Tonight's harvest left Alex thoroughly satisfied.
With physical abilities fifteen times that of an ordinary person, the martial arts he had previously trained in, and a highly lethal flintlock musket effective within fifty meters, he felt confident enough to venture out into the streets.
However, if a conflict were to arise, this level of self-defense capability would still fall short.
Still, compared to his previous life, where he had been confined to a correctional facility, waiting for opportunities to execute prisoners…
Taking the initiative to improve his strength for self-protection was clearly the faster route.
It just came with greater risks…
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Alex drifted off to sleep.
As dawn broke, the two corpses in the alley had already been removed, leaving only a dried pool of blood behind.
Residents passed through the alley, paying no attention to the bloodstains by the wall.
Although this was a residential area, most of the inhabitants were pirates or people from the underworld, making such killings a common occurrence.
Even if the bodies had still been there, they would have merely glanced at them before moving on, indifferent.
After the weapons shop opened for business, Alex took a detour to observe the "crime scene" from a distance.
Though he wasn't sure who had taken the bodies away, he wasn't particularly concerned.
He was confident that his actions from the previous night wouldn't be discovered.
Moreover, the pirate crew Red belonged to was set to sail after noon.
Red was just a combatant in the crew, and his death was inconsequential. As long as the crew had sufficient funds, they could easily recruit replacements in Mad Hatter Town.
Therefore, Alex didn't believe the crew would alter their plans because of Red's death.
Unless the other, unidentified man was more important than Red—important enough to warrant the captain's attention.
But that possibility seemed slim.
Alex pondered this as he glanced at the passersby in the alley, his gaze lingering on them as if they were walking pieces of meat.
He subtly withdrew his predatory stare and returned to the weapons shop to begin his daily training.
He had noticed that Sunny seemed off, her mood unusually somber.
Thinking that women have their difficult days each month…
Alex decided not to provoke her and instead squatted in a corner of the shop, going through his exercise routine.
"The auction starts in seven days…"
Soon, his thoughts drifted to his next target.
Among the intelligence Sunny had provided, there were plenty of suitable targets.
However, he would need to wait a couple of days before making his move.
After all, he needed to space out his hunts to reduce the risk of being discovered.
Mad Hatter Town Port
The open, U-shaped bay was filled with pirate ships of various sizes and designs.
Among them was the Spiked Bull Pirates' ship, a sizable double-masted vessel.
As it was time to set sail, the crew of the Spiked Bull Pirates had already gathered and completed their preparations.
On the deck, a few pirates paced back and forth, seemingly on guard duty.
Inside the cabin, the rest of the crew, including the captain, were gathered.
They stood in a circle around a table, on which lay two cold, stiff corpses.
Captain Kazit, wearing a horned helmet and sporting a thick beard, stood beside the table.
He stared down at the corpses, his expression like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
His bloodshot eyes were wide, and the breath from his nose and mouth seemed tinged with killing intent.
Under Kazit's influence, a murderous atmosphere filled the cabin.
Amid this tension, most of the crew wore solemn expressions, while others merely pretended to match the mood.
After a while, the atmosphere in the cabin shifted as the door was pushed open.
Kazit looked toward the door, and the crowd parted to make way.
A crew member with a long sword at his waist entered, striding through the gap in the crowd to stand before Kazit.
Kazit stared at him and asked coldly, "Well?"
The crew member, named Raglan, shook his head. "Nothing."
"Huh? Not even a single clue?"
"No."
Raglan's expression remained calm.
A shadow of gloom flashed in Kazit's eyes.
This incident, occurring at such a critical moment, infuriated him.
Seeing his captain's rising anger, Raglan reminded him, "Captain, we need to return before the auction. We don't have much time to waste."
"I don't need you to remind me."
Kazit's voice was icy with rage. "Raglan, I want you to stay behind and handle this."
"Understood."
Raglan accepted the order.
A few minutes later, the Spiked Bull Pirates' ship slowly departed from the port.
With the auction approaching, most ships entering the port were from outside, while few chose to set sail at this time.
Many pirates on the dock couldn't help but glance at the Spiked Bull Pirates' ship as it left.
Raglan, who had been ordered to stay behind, watched the ship until it became a small dot on the horizon. With a bag of coins at his waist, he turned and headed into the town.
Among the two crew members killed the previous night was a navigator the crew had spent two years training.
If it had just been a combatant, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths, especially at such a critical time.
But a navigator was different—they were essential for navigating the Grand Line.
Even though the ship still had a more experienced navigator, Kazit couldn't let this slide.
Raglan understood his captain's feelings, which was partly why he agreed to stay behind.
However, deep down, he would have preferred to set sail, as their target this time was a rare and valuable opportunity.
Such a significant target would surely provide an exhilarating plundering experience.
"What a shame."
Raglan thought regretfully.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the bar street.
His gaze wasn't drawn to the large-scale taverns lining the street but instead focused on the direction of the alleys.
Weaving through the crowd, he entered a narrow passage between buildings.
After walking through the alley for about ten minutes, Raglan stopped in front of a bar.
He glanced at the oil lamp made from a skull hanging on the wall, then pushed open the door and strode inside.
Behind the bar, a bartender wiping a glass glanced at Raglan but didn't greet him.
Raglan scanned the dimly lit bar, noticing it was completely empty.
He turned his attention back to the bartender and asked, "Is Wolf Rat not here?"
"…"
The bartender silently looked at Raglan before placing the cleaned glass on a hanging rack.
Raglan frowned and was about to speak when a cold voice suddenly came from behind him.
"I've been here all along."
Hearing the voice, Raglan's expression changed dramatically.
When did he…?
Shaken, Raglan quickly stepped forward and turned to face the source of the voice.
At the same time, his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to attack.
But when he saw that the speaker was a thin, sharp-featured man with a pointed mouth, he froze.
"You're… Wolf Rat?"