I collect everything in the One Piece world.

"They're all dead! The Admiral is dead! Lord Akin is dead too!"

"Monsters! Those people are monsters!"

Hearing the screams and shouts of the pirates thrashing about in the sea, Colonel Rat's heart sank, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Something seems completely wrong! This isn't how he envisioned it!

The scenario of both Mosen and the pirates suffering heavy losses never materialized! Instead, the Krieg Pirates were utterly crushed!

Damn it! What a piece of trash!

Such a huge fleet would take the navy hours to bombard, so how was it taken down by Mosen in such a short time?

However, thinking back to the bizarre scene he had just witnessed, how could that unknown Devil Fruit ability so easily neutralize the cannon fire from a warship? This power far exceeded his expectations!

Colonel Rat, who always prided himself on being "cautious" (or cunning), immediately realized that the original plan of "decisive shelling" was probably no longer feasible.

If they go head-to-head, even if his few warships win, they will probably pay a heavy price, and might even be killed by the enemy! The enemy is a ruthless person who can take down a Shichibukai!

He had only thought of using the vast ocean and the advantage of firearms to defeat Morsen, who was a power user, on the sea.

But he hadn't considered that their firepower would be ineffective from the start, which ruined his plan before it even began.

"Damn it! We've kicked a hornet's nest!" Colonel Mouse cursed under his breath, his little eyes darting around rapidly.

In just a few seconds, he made the decision to retreat and immediately change sides!

"Order! All warships, cease fire immediately! Our ship must change course immediately and leave this area at full speed!"

He then pointed to one of the smaller, faster frigates: "Order that ship to go up to the ship, get close to it, and convey my order... no, my explanation to Mr. Collector Mosen!"

"Explanation?" The adjutant beside him was taken aback.

“That’s right!” Colonel Rat said quickly, “Just say that our navy received intelligence and came to wipe out the vicious Krieg Pirates! The shelling just now was a complete ‘accident,’ caused by being too nervous upon seeing the pirate fleet!”

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to Mr. Morsen! This must be made clear! Understand?!"

Navy warships are generally faster than ordinary ships, so if he turns around and runs away at full speed, Morsen will most likely not be able to catch up. As long as he creates distance, his safety will be guaranteed.

The escort ship sent to explain was his shield and mouthpiece. As long as the explanation was reasonable, such as, "We came to fight pirates, and we just accidentally missed,"...

As a pirate hunter, Morsen theoretically had no reason to do anything to the "righteous" Navy, especially to a Navy captain like himself who was "carrying out official duties".

After all, attacking the Navy is a serious crime, which would turn a pirate hunter into a wanted criminal. Morsen didn't need to take that risk.

Chapter 79, Misunderstanding and Explanation (Please Subscribe!)

As for the matter of taking money and promising Ah Long to resolve Mo Sen's issue...

Pshaw! What's the point of those verbal promises? He's already got the money, and those few rounds of boasting just now already count as his contribution.

Since it has been discovered that things are beyond our control and we cannot overcome this obstacle, we must immediately change our strategy and prioritize our own survival.

This is the survival philosophy of Colonel Rat, who managed to navigate between the Navy and various forces, remaining steadfast and unshakeable. He was flexible, opportunistic, and prioritized personal gain.

If Morsen doesn't cause trouble for Arlong next, then he can say to Arlong, "Look, I made a move. I lured the Krieg Pirates away to wear him down, and even personally led a warship to bombard him as a deterrent. Didn't he stay away from you? My protection worked! You got your money's worth!"

If Morsen still goes to find Arlong, then he might even consider helping out, under the guise of "annihilating pirates" or "rescuing villages threatened by pirates," and reaping the benefits and credits along the way! Either way, he won't lose out!

That's right! That's exactly it! Colonel Mouse, you're a true genius!

Just as Colonel Mouse was secretly pleased with his "cleverness" and "flexibility"...

Under Nami's control, the ship, moving at full speed, collided with the small escort vessel that had broken away from the formation and was approaching alone.

On the deck of the frigate, the leading sergeant was pale and covered in cold sweat.

