《One Piece：The True Codex》Chapter 68: Betrayal

The private harbor outside Kalmar City was eerily silent as the Red-Beard Pirates' warship rested at its dock. On the pier, however, the faces of the gathered crew members were grim and tense.

Zeff and the Cook Pirates had managed to escape from Barbarossa and his men. That alone was frustrating enough. But upon returning to their ship, the Red-Beard Pirates were met with even worse news—their vessel had been attacked, and not a single crew member left behind to guard it had survived.

Barbarossa stormed up the gangplank to the deck, his face dark as a thundercloud. Several corpses lay sprawled on the deck, the remains of the men he had left to guard the ship.

Without sparing the bodies a glance, Barbarossa marched straight toward the captain's quarters at the rear of the ship. The pirates following behind him shivered involuntarily as they caught sight of their captain's murderous expression.

Moments later, a furious roar erupted from the captain's quarters—a sound like a cornered beast, wild and desperate.

William, staggering slightly as he followed a group of veteran pirates, arrived just in time to see the door to the captain's quarters wide open. Inside, Barbarossa stood in the center of the room, panting heavily. His usually imposing, fur-covered face was now a mix of rage and bewilderment.

The room was a disaster. Everything had been ransacked and deliberately destroyed. The once-luxurious carpet was shredded into strips and lay scattered across the floor, mingled with spilled wine and dirt, creating a filthy mess.

But William knew that the true source of Barbarossa's fury wasn't the material damage. It was the loss of critical items—navigation logs, the captain's journal, and treasure maps. These were the real treasures of the ship, and their theft had been orchestrated by none other than William himself, the traitor within their ranks.

Standing in the wreckage, Barbarossa looked utterly defeated. The once-confident and fearsome pirate, a terror of the East Blue, now appeared lost and broken. The stark contrast was almost enough to evoke William's pity—though, of course, it was nothing more than crocodile tears.

In just a few short days, Barbarossa had lost two of his most trusted lieutenants, Hayreddin and Reis, and now the vital information marking the locations of the crew's accumulated treasures had been stolen. If Hayreddin and Reis had fallen to the Cook Pirates, then who could have been responsible for this attack on the Red-Beard Pirates' warship?

Barbarossa felt as though he were being ensnared in a vast, invisible web. His Devil Fruit powers and formidable strength were useless against this unseen enemy. Like a beast caught in a hunter's trap, he was powerless against the cunning of human ingenuity.

A pirate, noticing Barbarossa's dazed expression, cautiously stepped forward and called out, "Captain?"

The sound snapped Barbarossa out of his trance. His expression twisted into one of rage as he suddenly swung his scimitar.

The unfortunate pirate stumbled back a few steps, looking at Barbarossa in confusion. A thin line of blood appeared across his throat, and moments later, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Blood pooled beneath his body, spreading across the deck.

The other crew members stared at the corpse, their expressions a mix of fear, confusion, and anger. Yet none of them dared to speak.

Even Hayreddin, with his notoriously violent temper, had rarely killed a subordinate without cause. Punishments, yes, but outright execution was almost unheard of. Barbarossa, once seen as a wise and capable leader who led his crew to victory after victory, now seemed unrecognizable.

The crew exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to challenge their captain, who was clearly on the brink of losing his sanity.

William, too, feigned a look of fear, lowering his gaze to avoid drawing attention. Inwardly, however, his thoughts were focused on the burn wound on Barbarossa's chest, where his once-thick chest hair had been completely singed away.

"So, he's afraid of fire," William mused silently.

After killing the pirate, Barbarossa seemed slightly calmer. He knew that his immediate priority was to relocate the treasures marked in the stolen navigation logs. With Zeff having escaped to the sea, pursuing him would require the assistance of Arcadio and Roy.

However, Barbarossa was also painfully aware that he had created a mess. Arcadio and Roy were not his subordinates and would not follow his orders without question. If he wanted their help, he would have to offer something in return. If his years of accumulated treasure were plundered and he was left penniless, there was no chance that Arcadio and Roy would go out of their way to clean up his mess for free.

Barbarossa didn't even have time to meet with Arcadio in person to soothe his ally's concerns. Instead, he immediately ordered his crew to prepare to set sail. But before long, a crew member came running to report that the attackers hadn't just looted the captain's quarters—they had also sabotaged critical parts of the ship. Repairs would take at least several days.

Barbarossa's face darkened further, but there was nothing he could do. The commotion he had caused in the slums had already led to a lockdown in the royal city, with the harbor under heavy guard. Most of the ships docked there had already fled, making it impossible to seize a replacement vessel.

Left with no other options, Barbarossa contacted Arcadio, requesting his assistance in acquiring a merchant ship. When he set out to meet Arcadio, he brought Kuro along, as well as William—an unusual decision for him.

It was clear that Barbarossa understood his current position. Kuro, as Arcadio's man, had been injured because of Barbarossa's actions. By bringing William, who was also wounded, Barbarossa hoped to demonstrate that he hadn't intentionally neglected or betrayed Kuro.

For Barbarossa, who had always avoided allowing his crew to interact too closely with Arcadio, this was a significant concession. It also underscored William's growing importance to the crew. With both Hayreddin and Reis dead, William was now the only navigator left, making him indispensable.

The three of them arrived at the residence of the Minister of Finance. They were left waiting in the reception hall for what felt like an eternity. Just as Barbarossa's patience was wearing thin, Arcadio finally entered, accompanied by a group of sharp-eyed and well-armed guards.

Taking a seat, Arcadio glanced at the three bandaged pirates and let out a derisive chuckle. "What's this? Are you trying to play the victim and win my sympathy?"

Barbarossa's expression darkened. "I need your help to find a ship—"

Before he could finish, Arcadio cut him off brusquely. "I'm not one of your pathetic slave crew members who have to obey your every whim. You've already caused enough trouble with this mess you've made. I haven't even started holding you accountable! The conflict with the Cook Pirates? That's on you. Neither Roy nor I will lift a finger to help!"

Crash!

Barbarossa crushed the teacup in his hand, ignoring the scalding tea that splashed onto his skin. His single eye locked onto Arcadio, his beard trembling with suppressed rage.

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