"They're not here to capture us, but to search for treasure on the island?"
Upon hearing this from his subordinate, Bebbart's eyes lit up. He had heard rumors before that a veteran pirate had once been on this island, but later went on to the Grand Line.
If there was indeed treasure on this island, it was likely left behind by that pirate.
As for why the Navy was here searching for treasure, Bebbart didn't find that strange. Perhaps that pirate had fallen into their hands.
"How many of them are there, and what ranks do the Navy personnel on the island hold?"
Unless absolutely necessary, Bebbart didn't want to clash with the Navy because it would only lead to casualties with no benefits.
But now that there was a benefit in sight, things were different. As a pirate, he couldn't remain indifferent when treasure was involved.
Faced with his captain's inquiry, the lackey hesitated, not daring to speak, afraid that he might say the wrong thing and receive another slap.
Seeing his subordinate's hesitation, Bebbart realized he might have been too hasty with his previous slap, which might have hurt his commanding image.
"Damn it, spit out everything you know quickly. If we find the treasure, you'll get a big share this time. And tonight, you can have this girl to satisfy yourself. But if you tell me you don't know anything, you know what the consequences will be."
Bebbart casually pushed one of the women beside him towards the lackey. Encouraged by the promise of a reward, the lackey grinned lecherously and quickly reported all the information he had.
"Captain, the Navy ship that landed on the island is a large warship. I spotted it from afar when I was on the shore, so I hid immediately and wasn't noticed by them."
At this point, the lackey grinned smugly. He had actually been napping under a tree when he was supposed to be on lookout. But when he woke up needing to relieve himself, he went to the shore and, by pure luck, saw the Navy warship approaching.
Bebbart, who had been smiling, froze when he heard the words "large warship," and reached out to pull the woman back from the lackey.
Bebbart and his crew didn't fear the regular Navy, but the Navy's structure and rules were clear: a large warship would never be dispatched for ordinary missions.
The local Navy branches were typically weak, with the highest rank usually being a Navy Colonel, and even they only commanded medium-sized warships.
A large warship usually meant a Navy officer of at least the rank of Commodore or higher, and Bebbart knew that engaging such an opponent would be suicide.
"Captain, don't worry. At first, I also thought such a large warship must mean someone important from headquarters. But guess what? Only a dozen or so Navy personnel disembarked, and the highest-ranking officer among them was just a mere Navy Major."
Seeing that the woman was about to be taken back by the captain, the lackey quickly sped up his explanation.
"Are you sure there were only a dozen or so Navy personnel, and their highest officer was just a Navy Major?"
"Absolutely, Captain! I stayed hidden there for a full half hour. I've been a pirate for a few years now; I wouldn't mistake Navy ranks."
The lackey knew how ruthless his captain could be, so he dared not lie. After Wood and the others left, he even boldly boarded their ship to check it out.
He found that, indeed, there were only those dozen or so Navy personnel on board.
"A Navy Major and just over a dozen sailors using a large warship? Does Navy Headquarters have so many ships that they're running out of places to use them?"
Bebbart, being cautious by nature, thought the situation seemed too good to be true and hesitated about getting involved.
"Captain, that warship is in terrible condition, covered in battle scars, and the deck has fresh bloodstains. I think it was probably attacked before coming here, and those Navy personnel are the survivors. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We can not only take the treasure but also capture their warship."
Seeing his captain hesitate, the lackey quickly tried to persuade him.
He had stumbled upon important information. If they succeeded, he would get a share of the loot, and perhaps even have some fun tonight. But if his captain decided to abandon the plan, he would get nothing.
Despite his cautious nature, Bebbart eventually decided to take his crew to where the lackey said the Navy warship was docked. Upon seeing the battered warship, he believed the lackey's story.
The battle scars were actually from when the ship was attacked by Shiki and Tsuru earlier, and the strong scent of blood was from the massacre Wood had carried out on the prisoners from Impel Down.
Taking all this into account, Bebbart was convinced that the Navy's small crew was due to them having been attacked before.
With only a dozen men and led by a mere Navy Major, there was no reason for the "One-Eyed Pirate Crew" to let such an easy target go.
The treasure aside, the Navy warship, although damaged, was still valuable to the "One-Eyed Pirate Crew."
Experienced pirates knew that large Navy warships weren't typically assigned to just anyone.
If they sailed around in a captured Navy warship flying the "One-Eyed Pirate Crew" flag, they'd be feared and respected throughout the West Blue.
Sure, they hadn't been the ones to defeat the ship's original crew, but who would know that?
In short, even though the warship was damaged, it was still a symbol of power and prestige for the "One-Eyed Pirate Crew."
"Captain, since we're sure there are only a dozen Navy personnel, let's go kill them right away!"
Having just slaughtered many townspeople, the "One-Eyed Pirate Crew" members were eager for more bloodshed. Even if they couldn't claim the main prize, getting second or third place was still better than nothing.
With only a dozen Navy personnel, there wouldn't be enough kills to go around. If the captain distributed the treasure based on merit, they feared they wouldn't even get a taste.
"Kill, kill, kill. That's all you lot ever think about! Can't you use your brains for once? Do you even know where the treasure is hidden? If we kill those Navy personnel, will you help me find the treasure on this island?"
Seeing his bloodthirsty crew, Bebbart scolded them, deciding that after this job, he would need to raise the standards for recruiting new crew members.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.