Chapter 308: Murphy’s Law
“Are you saying you not only failed to catch the goal, but also got robbed of a warship by them and let them escape?!”
About half an hour later, the CP0 dressed in a pure white suit finally arrived with his subordinates on a Fish-Man Island style ship, floating to the sea surface to rendezvous with the Navy.
Upon seeing the scene that clearly showed intense battle with ship debris scattered everywhere, he first felt a sudden jolt in his heart, followed by a bad premonition surging up.
Sure enough, after learning the entire process of the earlier incident from Alberich, even this ‘Shield of the Celestial Dragons’ who always appeared profound and unfathomable nearly couldn’t hold back from cursing.
What do you mean ‘caught off guard and let them escape’?
Three warships! Two Vice Admirals! And a perfect encirclement formation with first strike!
Not only that, the opponent was injured!
And you ended up fighting like this?!
Didn’t catch the person, and lost a ship on top of that!
You two aren’t some clerical Vice Admirals, are you?
CP0’s shoulders heaved continuously; even with that eerie mask, everyone could clearly guess the angry expression on his face at this moment.
His black-suited agents also retreated a few steps without a trace, slightly distancing themselves from their somewhat emotionally uncontrolled superior.
……
“Come on~ come on~ don’t be angry.”
In the end, Alberich stepped forward, slowly walking to the side of this CP0, slightly bowing his body and saying:
“Vice Admiral Mien did his best; it’s just that the opponent’s ability was too bizarre, and we were caught off guard.”
Alberich had also seen the moment when Mien was sent flying by the golden light… Was that a Devil Fruit Ability? Or some kind of technique? He still couldn’t determine it.
But that actually didn’t matter; no matter what that golden light was, it could serve as an explanation or… excuse for the operational failure.
“Ability?”
Sure enough, hearing this important intelligence, CP0 instinctively continued to inquire.
“That’s right; it appeared to be a beam of golden light. Vice Admiral Mien was injured because of it; otherwise, we would have completed the mission perfectly by now.”
“Golden light… hmm…”
Glancing at Mien, who was sitting cross-legged on the deck letting the medical corps treat his shoulder wound while looking utterly dazed, this experienced top agent began wondering if that ability also affected the mental aspect.
“Fortunately, with your intervention now, those guys surely won’t escape.”
“While they haven’t gone far, we can just chase after them.”
“…”
Alberich’s respectful attitude and smile with a hint of flattery were impeccable, so the white-suited CP0 ultimately didn’t continue dwelling on the matter.
He nodded and said:
“Which direction did the goal flee?”
“Southeast direction.”
“Southeast… wait a minute!”
Hearing that they fled southeast, CP0 first froze for a moment, then clearly panicked.
Their current position was above the side of Fish-Man Island, near the entrance to the New World; southeast was directly toward the New World waterway.
The Beasts’ Stronghold was in the midsection of the New World; Burufaruto fleeing southeast posed no problem… but the key was that a certain Celestial Dragon who had just sold off gold in the New World was heading northwest back to the Holy Land Mary Geoise!
Moreover, according to the itinerary reported by colleagues serving that Celestial Dragon, he would pass through this sea area today!
Though the Grand Line appears quite narrow and long on maps, its actual width is still an exaggerated figure.
For two ships to meet head-on here, the probability is minuscule.
But CP0 couldn’t afford to gamble; concerning Celestial Dragons, even if the probability was zero, he couldn’t bet on it.
Shriek—
With an eagle cry, the white-suited CP0’s arm directly transformed into snowy white wings!
Bird-Bird Fruit, Snowy Owl Model.
“Navy, discard all your baggage now and advance full speed toward the southeast direction!”
“You must intercept them before they contact that lord!”
With that, he flapped his wings and silently flew into the high altitude, speeding full tilt toward the southeast…
……
The Pirate World has no Murphy, so naturally no one has proposed that damn 【Murphy’s Law】.
But no one proposing it doesn’t mean the law doesn’t exist; after all, everyone has felt this at some point— the more you don’t want something to happen, the more it does!
Just like…
“Report!”
“Saint Natanya, a Navy warship spotted ahead!”
“Navy?”
“Tell them to get out of the way!”
On the ornate and spacious deck, Natanya, dressed in astronaut-style clothes with a square glass cover buckled around his neck, was trying out his newly bought ‘mounts’ one by one.