He held a Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scoop) that was still connected in his hands, and looked at the black-haired youth on the opposite ship who had just single-handedly wiped out the entire Krieg Pirates. He felt his legs go weak and his throat go dry.

He steeled himself and, following Colonel Rat's orders, picked up the Den Den Mushi and called out in a trembling voice.

“Collector! Our Colonel Rat has something important to explain to you! The attack just now was a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! We didn’t mean it!”

Mosen remained expressionless, and with a swift movement, he leaped across the gap between the two ships, landing steadily on the deck of the frigate.

This effortless demeanor made the hearts of the already tense naval soldiers around him pound.

Mosen took the ringing Den Den Mushi from the sergeant.

At this point, the Den Den Mushi had transformed into a sleazy creature with a pointed snout, a small mustache, and shifty eyes—a perfect replica of Colonel Rat.

"Colonel Mouse, is it?" Morsen spoke into the Den Den Mushi, his voice devoid of emotion, only a cold calm: "Let me hear what 'misunderstanding' you need to explain."

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, although Colonel Rat had already escaped some distance, he still couldn't help but feel a surge of anger when he heard Morsen's impolite and even contemptuous tone through the Den Den Mushi.

He was a naval captain, in charge of a region. When had he ever been treated like this by a mere pirate hunter?

But remembering the plans he had already adjusted, he forcibly suppressed his anger: "Hahaha! Mr. Mosen! Truly, a hero emerges from among the young! I never expected to meet you here, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Colonel Rat chuckled dryly: "Here's what happened. Our navy received top-secret intelligence that the vicious Admiral Krieg Pirates are gathering in this area with malicious intent! So we immediately set out to wipe them out!"

"The shelling just now... Uh! It's all the fault of the men below who were too nervous. They panicked when they saw the pirate fleet and made a mistake, which is why they accidentally put your ship into range as well!"

"On behalf of the 16th Branch of the East China Sea Navy, I apologize to you! Please don't take it to heart!"

He seemed to think that an apology alone was not enough, so he quickly added more, trying to "make amends" and "win over" him with benefits:

"By the way! I just received a report from the front lines. I heard that Mr. Morsen, you've taken care of Krieg and his subordinate, the Demon King Gin. That's truly gratifying! You deserve to be called a great hero who can kill a Shichibukai!"

"So, to express our apology and gratitude for your role in eliminating the pirates, our branch will only charge you 40% of the 'handling fee' for exchanging the bounties for Krieg and Arkin! How about that?"

"This is already the biggest discount! Normally, we charge 50% to anyone who comes here! This 40% discount is a special one because you've done something to rid the people of this scourge!"

Colonel Mouse's tone was full of the implication that he was giving her a way out, that he was also giving her a benefit, and that she should be grateful to him.

He even felt that charging only 40% "handling fee" was already giving Mo Sen a huge favor, which was a disguised "bribe" and "hush money".

However, he didn't know how foolish, greedy, and disgusting his words sounded to Mosen.

Even in places like the Sabaody Archipelago, which is rife with corruption and a mixed bag of people, the Navy usually only charges 30% as a "handling fee" for exchanging bounties.

And this greedy rat, after failing to launch a sneak attack with artillery fire, still dares to shamelessly say "only take 40%", and even puts on a disgusting face of "you made a huge profit".

Considering this guy's long-term collusion with A Long, his indifference to the villagers of Cocoyasi Village and other places being enslaved and exploited by the fishmen, and his evil deeds of only caring about enriching himself...

Mosen's murderous intent toward this "naval parasite" had reached its peak.

"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, you know best in your heart." Mosen interrupted the rat colonel's incessant "performance": "I have no time or inclination to listen to your pointless nonsense."

Upon hearing this, Colonel Mouse on the other end of the Den Den Mushi's mouth froze with a stiff smile.

Mosen continued coldly, "You said that you were trying to destroy the Krieg Pirates, so you 'accidentally' included me in the deal."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning icy: "Very well. I will continue to hunt down the remnants of the Krieg Pirates."

"Guess..." Morsen said, his voice clearly transmitted through the Den Den Mushi to Colonel Rat's ears, "Are you, the 'big rat' who's the leader, within my attack range?"

"!!!"

