Chapter 226: Wait, Smart Cap!
Soon enough, the rest of the crew had finished off all the researchers in the underground base.
The orders from Ryuunosuke and Conrad were clear: these people were expendable. No survivors.
But when they returned, what greeted them was not a triumphant celebration—but Conrad, kneeling in silence, cradling a broken, lifeless body.
The crew exchanged confused glances before all eyes turned to Finks.
"...Yeah."
Finks gave a solemn nod and stepped forward, leaping to Conrad's side.
"Brother Conrad… is that… Brother Unos?"
Though Unos' body was nearly unrecognizable, Finks didn't hesitate for a second. He knew.
Without another word, the rest of the crew knelt.
"Brother Unos… has cut himself off from this world."
"He wanted us to live. So we will."
Conrad looked up. Tears streaked his weathered face.
"The reason I came here… was to stop the Mink Tribe's blood from being manipulated, twisted by experiments."
"But I was wrong."
"There are still so many of our kind, out there—enslaved, broken, forgotten."
"I have to save them. All of them."
He clenched his fists tight.
"Brother Conrad, let's leave this place."
"As for Brother Unos… let this be his final resting place."
"He's not well enough to make the journey back to Zou with us."
Finks tried to stay composed, but her voice cracked. By the end of her words, tears were falling freely.
The Mink standing behind them watched silently. Sadness hung in the air like a thick fog.
...But wait.
Wasn't Finks supposed to be the one comforting Conrad?
Why was she crying even harder than him now?
Was this her version of encouragement?
"Alright, alright, Finks. Stop crying already," Conrad muttered, helplessly. "Brother Unos… he'd understand. He always did."
"Besides—if any of those bastards return as ghosts, he'll be here to slap them back into hell."
"Also… just… stop crying, okay?"
Conrad's grief faded—not completely, but enough. Because right now, he wasn't sure how to deal with this awkward shift.
He was the one who needed comfort.
Instead, Finks came over, bawled her eyes out, and left him stuck.
Worse, she had used her Sulong form three times in one day during battle. Her body was nearly spent.
If this kept up, she'd collapse before he could finish mourning.
"I'm done crying."
"And you—don't just sit there. We've got work to do."
Finks stood tall. Her voice was resolute now.
She tore off her sleeve and gently laid it across Unos' chest.
"Brother Unos... thank you."
With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and offered a quiet prayer.
One by one, the others followed her lead, tearing cloth from their clothes and covering Unos' body.
Soon, he was fully covered—a sacred rite among the Mink Tribe.
Even if his body would never return to Zou, his soul would know peace.
With heavy hearts, the crew turned and left the base.
Moments later, explosions ripped through the island behind them—demolition charges set earlier now doing their grim work.
White Ball Island vanished into smoke and fire.
They moved out, their mission far from over.
Three months from now, they would challenge the World Government itself.
For that, they had to be ready.
Even if they were destined to fall, this was the path they'd chosen.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates—this was their purpose.
---
Three Days Later, G-5 Branch
"Captain! We're back."
"That research base—completely wiped out."
"Awaiting your next orders."
Conrad stepped forward and knelt before Ryuunosuke.
Ryuunosuke nodded slowly. "Your next task…"
"…is to rest."
He gave a faint smile. "And don't go calling for help from the Mink Tribe on Zou Island."
"This fight belongs to us—the Dragon Hunter Pirates. Don't drag your people into this."
"Understood?"
Conrad hesitated. "But Captain—"
"No buts. That's an order."
Ryuunosuke cut him off gently, his eyes still fixed on the sea.
He'd been receiving reports daily, but none of them mattered to him now.
Because he was waiting.
The Navy would come.
They had to come.
He couldn't afford to leave them at his back when he sailed into the Valley of the Gods.
He needed this threat dealt with—before the final war began.
---
Aboard a Marine Ship
"Garp," Sengoku said between mouthfuls of soba, "what are the odds we actually take down the Dragon Hunter Pirates this time?"
No one knew that crew better than Garp.
And even Sengoku—Former Fleet Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, war hero, man of legend—was second-guessing himself.
Maybe it was the pattern.
Garp's son, Dragon, had become the leader of the Revolutionary Army—a threat to the World Government.
Now Ryuunosuke, practically Garp's grandstudent, was leading the Dragon Hunter Pirates, shaking the foundations of the sea.
Seriously, what the hell was Garp doing in Foosha Village? Training doomsday machines?
"...Less than 30%," Garp replied flatly.
Sengoku choked on his noodles.
"You forgot something—these guys can revive."
He said it calmly, opening a pack of senbei like he was talking about the weather.
"When we surrounded them last time, some of them died. Dead. Gone."
"Then poof—right back on the ship like nothing happened."
"Even if we kill a few this time, it won't matter."
"But we have to try."
Sengoku frowned. "Less than thirty percent?"
"Then why even go?"
"Shouldn't we report to the World Government and focus our forces on defense?"
"That way, we hit them together—maximize strength, minimize loss."
Garp stared at him for a second.
Then, with the crunch of senbei echoing dramatically through the room, he deadpanned:
"Sengoku... are you stupid?"
That earned him a glare from the former Fleet Admiral.
"How can you of all people call me stupid?"
But before he could snap further, Fujitora spoke, calm as ever, still sipping his soba.
"Perhaps what Vice Admiral Garp means… is that if we engage in that final battle without reducing their forces now... we risk sending thousands of low-ranking marines to die pointlessly."
His words cut like a blade of insight.
Sengoku's lips tightened.
It was true.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates didn't fight fair.
They'd tear through the lower ranks like a storm.
If they joined the final battle unweakened, the casualties wouldn't just be heavy—they'd be catastrophic.
If you notice the new Fanfic are gone i'll give the new link
This is the new link for my new Fanfic because i repost it
Killing People is Kinda Scientific Right?
https://www.webnovel.com/book/killing-people-is-kinda-scientific-right_33392445700696205
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9