Chapter 56: Fighting to Get It

About fifteen minutes before the appointed time, Alex arrived at the Night Bar.

When he entered, Wolf Rat was already prepared.

He looked at the heavily armed Alex and suddenly felt the urge to arm himself as well.

"Ready to go?"

Alex asked.

Wolf Rat nodded and stood up from his seat.

Inside the bar, Tatamu removed his uniform, revealing a strikingly muscular physique.

He pulled on a black short-sleeved shirt before stepping out from behind the counter.

"Tatamu?"

Alex looked at Tatamu's actions in confusion.

Wolf Rat explained, "I asked him to come along. Having Tatamu watch my back will let me focus on drawing fire. Of course, it costs money."

"I see."

Alex glanced at Tatamu's rock-like muscles and thought to himself that Tatamu's mastery of physical combat must be impressive.

Inside the small, unassuming bar were experts like Wolf Rat and Tatamu.

In contrast, the bustling streets outside were filled with pirates who, despite their lack of strength, acted ostentatiously.

Wolf Rat and Tatamu, low-key and introverted, seemed more like figures from the underground world.

Originally, Wolf Rat hadn't wanted to spend money to hire Tatamu, especially since it meant going into debt.

But after being psychologically scarred by Alex's schemes, having Tatamu by his side provided some peace of mind.

The alleyway was silent late at night, with only the faint sound of scurrying rats breaking the stillness.

Alex and his group of three left the Night Bar, walking through the alleyway toward the pier.

Every pirate group that arrived in Mad Hatter Town would leave a team behind to guard their ship before disembarking.

This was standard practice.

Abbey, severely injured at the Tomahawk Tavern, hadn't returned to his ship. Instead, he was recuperating at the largest inn in town.

Despite his injuries, he had split his forces, revealing some of his character flaws.

In contrast, Kazet, who had stayed on his ship to recover, was far more cautious.

Before his injuries healed, he concentrated all his forces on defending the ship.

Pointed Bull Pirate Ship, Captain's Room

The candlelight flickered brightly as Kazet lay on his back, his expression cold.

His body was almost entirely wrapped in white bandages.

The cabinet beside the bed was piled high with medicine jars, and the cabin was filled with the strong smell of medicine.

During the battle, Abbey's [Speed Sword] had clearly gained the upper hand, leaving numerous bloody holes in Kazet's lower and upper body.

An ordinary person would have died from such injuries, but Kazet, relying on his Devil Fruit ability, endured Abbey's relentless attacks.

He eventually found an opening to use [Black Hoof], incapacitating Abbey.

However, Kazet himself had lost too much blood and was left weakened.

This evenly matched battle, where both sides were defeated, was witnessed by some fearless onlookers.

Compared to Kazet, who had been brutally stabbed by Abbey's sword, the teenager named Usopp had dodged Abbey's furious attacks and even slapped him across the face.

The contrast was stark, and the story spread quickly.

In the pirate world, newcomers who emerged out of nowhere often became the topic of conversation.

Just like the new pirate Ace, who had recently made headlines, Usopp's name was now on everyone's lips.

Pirates loved to build up newcomers by tearing down established figures, and Usopp's actions in the Tomahawk Tavern became a classic example of this trend.

Kazet, long accustomed to this behavior, had himself risen to prominence by stepping on older, more established pirates.

But having his reputation tarnished like this was hard to swallow.

The members of the Pointed Bull Pirates, aware of Kazet's mood, avoided provoking him.

Wells, one of the crew's cadres, was tasked with reporting to Kazet regularly.

He entered the captain's room and approached the bed under Kazet's cold gaze.

Kazet asked, "Any updates?"

"After strengthening our patrols, the number of spies from other pirate groups has decreased significantly. We've mapped out their positions. Should we... eliminate them?"

Wells made a throat-slitting gesture.

Kazet's expression remained icy. "No need. But if they cross the line, don't hold back."

"Understood."

Wells nodded and left the room to resume his duties.

Kazet stared coldly at the closed door and snorted.

The recent plunder of the Ptarmigan merchant ship had brought Kazet fame and wealth, but it had also attracted unwanted attention.

The Ptarmigan was one of the most prominent merchant groups in the West Blue, and the spoils from their ship were worth hundreds of millions of berries.

While Kazet's injuries had made him vulnerable, the Pointed Bull Pirates were still a formidable force.

Above the Dock Warehouse

Alex and his group hid in the shadows, observing the Pointed Bull Pirate Ship moored at the pier.

From their vantage point, they could see the crew patrolling the deck, forming a tight defensive perimeter.

After a while, Wolf Rat said in a low voice, "Their defenses are tight. How should we proceed?"

Alex didn't respond immediately but carefully studied the ship's layout and the distance between their position and the deck.

Staring at the direction of the ship's flag, Alex suddenly said, "We'll shoot the birds."

"What?"

Wolf Rat looked at Alex uncertainly.

Alex unhooked the rifle from his back and set it up, aiming at the deck of the Pointed Bull Pirate Ship.

Wolf Rat immediately understood Alex's plan.

He knew Alex's marksmanship was excellent, but the distance was beyond the effective range of a smoothbore rifle.

Without external factors, the chances of hitting the target were slim.

Still, Wolf Rat didn't voice his concerns.

Tatamu glanced at Alex's rifle. Even with its modified, elongated barrel, he doubted it could hit anything at this range.

"You can't hit it."

"I can."

Alex adjusted his aim, factoring in the wind and altitude.

A vague feeling of certainty arose within him.

He pulled the trigger.

The bullet traced a straight line through the night, crossing nearly 150 meters and striking a patrolling crew member in the head.

The man collapsed without a sound.

The sudden attack sent the crew into a frenzy as they scrambled for cover.

Wells, the ship's sniper, shouted, "Take cover!"

On top of the warehouse, Tatamu and Wolf Rat stared at Alex in shock.

After a moment, Tatamu said with admiration, "Impressive."

Wolf Rat remained silent.

He knew the value of a skilled sniper in naval battles.

However, most powerful snipers were pirates...