The Terror of the Pirates

For the sake of a Devil Fruit, all sorts of demons and monsters from the West Sea had gathered in one place. This was supposed to be a grand feast for pirates and the underground world. However, there were also a few bounty hunters, blinded by greed, who risked disguising themselves to infiltrate the event, as well as undercover Marines who feared no death in their quest for information.

Aside from these, there were also a few special guests.

A gentle sea breeze blew as an unremarkable small pirate ship slowly sailed into the inner bay port of Mad Hatter Town. At this time, the waters near the dock were already filled with ships, leaving no extra space. But this small pirate ship, taking advantage of its size, managed to squeeze through the larger ships, finding a space to dock amidst the crowded fleet. From this, it was clear that the helmsman's skills were extraordinary.

On the deck, a boy with wavy golden short hair and a scar over his left eye threw the anchor into the sea.

Splash —

The anchor hit the water, creating a large splash before sinking to the bottom.

After throwing the anchor, the boy clapped his hands and, without turning his head, praised, "Haku, your helmsmanship is as impressive as ever."

"Did you forget again?" The tall man responsible for steering didn't respond to the praise but instead offered a cryptic reminder.

"What?" The boy asked, confused.

Thwack —

As soon as he finished speaking, the back of his head was struck by a karate chop. The person who delivered the chop was a girl wearing a short dress, black stockings, and a figure that could only be described as stunning. Due to the force of the chop, the red hat tied with a diving mask on her head fell onto the deck, revealing her orange hair.

The girl, now slightly angry, didn't bother to pick up the hat. She glared at the confused boy and said, "How many times do I have to remind you? Use the code names, code names! Do you understand what code names are?!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry, I forgot." The boy suddenly realized but smiled nonchalantly, then bent down to pick up the hat and placed it back on the girl's head. The girl puffed out her cheeks, looking exasperated.

"Alright, Steel Pipe, I want you to confirm again. What should you call me? And what should you call Haku?"

"Clara and Banji."

"Good. If you get it wrong again, you'll face the consequences!" The girl, code-named Clara, waved her fists a few times, then walked toward the cabin.

The boy, called Steel Pipe, gently rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "But even with code names, did you have to give me something as ridiculous as 'Steel Pipe'?"

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and get ready. We're going ashore," Clara's urging voice came from the cabin.

"Coming, coming." Steel Pipe quickly walked toward the cabin.

A moment later, their appearances had changed slightly, both now wearing dark sunglasses. Steel Pipe had added a black top hat, while Clara had removed her previous hat and tied up her hair. Notably, Steel Pipe now had a steel pipe strapped to his back.

"Ha... Banji, we'll leave the ship in your care." Steel Pipe almost called Haku by his real name again but was reminded by Clara's glare and quickly corrected himself.

At the cabin door, the man code-named Banji nodded solemnly. "Leave it to me. But you two, be careful."

"Don't worry, we're not here to cause trouble." Steel Pipe waved at the man and, together with Clara, jumped off the ship. The two walked side by side on the dock.

Clara glanced at Steel Pipe and, in a low voice, said helplessly, "I really can't believe you. That's just a stolen pirate ship. Even as a joke, don't casually call it 'home.'"

"Well, don't worry about such small things. At least it carried us here and provided us with a convenient disguise."

"That's true, but... whatever." Clara sighed softly, then said seriously, "I have to remind you, the main goal of this mission is to gather information. Don't do anything reckless."

Steel Pipe adjusted his hat slightly and said earnestly, "I know. The primary task of this mission is to figure out the layout of the 'Labor Factory's' forces. If possible, getting a detailed map would be even better."

"Good that you understand." Clara nodded, then observed the crowd around them.

"Even the dock is this crowded. I can't imagine how many pirates and underground figures are gathered in the town."

"Heh, with such a grand event, it'll be easier for us to move around." Steel Pipe's gaze flitted over the surrounding environment and terrain, memorizing every detail with each glance.

"Clara." Suddenly, Steel Pipe's eyes narrowed. He grabbed Clara's hand and quickly pulled her to the side of the road.

Being abruptly pulled aside, Clara looked puzzled.

"Sorry, I'm a bit sensitive to killing intent. It's not directed at us, but..." Steel Pipe explained while subtly glancing at a group of pirates approaching with a murderous aura.

Following Steel Pipe's reminder, Clara also noticed the group of pirates. She took a quick look and then averted her gaze. The two of them slowed their pace in unison. Soon, the group of pirates passed them, heading toward the streets of the town.

Clara watched the pirates' backs and, after recalling some information about West Sea pirates, said in a low voice, "That's the Spiked Bull Pirates. They're not well-known in the West Sea, but their captain, Kazit, is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. He's not weak. A few days ago, one of the West Sea's largest merchant groups, Polkin's armed merchant ship, was attacked by a group of pirates. It was probably them."

Steel Pipe calmly replied, "Ordinary pirates couldn't take down Polkin's armed merchant ship. It must have been a joint operation between pirate crews."

Clara nodded. "Yeah, that's highly likely."

"Anyway, as long as we don't provoke them, it's fine." Steel Pipe averted his gaze. In such a grand event, there were plenty of people more dangerous than the Spiked Bull Pirates.

Hearing Steel Pipe's words, Clara looked at him with a strange expression.

Noticing Clara's odd look, Steel Pipe asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, I'm just a bit surprised by how mature you're being this time. It's giving me a strange sense of pride, like you've finally grown up."

"..."

The two walked side by side into the town. At a glance, the streets were filled with pirates carrying swords and guns, mostly in groups of two or three, with few traveling alone. After walking just a few hundred meters, they could see multiple bloodstains on the ground.

Amid the bustling crowd, aside from the noise, there were also the sounds of clashing swords and sporadic gunfire from further away. Following the sound of clashing swords, they saw a pirate slash down a fellow pirate.

"Haha, idiot, that's what you get for messing with me!" The blood-soaked pirate laughed maniacally while looting the bodies of his fallen comrades for money and weapons. The surrounding crowd cheered for the victorious pirate as if they had just watched a brutal dogfight.

"What a mess." Clara sighed softly as she watched the scene.

Steel Pipe, however, remained expressionless, his gaze unwavering. In such chaotic times, this was nothing out of the ordinary.