Clough, a rookie, was no match for someone like William, a schemer well-versed in the ways of society. William far surpassed him in terms of experience, psychological resilience, and even acting skills.
William didn't even look at Clough, his expression serious as he stood with the rest of the Redbeard Pirates. His brows furrowed, eyes fixed on the ship's doctor, Wood, awaiting his judgment. From time to time, his gaze drifted toward the body of Hai Leidin and then toward Captain Barbossa, as if waiting for an order from him.
If it weren't for the conversation William had with Clough that night, Clough would have never guessed that William was the mastermind behind Hai Leidin's death.
Barbossa approached Hai Leidin's body. Ignoring the filth on the ground, he slowly knelt, his face twisted with grief. His bond with Hai Leidin and their brother, Res, was genuine—formed through shared experiences of life-and-death struggles and blood ties. The struggle in Hai Leidin's final moments had left his eyes wide open in anger, but Barbossa gently closed them. Wood, crouching beside him, handed over a small piece of black cloth.
"This was found on Hai Leidin, possibly the killer's bandana," Wood explained.
The black cloth bore a strange pirate symbol—a duck head wearing a chef's hat, with a knife and a trident crossed behind it. This symbol was widely recognized in the East Blue as the emblem of the Cook Pirate Crew.
"Zhep..." Barbossa muttered through clenched teeth, anger rising as he spoke the name of this notorious pirate captain, known throughout the East Blue.
Barbossa handed the cloth to Res, who passed it along to the other crew members.
As the cloth made its rounds, Barbossa stood, fury in his eyes, and ordered, "Find their base! Find the Cook Pirate Crew!"
Logically, the Cook Pirate Crew had clashed with the Redbeard Pirates not long ago and had been humiliated. Captain Zhep had nearly been killed by an unnamed member of the Redbeard Pirates, so a retaliatory act wasn't out of the question.
Of course, it wasn't that no one in the alley thought about framing someone else, but based on the expressions of Barbossa and Res, it was clear that logic wasn't a priority right now—revenge was.
They were pirates, not detectives. Whether or not the Cook Pirate Crew was the killer didn't matter. Once they caught them, they would interrogate them.
Barbossa's gaze swept across his crew. After William examined the cloth, his face was flushed with anger. Barbossa briefly considered blaming William for Hai Leidin's death but dismissed the thought. With Hai Leidin gone, William was the only navigator aboard, and blaming him would cause disarray among the crew. Everyone knew that William had stepped forward for the Redbeard Pirates' reputation and Res.
Clough, unlike William, lacked the composure and acting skill to hide his nervousness. Barbossa didn't think Clough had anything to do with Hai Leidin's death. He believed Clough's alignment with Arcadio had something to do with his suspicions, as Arcadio never liked Barbossa causing trouble in Kalma City, especially trouble of such magnitude.
Two infamous pirate crews clashing would certainly upset Arcadio!
When everyone left the alley and Res had carried away Hai Leidin's body, Barbossa called Clough aside.
Despite William casting Clough a reassuring look, Clough was still trembling with fear.
"I know you're Arcadio's man, and Arcadio doesn't want me causing trouble in Kalma City," Barbossa said, his voice heavy. "But now my brother is dead in Kalma City, and I need answers. Go back and tell your master that the killer of Hai Leidin must die! I'll tear this city apart if I have to. I will find the Cook Pirate Crew, no matter who tries to stop me!"
...
"Did Barbossa say this?" Arcadio asked.
Clough could feel Arcadio's suppressed anger, and stood obediently, nodding. "Yes, that's what he said."
"Such arrogance! Tear the city apart?" Arcadio couldn't hold his temper any longer and threw his teacup, the hot tea splashing onto Clough's foot, making him wince.
Arcadio continued, "What does he want me to do with this message? Does he expect me to understand him? Or does he want me to help him tear apart the city? Or is he subtly suggesting I clean up after him without question?"
Arcadio, usually composed, paced back and forth, cursing, "What a mindless fool!"
Barbossa's intentions were clear—he wanted revenge and didn't care about his understanding with Arcadio. Afterward, Arcadio could teach him a lesson, but for now, he had to help cover up the mess.
After a moment, Arcadio suddenly asked, "Is there still a navigator on the ship?"
"There is one," Clough replied calmly, "A young man named Stort, he's quite honest."
In truth, William's behavior on the ship and his private persona had nothing to do with being "honest."
Arcadio paused, lost in thought.
...
The Redbeard Pirates were out in full force, split into groups, all armed, flooding into the slums. The chaos intensified as they caused an uproar, but with the Redbeard Pirates' reputation, even though many in the slums were troublemakers, they dared not fight back.
After Clough returned from Arcadio, he initially considered staying aboard the ship. However, William subtly signaled him, and he joined him and Res to search for the Cook Pirate Crew in the slums.
Meanwhile, Zhep calmly prepared meals, unaware of the chaos unfolding just a wall away. His crew was loudly demanding food, oblivious to the Redbeard Pirates' search.
The Cook Pirate Crew was still unaware of the turmoil in the slums.
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