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After two hours of sailing at sea, Roberta led the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates, drawing closer and closer to Yerug Island.
On the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, Larson and Whitebeard stood together at the bow.
The sea was calm, and only four ships were in sight: three from their fleet and one led by Jem and Roberta. Ahead, the outlines of several islands began to appear, though still a distance away.
Larson squinted and remarked, "This place looks different from what I imagined!"
He had pictured Yerug Island as a medium-sized island surrounded by Sea Kings—massive creatures that would rise from the depths, roaring so loudly they shook the skies. In his mind, countless pirates battled the Sea Kings to set foot on the island, amidst thousands of wild beasts and a scene bursting with life. But what lay before him was nothing like that.
The sea was empty, nothing but endless water stretching to the horizon. It was just as calm and ordinary as any other day, with no sign of Sea Kings—not even a hint of their presence.
Rayleigh wondered aloud, "Are we in the wrong place again?"
It wasn't surprising that Rayleigh was skeptical. Normally, Yerug Island was known for attracting Sea Kings. By all logic, the closer they got to the island, the more Sea Kings they should have encountered. Yet, aside from a brief skirmish with a Sea King about ten minutes earlier, there hadn't been any sign of them for a while.
Larson, however, remained composed. "You're not in the wrong place," he said calmly, though a flicker of excitement was visible in his eyes for those paying attention. "The fact that it seems so peaceful here, so normal, is exactly what makes it abnormal."
Hearing this, the others, who had shared Rayleigh's doubts, quickly realized the truth. It was too normal. The tranquility of the surroundings stood in stark contrast to the dangers they had encountered on the journey. The eerie calmness likely concealed far greater threats.
Everyone's expressions grew more serious.
At that moment, Rayleigh noticed something. "Huh? There's a pirate ship over there."
All eyes followed his gaze, and sure enough, a pirate ship was approaching in the distance. On this vast, open sea, there was no cover, so the ship's crew had also spotted Larson and the others. However, upon seeing the four ships, the other pirates seemed hesitant to get too close.
"They must be heading to Yerug Island too," someone noted.
Nowadays, it was common for pirates to seek out treasures on Yerug Island, so it wasn't surprising to encounter others here. Larson observed the flag on the approaching ship. It was unfamiliar, likely a small, local pirate crew from the East Blue. Outsiders would have had a much harder time locating this place.
"Don't worry about them," Larson said. "Let them pass."
The other crew's destination was the same as Larson's—they were all heading toward the island. Larson found the scene amusing. The pirate ship had been moving at a normal pace, but the moment they spotted his fleet, the ship's speed doubled. From that alone, Larson could sense their urgency, as if they feared that anything valuable on the island might be claimed by Larson and his group if they didn't hurry.
It made sense. For anyone racing toward Yerug Island, even a moment's delay could feel like losing their chance at fortune.
"Should we pick up the pace too?" Rayleigh asked, noticing the other ship's speed.
Larson shook his head with a smile. "Let them go ahead and scout the way for us."
He knew that rushing blindly onto the island without understanding the situation was foolish. These reckless pirates would unknowingly become their pathfinders, and Larson was more than content to let them take the risk.
Just then, Marco, who had quietly approached from behind, said, "I heard from the person leading us that the island up ahead is just a small town. The real Yerug Island is behind it."
"...Oh, is that so? Well then, let's hurry up," Larson quickly recovered, laughing to hide his embarrassment.
Rayleigh chuckled. "Do we still need others to scout the way for us?"
Larson ignored the remark and turned to Marco. "Tell everyone to dock at the town first."
"Yes!" Marco replied.
As Marco left, Larson recalled a call he had received from Tsuru not long ago. Tsuru had struck a deal with him, asking for his help in protecting the towns around Yerug Island from Sea King attacks. But now, looking at the peaceful sea, Larson couldn't help but feel like his presence was unnecessary. Not a single Sea King was in sight, so what protection was needed?
Still, Larson decided that they needed to explore the island first to understand the situation.
Soon, Larson and his crew arrived at the island's shore. As they docked, they saw the pier crowded with boats. There were even marks from more boats on distant beaches.
Whitebeard commented, "Looks like many have already beaten us here."
Everyone could see it for themselves. The signs were clear.
After securing their ship, Roberta and Jem approached. Roberta smiled awkwardly. "Boss, we've arrived. Can we go now?"
According to their earlier agreement, Roberta was free to leave once she had brought everyone to Yerug Island.
Whitebeard remained silent, but Larson stepped forward.
"Wait a moment," Larson said, making Roberta tense up, thinking he might go back on his word.
"This isn't Yerug Island," Larson stated.
