Barbarossa is the captain of the Redbeard Pirates, with a bounty of 19 million Berries. In the East Blue, that makes him a noteworthy pirate. In this region, only a few notable pirates, such as "Red-Leg" Zeff, a chef-turned-captain, can rival him.
Helding serves as the navigator of the Redbeard Pirates, alongside another pirate named Lace. Both are Barbarossa's trusted confidants and cousins, having sailed with him since the beginning.
Eaton handed over the documents to Arcadio, who casually examined them before passing them to Barbarossa.
"This is a timetable of the other ship's arrivals and departures at various docks, as well as their usual sailing routes," Arcadio said calmly. "I want you to seize their cargo and kill everyone on board."
Barbarossa said nothing, prompting a smirk from Arcadio. "Your bounty recently increased, but I had it suppressed by framing the crimes on other pirates. Nineteen million Berries isn't small, but it doesn't compare to a bounty starting at 20 million."
"What's the point? Once this job is done, my bounty will rise anyway!" Barbarossa retorted indifferently.
"As long as you keep this within the waters controlled by the Kingdom of Navia, the matter won't escalate, and your bounty won't increase," a sinister voice interjected as someone pushed open the door.
Everyone turned to see a short Navy officer. Though small in stature, his presence was commanding. Draped in a white coat adorned with golden tassels, a hallmark of a Navy officer, he also clenched a thick cigar between his teeth.
If Gin and the others were here, they might have found him familiar; this was the same naval commander who once relentlessly hunted the Danton Pirates.
Barbarossa and Helding frowned in unison, but Arcadio warmly approached the newcomer. "Lieutenant Commander Roy…"
A younger officer with shifty eyes, dressed in a Navy uniform, interrupted: "It's Captain Roy!"
"Mouse!" Captain Roy raised a hand to silence the young ensign. "The Count is an old friend. Show some respect!"
Arcadio hid his displeasure at the interruption and instead clapped his hands in apparent delight. "That's the best news I've heard all day."
Captain Roy, commander of the Navy's 16th Branch, controlled the waters around the Kingdom of Navia and had long-standing ties with Arcadio.
After some pleasantries, Captain Roy took a seat on the sofa. He now sat alongside Arcadio, with Barbarossa and Helding across from them.
The room was filled with powerful players: a noble with real influence, the highest-ranking officer of a naval division, and a notorious pirate of the East Blue.
Power. Authority. Strength.
On the world stage, this alliance might not mean much, but in the East Blue and the Kingdom of Navia, this combination formed a suffocating web that ordinary people couldn't escape.
When predators in nature hunt for prey, they never hold back—whether their target is a fox, a rabbit, or a wolf.
...
"When is this rain going to stop?"
In the midst of a torrential downpour, Valon shouted at the top of his lungs.
The storm had raged for three days straight, showing no signs of stopping.
The cargo ship Valon and Edmond were guarding struggled to move, like a toy boat tossed about by the overwhelming forces of nature.
Edmond was helping to adjust the sails. Soaked by the downpour and battered by the winds, he had to shout to be heard: "Who cares when it stops? Are you just going to sit here and wait to die?"
Valon said nothing, wiping the rain from his face as he glanced around. At the stern, he spotted a sailor wildly gesturing with a spyglass, trying to yell something. But in the chaos of the storm, his voice couldn't carry far, and no one seemed to notice.
"Edmond!" Valon called out.
Edmond grabbed a sailor who had nearly slipped into the sea, his irritation evident. "Now what?"
"There's something going on over there!" Valon pointed to the gesturing sailor.
By now, others had also noticed the commotion.
Edmond and Valon rushed over. When they reached the frantic sailor, they finally heard him shouting: "A ship! It looks like a pirate ship! I see a black flag!"
Edmond pulled out a spyglass and looked in the direction the sailor was pointing.
Sure enough, through the sheets of rain, a three-masted ship was heading their way with ill intentions. The storm hindered visibility, but occasional lightning revealed a black flag on the approaching ship's mast.
"Another bunch of fools looking for trouble!" Edmond sneered.
But the sailor who had raised the alarm now cried out in fear, still peering through his spyglass: "It's the Redbeard Pirates! It's Barbarossa's crew!"
Hearing this, the approaching first mate, along with Edmond and Valon, all turned pale.
Barbarossa and his Redbeard Pirates had wreaked havoc in the East Blue for years, sheltered from Navy crackdowns. Tales of his savagery were infamous: some claimed he was invincible to blades and bullets, while others whispered that he had made a pact with a sea demon, trading his soul for the power to wield magic against his enemies. These legends fed into his reputation for merciless brutality.
People said Barbarossa offered his captives as sacrifices to the demon.
"Dump the cargo! We might still outrun them!" The first mate quickly assessed the distance between the ships. Their cargo ship was slower, but the storm might work to their advantage if they lightened the load.
"No way!" Edmond immediately rejected the idea. "If we toss the cargo in this weather, we risk capsizing!"
Though his reasoning had some merit, Edmond's pride played a bigger role. He didn't want to face the shame of fleeing and abandoning the cargo he was responsible for.
"Barbarossa, a demon contract... What nonsense," Edmond said, trying to boost morale. "Valon, he's probably no better than that Danton pirate you told me about before. Just a coward making up stories to scare people."
"If he were such a big deal, he'd have gone to the Grand Line by now. Anyone stuck here this long is just trash. We've already taken down plenty of pirates this year—those who only prey on civilians. They're all the same garbage," Edmond grinned at Valon. "I remember you telling me about stealing Danton's treasure map. This time, I'll learn from you and rob an even bigger pirate!"
______________________________________________
If you want 20 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon:
patreon.com/PureParadox