According to the island's residents, Wood is the benefactor of the entire Asuka Island. If they were to ask for money from their benefactor for even this small amount of supplies, it would be utterly unjust!
Due to the massacre carried out by the One-Eyed Pirate Crew earlier, less than one-third of the town's original population survived. Moreover, the majority of the survivors were women and children whom Robin had secretly helped escape.
Although the town still had a fair amount of resources for daily living, without the labor of strong adults, it would undoubtedly take a long time for the town to recover.
In other words, the remaining supplies in the town were the only hope for the survivors' future.
Yet, despite this, when they learned that their benefactor, Wood, and his crew needed supplies, the survivors wholeheartedly offered what they had, firmly refusing to accept any payment.
Faced with this situation, Wood had no choice but to lead Russ and the others back into the dense forests of the island. They did not emerge until late in the evening.
Russ and another lieutenant each carried a sika deer under one arm and a large wild boar over their shoulders.
Wood, however, walked behind them, and when the townspeople saw what Wood had brought back, their jaws nearly dropped.
Compared to Russ and the others, the prey Wood had hunted couldn't be described as merely impressive—it was downright absurd.
Despite being more muscular and imposing than Russ and the others, Wood's physique could only be considered athletic, but the amount of prey he carried was dozens of times greater than what Russ had brought.
From a distance, it looked as if a small mountain was slowly moving. Upon closer inspection, one could see that this "mountain" was actually a massive pile of wild beasts!
Even more shocking was the fact that the person carrying this mountain of prey was just a young man of about twenty years old. His frame seemed minuscule compared to the enormous "trophies" on his shoulders.
"Boom——!"
With a sound that caused the ground to tremble slightly, Wood unloaded the heap of game, which quickly formed a small hill on the ground.
The children in the town, who had initially been frightened, soon became excited and gathered around.
"Mom, look! They even killed tigers and black bears!"
"That's a lot of meat, and some of it I've never even tasted before!"
Children, being carefree and innocent, were thrilled at the sight of so much meat, thinking that they would have a feast tonight.
However, the children's excitement was quickly curbed by their elders, who scolded them and reminded them that the food belonged to their benefactors and not to them.
"Please, ma'am, don't scold the children. These animals are gifts for you," Wood said, stepping forward. "You provided us with fresh water and food but refused to accept any payment, so we had to find a way to repay you."
"And please, don't decline our gifts. The storage conditions on our ship are limited, and even if we take all this meat with us, it will only spoil during the voyage. So, please accept our goodwill. If you still feel uncomfortable, perhaps you could give us a bit more wine instead."
During long sea voyages, unless a ship is equipped with a large freezer, meat and fish cannot be preserved for long. That's why pirates usually stock up on fresh water and other dry goods.
Since the townspeople adamantly refused to accept any payment, Wood concluded that the best way to repay them was through this exchange.
Exchanging meat for food—each side getting what they needed—would also ensure that the town, already struggling, wouldn't be further burdened.
Unable to refuse Wood's sincere gesture, the townspeople finally accepted his offer, and that evening, they held a grand feast.
The feast served two purposes: to thank Wood and his crew for eliminating the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, and to honor the memory of the town's fallen.
Wood handed over the remaining members of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew to the townspeople for them to decide their fate. What punishment the pirates ultimately faced, Wood didn't know.
However, early the next morning, when the residents of Asuka Island, who had indulged in the previous night's festivities, awoke, they discovered that Wood and his crew had quietly departed.
The woman who had initially welcomed Wood and his crew found a letter and a pirate flag on her doorstep and hurriedly took them to the new town mayor.
The mayor read the letter and then examined the black pirate flag before turning his gaze toward the sea.
"To the people of Asuka Town:
We sincerely apologize for our abrupt departure, but due to certain matters, we couldn't stay longer and didn't want to impose on you any further.
The pirate flag left on the table is the new flag of our pirate crew. Although we are still newcomers as pirates, I believe that one day our pirate crew will become famous across the entire sea! When that time comes, if you don't mind, you can raise this flag on the island to protect this beautiful place.
With best regards,
The Navy Traitor, Wood."
After reading the letter, the mayor unfolded the pirate flag. The design wasn't too different from a typical pirate flag—it featured the iconic skull emblem.
However, behind the skull was the seagull symbol unique to the Navy, and a sword, symbolizing justice, pierced through both the skull and the seagull.
After learning that their benefactor's name was Wood, the townspeople did some research and eventually found Wood's wanted poster in a recent newspaper.
"Navy Traitor Wood, bounty: 50 million Berries! Crimes... extremely violent personality."
Upon seeing Wood's bounty poster, the people of Asuka Town finally understood why he had been able to defeat One-Eyed Bebbart—Wood's bounty was twice that of Bebbart!
As for the news about Wood, the people of Asuka Town could only scoff, believing that the World Government was spreading lies.
Their benefactor Wood, violent? If Wood and his crew were considered violent, then there probably weren't any good people left in the world.
Releasing prisoners from Impel Down to join his crew? Utter nonsense! Wood's group only had about a dozen members—where were these supposed hundreds of prisoners? It was clear that the World Government would stop at nothing to frame good people.
Wood and his crew had likely left the Navy because they couldn't stand its hypocrisy any longer.
Not long after Wood's departure, the new mayor of Asuka Town had the pirate flag left by Wood raised in the most prominent spot in the town!
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.