Soon, pirates escorted the captured Marines inside.
Sanji ordered them to empty the warship's supplies. Food, firearms, ammunition, medical supplies, rigging, and all kinds of ship tools were completely looted.
They didn't even spare the mounted naval cannons.
If it weren't for the pirate ship's limited weight capacity, he would have dismantled all those finely crafted cannons and hauled them back.
Allen walked out with the Nyaban Brothers. Watching his subordinates carrying cargo back and forth across the deck, a satisfied expression appeared on his face.
The items used on a Headquarters warship were all top-tier goods—excellently crafted standard-issue weapons and ammunition, along with fully equipped medical supplies.
Even the wrenches used for tightening screws were vastly superior to the rusty, dilapidated junk on their own ship.
Armed with these munitions, his crew of third-rate pirates could instantly transform into a second-rate crew.
"What's the casualty count?"
Stepping onto the deck, Allen asked Sanji.
"Twenty-one injured. Six of them are in critical condition and have already been taken back to the ship for treatment. No deaths so far," Sanji replied, biting down on his cigarette.
Allen nodded. Looting a warship with these results was far better than expected.
The combat prowess of these Marine soldiers was undeniably strong. Fortunately, the skirmish was brief, preventing any severe casualties.
Back on the ship, the Nyaban Brothers handcuffed and tied up Gin.
Allen went to the infirmary to check on his six heavily injured subordinates. By the time he arrived, one pirate had already succumbed to his wounds and died.
Allen glanced at him. He didn't recognize the man; in fact, he didn't have the slightest impression of him.
The remaining few weren't in any immediate danger, and several pirates were sitting nearby, waiting to give them blood transfusions.
After offering them a few words of comfort, Allen left.
This was the reality of being a pirate. You put your life on the line every single day, never knowing when your time would be up. There was nothing worth getting sentimental over.
This was the price of freedom.
...
Once the supplies were mostly scavenged, Sanji snapped the warship's mainmast with two kicks, then shattered their ship's wheel.
Ensuring the Marines had no ability to tail them, Sanji returned to the ship.
At Allen's command, the pirates sailed the ship away from the area.
Following the battle came the thrilling phase of distributing the spoils.
There was no gold or jewelry on the warship, and the Marines didn't carry much cash on them. The total amount looted from the ship was a mere six million Berries, plus a large pile of loose coins and scattered bills.
If the goal was plundering treasure, attacking the Marines was simply a foolish act of high risk and low reward.
But Allen wasn't after treasure. What he valued was their refined and fully equipped assortment of supplies.
For the former Black Cat Pirates who hadn't been active at sea for a long time—now rebranded as the Demon Lion Pirates—upgrading their weapons and firearms was absolutely essential.
Medical equipment, medicine, and various ship supplies were also incredibly important.
As for the money...
Although it was pitifully little, there were rules for distribution. Since this was considered the first battle of the Demon Lion Pirates, they still carried out the division of shares.
Counting the loose change, the total sum came to nearly eight million Berries.
As the captain, Allen took a quarter for himself. The senior and junior officers shared another quarter, while the rest of the crew split the third quarter.
The final quarter served as the ship's public fund. This money would be used for crew disability compensation, ship repairs, weapons and ammunition, and the procurement of daily necessities like food and fresh water.
As for Allen monopolizing a quarter, this wasn't considered high in this world. His personal combat power completely eclipsed the entire pirate crew; under these circumstances, taking only a quarter was actually quite modest.
However, he intended to expand the crew's scale in the future, aiming for at least three to five hundred members in the short term. That was why he only took this share; otherwise, there wouldn't be enough left for his subordinates to divide.
After receiving their shares, the pirates stared at the pitiful sum of less than thirty thousand Berries in their hands, lost in thought.
They had clearly won a major victory, yet the money they earned wasn't even enough to cover the cost of a single meal at the sea restaurant earlier.
On the second-floor balcony, Sanji stepped up beside Allen. Exhaling a puff of smoke, he looked down at the dispirited pirates and said,
"Looks like everyone is a bit dissatisfied with the haul."
"The meager haul is just an illusion. You couldn't buy the supplies we acquired today even with fifty million Berries."
Allen said dismissively.
The low-ranking pirates couldn't see this. They only cared about what ended up in their own hands, which was perfectly normal.
After all, their positions were different. There were many matters they didn't need to consider, so naturally, their perspectives and thoughts differed.
"Once we distribute all the captured munitions later, those new toys will keep them so happy they won't be able to sleep tonight."
