Luo Erji walked up to Lu Yu, kneeling on one knee before him.
"Captain."
"The Duoer Pirates and the Yalike Pirates are actually colluding with the Marine."
Luo Erji immediately relayed the information to Lu Yu.
"Marine?"
"I see."
Lu Yu said indifferently.
They were just two minor pirate crews; Lu Yu didn't pay them any mind.
Besides, collusion between the Marine and pirates in the East Blue wasn't anything new.
For Lu Yu, it wasn't worth bothering with at all.
"Captain, I am willing to eliminate these hidden dangers for you."
"I hope to become a trainee crew member!"
Seeing Lu Yu's lack of enthusiasm, Luo Erji spoke again.
That's right, Luo Erji was a pirate with a dream.
Since he had chosen to follow Lu Yu, he definitely didn't want to just be a grunt.
While he couldn't join the Dragon Hunting Pirates immediately, becoming a trainee crew member would still be a big step forward.
"A trainee crew member, huh..."
Lu Yu pondered for a moment.
As the saying goes, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier.
Luo Erji having such an ambition at least showed he had room for growth.
"You are now a trainee crew member of the Dragon Hunting Pirates."
"As for the matters concerning the other two pirate crews, you don't need to worry about them for now."
"Just make sure the grunt work is arranged."
Lu Yu said slowly.
Upon hearing Lu Yu's words, Luo Erji was overjoyed!
"Thank you, Captain!"
"I will definitely manage the grunt pirates well."
After Luo Erji finished speaking, he left happily.
...
Meanwhile, in Kamil Town.
"Arlong, haven't you been going a bit too far lately?"
"Many villages are already starting to have public grievances."
"If this continues, what if..."
Captain Nezumi didn't continue speaking.
Instead, he glanced at Arlong with his narrow, triangular eyes.
Arlong, at this moment, was seated high on the main seat, clearly not putting Captain Nezumi in his eyes.
But then again, whether in terms of strength or influence, Captain Nezumi couldn't compare to Arlong.
It wasn't easy to snatch meat from Arlong's mouth.
One always had to be prepared to be eliminated.
Of course, Captain Nezumi also had his own reliance.
Arlong still needed his help to do as he pleased in the East Blue.
"Public grievances are not something I need to resolve."
"Nezumi, I'm warning you again, if you take my money, then you must do your own job well."
"Otherwise..."
"Bang!"
Arlong didn't continue speaking, but instead crushed the wine glass in his hand.
The shattering sound made Captain Nezumi jump.
It had to be said, this guy was the type who was extremely malicious but extremely timid.
A true Captain Nezumi indeed...
"Arlong, I have an opportunity to be promoted to a Marine Headquarters officer."
"If you help me, then the territory I control in the East Blue will also expand."
"At that time, these territories will also be yours!"
Captain Nezumi stated his purpose for coming to Arlong.
As for trying to discipline him or anything... he hadn't thought that way at all.
The words he just said were merely a prelude.
"Marine Headquarters officer?"
"Captain Nezumi, there are some things you'd best figure out for yourself."
"If I have to make you understand... there will be no room for negotiation."
Arlong said again.
"I know."
"This is the intelligence. I will follow closely behind and then dispatch the Marine."
"What you need to do is defeat this person."
Captain Nezumi finished speaking and took out a wanted poster.
At the same time, he took out a den den mushi.
On the wanted poster, it was clearly Lu Yu's portrait.
"Dragon Hunting Pirates?"
"Hahahahaha... hahahahaha..."
"This name, I will not let him leave the East Blue alive!"
Arlong finished speaking, took the items, and left.
Are you kidding? He was called the Arlong Pirates, and this guy was called Dragon Hunting!
He was clearly here to cause trouble.
Of course, the 'dragon' Lu Yu was targeting wasn't him, Arlong.
Seeing Arlong leave, Captain Nezumi also revealed a sly smile.
Immediately, he got up and left the place.
Since Arlong had started to act, he naturally had to go and do his own thing.
The entire East Blue began to boil.
The Marine, which had been quiet for a long time, also began to sail on the high seas.
Warships, one after another, made the small pirates live in fear.
Had the East Blue, long known as a haven for pirates, now become dangerous?
Some pirates decided to lay low.
They would wait for these inexplicable commotions to pass before coming out to continue their adventurous voyages.
...
Back to Lu Yu's Dragon Hunting Pirates.
The Duoer Pirates and the Yalike Pirates began to slowly spread out to the flanks.
The two pirate ships, like wings, surrounded Lu Yu's small, dilapidated ship in the middle.
As for Luo Erji's pirate crew, it was at the rear.
"Brother Lu Yu, there's something wrong with the navigation of the Duoer Pirates and the Yalike Pirates."
"Should we..."
Akame walked up to Lu Yu, holding Murasame, and said calmly.
"Leave them for now."
"Making a move on them now would disturb the prey."
Lu Yu smiled.
Lu Yu had known about the unusual behavior of the Duoer and Yalike Pirates from the beginning.
The reason he kept them was to better bait the hook.
Instead of going around creating chaos and fighting, it was better to wait for the fight to come to them.
"Understood."
"By the way, Brother Lu Yu, is the World Government in this world also a dark existence?"
Akame brushed her hair back and asked somewhat blankly.
"Darkness?"
"If Pirate King Roger's words ushered in the Great Pirate Era, and this era is called the Era of Extreme Evil."
"Then, the World Government can be called the Era of Extreme Darkness."
"Although the Marine claims to uphold justice, their actions, to a certain extent, are merely aiding and abetting evil."
...
Lu Yu slowly told Akame about the world in his eyes.
Crew members were not tools.
Lu Yu also didn't treat Akame as a tool.
...
One day later.
They were still a day's voyage from Shelz Town.
"Captain, a pirate ship is approaching!"
"Captain, the pirate ship coming from the opposite side is from the Arlong Pirates!"
"Captain..."
Just as Lu Yu was about to land in Shelz Town to deal with Monka, Luo Erji's voice came through.
"Arlong?"
"As expected, that guy has come, hasn't he?"
A smile appeared at the corner of Lu Yu's mouth.
"Luo Erji, eliminate the Duoer Pirates and the Yalike Pirates!"
Lu Yu immediately issued the order.
Since the fish had already taken the bait, the bait was no longer useful.
Upon hearing Lu Yu's order, Luo Erji was startled.
But then, he immediately turned and launched an attack on the two pirate crews.
Lu Yu and Akame, meanwhile, directly faced the Arlong Pirates before them.