Pirate: I have a Hollow living inside me

The atmosphere at the naval branch base located in the eastern region, however, is quite different...

"What? What did you say?!"

Colonel Nicol, the base commander of the naval branch, received an intelligence report.

Upon seeing this, his pupils widened, his face filled with surprise and fear: "You mean 'Black-haired Swordsman' Rocks is on Ztan Island right now!?"

What the hell?

The "Black-haired Swordsman" Rocks, who had recently caused a great stir, has arrived on the island under his jurisdiction.

The colonel was terrified that such a vicious criminal might lay a hand on them.

It seems they only have one fate...

It would be strange if he wasn't panicking!

"Yes...yes, Colonel Nicol, the information is accurate; it came from our informant in the chaotic zone!"

A navy soldier hurriedly replied, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead: "According to intelligence, the black-haired swordsman made his move at the port, annihilating the Fiery Bear Merchant F, whose total bounty is 160 million Berries, with a single sword strike..."

"The 'Fierce Bear,' a user of superpowers, fell into the sea and has been confirmed dead; his body has been recovered..."

"..."

Colonel Nicol remained silent.

The "king" he feared, could not defeat, and occupied the chaotic western region.

They were wiped out with a single sword strike?

Is this the power of the black-haired swordsman?

Colonel Nicol's voice trembled: "Where is the black-haired swordsman now!?"

"Well... Colonel Nicol, facing such a powerful individual, we dare not send anyone to monitor him. We don't know his whereabouts yet, but he was heading towards the security district at the time..."

"That's right! That's the right thing to do! We can't handle someone this strong. Let's just pretend we didn't see or hear anything and not provoke them!"

Colonel Nicole breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

It felt like I had just walked through the gates of death.

Fortunately, his subordinates were smart enough not to act rashly and go to monitor that kind of powerful person.

If you anger the other party, the consequences will be unimaginable...

"Pass down the word: today is my 305th day as base commander."

After thinking for a moment, Colonel Nicol felt it was a bit too risky, so he added, "Therefore, everyone is to have a day off and a grand banquet will be held!"

"Whether you're a patrolling soldier or a soldier in training, take a break today and have a good rest!"

"..."

The soldier fell silent at these words.

But he still dutifully gave a military salute: "Understood, Colonel Nicol, I'll go and inform everyone right away!"

"Well, let's go."

Colonel Nicol waved.

He thought to himself that this kid at least had some sense, not objecting to his "unorthodox" order...

This really won't work.

Their branch base couldn't afford to mess with a powerhouse like the black-haired swordsman.

Find an excuse to restrain your subordinates and prevent any accidents from happening.

That's what he, as the base commander, should do!

"Should I contact headquarters? No... not yet. If headquarters gives me an order to fight the black-haired swordsman, should I go or not?"

"Let's talk about it after the black-haired swordsman leaves..."

Colonel Nicole looked at the telephone beetle on the desk that connected to Naval Headquarters.

They ultimately decided to notify him after the black-haired swordsman left.

I'm fighting the black-haired swordsman?

Don't be ridiculous, he doesn't have that ability.

Even the lieutenants of headquarters would be terrified upon arrival...

He is a naval officer with a strong sense of justice, and he also wants to find an opportunity to eliminate the criminal gangs in the chaotic area, but his justice is not a mindless justice.

His own life and the lives of his men were more important than fearless justice.

The mere fact that Rocks Landing on the island prompted a naval branch base commander with the rank of colonel to make such a decision.

This is enough to illustrate one point.

The intimidating power of "Black-haired Swordsman" Rocks has now reached such a level that a naval branch base immediately halts its operations upon hearing his name.

……

After eating and drinking to one's heart's content.

The four men, including Locke, left under the watchful eyes of the restaurant owner.

Watching the four members of the Lockes group walk away, the restaurant owner wiped the sweat from his brow and said with lingering fear, "This deal... was the most difficult deal I've ever done in my life, it almost scared me to death..."

A pretty young waitress next to him looked at her boss with admiration: "Boss, you're so brave to accept Bailey from the black-haired swordsman..."

Restaurant owner: "..."

Could you say it was a subconscious action?

He regretted it then.

Why did I reach out and take the money?

He still knows which is more important, money or life.

Fortunately, the black-haired swordsman really only paid the money and didn't have any other ideas.