Smack!
“This one won’t do either.”
After jumping down from the back of a skinny teenage brown-haired girl, this Celestial Dragon kicked her squarely in the stomach.
This kick was extremely heavy, sending the girl sprawling to the ground, her body uncontrollably curling up.
But even so, the girl clenched her teeth tightly, not daring to make the slightest sound of pain.
“Tch, bought so many this time, and not one measures up to that escaped Fish-Man Slave!”
“Everyone will laugh at me if I go back like this!”
After irritably kicking the girl several more times, the ‘intense’ exercise made Saint Natanya stop to catch his breath.
“Huff~ huff~”
“Haven’t those CP found my slave yet?”
“Uh…”
The attending agent didn’t respond; though that CP0 lord had previously contacted him saying the slave would definitely be returned within two days… but what if?
If they failed to bring the person back, or were even a few days late, you as the companion always by the Celestial Dragon’s side would bear the brunt of the anger.
So better to say nothing~
“What a bunch of useless trash!”
“Huff~ huff~”
Sure enough, hearing the matter was worthless, Natanya directed his anger at the CP handling it.
“You, go call those Navy over and have them help me find my slave.”
Completely ignoring whether they were on a mission, Natanya barbarously ordered.
Clearly too lazy to deal with them moments ago, now a single sentence summons them; today’s Celestial Dragons treat the Navy like beck-and-call little dogs.
“Yes!”
Feeling no impropriety, the close attendant agent immediately ordered the signalman to flag the opposing Navy to come pay respects to the Celestial Dragon.
On the warship, Brother Burufaruto was now leaning against the mast, chatting idly with his old friend.
He was extremely weak now; since the ship doctor had unfortunately been hit by a cannonball while jumping into the sea earlier, Burufaruto had roughly treated his wounds himself based on past experience.
“Eh?! You’re saying this child is actually your son?!”
Looking at his friend holding the child he had picked up, Burufaruto said in surprise.
“Mm.”
“I hid him in the Fish-Man District back then, planning to go out alone to find some food for him, but then I ran into Navy and World Government people.”
“If not for you, I…”
“Psh~ what’re we friends for, no need to say that!”
“But who would’ve thought this twist of fate would make it all work out. Looks like this child and I are fated~”
“Why don’t you let this child call me godfather? How about it?”
“Godfather? Sure! No problem!”
Lahel naturally agreed readily to the request.
Burufaruto was right; maybe he really was fated with this child, otherwise how could he have found the child so coincidentally in the Fish-Man District…
“Mm~ by the way, what’s this child’s name?”
Nodding, gazing at the infant already over a meter long at just a few months old, Burufaruto grew fonder the more he looked.
“Name… haven’t had time to give one.”
“Perfect then, no rush. We’re both illiterate anyway; once we’re back with the pirate crew, I’ll have the most cultured scholars in the crew give him a good name.”
“Mm.”
……
“Brother Burufaruto, they’re signaling us to come over!”
Just as the two were chatting enthusiastically about the child, the lookout who spotted the opposite flag signal suddenly shouted loudly.
“Hm?”
“What’s going on? Didn’t they just say to make way and leave?”
“Why the sudden change?”
The speaker was the acting captain Burufaruto had appointed earlier, that squad leader; he was still commanding the warship in place of the injured Burufaruto.
“I don’t know; anyway, they’re signaling us to come over now.”
“Hm…”
Looking at the opulently luxurious ship opposite with the massive World Government emblem on its sails, the squad leader really didn’t want to get involved…
But 【Murphy’s Law】.
……
“Saint Natanya.”
“Hm? What is it?”
After whispering a few words with his subordinate, the close attendant agent hurried to Natanya’s side and reported in a low voice:
“According to the lookout’s observation, the ship opposite doesn’t seem to be Navy; it’s very likely pirates!”
“Pi, pirates?!”
“And we’ve spotted what appears to be your Fish-Man Slave on their ship!”
“My slave, that Fish-Man Slave?”
“Great! Quick! Go catch my slave and bring him back!”
“Now Rozward’s slave definitely won’t compare to mine!”
Seemingly completely ignoring the pirates, Natanya danced with joy at finally recovering his strongest Fish-Man Slave, able to beat his old rival Rozward in the next slave showdown.
