap, lowering his head and not daring to speak again.
Turning back, he saw Shano at the moment, looking at him as if he were an idiot, "Is there something wrong with your brain?"
"Hmm?" Mouse was stunned, then furious, "Daring to insult a naval officer, you really have a death wish!"
"See, still haven't realized it yet. You're so afraid of the Ah Long Pirates, never daring to provoke them, only daring to pick up after they're dead."
Shano sighed lightly, stretching his right hand slightly, "Then here's the question, where do you get the courage to provoke someone even stronger like me?"
"Or is it because I'm a civilian, so you think I won't resist, just obediently surrender?"
On the shore there was a giant stone about four or five meters high, inscribed with the words "From here to Cocoyashi Village."
Shano casually grabbed it, and the stone rose with a rumble, after weighing it in his hand, he suddenly hurled it in the direction of the warship under Mouse's incredulous gaze!
Whoosh——Boom!!
As the stone was about to hit the top of the mast, Shano nonchalantly lifted his fingertip, firing a Qi Finger Gun, and the stone instantly exploded above the warship, turning into countless fine stone dust that scattered down.
"This..."
The marines still on the deck all maintained their upward-looking stance, stunned.
Mouse's mouth was wide open, enough to fit half of Chopper inside.
"I forgot to tell you, the entire Ah Long Pirates didn't last twenty minutes in my hands."
Shano smiled, "I wonder how long you and all the marines on this warship can hold out?"
Mouse trembled and finally came to his senses.
At this moment, he finally realized.
– The person standing before him was not some naive and sturdy villager, but a far more terrifying ruthless figure than Ah Long!
"Misunderstanding!"
Mouse's face was trembling as he barely forced out a smile harder to look at than crying, "Misunderstanding, it was a misunderstanding, you can go wherever you want, we wouldn't dare to stop you, we're leaving, we're leaving!"
After saying that, he hurriedly turned and ran towards the warship, almost losing a shoe as he stumbled his way into the cabin.
Like an ostrich, feeling relieved only when he couldn't see Shano anymore, shouting from behind the door:
"What're you standing around for! Hurry up and set off, go back to the base!"
Hahaha! The villagers watching from afar burst into roaring laughter.
The marines all bowed their heads, boarded the deck with undeniable shame, and the second lieutenant adjutant sighed deeply, quietly raising his collar to cover half of his face.
"Following such an officer, when meeting colleagues from other bases, they'll probably feel inferior." Scar leaned on the railing, clicking his tongue in admiration.
Then he looked at Shano walking onto the deck, "Boss, shall we set off too?"
"No, you go ahead." Shano shook his head slightly, glancing in the direction where the warship was departing, "I have something to attend to."
Is this going to?
Scar's eyes widened, and then saw Shano wave to gather them all, "Once you reach Branch 77 Base, do this and that... then wait for my return, got it?"
"Yes, Boss!"
Scar shivered, really worthy of the boss, this is ruthless, but his actions indeed seem reasonable, he wholeheartedly supports.
...
The night deepened.
Under the moonlight, the sea shimmered with light, and the white-sailed warship sails at full speed towards Branch 16 Base.
Not noticing, outside the field of vision, a small boat silently followed behind at some point.
On the small boat.
Shano took a sip of wine, looking coldly at the distant blurry black dot.
He is someone who easily softens his heart, but if he hardens it and truly believes someone should die, asking him to spare a life becomes no easy task.
Mouse falls into this category.
Today, don't mind seeing the guy almost wet his pants from just a single threat.
But once back at the base, settled at the office desk, and accustomed again to issuing commands from a high position, his grudge will quickly surge all at once.
This guy happens to be the closest Navy Branch Base head to Cocoyashi Village, he may very well be considered the local governor.
Sitting in this position is nothing but countless sickening tactics, and when he leaves his hometown and officially sets sail in the future, who knows how he'll retaliate against Cocoyashi Village.
It's better to strike first.
There's always a thousand days to catch a thief, never a thousand days to guard against one.
After confirming the wind direction and ocean current, Shano ignored the warship ahead, sitting cross-legged and quietly meditating.
The warship's speed was not something his broken little boat could compare with, just going like this the distance would only grow further, making it impossible to catch up, so for now, he couldn't act.
Nonetheless, the monk may escape, but the temple won't; tomorrow after sunset, both ships will arrive at Branch 16 Navy Base one after the other.
Then when the night is dark and the wind is high, there will be plenty of time.
......
Fast-forward to over twenty hours later.
Before the gate of East Sea Branch 77.
The large ship originally belonging to Ah Long Pirates, now renamed "Orange Garden" by Shano, docked inside the navy port pier.
Scar led the curious Nami, Nojiko, and others off the ship, receiving enthusiastic applause and a welcome parade even before they set foot ashore.
"You all arrived quite early, several hours before the time indicated on the phone!"
The female colonel, Sofia, with a Mohican hairstyle, greeted them with a cigarette and a hearty laugh, "I am Sofia, head of Branch 77, welcome to everyone!"
"You're too kind." Scar quickly extended his hand for a handshake, "Does that mean you arrived several hours early, waiting here for us?"
"No, I just received the news not long ago and rushed here."
Sofia truthfully answered, laughing, "But I should've arrived early regardless, for treating the heroes who killed the Ah Long Pirates, no amount of courtesy is too much!"
"Not to lie to you, ever since receiving intelligence of the Ah Long Pirates near here, I've been worried and unable to sleep well, originally planning to ally with Branch 16 and colleagues from Branch 24 to the north, to ambush them while they were unprepared."
Sofia rubbed her temples with some distress.
"But who knows what the newly appointed guy at Branch 16 is thinking, constantly hemmed and hawed, finding various excuses to delay, leading to the loss of the best opportunity to attack."