For a military base where the highest-ranking officer colludes with pirates and even leads troops to raid villages alongside them, inefficiency and chaos are inevitable. As the saying goes, the behavior of subordinates mirrors that of their leaders. With just a box of cigars and a bottle of liquor, Akin easily managed to get Neil, the soldier on duty in the guardroom, to leave.
Once Akin was alone in the guardroom, he used a Den Den Mushi to dial a number.
The strange creature transmitted a series of signals over long distances, traveling rapidly through the airwaves until it reached a nearby sea, waking up a seemingly dormant Den Den Mushi in Alamis' possession.
After a brief conversation with Akin, Alamis put away the Den Den Mushi. Looking at the group of people in the ship's cabin staring at him, he paused before saying, "It's time to act. Remember, leave no witnesses."
Edmund ran a hand through his fiery red hair, silently stood up from his seat, and walked out of the cabin with a curved blade at his side. The rest of the young men from Redleaf Village showed mixed emotions—some were flushed with excitement, while others were pale with nervousness.
On the deck, Sherlock was quietly reassuring the tense helmsman, while Tony smoked a cigarette nearby, his expression complicated.
The three-masted ship they sailed on cut through the waves, heading toward a vast structure in the distance—a bridge so enormous it seemed to divide the sea and sky.
...
In the duty room of the Navy's 16th Branch, a uniquely designed Den Den Mushi suddenly became active, emitting a series of sounds. The label in front of it read "Tequila Wolf."
Akin answered the call, and a tense male voice quickly came through:
"This is 'Tequila Wolf.' We were attacked by pirates while delivering supplies to the bridge residents! Send reinforcements immediately!"
"Can't you handle it yourselves?" Akin replied lazily.
"Damn it, we're just a supply transport vessel! Protecting us from attacks is your Navy's responsibility! Do you have any idea how important our safety is to the World Government and the Celestial Dragons? You better hurry," the voice on the other end snapped, growing increasingly agitated. Suddenly, the speaker paused, then exclaimed in terror, "They're coming aboard! Send help now...!"
The call was abruptly interrupted by the sound of shouting and fighting, which culminated in a bloodcurdling scream.
Akin remained on the line, and after a brief silence, a familiar voice came through:
"It's done. Turns out it was just a bunch of bloated officials. Made me more nervous than I needed to be."
"Double-check to make sure there are no witnesses, then leave quickly," Akin instructed before hanging up.
He then stood up, composed himself, and rushed out of the duty room with a panicked expression. As he walked a few steps, he ran into a slightly tipsy Neil, who emerged from the nearby barracks after hearing the commotion.
"What's going on, Akin?"
"Tequila Wolf's supply ship was attacked by pirates!"
Neil instantly sobered up, his face paling dramatically.
If one were to list the two most famous figures in the East Blue, the names that would come to mind would undoubtedly be the Navy hero Garp and the pirate legend Roger. As for the two most iconic landmarks, they would be Goa Kingdom's capital, "High Town," and the Bridge Nation, Tequila Wolf.
Tequila Wolf, also known as the Bridge Nation or the Kingdom of Laborers, was ordered to be built by the Celestial Dragons 700 years ago to connect various islands. The laborers—or more accurately, slaves—tasked with its construction were criminals from different kingdoms or citizens of nations that refused to join the World Government.
The bridge, vast enough to be considered a nation, had a population large enough to sustain itself. Over time, entire migrations occurred along the growing length of the bridge.
However, despite its size, the bridge was made of steel and concrete, incapable of producing the necessities of life for its inhabitants. The residents relied almost entirely on external supplies for food, clothing, and other essentials.
Ordinary pirates rarely ventured near the bridge, let alone dared to attack its supply ships, as Tequila Wolf was under the direct attention of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. To the pirates of the East Blue, these entities were colossal and untouchable. Knowing this, most pirates avoided drawing their ire.
Tequila Wolf currently fell under the jurisdiction of the Navy's 16th Branch. Any pirate attack on the bridge's supply ships would not only have future repercussions for the pirates but also lead to immediate consequences for the Navy branch responsible for its security.
"Did they identify which pirate crew was responsible?" Neil asked.
Akin hesitated briefly before replying, "The pirate crew didn't fly a flag. They only mentioned that the leader had red hair and wielded a curved blade. They seem to be quite powerful—the call was cut off after only a few words."
...
Meanwhile, before the attack on Tequila Wolf occurred, en route to the Calm Belt, William had suggested to Barbarossa—under the pretense of heavy casualties aboard the ship—that they stop near a village by Tequila Wolf to recruit new crew members.
Barbarossa, unaware of William's ulterior motives, readily agreed.
At this point, Barbarossa, the captain of the Redbeard Pirates, had become increasingly detached from his duties. Constantly drinking, he seemed dispirited by the deaths of Rayce and Haredin and the loss of all their wealth. These successive blows had left him fixated on the elusive hope of acquiring a Devil Fruit.
For most pirate crews in this world, Barbarossa's disheartened state wouldn't have mattered much as long as he retained his formidable strength and authority over the crew. Unfortunately, his ship now harbored the scheming William.
Most affairs aboard the ship were now managed by William and a newly appointed vice-captain, Felton, chosen by Barbarossa himself.
From this particular decision...
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