"Benefactor!"
Just as everyone finished training and the Felynes were lining up for Sherwin to give them relaxing massages, Beonte came over alone.
"I told you, just call me Sherwin."
Sherwin picked up Sanji Meow, who was purring in his arms, and walked forward to greet him. However, his hands didn't stop moving, still gently massaging the little yellow cat cheeks back and forth.
Beonte chuckled sheepishly, then quickly corrected himself and said, "Alright then... Sherwin bro, I came to invite you guys to have lunch in town."
"No need. You all probably still have a lot to take care of—I wouldn't want to bother you. Besides, didn't you already treat us yesterday?" Sherwin shook his head and declined.
Seeing that Beonte still wanted to persuade him, Sherwin added, "We're not planning to leave anytime soon, so there no rush."
"Really?" Beonte eyes lit up, and he quickly pleaded, "Then you must stay a little longer! Just one banquet yesterday is far from enough to express our gratitude!"
"Mhm, mhm..." Sherwin replied absentmindedly, but in truth, he had no intention of attending another banquet.
After all, his taste buds had already been spoiled by Sanji Meow. Attending a banquet every now and then for the atmosphere was fine, but if they kept happening back to back, Sherwin just wouldn't have the appetite.
While Sherwin and Beonte were casually chatting, Huamei Meow, who was sunbathing on the wall with Klee Meow, suddenly shouted, "Admiral, a ship is coming, meow!"
Arlong Paradise was built by the sea, and its main gate opened directly to the ocean. So Sherwin and the others only needed to go around a wall to see the sea.
And when they rounded the wall and reached the front entrance of Arlong Paradise, they saw a three-masted sailing ship with a seagull emblem painted on its sails approaching from the water.
"They're the Navy!" Beonte said through gritted teeth. "They must've heard about the Arlong Pirates being wiped out and came to steal the treasure he left behind!"
Because of his earlier conversation with Chuu, Beonte had completely lost faith in the Navy—and his guess was likely correct.
After all, under the information blockade imposed by Arlong and Colonel Mouse, it was unlikely that any other naval unit would show up here for any legitimate reason.
"Calm down. Picking a fight with the Navy isn't a good idea," Sherwin said, patting him on the shoulder as a reminder.
Beonte clenched his fists tightly, his chest heaving with emotion. It took a lot of effort for him to suppress the anger burning inside him. At that moment, the warship had already arrived in front of them.
A wide wooden plank was lowered from the ship, and a group of armed Navy soldiers marched down it, quickly forming ranks on both sides.
Then, a Navy officer with a rat-like mustache and a hat shaped like mouse ears strutted toward Sherwin with his hands behind his back, full of arrogance.
"Who are you people? Where Arlong?"
Colonel Mouse first looked down his nose at Sherwin with a haughty air, but soon something felt... off.
He lowered his overly lifted head to a normal angle, and then saw that the youth in front of him—who still looked a bit young—had a cat head sticking out from each of his shoulders.
Then, lowering his gaze slightly, he noticed a dressed-up cat nestled in the youth arms, and another one standing right beside him, both staring directly at him.
(=﹃=) × 4
That alone wasn't the issue. The problem was… why did the gaze of these four cats feel so... creepy?
It was like... they were hungry?
Colonel Mouse suddenly shivered and instinctively took several quick steps back. He moved so hastily that he nearly tripped.
"What are you trying to do?! I'm Colonel Mouse of the Navy 16th Branch!" Colonel Mouse warned, his voice trying to sound tough, but clearly lacking confidence.
Then he saw the little yellow cat in Sherwin arms twitch its nose in his direction and speak with clear regret, "Meow... turns out he human. What a shame, meow..."
Next, the white kitten lying on Sherwin right shoulder, wearing a red beret, also spoke up:
"Besides, Big Brother Sherwin said even if they're not human, if they can talk, we can't eat them, meow. Just like those fish-men, meow."
"Y-Y-You... what are you people?!"
