The Terror of the Pirates

Throughout the whole incident, although Raglan had died at Saul's hands, technically, Raglan had been killed indirectly by Alex.

However, Alex knew nothing about it.

Therefore, upon reflection, he naturally thought of the person who had been walking with Reade in the alleyway that night.

Had he inadvertently killed a...

highly experienced target?

It was no wonder Kazet was so preoccupied with this matter.

Thinking of this, Alex feigned casual curiosity and asked, "Oh, how did this Raglan guy die?"

"Taken out by a single shot."

"..."

Alex covered his forehead and said calmly, "I see."

Wolf Rat calmly observed Alex's reaction.

He realized that in this case, Trick Gun had taken out Raglan for Alex without letting him know.

This kind of covert protection further implied that Alex held significant importance to Trick Gun.

In other words, Alex might be valuable enough to become a bargaining chip to pressure Trick Gun, especially when combined with the little girl in the store...

Wolf Rat didn't let his thoughts show and continued, "Kazet not only lost a skilled fighter like Raglan recently but also had more than half of his men killed or injured due to the fishman slaves escaping from the auction a few days ago."

"Oh?"

A faint light lit up in Alex's eyes.

"Apart from Raglan, there are two other noteworthy cadres under Kazet's command."

"One is Wells, a skilled sharpshooter with a bounty of nearly ten million berries, and the other is Gabaldon, with a bounty of fourteen million berries. Although not as skilled as Raglan, he's still a formidable swordsman who shouldn't be underestimated."

"Moreover, Kazet is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. Give him a few more days, and while his injuries might not fully heal, he'll at least be able to move around freely."

"Therefore, I personally suggest targeting the Spiked Bull Pirates first."

Wolf Rat, as a Navy man, also believed that the assassination had no downsides. Even if Alex had set a trap, Wolf Rat was willing to dive in headfirst after recognizing the current situation.

Now that he was in, he had to make it work.

And intelligence was the key to that.

"As for the Abbey Pirates, it's best not to mess with them anymore."

At this point, Wolf Rat's face turned grave.

Alex was puzzled, "Why?"

"Although the Abbey Pirates aren't large in number, they're all elites. And among the pirates with bounties over thirty million berries currently in town, there's one who's Abbey's suitor."

"A suitor? Just that kind of..."

A few black lines appeared on Alex's forehead, and he stopped himself in time.

Wolf Rat knew what Alex wanted to say and replied indifferently:

"Calling him a suitor is just a polite way of saying he wants to annex Abbey's pirate group. As for Abbey's... unique preferences, what does that matter?"

"Anyway, if you go after Abbey, you might just give that suitor an opportunity."

Wolf Rat's advice to Alex not to target Abbey actually had another crucial layer of consideration.

Namely—you're the one who slapped Abbey, not me.

Hiding this thought, Wolf Rat naturally preferred that Alex focus on the Spiked Bull Pirates first.

After all, the only real threat to him was the Spiked Bull Pirates, which was why he had detailed their current situation.

After listening to Wolf Rat's explanation, Alex felt that targeting Abbey wasn't the best move.

But it wasn't entirely because of the suitor's existence. Rather, Kazet's physique and the swordsman named Gabaldon were what Alex needed most at the moment.

"Then let's go after Kazet first... By the way, do you have any bounty posters for the people related to the Spiked Bull Pirates?"

While Alex hammered out the plan, he asked about the most crucial thing.

Wolf Rat didn't think much of it. After all, he also needed to know what the targets looked like to match the information.

He looked directly at Tatamu.

Tatamu understood and opened another drawer.

Under Alex's surprised gaze, Tatamu pulled out a thick stack of bounty posters.

Once Alex remembered that Tatamu was in the intelligence business, he felt relieved.

Wolf Rat noticed Alex's reaction and took the initiative to explain:

"People who run businesses here usually have bounty posters for various pirates. After all, those with bounties aren't exactly good people to deal with. Recognizing their identities beforehand is beneficial."

"Especially in places like Flower Street, employees are required to always identify their guests."

Alex nodded vaguely, not realizing there was such a layer of reasoning.

Mainly because Saul's store didn't have any bounty posters.

But thinking about it, it made sense. Saul's weapon store didn't get much foot traffic, and even if it did, wouldn't someone as ruthless as Kidd have to behave in front of Saul?

Knowing that Tatamu had such a comprehensive collection of bounty posters, Alex thought he could come and sit here more often in the future.

Tatamu was very familiar with the bounty posters and quickly pulled out three of them.

They corresponded to Kazet, Wells, and Gabaldon, respectively. As for Raglan's poster, it had long been removed.

Alex took the posters and studied them carefully, memorizing the appearances of the other two targets.

If they acted tonight, the best outcome would be to eliminate Kazet directly.

As for the Spiked Bull Pirates, they would likely fall into chaos after losing their captain.

The potential incentive of [Seize Power] alone made it worth the risk.

After memorizing the details, Alex, now thoroughly impressed by Wolf Rat's abilities, still wanted to extract more useful information.

"Do you know what specific abilities these three have?"

"Wells isn't too difficult to deal with, but Kazet and Gabaldon are the trickiest..."

Wolf Rat took the bait and began explaining the abilities of Kazet and the others.

Alex listened attentively, secretly delighted.

Half an hour passed.

After hearing the explanation, a satisfied Alex looked at Wolf Rat with a gaze that said, "I've reacquainted myself with you."

Wolf Rat ignored it and said seriously, "Usopp, I hope tonight's operation goes well. I don't want anything to happen to you."

It was a sincere statement.

Alex could feel it and wasn't surprised.

His suspicions about Wolf Rat's motives grew, but as long as they weren't harmful, he could accept them.

"As a friend, I think so too."

Alex raised his glass to Wolf Rat and drank it in one gulp.

Wolf Rat did the same, thinking to himself that he had finally taken a big step forward.

Afterward, Alex arranged to meet Wolf Rat at midnight and promptly left the Night Bar with Dark Raven.

After Alex left, Wolf Rat sat contemplatively, drinking his wine.

Tatamu continued wiping glasses, as if he had an endless supply to clean.

Ten minutes later, Wolf Rat suddenly got up and went to his room on the second floor.

Arriving at the room, he took out a carefully hidden Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.

Naval Headquarters, the residence of Naval Hero Garp.

"That kid even ran away to become a pirate!!!"

Inside the room, Garp clutched a newspaper, veins popping on his forehead.

Just as he was fuming, a woman opened the door without knocking and walked in.

"I heard your loud voice from a distance. What happened?"

"Little Crane..."