Roberta, visibly nervous, replied, "Yerug Island is just south of this town. It'll take a few minutes by boat to reach it. This town is the only way to get there. So technically, we've arrived at Yerug Island."
Larson raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you heading to Yerug Island too? Let's go together."
Roberta said sadly, "No, no, I won't disturb you."
At this moment, all he wanted was to find out why someone like Larson would have the audacity to share his thoughts so brazenly with them!
"That's impossible!" Larson responded with a grin. "What if you're lying to us? It's better for you to come along."
In truth, to figure out whether Roberta was lying, it would only take a few casual questions.
After hearing Larson's words, Rebecca also realized that Larson clearly had no intention of letting them leave!
"Didn't you say you'd let us go when we reached Yerug Island?" Jim, standing beside them, attempted to argue.
Larson replied with a self-righteous tone, "Yes, but we haven't reached Yerug Island yet, so you still can't leave."
What kind of people are these?
Both Roberta and Jem's faces showed a hint of despair.
Larson tried to reassure them. "Don't worry, I'm only asking you to stay because we're unfamiliar with the place, and we need someone to show us around."
Roberta thought bitterly, If you're sincere, then there's definitely something wrong with you.
But now, they had no choice.
Rebecca and Jem lowered their heads as they followed.
At this time, Roberta and Jem were already aboard the ship.
Kaido, who had been hiding for over two days, carefully poked his head out, and the first thing he saw was Whitebeard and Larson standing on the shore. Startled, he quickly ducked back, thinking to himself how lucky he was to remain undetected.
"Boss, how's it looking?"
Quinn squeezed her large body closer to him.
Kaido scowled, "Why is that old geezer Whitebeard still here? If they don't leave, we'll have to stay hidden."
"Don't worry, Boss. Now that they're here, they'll leave eventually," King said confidently.
"True," Kaido nodded. He already understood that Whitebeard's crew had the same goal as his—they had also come to Yerug Island. If they'd arrived now, they would surely leave soon. After two days of waiting, Kaido didn't want to keep hiding any longer.
A few minutes later, Roberta came in with some dry food.
Seeing her enter, Kaido, along with Quinn and King, all forced friendly smiles.
Roberta sighed and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Kaido replied, "Much better."
After all, his excuse earlier was that he had seasickness, but now that the ship had stopped, it wouldn't make sense for him to still be seasick.
Roberta hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did you see those people outside?"
Kaido felt an uneasy sensation rise in his gut. He had no choice but to admit, "Yes, I saw them."
Hope filled Roberta's eyes as she asked, "Then can you help me drive them away?"
King and Quinn's faces stiffened as they subtly turned away, trying to hide their expressions from Roberta.
A strained but polite smile appeared on Kaido's face. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that."
Roberta let out a disappointed sigh. For the past two days, she had been hoping that Kaido would recover and help her deal with Larson and his men.
Still, clinging to a last bit of hope, she asked, "Then could you at least take me and my brother out of here?"
Now all Roberta wanted was to escape from the people outside.
Take you away? I'd love to leave myself!
Kaido felt like crying inside, but on the outside, he kept up appearances.
"Well, I'm sorry, but my movement is still restricted, and I'm afraid I won't be able to take you or your brother away."
Hearing this, Roberta wasn't willing to give up just yet. "Could you at least take me, even if you can't take my brother?"
Wow, this is some friendship!
Quinn, who overheard this, was mentally screaming. Can't you get the hint already?
Veins bulged on the back of Kaido's hands as he began to lose his patience.
But just then, an unexpected event occurred.
Jem burst into the cabin, kicking open the door in a fit of rage.
"Roberta, are you seriously planning to abandon me?!"
Roberta hadn't expected Jem to come in at this moment. Worse still, it seemed he had overheard the conversation.
Panicked, Roberta stammered, "Brother, listen to me. It's not what you think!"
"Explain to your mother!"
Jem was furious, forgetting how he had recently betrayed Roberta by selling him out to Larson.
It was one thing for Jem to betray others, but he couldn't tolerate being betrayed himself.
He stormed over, grabbed Roberta by the shirt, and yelled, "What did you say to me back then? Now you want to leave me behind? Do you have any idea how that feels?!"
"I told you, it's not what you think!" Roberta was drenched in sweat as he desperately tried to explain.
But Jem wasn't listening anymore; his anger had consumed him.
As the two began to tussle, Kaido panicked.
"Separate them quickly! We can't let this go on!"
Kaido was terrified that the noise would attract the attention of outsiders. After hiding so carefully for the past two days, being exposed now would be a disaster.
King and Quinn quickly realized how serious the situation was and rushed to pull Jem and Roberta apart.
The fight continued fiercely, but as soon as King and Quinn intervened, they separated the two as easily as if they were pulling apart children.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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