Chapter 14
In no time, Nami leads me past the patrolling crew, and we slip toward Badsey’s cabin. It’s a cruise ship, not a warship, so the patrols are pretty lax. Anyone with a bit of experience can dodge them easily.
“Tch, this guy’s cautious,” I mutter, peering from a shadowed corner at two burly guards stationed outside Badsey’s door. “Even sleeps with a watch.”
“There’s only one entrance,” Nami whispers. “You’ll have to take them out to get in.” She flashes a sly smile. “This one’s on you, Mr. Bounty Hunter. A weak little thing like me can’t handle those two.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Miss Thief,” I say, not buying her act. “Those guys wouldn’t give you much trouble.” Still, I decide to handle it myself.
I leap silently onto the cabin’s roof, moving with quick, noiseless steps until I’m right above the door. In one fluid motion, I drop down, planting my foot on the left guard’s head, knocking him out cold. The right guard grabs his rifle’s trigger, but before he can fire, I spin and deliver a high whip kick to his neck, faster than he can react.Thud. He crumples, unconscious.
“Not bad,” Nami says, emerging from the shadows. “Pretty slick for the East Blue’s top bounty hunter.” She crouches by the guards, rifling through their pockets until she pulls out a small stack of Berries, pocketing them with a satisfied grin.
“Tch, never miss a chance to pickpocket, huh?” I shake my head, glancing pityingly at the unconscious duo.
“Let’s go,” Nami says, in high spirits from her little score, leading the way.
The cabin door’s unlocked—Badsey trusted his guards to keep watch. Poor guy never dreamed his goons would go down without a peep. We slip inside easily.
Snore… wheeze… SNORT! The room’s filled with deafening snores. If the cabin wasn’t soundproofed, the whole ship would hear it.
Following the noise, I spot a short, stocky figure—barely a meter tall—sprawled on a massive bed, facing away. That’s Badsey, the “Wicked Merchant” himself. I’ve seen him before, so his pint-sized stature doesn’t faze me. In the One Piece world, people come in all shapes and sizes.
With Badsey’s snoring as cover, we don’t bother tiptoeing. At his bedside, I see it: his arm draped over a small box, just big enough to hold a Devil Fruit.
Nami silently points at it, confirming it’s the one she mentioned.
I nod, understanding, and reach toward Badsey.
Nami holds her breath, expecting a delicate move to slip the box out. Taking something from a sleeping person is tricky—too gentle, you fail; too rough, they wake up, and it’s all over.
But instead of grabbing the box, I seize Badsey’s collar and hurl him across the room.
CRASH! He slams into the wall with a deafening thud.
“What the hell?!” Nami’s eyes nearly pop out. To a seasoned thief like her, my stunt’s as subtle as throwing a dance party in here. “What are you doing?!”
“Getting the box,” I say calmly. “He was in the way.” I pick up the box from the bed and open it. Inside is a banana-shaped fruit covered in strange patterns—an Animal-type Devil Fruit, no doubt. My target.
“Yup, this is it,” I say, snapping the box shut.
Nami cranes her neck, trying to peek inside, but I close it too fast. She pulls back, disappointed.
Badsey, meanwhile, shakes off his daze. Seeing me holding his precious box, he freaks. “Who the hell are you?! Stealing from me? You’re dead! Put it down!”
We turn to face him.
“Badsey, let’s get one thing straight,” I say, holding the box and stepping toward him. “Talking tough like that can get you killed.”
His eyes widen as he recognizes me. “You… you’re John Morgan? The bounty hunter?!”
“Nice to finally meet someone who knows my face,” I say with a smirk. It’s refreshing after people only recognizing my gun.
“What are you doing here?!” he demands.
“Sorry for taking your stuff,” I say, shrugging with mock remorse. “It’s just business.”
“Business?” Badsey sneers. “You know whose stuff you’re stealing, Morgan?”
“Lemme guess—Krieg’s?” I ask, unfazed.
His face darkens. “You know what happens to people who cross the Krieg Pirates in the East Blue? When Captain Krieg hears you stole his prize, there won’t be a corner of this sea where you can hide!”
“That’s it?” I pick at my ear, bored. “You wanna know why I haven’t killed you yet, Badsey? If I did, no one would know what I pulled off tonight.”
He freezes, his expression grim. “You’re threatening me?”
“Threatening’s for losers,” I say with a scoff. “Go ahead, tell Krieg I took his stuff. Hell, spread it across the East Blue. Give my business a nice boost. That’s why I’m letting you live.”
“You…!” Badsey sputters, speechless.
I ignore him, turning to Nami. “Let’s hit the vault. Lead the way.”
“Heck yeah!” Nami’s nerves vanish, replaced by a greedy grin. She darts out the door.
I follow, tossing one last line over my shoulder without looking back. “Don’t disappoint me, Badsey.”