"Yes, Colonel! But if possible, can I take on that scoundrel? Killing innocent civilians is truly unforgivable!" Ryu feigned a righteous expression to suit his purpose.
"It depends on the situation!" Hina nodded, satisfied. With both of their strengths combined, they should be successful in this mission. Besides, even if Ryu captured the "Lone Wolf," most of the credit would go to Hina as the commanding officer.
As they neared the island, Hina didn't attack immediately; she sent an advance team ashore to scout for enemy positions and check for any civilians.
"Colonel, we've reached the island, but there's no sign of anyone in the town. We can confirm that the pirate ship is the Lone Wolf's, the Wolfhead!" Hina listened to the report over the transponder snail, her expression changing slightly.
"Could it be…?" Ryu looked at Hina in surprise. According to prior intel, the pirate was extremely ruthless, and the villagers might have already been slaughtered.
"Stay put. Main cannons, aim at Hina ; destroy their pirate ship!" Hina's face darkened, giving orders to fire upon the Wolfhead.
"Boom! Boom!"
The Navy's firepower was typically unmatched at sea, and a single barrage quickly sank the pirate ship docked at the port.
"All hands, go ashore!" Hina extinguished her cigarette and issued the command.
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldiers were filled with righteous anger at the news of the innocent townsfolk being killed, even Ryu felt a pang of clarity about the brutal realities of the world of One Piece.
"Colonel, we didn't see anyone when we attacked the pirate ship!" A sergeant reported after saluting Hina .
"Search everywhere! I refuse to believe that there are no people here if the pirate ship is!" Hina narrowed her eyes.
"Colonel, I request to join the search!" Ryu stepped forward to report.
"Fine, but if you spot any enemies, don't act rashly—signal first!" Hina nodded and assigned a small team to Ryu.
"Report, nothing to the east!" "Report, nothing to the west!" "Report, we've found something at the tavern!"
Ryu's communications officer had a transponder snail, so they were kept updated.
"Let's move there!" Ryu gathered the information, noting the tavern had revealed a secret passage. He turned to the mountains behind the town, saying, "We should check the mountain."
"Should we report to the colonel first?" one soldier suggested.
"Time is of the essence! We didn't find anyone in the town; they could be hiding in the mountains. They likely haven't gone far since we just arrived, so we must hurry!" Ryu explained, frowning.
"I agree with Ryu, but are we too few?" another soldier, who often drank with Ryu, smiled.
"Here's the plan: you stay behind, and I'll go take a look. If I find them, I'll signal. Even if they spot me, I can escape!" Ryu proposed after a moment's thought.
"That's not acceptable; Colonel Hina ordered us to stick with you!" the soldiers protested.
"Fine, if we encounter them, you retreat first and call for reinforcements; I'll hold them off!" Ryu relented.
Half an hour later, Ryu's team discovered signs of human activity in the mountains.
"Quick, report to Colonel Hina ! Leave two to guard here, and the rest follow me!" Ryu commanded, invigorated by the discovery.
"Ah, you found us so quickly, but you won't be able to alert the Navy!" Before the communications officer could contact Hina , a bald pirate, accompanied by four or five henchmen, surrounded Ryu's team.
"Who are you?" Ryu asked the unfamiliar pirate.
"Ha! You're all Navy soldiers, no wonder you don't recognize our second-in-command! You're looking at the vice-captain of the Wolfpack Pirates, Red Wolf Wes!" one of the henchmen grinned.
"The one with a bounty of 17 million?" a Navy soldier gasped, having recognized the name.
"Correct! At least you have some awareness!" Red Wolf Wes boasted, stroking his bald head.
"Good, with a bounty like that, I'll savor the main course after a nice appetizer! You all stay safe!" Ryu smirked, disappearing in an instant.
"Damn it, shoot!" Red Wolf commanded, furious as Ryu charged.
But Ryu was no longer the same as in the East Blue; the pirates' firearms posed little threat to him.
"Bang! Bang!"
The pirates opened fire quickly while Ryu's accompanying Navy soldiers retaliated after finding cover. Ryu drew all the pirates' fire, allowing his comrades to take down two before the remaining pirates regained their composure and engaged the regular Navy.
The odds quickly turned against the pirates due to their numbers and firepower, while Ryu approached Wes, saying, "Are you an idiot? Opening fire like that only alerts the Navy in town!"
Seizing the moment when Red Wolf Wes was stunned, Ryu channeled his inner strength into his fist and struck at Wes's chest.
"Damn!" Wes had no time to react and could only raise his blade to block.
"Boom!"
Wes's weapon shattered, and Ryu's fist struck his chest, sending him flying several meters, where he lay still.
"Signal Hina ! Injured, stay behind; the rest follow me!" Ryu commanded after disposing of the remaining pirates.
"Understood!" Ryu had established his authority among the soldiers after the skirmish.
Just as Hina was making her way to the mountain after passing through the tavern's secret passage, she saw a signal flare from the mountains and ordered, "Full speed ahead!"
When they reached the site where Ryu had battled the pirates, two lightly injured Navy soldiers had lined up the pirate corpses neatly.
"Who can tell Hina what happened? Weren't you supposed to search ahead? Why was there a skirmish? Where's Ryu?" Hina asked with a frown.
She had explicitly instructed him not to act recklessly; if there were ambushes, he could have been in serious trouble.
"Report, Colonel," the two soldiers reported, recounting what had transpired.
"Very well, you'll hold the position while the rest follow me!" Hina replied, her face tense and displeased.
The main forces from the town were being played by the pirates, but Ryu had seen through their plans and taken the initiative, leaving Hina feeling somewhat humiliated.
Just as Ryu crossed over the mountain, he spotted their target: a group of armed pirates hastily advancing towards the beach, where another pirate ship awaited.
"We're too late; they're already prepared!" Ryu assessed the distance, frowning.
If it weren't for the delay caused by the Navy team, Ryu could have caught up alone. Even with the second-in-command from earlier blocking his way, he could have still managed to pursue.
However, even if the pirates escaped, Ryu wouldn't come away empty-handed; he had gained an additional 17 million from defeating the second-in-command, but he felt regretful not to have gotten the main bounty.
"Ryu, look! The pirates are boarding their ship; they plan to escape!" a nearby soldier shouted.
Ryu turned to see the pirates already on their ship, but it had not sailed far from the shore.
"This is bad! Quickly, notify Colonel Hina that these pirates plan to attack our warship!" Ryu quickly deduced their intentions.
They were likely trying to take advantage of the Navy being occupied with the search, using the other pirate ship to approach from behind and directly sink the defenseless Navy ship.
"Huh?" The communications officer stared blankly, unsure how to report.
Seeing the officer's panic, Ryu grabbed the transponder snail and urgently said, "Quick, get through!"
He couldn't afford to wait; if the pirates succeeded, the Navy would be trapped on the island.
"Colonel Hina? This is Ryu!" He spoke loudly as soon as the call connected.
The transponder snail seemed to pass through to another line before Hina's voice came through: "This is Hina. Ryu, what have you discovered?"
"Colonel, the pirates are hiding another ship behind the mountain; they seem to want to attack our currently vulnerable warship!" Ryu stated firmly.
"What? Hina was furious, feeling underestimated by the pirates. Ryu, keep an eye on their ship from the coastline and follow them! I'll return to the warship immediately, but don't alert them!" Hina's anger was vividly conveyed through the snail.
"Yes!" Ryu nodded in response.
...........
Started editing chapters for an easier read ^^
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