But it scared him half to death...

"How could a big shot like the Black-Haired Swordsman possibly renege on his debts? Do you think he's some thug from the chaotic Western Regions?"

The restaurant owner felt a little smug under the gaze of the pretty young waitress.

He straightened his tie and said in the tone of someone with experience, "They are powerful and important people who wouldn't stoop to defaulting on a debt. I knew that, which is why I dared to lend a hand!"

The young waitress was even more impressed: "No wonder he's the boss!"

"Ahem, good to know!"

The restaurant owner coughed lightly.

Then he instructed, "By the way, go buy a picture frame this afternoon. I want to frame these Baileys. Even a big shot like the Black-Haired Swordsman said that the food in our restaurant is delicious. That's the highest praise for our restaurant!"

The pretty waitress replied, "Okay, boss!"

"Phew... Now I have something to brag about: I personally entertained a powerhouse of the level of the black-haired swordsman!"

The restaurant owner let out a heavy sigh.

Recalling what had just happened, he couldn't help but sigh, "Big shots are big shots indeed. They speak to someone as insignificant as me with such politeness. They're definitely not in the same league as those thugs..."

……

Walking on the street.

"Where are we going next? This island's magnetic storage will take ten hours, so we'll have to spend the night here."

Nami looked at Rocks and suggested, "How about we go see what fun places there are on the island?"

Lockes still remembered the Black Demon: "Let's go ask if there's a ship repair shop on the island. The Black Demon's deck needs some repairs."

"I can handle this myself. You three can wander around the island. I'll come find you after I've finished dealing with this."

There are no powerful figures on the island that I can pay attention to.

Kuina and Robin are also quite strong, and they can protect themselves without any problem, so Rocks doesn't need to worry.

It's fine to let the three of them act on their own.

Nami had no objection: "Okay!"

Robin smiled at Lockes and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Captain. We'll go shopping and buy some supplies while we're at it, and also find a place to stay for the night."

"Okay, it's decided then. We'll split up."

Lox gave an "OK" sign, then vanished in a flash.

Watching Rocks disappear in a flash, Nami narrowed her eyes: "Running away so fast, is Rocks going to do something bad?"

Robin was speechless: "..."

Kuina tilted her head, wondering what Nami meant by "bad thing"...

Upon hearing Nami's words, Rocks, who had already moved some distance away, stumbled and nearly fell...

"What on earth is this little girl thinking...?"

Rocks was helpless.

Although he is currently in his adolescence.

But he's not the kind of person who's thirsty.

The reason it's so fast is simply because the sound is easy to use...

……

Rocks said that wearing sunglasses was useful.

At least many people didn't recognize him.

From some people, Lockes also learned that there was a skilled shipwright on the island.

He used to be a sheriff, but he offended the king of the Western Frontier, "Fierce Bear," and is now facing the loss of his life...

Listening to others' descriptions of the shipwright... why did Lockes feel like he was the old man who had reminded him at the port?

After asking in detail, I found that it really was true...

"What a coincidence..."

Locke muttered something to himself.

They returned to the western port and found the old man.

"Haha, is that so? I did work as a shipwright, and I was recognized by many people. Of course, that was the kindness of my fellow villagers."

Upon hearing Lockes' words, the old man smiled and said, "If I can help you, I certainly won't refuse!"

Lox indirectly saved his life.

It is also possible that the chaos in the West was effectively brought under control thanks to Lox's recent intervention.

The old man was still very grateful to Rocks.

He won't refuse to help with anything he can!

"Okay, come and take a look. Thank you for your trouble."

Rocks led the old man aboard the Black Demon.

The old man walked around the damaged areas of the Black Demon Ship, finally reaching the bottom keel.

Upon seeing this, he fell into deep thought...

After a long pause, he said, "If it's just repairing the deck, I can do that with my abilities."

"But if I'm not mistaken, this is a ship made of Adam Treasure Tree, isn't it?"

“The precious tree Adam is different from ordinary wood. If we use ordinary wood to repair this hole, although there won't be any problems in the short term, the ordinary wood won't be strong enough over time and will crack and break due to compression…”

"This point is actually insignificant."

The old man stroked his beard: "The serious thing is that the structure at the keel of the ship's bottom was slightly shifted due to the impact. Adjusting it cannot be done by one person alone; it requires a more professional team."

"I can't do it by myself..."