The Hunter of Pirates

Kazt had been in an extremely foul mood these past two days—exceptionally foul.

First, his crucial navigator was abruptly killed, followed by the loss of his reliable lieutenant, Ragren, who had stayed behind to handle the situation.

Then, the long-awaited auction turned into a fiasco.

The merman slave he had successfully bid for was shot dead in an alley, and over half of the men stationed outside the auction house were killed or injured amidst the chaos.

One misfortune after another weighed heavily on Kazt, leaving him feeling stifled.

He couldn't even pinpoint what he had done to deserve being targeted like this.

Even the recent success of looting the Bolkin merchant ship wasn't enough to lighten his mood.

Frustrated, Kazt decided it was time to settle accounts.

The intel he received from his informant pointed to the prime suspect: the young man from the weapons shop.

Kazt wanted nothing more than to capture the boy quickly, torture him mercilessly, and demand to know why the kid had crossed him.

But Ragren's bizarre death held him back from acting rashly.

Being cautious had always been Kazt's modus operandi.

Even for something as major as raiding the Bolkin merchant ship—a feat that originally required cooperation with a single pirate crew of equal strength—Kazt had sought the help of yet another crew to ensure success, willingly sharing a portion of the spoils for added security.

With such prudence guiding him, Kazt chose not to confront the weapons shop immediately after the auction. Instead, he and his subordinates took the time to investigate its background.

What they uncovered was that the seemingly unassuming owner, Sol, was actually a tough old man not to be trifled with.

That was the extent of their findings.

Had it not been for the fact that over half of his forces were decimated the previous night, Kazt might have acted impulsively and taken his men to raze the shop to the ground.

But now, faced with risks his current state couldn't afford, Kazt made a decisive choice to abandon the idea of destroying the weapons shop.

Yet, he was still a pirate—a man who saw doing as he pleased as his very purpose for setting sail.

If he couldn't get something in return for this incident, he wouldn't be able to quell the hatred burning in his chest.

So, Kazt sent one of his men, skilled in tailing, to keep watch around the weapons shop.

He wouldn't risk attacking the shop itself, but he was determined to kill Mobin at the very least.

What Kazt didn't expect was how quickly an opportunity presented itself.

When his scout returned with the report, Kazt wasted no time and, with all his men in tow, marched straight to the Battleaxe Tavern.

The raucous way they slammed the door open and stormed in immediately drew everyone's attention.

Seeing Kazt lead his men into the tavern, Ratsnout's expression changed, and he thought to himself, This is bad.

He wasn't worried about his own safety; he was worried about Mobin's.

The previous night, he had first passed free intel to Kazt and then accidentally stumbled upon Mobin killing those three pirates, realizing Mobin might be his way to approach Phantom Gun Sol.

Thinking about it now, Ratsnout couldn't help but regret underestimating Kazt's sense of proportion.

"Mobin, Mobin, if I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn't have sold you out last night. Now look—you've got Elbay on one side and Kazt on the other. Tough luck, man."

Faced with the swirling vortex of danger, where getting involved meant instant death, Ratsnout didn't hesitate to abandon his plans to use Mobin as an entry point.

If it had just been Elbay, perhaps he could have seized the opportunity to gain Mobin's favor by stepping forward.

But now that Kazt was also here seeking vengeance…

Forget about stepping forward—what good would that do? As for the carefully sought entry point?

To hell with that! Self-preservation came first!

Within seconds, Ratsnout's mind raced through countless thoughts.

Deciding to stay out of it, he couldn't help but marvel at how his earlier instinct to distance himself from Mobin—thinking he'd been called out by Elbay—turned out to be a stroke of fate.

It truly felt like destiny.

Before Kazt's gaze could land on Mobin's table, Ratsnout quietly slipped further away, putting some distance between himself and Mobin.

Because he moved cautiously and subtly, his actions didn't stand out at the moment.

From Ratsnout's perspective, Mobin was as good as dead.

If Phantom Gun were here, it might be a different story.

After all, even Marine heroes would love to tear Phantom Gun apart piece by piece.

Against pirates like Elbay and Kazt, Phantom Gun could handle them with just two shots—if he didn't mind revealing his identity.

But Phantom Gun wasn't here.

As for Mobin, based on what Ratsnout had witnessed of his strength the night before…

"Don't die too horribly, Mobin," Ratsnout muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Mobin, distracted by his thoughts on how to shake off Elbay, failed to notice Ratsnout's movements or the latter's shifting intentions.

Kazt's dramatic entrance had already disrupted the tavern.

The commotion caught Mobin's attention, prompting him to look toward the entrance at the same time as Elbay.

Mobin's eyes immediately locked onto Kazt's distinctive horned helmet and bushy beard, and he recognized him at once.

Kazt, bounty: 32 million berries.

"So that's him," Mobin murmured, committing Kazt's appearance to memory, unaware that the pirate was there for him.

The instigator of the murder was, ironically, the only one left in the dark.

This was something Mobin could never have anticipated.

Elbay, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes coldly at Kazt. With a bounty of over 30 million berries herself, she and Kazt had always been at odds.

Although they hadn't clashed openly, both harbored a mutual desire to destroy each other given the chance.

"What's this bull-headed brute up to? Did he lose his mind and come here to pick a fight with me?"

Considering how Kazt had shown up with his entire crew shortly after her arrival, Elbay couldn't help but suspect he was there for her.

Momentarily setting aside her interest in Mobin, Elbay signaled her subordinates to prepare for battle.

Standing at the entrance, Kazt scanned the room, briefly noting Elbay's unhidden hostility but ignoring it. Guided by his scout, his gaze passed over Elbay and settled on Mobin.

Facing his enemy, Kazt's eyes burned with rage.

The fury he had been suppressing erupted into a cold, murderous intent that surged toward Mobin like a tidal wave.

The first to react wasn't Mobin but Elbay's white weasel, which immediately darted under the table, sensing danger.

The next to react was Mobin himself, who bore the brunt of Kazt's killing intent.

"After me???"

Mobin's heart pounded as he quickly pieced together the situation.

The murder must have been exposed.

He didn't understand why it had taken this long for Kazt to come for him, but there was no time to dwell on it.

In a flash, Mobin stood, stepping forward two paces to position himself just within Elbay's defensive range—not too close, but not too far.

Then—

"Big Sis Elbay!"

Mobin called out loudly in a respectful tone.

Next, he glanced at Ratsnout.

"Brother Ratsnout!"

His sudden address startled everyone.

Elbay froze.

Her subordinates froze.

Kazt froze.

Kazt's men froze.

Even Ratsnout, who had been preparing to stay out of it, was utterly shocked.

"Mobin, you @#$%@#$&...!"

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