Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 89
Now, both Karlos and Brandon were hearing the quarrel. Karlos decided to approach the boat to see what was going on.
Even Brandon grabbed a blunt wooden stick that they used to stun fish. They had heard stories of pirates ransacking and stealing people's boats, and those stories were enough to make anyone cautious.
A group of islands further south had been a pirate base decades ago. Back then, the Adobo country was far from peaceful. Wars around the world made the seas even more dangerous.
The pirates from those islands had ransacked ships and killed countless people, leaving a dark legacy that older fishermen still remembered. In fact, piracy was still a common story at sea. It was hard to solve these crimes because pirates rarely left any evidence behind.
They were known for stealing boats and throwing fishermen overboard, letting them drown.
A few years ago, when Brandon was still young, the government raided the group of islands to stop the piracy. The problem disappeared for a few years, but it seemed pirates were becoming rampant again, as poverty drove people to desperation. The coast guards did their best, but they couldn't cover the entire sea. The waters were simply too vast.
Anyway, just to be prepared, Brandon held the wooden stick in case something bad happened.
The boat ahead was small, almost the same size as Karlos's, about 4.5 meters. Two people were struggling. One was bruised, while the other wore a cap that hid his face.
"Help! This bastard is a thief! He stole our crabs! Help!"
"Let me go, you dumb fuck! Let go!"
"Crab thief!?" Karlos was stunned.
"That voice… I think that's Jun-Jun." Even Brandon recognized it. Jun-Jun was a fisherman who paddled his boat since he couldn't afford an engine.
With that, Karlos and Brandon got closer. Brandon sighed in relief when he confirmed that it wasn't a case of piracy. He had heard dangerous stories about pirates and wanted no part of them.
"Karlos! We caught him! This is the bastard who stole our catch!" Jun-Jun yelled when he saw them approaching. He continued fighting the thief.
"Damn it!"
The thief realized he might be exposed and tried to grab the steering handle to escape.
"I won't let you." Despite his swollen lips and bruises, Jun-Jun held tightly to the thief's legs.
"Let me go!"
The thief kicked Jun-Jun in the stomach, but he still didn't let go. He was tired of losing his catch. The thief must face the consequences. He must pay!
"Jun-Jun!"
Brandon stepped onto the thief's boat, moving quickly despite the rocking of the waves. He had heard many fishermen complain about a crab thief, and even Karlos had expressed his frustration.
Now that the culprit was right in front of him, Brandon had no intention of letting him escape.
Brandon kicked him, and the thief stumbled into the cold water with a loud splash.
"Are you okay, Jun-Jun?"
"I'm alright, just a few bruises. Thanks."
"What is going on here?" Karlos, still in his own boat, asked.
"We've been looking for the thief for weeks but couldn't find him. But today we got lucky."
Karlos didn't know the full story. Instead, he looked at the thief swimming desperately, trying to flee.
Unfortunately for him, two more boats arrived.
"We caught up at last!"
"Jun-Jun, are you okay? Who told you to jump into his boat!? That's dangerous!"
Two crab trappers arrived, Chiz and Erap. Karlos recognized them instantly.
"Karlos, you're here too?"
"We're heading to our fishing spot," Karlos replied.
"Where's the bastard!?" Chiz snapped, looking at the small boat. He saw Jun-Jun bruised and Brandon holding a wooden stick, and for a moment he almost mistook Brandon as the thief. But Brandon immediately pointed at the water, avoiding any misunderstanding.
"The thief is there."
Chiz and Erap saw the man swimming. But in the middle of the sea, surrounded by darkness, there was no escape. They had him cornered.
"Get him!"
Chiz and Erap started their boats, fueled by frustration that had been brewing for days. Their patience was long gone.
Chiz grabbed his cast net and threw it toward the thief, catching him. The man was weak and unable to resist. He was easily pulled into Chiz's boat. As soon as he landed, Chiz delivered a clean punch to his face.
"Hey! Don't beat him up… At least let me kick him too!" Erap roared. If they weren't in different boats, he might have kicked the thief in the balls.
"Ugh—! Uhh—! S-Stop! Stop! Please, I don't want to get hurt anymore!" The thief shivered, curled up, and tried to shield himself as Chiz kicked him again.
"I feel like I know that voice." Brandon's ears perked up, and so did Karlos and Jun-Jun. All three lived in the same neighborhood, the southern edge of town by the beach.
Erap and Chiz, however, lived in a different neighborhood and docked their boats at the bay harbor.
Chiz released the net.
Their boats drifted close together, close enough for them to see clearly.
"Miguel!? You're the thief?" Karlos was shocked, and so were the others, especially Jun-Jun and Brandon. Miguel was the last person they expected.
"..." Miguel shivered, unable to answer. The truth was already exposed.
"I heard you sold your boat and moved to a village," Brandon said. He had heard the gossip from his mother.
There was a small village south of the mangroves, and Miguel had decided to live there with his mistress after selling his mid-size boat.
"Miguel, I can't believe you'd do this!?" Jun-Jun shouted, still holding his stomach in pain.
"..." Miguel remained silent, unable to defend himself.
"Let's send him to the police," Erap said firmly.
"N-No! Just let me go! You don't have to do that! I can pay you back instead. Please, I have a child!" Miguel begged desperately when he heard their plan. Despite being battered, fear overtook him.
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