Capítulo 11: Algún día al amanecer

A la madrugada siguiente, Su Xiao se levantó temprano. Se lavó y se vistió con su uniforme de guardia antes de dirigirse al cuartel general de la guardia. Aún antes de entrar, vio a un gran número de guardias entrando y saliendo apresuradamente. "¡Rápido, el señor Oak ha sido asesinado! El asunto ha alarmado al Ministro de la Izquierda, quien ha ordenado una búsqueda exhaustiva en toda la ciudad", gritó Hank con una expresión de dolor fingido mientras dirigía a los guardias. Pero sus ojos brillaban con una ambición desenfrenada, como si ya se considerara el nuevo líder.

Su Xiao notó a dos guardias en la entrada del cuartel, observando la escena con frialdad. Eran los mismos que habían seguido a Oak la noche anterior; sin duda, eran sus leales subordinados. Hank's actions might have already aroused their suspicion, but this was an opportunity. If handled properly, Hank could take over Oak's position.

El cuerpo de guardia no era un departamento muy grande; aparte de Oak, todos eran guardias comunes, y en realidad, Oak was only a captain. There had never been a deputy captain position because Oak wouldn't allow his power to be divided. Su Xiao had killed Oak not because of the latter's domineering attitude, but because he urgently needed to rise in rank. The palace was something he wanted to avoid; the simplest plans have the least loopholes, and all he needed was a position that allowed him to approach the king quickly. Tomorrow was the day the Estación Final de Residuos would be burned down, and the palace would certainly not get its hands dirty, delegating the task to underlings instead. Su Xiao had investigated and found that the capital's security forces were divided into two groups: the guardia, responsible for public order, and la guardia de la puerta, in charge of guarding the city gates. Normally, such tasks would fall to the latter, but Su Xiao had seen a large stash of explosives in the warehouse earlier. Judging by the clues, the explosives had been recently stored there, and their purpose was obvious—simply setting fire wouldn't be enough to burn down the massive Estación Final de Residuos. Therefore, Su Xiao needed the position of guardia leader. Whether he could meet the king depended on his own actions.

"Hank, what's happening?" Su Xiao asked as he approached, noticing the man's nervousness. "Our leader has been assassinated last night, and these fools only discovered it this morning. You're just in time; come with me to see the Ministro de la Izquierda," Hank said, his eyes glinting with something sinister. Su Xiao's heart sank. Meeting the Ministro de la Izquierda? Hank might be setting him up as a scapegoat. It was unlikely, though; Su Xiao had only become a guard yesterday, which was a weak point that could be exploited. But Su Xiao's face remained calm as he feigned confusion. "The Ministro de la Izquierda? Why would such an important person want to see me?" Su Xiao asked, his eyes fixed on Hank. "Yes, the Ministro de la Izquierda wants to meet you. I don't know the exact reason," Hank replied, his tone filled with envy and jealousy. This sudden 'good news' surprised Su Xiao, who had no connection to the palace. The only possible link was... the letter of introduction? It seemed more important than he had imagined.

Following Hank through several streets, Su Xiao arrived at a luxurious villa. Hank, nervous and fidgety, approached the gate where two guards blocked his way. "Is this the person the（Adultos.） wants to see?" one of them asked. Hank nodded eagerly, and the guards confiscated his weapons. Su Xiao, whose weapons were in storage space, was undetected. The guards led the way into a grand hall where a family was having breakfast. A stern-looking old man with white hair sat at the head of the table. When he saw Hank, he carelessly dropped his food and gestured for everyone else to leave, leaving only a robust man standing behind him. The man exuded a dangerous aura; though unarmed, Su Xiao noticed thick calluses and flattened knuckles on his fists—clear signs of a master of hand-to-hand combat, the old man's personal bodyguard.

"You must be Hank. I believe you're the new guard," the old man said calmly, his demeanor that of someone accustomed to power. "Yes, sir," Hank stammered, clearly nervous. "You may leave," the old man said dismissively, not even giving Hank a second glance. Hank left with his head down, out of Su Xiao's sight.

"I am the Ministro de la Izquierda of the kingdom. Carlos provided me with many interesting treasures, and as his nephew, I should look after you. Unfortunately, Carlos had an accident leaving the city yesterday, and I lost my tribute. Since I can't find him, I must seek his replacement—you," the old man explained. Su Xiao deduced what had happened: Carlos, the black-market merchant he had killed the day before, had been supplying the Ministro de la Izquierda. Now that Carlos was dead, the Ministro had come to Su Xiao to fill the void. The merchant had been unlucky, exploited by both the guardia and the Ministro. If not for the protection of his powerful backer, Su Xiao would have taken control of the Ministro. But this rare opportunity to interact with the kingdom's elite was too valuable to pass up.

"The tribute is not a problem; I'm familiar with Uncle's channels. He was seriously injured yesterday and is recovering, but..." The Ministro raised an eyebrow and looked at Su Xiao. "If you can get me the treasure I want, name your price. I heard your captain died yesterday; if you complete this task, I'll make you the leader of the guardia." Half an hour later, Su Xiao left the Ministro's villa, strolling through the streets. Things were progressing smoothly, but the Ministro's condition troubled him. Moreover, a new side quest had appeared in the Parque del Ciclo after the Ministro made his offer.

Nivel de dificultad: LV.2

Breve descripción: El Ministro de la Izquierda tiene una colección muy valiosa; cualquier objeto de valor atrapará su codicia.

Información de la tarea: Matar al dueño de la Montaña Corbeau y obtener sus colmillos.

Plazo: 10 horas.

Recompensa: Rango de líder de la guardia.

Pena por fracaso: Expulsión de la guardia y acusación falsa.

Su Xiao knew what the owner of the Montaña Corbeau was—a ferocious beast, a giant feline that had nearly killed young Luffy. He sighed; ever since entering the world of One Piece, he had faced opponents too strong for him. One day, he vowed, he would charge forward with his katana, no longer hesitating. But the world of pirates was too dangerous; he didn't even have the right to risk his life. He was still too weak and needed to learn patience before growing stronger. The owner of the Montaña Corbeau was powerful, perhaps beyond Su Xiao's current capabilities, but it was still just an animal. If he couldn't defeat it head-on, that didn't mean Su Xiao couldn't kill it.