Chapter Eighty-Three: Chaos

“Makeup truly is a mysterious and unpredictable art. Just now, we managed to pass through without a hitch.”

If one wants to remain in a “safe” position, the most basic and crucial rule is to appear harmless. Especially when dealing with the navy, that official machine of violence—so long as you can prove you’re not a pirate, this colossal power generally won’t trouble you.

On the contrary, the navy has a duty to protect ordinary citizens, and most of the time they’re willing to fulfill it.

So, to stay “uninvolved” in such chaos, after regrouping, Qiubai and Ain used their peerless skills of disguise... They disguised themselves as a pair of siblings, with about a twelve-year age gap, and without much effort broke through the navy’s defenses, escaping to the open sea on a small skiff.

Because of the events in Pas that night, it was very common for ordinary people to hire a small boat and temporarily leave the main island. They were powerless against pirates, but everyone knows to seek profit and avoid harm... The main island was dangerous, so they’d simply take refuge on another island for a while. After all, this was an archipelago.

So now Qiubai was rowing with both hands, steering their boat north along the coast. After a night, the two were already far from Pas.

This chain of islands stretches from south to north, with the main island of Pas at the southern tip. Now, the two were heading north... Their boat was docked at a small port on a northern island, a move they’d planned before the auction even began.

Fearing a navy inspection, Qiubai hadn’t kept the Devil Fruit on him. He’d entrusted it to Beppo, who was now acting alone... Using his polar bear-like, superhuman swimming abilities, he’d transport the item to its destination, half-submerged and half-swimming.

“How long will Pas remain in chaos?” Ain asked. Qiubai could row the little boat swiftly by himself, so she only needed to sit back and enjoy the ride.

When they left Pas, the navy still hadn’t regained full control. Pirates roamed the city, and even Vladimir had mobilized all his forces, trying to recover what had been lost.

Because of earlier events, someone had likely reported the “Cat’s Eye Brothers” as prime suspects. But evidently, catching those three was not going to happen.

Because, in truth, there were no three brothers—only a man, a woman, and a polar bear.

And when they left Pas, Qiubai and Ain looked every bit the image of law-abiding, kind-hearted citizens, entirely unconnected to pirates.

“That... who knows?” Qiubai had no previous experience planning such operations, not in this life or the last, so he couldn’t accurately judge the situation.

But logically, the disturbance caused by the pirates would last only until dawn at most. By then, eight or nine out of ten pirates would be gone, otherwise they might never get the chance to leave.

Dawn meant the navy would launch a full-scale, thorough operation. With a navy base in such a large city, it was possible that even a vice-admiral would be dispatched.

Yet because of the underground auction, Pas was presently swarming with pirates. Should they be cornered, they might well band together to resist the navy.

After thinking it over, Qiubai explained in detail, “When the pirates retreat, or when the navy regains full control and restores order—that’s neither up to us, nor is it something we can influence. Right now, what we need to consider is the timing for leaving here and returning to Doflamingo. So...”

“So?”

“So, it’s none of our concern, and there’s no need to dwell on it,” Qiubai said.

For the one who lit the fuse to now claim the explosion’s consequences have nothing to do with him—it sounded unconvincing, to say the least. Yet, when Qiubai said it, there was a certain irrefutable logic to it.

Perhaps... there was a shred of truth in his words? After all, his faction could hardly be expected to take part in any “post-disaster reconstruction.”

“One should focus on one’s own affairs; as for unrelated matters, it’s best not to overthink them. Otherwise, you may invite unnecessary stress and anxiety, and in time, find yourself growing old, fat, bald, and broken down...”

It was advice for those who might feel pangs of conscience. Though his words sounded more like a threat to a young woman, Qiubai still hoped Ain wouldn’t trouble herself over things she had no reason to worry about.

But everyone’s temperament is different, and Qiubai left it at that. There was no need to harp on such “truths”—repeating them endlessly wouldn’t brainwash anyone. Even with “his own people,” he had no desire for that kind of absolute control.

Their destination was a small coastal town on the northernmost island of the Meow-Galapas Archipelago. According to the plan, they would arrive ahead of time, not to flee blindly, but to wait until things settled down before making their next move.

Yet as they neared the port, the town seemed very different from the last time they had come.

“Something’s wrong?” Ain asked.

“Hmm, and I have a bad feeling about this,” Qiubai replied.

Compared to not long ago, the town was far too quiet in general, yet oddly noisy in certain areas. It wasn’t hard to guess what might have happened.

More importantly, a pirate ship was moored just outside the harbor.

“What do we do now?” Ain asked.

By Qiubai’s own logic, this was the sort of thing they should ignore.

“Let’s go take a look.”

But for some reason, Qiubai felt compelled to see what had happened in the town.

At this moment, the navy’s attention was wholly occupied elsewhere; the pirates here had chosen an excellent time to come ashore and pillage. But approaching them now probably wouldn’t be dangerous—after all, a pirate crew that has to time its raids on small towns is unlikely to be overwhelmingly powerful.

In these seas, strength-wise, a crew on par with Buggy’s, or even slightly weaker, would have no trouble attacking such a defenseless town—provided the navy didn’t intervene.

So under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t come ashore, but now, while the navy was tied up elsewhere, the pirates would be long gone before the navy could respond.

Qiubai’s skiff slipped past the pirate ship, making only a slight noise, but the vessel was eerily silent. Whether anyone was standing watch, Qiubai didn’t bother to find out.

Soon, their little boat pulled up to shore. Qiubai sniffed the air and caught a distinct, unpleasant scent in the damp dawn breeze—strong and unmistakable... the smell of blood.

Right beside the pier, several bodies lay sprawled... Perhaps the townsfolk had chosen to fight the pirates head-on?

Qiubai stepped forward, intending to squat down and examine one of the corpses, when suddenly, the person reached out and grabbed his ankle.

“Cough!”

The man sprawled on the ground still clung to life. He coughed up thick, wet blood, staining the top of Qiubai’s foot red.

Qiubai didn’t flinch—this was no resurrection, merely a man not yet dead. But when the man, with great effort, raised his head, Qiubai was genuinely taken aback.

It was a face he knew.

“Qiubai... is that you?”

The man called his name with certainty, and in that moment, both knew this was real.

“Lucky... so that’s why I held on? Didn’t have to die... shouldn’t die...”

“Please...” What he asked was not for himself—it was a final wish.

But acquaintance or not, Qiubai was under no obligation to grant his request. He coolly withdrew his foot, stepped back a few paces, and looked toward the noisy part of town.

“I understand.”

Yet in the end, all he could say was that single phrase—the one that always seems to grant the dying their wish.