The face of the rat colonel simulated by the Den Den Mushi visibly distorted.

The fake smile vanished, replaced by utter astonishment, anger, and disbelief.

How could he...how could he say that?! How could he be so direct?!

He's a Marine Captain! He represents the justice of the World Government! How dare this pirate hunter threaten him so blatantly?! And compare him to a "giant rat"?!

"Damn pirate hunter! What do you think you're doing?!" Colonel Rat could no longer maintain his feigned politeness and roared sharply, his voice filled with the exasperation of having his pretense exposed and his exasperated rage.

"You want to assassinate a Marine?! That's a serious crime!" He tried to use the authority of the Navy to suppress Morsen.

Chapter 80, You Can't Leave This Sea (Seeking First Subscription!)

"Based on what you just said, I can make it impossible for you to move an inch in the East China Sea! I can make all your bounties worthless! I can turn you into a wanted criminal by the Navy!"

Seeing that threats seemed ineffective, he roared again, his voice trembling with fear: "Damn it! You're asking for it! I've already called for naval reinforcements! They're almost here! You villain who colludes with pirates and intends to attack the navy, you're going to die!"

Hearing Colonel Rat's unoriginal, arbitrary rants coming from the Den Den Mushi, Morsen didn't get angry but laughed instead.

“Heh…” Mosen said slowly into the Den Den Mushi, “Whether I leave the East China Sea or not is none of your concern.”

“But I can say with certainty…” Mosen’s voice was chilling, carrying an undeniable verdict: “You, Colonel Rat, will not leave this sea area today.”

"Just wait until you turn into a dead rat."

"By the way, those damned mermen will be going down to join you soon."

After saying that, Mosen hung up the phone decisively and tossed the Den Den Mushi back to the naval sergeant next to him, who was already pale with fright.

The sergeant frantically caught the Den Den Mushi, his legs buckled, and he almost collapsed to his knees.

He recalled the tense, life-or-death conversation between Morsen and Colonel Rat during their call, and how he had been caught up in such a life-or-death struggle while merely following orders. His heart was filled with fear and resentment towards Colonel Rat.

“Collector! Spare me!” the sergeant pleaded, his voice trembling. “We know nothing! We were just following orders to go to sea! Colonel Rat… he…”

Mosen glanced at him but didn't make things difficult for him; after all, they were just pawns following orders.

"Full speed ahead, catch up with the flagship ahead, can you do it?" Mosen pointed in the direction Colonel Rat had fled, his voice leaving no room for doubt.

The sergeant was taken aback at first, then a look of determination and satisfaction flashed in his eyes!

Chase them! Why don't you chase them?!

That damned Colonel Rat, he usually embezzles military pay and bullies his subordinates, but today he clearly messed with the wrong people, yet he sent their ship out as scapegoats and messengers. Afterwards, he might even pin the blame for the "unsuccessful negotiations" on them!

What kind of boss is this?! Screw your boss! Go to hell with this damn boss!

"Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" The sergeant straightened up abruptly and shouted.

"This frigate is a light vessel, faster than the flagship! If we give it our all, we can catch up quickly!"

“Very good.” Mosen nodded, turned to look at his ship, waved to Nami and the others on board, and said, “Stay close!”

"Yes, Captain!" Nami responded loudly, immediately adjusting the sails, while Robin and Baccarat also got ready.

The next moment, the "requisitioned" naval frigate, with the "active" cooperation of its original crew, went full speed ahead and, like an arrow released from a bow, chased after its own flagship, which was fleeing in panic!

A strange sight suddenly appeared on the sea: a light naval frigate, accompanied by a pirate hunter's ship, aggressively pursued another, larger naval flagship.

Colonel Rat on the flagship, listening to the busy tone after the Den Den Mushi was hung up, and then seeing through his binoculars the escort ships and Morsen's ship that not only did not stop but accelerated to catch up, the color drained from his face in an instant, leaving only boundless fear.

"Faster! Faster! Full speed! Full speed ahead! Shake them off!" he screamed, no longer caring about his colonel's dignity.

When he heard Morsen mention fishmen, he knew that his hidden secret had been discovered by this damned pirate hunter, and that guy had no intention of letting him go!