《One Piece：The True Codex》Chapter 64: Framing the Blame

Compared to William, a cunning and experienced schemer, Kuro was still far too green. Whether it was life experience, psychological resilience, or even acting skills, he was completely outmatched.

William didn't even spare Kuro a glance. Like the other members of the Red-Beard Pirates, he wore a solemn expression, his brow slightly furrowed as he kept his eyes fixed on the ship's doctor, Wood. He occasionally glanced between Hayreddin's corpse and Barbarossa, as if waiting for the captain's orders.

If not for the conversation he had with William that night, Kuro would never have suspected that the man standing before him, acting so composed, was actually the mastermind behind Hayreddin's death.

Barbarossa approached Hayreddin's body, unbothered by the filth on the ground, and knelt slowly. His fiercely bearded face twisted with uncontrollable grief. The bond between Barbarossa and his brothers, Hayreddin and Reis, was undeniably deep. It wasn't just the blood ties—they had fought side by side, rising from nothing and supporting each other through thick and thin.

Hayreddin's death had been a painful struggle, and even now, his corpse lay with eyes wide open in fury. Barbarossa gently closed his brother's eyes, while Wood crouched beside him, handing over a small piece of black cloth.

Barbarossa unfolded the crumpled cloth, which was covered in creases. Wood explained, "I found this in Hayreddin's hand. It appears to be part of the killer's headscarf, torn off during the struggle."

The black headscarf bore a peculiar pirate emblem. Such habits were not uncommon among pirates—the larger the crew, the stronger their sense of pride and unity. Pirates often adorned their clothes, scarves, or even their bodies with their crew's emblem.

The headscarf in Barbarossa's hands displayed a bizarre logo: a duck's head wearing a tall chef's hat, staring expressionlessly forward, with a knife and a trident crossed behind it.

This somewhat comical emblem was, however, infamous in the East Blue, as it belonged to the Cook Pirates!

"Zeff..." Barbarossa growled through gritted teeth, uttering the name of the renowned pirate who was nearly his equal in the East Blue.

Barbarossa handed the headscarf to Reis, who examined it before passing it along to the other crew members.

As the headscarf made its rounds, Barbarossa stood, his voice brimming with murderous intent as he commanded, "Find them. Find the Cook Pirates' base!"

Logically, the Cook Pirates had recently clashed with the Red-Beard Pirates and suffered a humiliating defeat, with their captain Zeff narrowly escaping death at the hands of a no-name pirate from Barbarossa's crew. Retaliation wasn't out of the question.

Of course, some of the Red-Beard Pirates present in the alley suspected that this might be a setup. However, judging by the expressions of Barbarossa and Reis, it was clear they weren't looking for rational analysis—they wanted vengeance.

They were pirates, not detectives or law enforcement. They didn't need to carefully unravel the truth piece by piece. Whether the Cook Pirates were guilty or not didn't matter; they could always capture them first and interrogate them later.

Barbarossa swept his gaze across his crew. William, after examining the headscarf, wore an angry expression. Though Barbarossa had briefly considered taking out his anger on William for Hayreddin's death, he ultimately dismissed the idea. With Hayreddin gone, William was now the only navigator on the ship. Blaming him would only alienate the crew, as everyone understood that William couldn't be held responsible. After all, he had stood up for the crew's reputation and even Reis himself.

Kuro, on the other hand, lacked William's composure. His guilt made him visibly uneasy. Barbarossa, however, didn't connect Kuro to Hayreddin's death. He assumed Kuro's nervousness stemmed from the impending conflict between the Red-Beard Pirates and the Cook Pirates.

After all, Kuro had always been aligned with Arcadio Buendía, who disapproved of Barbarossa causing trouble in Kalmar City, especially on such a large scale.

A war between two of the East Blue's most notorious pirate crews was certainly the kind of trouble Arcadio wouldn't tolerate!

Once everyone had left the alley, even Hayreddin's body carried away by Reis, Barbarossa called out for Kuro to stay behind.

Despite the reassuring glance William gave him, Kuro was still trembling with fear.

"I know you're one of Arcadio's men, and I know Arcadio doesn't want me stirring up trouble in Kalmar City," Barbarossa said to the pale-faced Kuro. "But now my brother is dead here, in this city. I demand justice. Tell your master that the killer of Hayreddin must die! Even if I have to turn this city upside down, I'll drag out the Cook Pirates. No one can stop me!"

"Barbarossa said that?"

In the finance minister's mansion, Arcadio asked, his tone cold.

Kuro could feel Arcadio's barely restrained anger and stood rigidly, replying obediently, "Yes, sir."

"What arrogance, saying he'll turn the city upside down?" Arcadio finally lost his temper, hurling his teacup across the room. Scalding tea splashed onto Kuro's foot, causing him to wince.

Arcadio paced back and forth, his usual composed demeanor replaced by fury. "That brainless fool!" he spat.

Barbarossa's message was clear: he wanted revenge and didn't care about his tacit understanding with Arcadio. Arcadio could reprimand him later, but for now, he'd have to clean up Barbarossa's mess.

After a moment, Arcadio paused, a thought occurring to him. "Hayreddin is dead. Does the ship still have a navigator?"

"There's one," Kuro replied calmly. "A young man named Stolt. Seems like an honest type."

In truth, whether it was William's behavior on the ship or the side of him Kuro had seen in private, "honest" was the last word anyone would use to describe him.

Arcadio stopped pacing, deep in thought.

The Red-Beard Pirates mobilized nearly their entire crew, splitting into groups and spreading through the slums. Armed to the teeth, they turned the chaotic district into even more of a madhouse. Barbarossa's and the crew's notorious reputations ensured that, while many of the locals weren't exactly saints themselves, none dared to retaliate openly despite the harassment.

Returning from Arcadio's mansion, Kuro had intended to stay aboard the ship. But a subtle signal from William prompted him to join the search. Together with William and Reis, he scoured the slums for any trace of the Cook Pirates.

Meanwhile, Zeff was calmly preparing a meal. In the adjacent room, separated by a single wall, his crew clamored loudly for food, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in the slums outside.

(Is someone's account hacked? Why are they posting weird comments in the review section? Scary!)

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