Allen's mouth curled into a grin as he added, "And tonight, we're going to pull off a massive heist."
"Tonight? Where are we going?"
Sanji gave him a curious look.
Allen smiled mysteriously. He glanced toward the handcuffed Gin on the deck and gestured,
"To find the Krieg Pirates. I know they have a secret stronghold on Missir Island. If Don Krieg managed to escape back here, he should be heading there."
"The Krieg Pirates? That's no small target. Are you sure about this?"
Following his gaze to look at Gin, Sanji couldn't help but voice his concern.
He had already learned about Gin's situation from the Nyaban Brothers.
He had heard of the Krieg Pirates as well—a massive armada boasting fifty ships and five thousand men, the undisputed overlords of the East Blue.
Even if they suffered catastrophic losses in the Grand Line, their current combat strength was unknown. It was hard to say if they could take on such a formidable opponent.
Hearing their conversation, Gin's expression changed below. He gritted his teeth and glared up at them.
"You bastard, how do you know where our secret stronghold is?"
"You underestimate the Marines far too much. How could there be any secrets when such a massive fleet moves across the sea?" Allen laughed mockingly.
The Marines naturally knew the locations of several Krieg Pirate strongholds; they simply never dared to make a move.
A single Marine base in the East Blue only had a few hundred combat personnel. Even if ten branches joined forces and mobilized entirely, they might not be able to take them down.
Even Arlong's crew could only rival Krieg's forces in naval combat.
In a land battle, an army of five thousand men could easily trample Arlong Park flat. Roasting all hundred or so Fish-Men wouldn't even be enough to give them a bite each.
Of course, Arlong would never give them the chance to make landfall in the first place.
Pulling his thoughts back.
The moment Allen laid eyes on Gin today, he had already formed a plan to target Don Krieg.
Compared to the former Black Cat Pirates he had assimilated, the pirates of the Krieg Armada would be far more professional.
To manage that many people, Don Krieg was actually quite talented in that regard. At the very least, he definitely had many outstanding officers under his command.
Ship doctors, craftsmen, musketeers, cannoneers, and various other specialized talents were certainly not lacking.
As long as he could recruit these people, Allen's pirate crew would essentially be fully formed. Even if they were to enter the Grand Line immediately, they would have the baseline qualifications to survive.
Gin stared at Allen through gritted teeth, never expecting the man to set his sights on their pirate crew.
He just didn't know how Captain Krieg and the others on the flagship were doing right now. If they really had returned to their old stronghold...
Before he was separated from the flagship, the pirate crew had already lost over eighty percent of its forces. Even if they successfully returned to the East Blue, he feared they wouldn't have much combat strength left.
Under these circumstances, facing the man before him, his captain and the others would likely be doomed.
A hint of worry couldn't help but show in Gin's eyes.
...
As evening approached, the setting sun pulled down clusters of red clouds, painting an oil canvas of twilight hues across the horizon.
The Nyaban Brothers distributed the weapons they had harvested earlier. Even after giving every man a flintlock, there were still over a hundred rifles left over.
By the edge of the deck, a few experienced veterans were teaching the others how to calibrate and fire the guns. The group of pirates had a blast playing with their newly issued toys.
Among the captured weapons was a modified flintlock pistol, which the Nyaban Brothers brought over and presented to Allen.
Allen took it and toyed with it for a moment before test-firing a shot toward the bow. To his surprise, he found its power was actually a bit greater than the standard-issue flintlock rifles.
"A nice toy. As expected, having a gun holstered at the waist really adds to the aesthetic."
Holstering the pistol on his belt, Allen patted it with satisfaction, feeling that he had gained a bit more of a pirate's flair.
Once the sun completely sank below the horizon, shouts rang out from the dining hall. It was time to enjoy the celebration.
Allen glanced at the nautical chart. They would reach Don Krieg's stronghold around midnight.
After the crew finished their lively dinner, Allen announced the possibility of a midnight raid and ordered his subordinates to start resting and gathering their strength.
They had just fought a battle during the day, but it was so brief that no one felt tired; they only felt that the spoils weren't enough.
Hearing that they were going to ambush the former overlord of the East Blue, the crew was both anxious and thrilled.
The torches that had been piled up in the storage room for a long time were brought out and wrapped in oilcloth, as everyone prepared for battle with hearts full of excitement.
It wasn't until midnight that a voice finally rang out from the crow's nest on the mast, a single sentence startling the pirates on the ship.
"Island in sight, Captain! And a pirate ship!"
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