Chapter 14: The Pirate Thief

A night had passed, and with the Kado ship sailing at full speed, they finally reached Logue Town by dawn.

Now, it was the last day of the hunting competition. If they couldn't steal the Golden Scaled Fish now, they probably wouldn't have time to venture into the deep sea to catch other ingredients. Therefore, this was their only chance. They had to catch up with that pirate worth sixty one million berry and take the fish. Only then could they win the championship and obtain the Devil Fruit.

Kado was feeling anxious inside. Although he claimed that he didn't care much about the Devil Fruit, deep down he still hoped to obtain one. The kind of superhuman power it offered was simply too tempting.

However, during the night, despite Kado and Fite's relentless pursuit, they hadn't seen any sign of the Iron Fist Pirate Crew, worth sixty one million berry, on the sea. Instead, they found numerous pirate ship wrecks floating around. It seemed that these were the remains of ships that had tried to intercept the Iron Fist Pirates, only to be defeated. They even discovered the wreckage of a powerful pirate crew. The captain of this crew had a bounty of over forty million, but even such a formidable pirate crew had been wiped out without delaying the Iron Fist Pirates for even a moment. This made it clear that the Iron Fist Pirates' bounty of over sixty million wasn't just due to their numerous killings, but also because of their formidable strength. Kado and Fite had greatly underestimated them before.

"Still haven't found any sign of the Iron Fist Pirates?" Kado gazed at the distant, gradually enlarging silhouette of Logue Town, a look of anxiety spreading across his face.

"We can already see Logue Town, but we still haven't spotted that guy. It seems like the chance of us succeeding is very slim. We'll have to come up with another plan," Fite replied, a frustrated expression on his face. He shot Kado an occasional glare. If it weren't for this guy, maybe they wouldn't have lost the Golden Scaled Fish.

"Damn it, what's with that guy? He's running faster than a rabbit! How are we supposed to catch up?" Kado grumbled, his expression showing frustration, but strangely, it seemed like he was blaming the fact that the other side was running faster.

"It's not that they're faster, it's that our ship is too slow. How could a medium-sized sailboat like this possibly keep up with their steamship? I think it's time we got a new ship. A boat like this is going to be too dangerous in the Grand Line," Fite said, surveying the condition of the Kado Ship. The weathered vessel was covered in patches from years of wear and tear, and it was clear it was long overdue for retirement.

"That won't do! This ship was the reward I got after my first battle, it's full of sentimental value. How can I just replace it like that?" Kado said, stroking the bow of the Kado Ship. The bow was shaped like a cat's head, with a smiling little cat, and the signatures of the mayor and residents of Fireworks Town were inscribed on its forehead. Looking at those names, Kado couldn't help but remember the time when he nearly got killed by a 200,000-bounty pirate. He was so inexperienced back then. Compared to that, he had grown so much now. Any pirate with a bounty of 200,000 would probably be no match for him anymore, no matter how many came.

"We're not replacing it. But sailing a ship like this in those unpredictable seas will be very dangerous," Fite knew how much this ship meant to Kado, so he could only try to persuade him slowly.

"Not replacing it, and that's final! I'm the captain, and I say we're not replacing it!" Kado said, stroking the bow of the ship. "If it really comes down to it, we can modify it—turn this ship into a steamship, and then cover the surface with a layer of iron plates. That way, we won't have to worry about the ship breaking down."

"That's easy for you to say, but right now we're almost out of money for food. How are we supposed to afford any modifications? It'd be better to just steal another pirate crew's ship. That way, we won't spend a single beli," Fite suggested.

"You're such a money grubber. It's just money," Kado glanced at Fite, then pointed toward the now-nearby Loguetown and said, "Look at all these pirate crews on this sea. These are all treasures! On average, every ship is worth ten million beli. With so many ships, think about how much money that is!" Kado's eyes sparkled as he stared at the port of Loguetown, drooling at the sight of the large number of pirate ships docked there.

"Hmph, there are so many pirates in this world. If we want to make money off pirates, we need strength. With our current, almost non-existent, strength as minors, how could we possibly defeat so many pirates? There must be hundreds of pirates with bounties around ten million beli," Nefet said.

Just as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed. He looked at the large group of pirate crews gathered at the Loguetown port, his eyes wide in surprise. "What's going on? Why are so many pirates gathering here? Didn't they all go to the hunting competition? Are they just here to watch the fun?"

