The Terror of the Pirates

Doing something big?

Wolf Rat was shocked and quickly guessed Alex's intentions.

"Do something big? What do you mean?"

Pretending not to understand, Wolf Rat raised his wine glass and took a big sip.

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly as he said seriously, "As the saying goes, 'Kill him while he's sick.'"

Wolf Rat, wanting to end the conversation quickly, replied, "I've never heard of such a saying."

Alex, however, wasn't worried about dragging the conversation out and said without hesitation, "It's okay, now you know."

"..."

"Wolf Rat, there's not much time left for us. It's not our style to sit around and wait for death. We have to take the initiative and take advantage of the fact that Kazet and Abbey are injured to eliminate them!"

Alex gestured with his hand, his tone filled with killing intent. "Otherwise, once they recover, they'll definitely come after us."

Wolf Rat lowered his head, resisting the urge to smash his wine glass against Alex's head.

If it weren't for you, would I even be worrying about this right now?

Moreover, the reason Wolf Rat had provided Alex with information about Abbey and Kazet in the first place was to get closer to him, not to risk his life alongside him!

Snap!

Seeing Wolf Rat lower his head and remain silent, Alex reached out and placed a hand on Wolf Rat's shoulder.

Wolf Rat's body shook slightly as he looked up at Alex, only to see a face filled with deep understanding.

Meeting Wolf Rat's complicated gaze, Alex said solemnly:

"Wolf Rat, to be honest, I'm not afraid of Kazet and Abbey coming after me. But I'm worried about you. We're friends, and I can't just sit back and do nothing!"

"I know this task is tough and dangerous, but for the sake of a friend, even if it's risky, so what?"

"So don't worry, Wolf Rat. I swear on Usopp's name that no matter how dangerous it is, I, Usopp, will definitely help you solve this problem!"

Wolf Rat stared blankly at Alex's passionate speech, genuinely shocked.

No, he was truly shocked.

This world actually has someone who can twist black and white so effortlessly!

Shocked, Wolf Rat suddenly realized a crucial point.

"Indeed, with that old man 'Trick Gun' around, Alex doesn't have to worry about Abbey and Kazet's retaliation at all. But I'm different..."

"Wait, no. I can't be fooled by Alex. It's not like Abbey and Kazet are after him. So why should I be afraid?"

"But..."

Wolf Rat thought back to what had happened inside the Tomahawk Tavern.

When he remembered how he had actively stopped Kazet at the time, he couldn't help but want to slap himself.

It was too late for regrets now.

Realizing that Alex truly didn't have to worry about Abbey and Kazet's retaliation, Wolf Rat woke up to the fact that he was the one in danger.

The Wolf Rat cried.

Literally shed tears.

"You're right! Let's kill them while they're sick. Instead of waiting for them to retaliate, we should take the initiative and finish them off! Usopp, I didn't expect you... to be so considerate of me. I..."

After thinking it through, Wolf Rat immediately switched to acting mode. First, he let out a hint of killing intent, then put on a touched expression, allowing bitter tears to flow down his cheeks.

Alex patted Wolf Rat's shoulder heavily and raised his wine glass in a toast.

"Don't say it. It's all in the wine."

"Cheers!"

Filled with bitterness, Wolf Rat raised his glass and clinked it against Alex's.

Inside the bar, Tatamu lowered his eyes to hide a sly grin.

Technically, he was a complete outsider.

Therefore, he was well aware that Wolf Rat had dug a pit for Alex to jump into, but before Alex could jump, Wolf Rat had been dragged into the pit step by step by Alex.

Alex and Wolf Rat each finished their glasses of wine.

Tatamu, on the other hand, pulled out a bottle of white rum and poured a glass for each of them.

"Please."

"Thanks."

Alex thanked Tatamu, despite not wanting to drink any more.

He gently swirled his glass, turned to Wolf Rat, and said with a straight face, "Wolf Rat, the longer this drags on, the worse it will be for you. It's best to act tonight. Don't you think?"

"..."

Wolf Rat cursed inwardly but agreed after a moment, "I think so."

At this point, he had no choice but to admit it.

Moreover, both Abbey and Kazet were pirates with bounties over thirty million berries. Eliminating them wouldn't be a bad thing.

Wolf Rat, who had been born in the Navy, weighed the pros and cons and felt that the plan was feasible.

He was alone here, which meant he was essentially getting Alex's help for free.

Alex didn't know what Wolf Rat was thinking. He knew that the risk of "future speculation" alone wasn't enough to make Wolf Rat fully commit to this plan. Plus, considering that Abbey and Kazet had to be killed by his own hands...

"Wolf Rat, I've thought it over carefully. I'll take on the most dangerous assassination mission, while you just need to find a way to lure away Abbey and Kazet's men."

"This..."

Wolf Rat looked at Alex in surprise.

Alex continued, "Of course, it's all empty talk for now. The first order of business is to gather as much intelligence as possible. We don't need to increase the success rate drastically, but at least we can reduce the risk."

As he spoke, a troubled expression appeared on Alex's face. He picked up Dark Raven and sighed:

"Only, I just bought this knife from Tatamu, and now I only have a few tens of thousands of berries left. I don't think I can afford any more information. I don't suppose you..."

"I have no money."

Wolf Rat replied honestly.

As a naval undercover agent, he didn't earn much money, and he spent it as soon as he got it.

Otherwise, if he died unexpectedly one day, the money would go to waste.

"You don't have any money either? That's a problem."

Alex couldn't help but sigh, still hoping to pry some money out of Wolf Rat.

The corners of Wolf Rat's mouth twitched slightly as he said, "Although I don't have any money, I still know some information about them."

"Oh?"

Alex's eyes lit up.

A village in the dark, indeed.

His motivation for wanting to buy intelligence was twofold: to reduce the risk and to increase the profitability of the Hunter's Notes.

When it came to the intelligence, Wolf Rat spoke cautiously, adopting the demeanor of someone who had taken charge:

"Listen, among the pirate groups currently based in Mad Hatter Town, there are seven pirate groups with bounties over 50 million berries. Abbey and Kazet's pirate groups are among them."

"Abbey and Kazet themselves are pirates with bounties exceeding thirty million. Under their command, there are several cadres with bounties exceeding ten million. To assassinate Abbey and Kazet, we must take these factors into account."

"Among these cadres, the most noteworthy is Raglan, who has a bounty of 19 million. He's one of Kazet's cadres and a skilled swordsman."

As he spoke, Wolf Rat subtly observed Alex's expression.

Mentioning Raglan was a small test for him.

Alex's expression shifted slightly, and he said seriously, "A skilled swordsman with a bounty of nineteen million? That's definitely something to pay attention to."

This was exactly the kind of prey he wanted. Even if he couldn't kill Kazet, taking out Raglan would still be profitable.

Wolf Rat noted Alex's reaction and calmly added, "Fortunately, Raglan was taken out some time ago."

"???"

Alex thought to himself, The person is dead, so why are you even bringing him up?