Colonel Mouse was absolutely terrified. Wasn't he just here to collect this month cut as originally agreed? But judging from what these cats were saying...
Did Arlong and the others nearly get eaten?!
At this moment, Sherwin finally spoke: "Sorry, these kids are a bit lacking in common sense. I'm still teaching them, slowly."
He gently rubbed Sanji Meow small head, then continued, "As for Arlong and his crew, they've already been dealt with. Since you're here, that saves me a trip. I assume I can collect the bounty directly from you guys?"
"What?! Arlong been defeated?!" Colonel Mouse face changed dramatically.
He had no idea if his collusion with Arlong had already been exposed. If it had, then he was in serious trouble!
Colonel Mouse expression darkened as he began to consider how to silence everyone.
As for killing them to keep things quiet—that thought didn't even cross his mind. As scummy as he was, Colonel Mouse still had some sense.
These people had taken down the Arlong Pirates and didn't even look injured. There was no way he or his useless subordinates could deal with that kind of power.
From the way this guy was talking, he seemed to be a bounty hunter? Then maybe a bit of money could shut him up?
Colonel Mouse was secretly calculating.
Of course, he still decided to try bluffing his way through first. After all, someone as greedy as him wouldn't fork over money so easily.
"Hahahahaha…"
Suddenly, Colonel Mouse let out a hearty laugh that didn't suit him at all. He originally intended to pat Sherwin on the shoulder, but when he saw the Felyne perched on it, his half-raised hand immediately retracted and smoothly turned into a beard-stroking motion.
"I came here leading my men this time because I wanted to wipe out that group of pirates. I didn't expect that the notorious Arlong Pirates would've already been dealt with by a righteous young man like yourself. That truly wonderful! Squea—hahahahaha…"
Colonel Mouse nearly let out his usual rat-like squeak, but the four pairs of feline eyes fixed on him forced him to change his tone in time, continuing with that unusually hearty laughter that didn't match his character at all.
Seeing how shameless the other man was, Bournt clenched his fists again. However, his face remained completely neutral. He simply stood behind Sherwin with a simple, honest look, like nothing more than a follower.
Colonel Mouse didn't pay him any attention and continued his act. "Where are the pirates you subdued? Hand them over so I can take them back. As for their bounties, I'm afraid you'll have to come back to the Marine base with us to collect them. We're on a pirate suppression mission this time, so naturally, we wouldn't be carrying any money."
"Oh... if that the case, then I'll just take their heads in myself to claim the bounty some other time."
Although Sherwin wasn't particularly trying to hide the existence of his spatial equipment, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal all his secrets to Colonel Mouse.
So of course he wasn't going to let Seijuro Meow pull out the heads of Arlong and the others right then and there.
Colonel Mouse expression froze, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Arlong... is dead?"
"Yeah, doesn't his bounty poster say 'dead or alive'?" Sherwin replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I planned to stay on this island for a few more days and didn't have time to send them to the Marines, so I just went ahead and killed them all."
Arlong being dead was no loss to Colonel Mouse. He wouldn't grieve over it—in fact, with Arlong dead and no longer able to testify, he didn't even have to worry about being exposed for colluding with pirates.
The problem was...
"Then what about Arlong treasure?"
In his desperation, the greedy Colonel Mouse blurted out what was really on his mind.
"Of course I took it," Sherwin said coldly. "As far as I know, the Marines don't require bounty hunters to turn over their spoils, do they?"
"No, no, no... you misunderstood!" Colonel Mouse quickly waved his hands.
"I only wanted to return Arlong treasure to the people of this island. But if you're unwilling, then of course no one can take it from you."
Only then did Sherwin expression ease slightly. He gave a cold snort and said, "That for the best. As for the people here, that the Marine problem to worry about."
Faced with Sherwin assertive stance, Colonel Mouse eventually left with his subordinates, tail between his legs.
With no profit to be gained, he naturally had no reason to stay in the Conomi Islands any longer.
As for whether the islanders lived or died, or what their living conditions were—he couldn't care less.