"Heh heh, of course not. It looks like these guys are faster than us. They're all waiting here in Loguetown to intercept the Iron Fist Pirate Crew. They've got quite the plan," Kado said with a smug grin. "Looks like my intuition was right! I told you we'd be able to intercept them, and here we are. From the looks of these pirates, the Iron Fist Pirates probably haven't dared to return directly yet."

"Yeah, it seems like our luck is good," Fite squinted, his mood lifting considerably. "With a Devil Fruit worth two hundred million beli, after this job, I might even get to spend some more time on Honeymoon Island. There are so many beautiful women there!"

Kado looked over the countless pirate crews on the sea, his eyes narrowing slightly, and a strange smile crept onto his lips. "I just came up with a brilliant idea. What if we take advantage of their big battle, sneak onto these pirate ships, and steal all their treasures? Do you think we'd make a fortune?"

"Oh," Fite chuckled as well. After being influenced by Kado, the once innocent Fite had become a bit of a rogue. He had learned many techniques from Kado, especially those of a master thief. This method, which involved neither fighting pirates nor robbing civilians, but still allowed them to make a fortune, was an excellent option for Fite, who disliked fighting and preferred reading and traveling.

"Then let's secretly join up with them," Kado said as he slowed down the Kado ship. He leisurely steered it into the midst of the large group of pirate ships, trying not to attract too much attention.

The Kado ship moved like a sneaky little thief cat, silently and cautiously gliding into the midst of the pirate fleet, looking every bit as sly as Kado intended.

"As usual, I'll make the move, and you provide support. Just wait for my good news," Kado said, pulling up beside a massive pirate ship. He quickly changed into a new set of clothes, using a torn piece of cloth to cover his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. He gave Fite a mischievous wave, looking every bit the part of a cunning thief.

Fite gave an "OK" hand gesture, signaling Kado not to worry. The ship's hold had been emptied, ready to store a large amount of treasure, and they were ready to make a quick escape at any moment.

Kado pulled a three-pronged grappling hook from his backpack and tossed it onto the side of the large pirate ship. He then grabbed the rope and began climbing up.

This type of grappling hook was something often seen in movies from his past life, commonly used for scaling walls. Its design ensured that no matter what it latched onto, it would make minimal noise and hold tightly. It was perfect for climbing and was far more advanced than the climbing hooks used in the One Piece world.

Thanks to this handy tool, Kado had already stolen from countless pirates. Those who had fallen victim to his thievery had even given the three-pronged grappling hook a nickname: "Cat's Claw."

The structure of the Cat's Claw was simple and easy to make. After witnessing Kado's skill with it, many people began to replicate it. Over time, this tool became popular among pirates in the One Piece world.

Once Kado climbed up to the ship's side, he cautiously poked his head out, carefully observing for a moment. He noticed that the pirates on board were all armed, standing on the deck, waiting to ambush the Iron Fist Pirates. The slight noise from the Cat's Claw had not attracted any attention from the others.

Kado made a nimble flip and stealthily moved toward the ship's cabin. He quickly climbed through a window and into the interior.

After a careful search, Kado found a small door in the captain's quarters. The door was secured with a large lock, which, from the looks of it, must be the treasure vault of this pirate crew.

For Kado, the master of the Thieves' Guild, the lock was hardly a challenge. In his previous life, he had dealt with locks that were meticulously crafted, including many high-tech electronic locks. If he could open those, then this lock was no problem at all.

Kado pulled out a set of Lockpick from his chest and, with just a few swift twists, the lock clicked open with a satisfying "click."

After unlocking the door, he pulled it open and peeked inside. His eyes gleamed with excitement, and saliva almost dripped from his mouth. Inside the small room were piles of one-thousand-berry bills, as well as a collection of gleaming golden artifacts.

Kado eagerly pulled out his backpack, thrilled beyond measure, and stuffed bundles of Berry into his pockets.

"Ugh, what's this?"

In the midst of hurriedly stuffing the Berry into his pockets, Kado noticed a rolled-up piece of parchment in his hand. He unrolled it, and it appeared to be a map. Kado didn't think much of it at first, assuming it was just an ordinary treasure map. Since it was stored in such a small compartment, it might be valuable, so he casually slipped it into his pocket, planning to deal with it later.

End of chapter

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