One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 24 Claiming the Bounty

Everyone is enthusiastic about dividing money, and Roman himself believed in sharing. Hartel was also a rare and kind businessman, and almost all of Shaq's treasures were divided equally.

Of course, we can't forget about taking down a few heads that have a bounty on them.

It's worth mentioning that, apart from Shaq himself being beheaded by Roman, the other pirates who were already powerless to fight back were dealt with by the sailors.

After all, the bounty notice states that life or death is not an option, so the dead are naturally more reassuring than the living.

This is also the main reason why Roman wanted to take Shaq's life. Even if he was on his last breath, he was still a user of the Flame-Flame Fruit, and he could easily destroy the entire ship before he died.

She didn't have sea stone handcuffs, so she couldn't stop him from using his abilities. Naturally, she had to use a more straightforward method.

After Roman said that the bounty would also be distributed among the people on the ship, the others looked at her with more of a fawning gaze than fear.

Even the most stubborn old man, who couldn't stand women getting on the boat, bowed his head to money.

Indeed, money is a good thing. It can make people who hate you smile and make people who just yelled at you grovel. But the premise is that you can hold onto it, otherwise you are no different from a fat sheep.

However, the problem is that there seems to be a lot of contraband on Shaq's ship, and there are two opposing views on how to deal with it.

One faction argues that even if something is contraband, it can still be sold as a commodity, and putting it on the black market can generate another source of income.

The other faction believed that getting involved with contraband was troublesome, and that they had already gained enough from this voyage, so there was no need to get into trouble. It would be better to dispose of the contraband quickly.

The two sides argued heatedly, and in the end, Hartel mediated, repeatedly asking Roman for his opinion.

Of course, Roman supports destruction; greedy people only see the immediate benefits and are unaware of the harm these things cause when they circulate in the market.

Perhaps this negative consequence will even come back to haunt you.

Sailors who confidently declare their intention to sell contraband rarely imagine that they themselves might one day suffer the consequences.

When humans witness disasters, they rarely feel truly empathetic unless they are personally involved.

Seeing Roman's stance, Hartel, who had already leaned in the same direction, immediately set fire to Shak's ships. Leaving no trace, it was best to destroy such a harmful object.

Although some sailors were dissatisfied, they kept quiet. After all, they had already made enough money this time, and it would be too ungrateful to complain any longer.

"Alright, let's find a naval base first, and we still need to exchange these things for money."

Looking at the pile of corpses, Hartel immediately ordered the sailors and crew to head towards the nearest naval base. If they stayed too long, their faces would decompose and they would be unrecognizable, which would be one thing, but if it caused an infectious disease, it would be terrible.

Even with a ship's doctor, the sea is not a suitable place for recuperation.

Moreover, for the sake of the greater good, sailors would sometimes throw sick crew members directly into the sea. Hartle had witnessed many such cruel things. To avoid his ship being destroyed, it was best to deal with it as soon as possible.

North Sea area, Navy branch.

Lieutenant Colonel Tatiana Wales frowned at the overwhelming amount of documents. He had been reviewing them for four hours straight, neglecting even breakfast and lunch.

The ink on the table had long since run out, so he had to open a new bottle; these things were being used up faster and faster.

The rampant piracy led to an increasing number of heinous incidents, and he needed to write these situations into written reports and then report them one by one. Even with the help of his adjutant, he still felt somewhat overwhelmed.

This supernova just so happens to be born in the North Sea, and he's another wicked guy who commits arson, murder, robbery, and all sorts of evil deeds. Since he went to sea, Wales' workload has more than tripled.

As a force of justice, they could not ignore the rampant activities of pirates, but they always ended up defeated.

Sadah is ruthless; whenever he encounters the navy, he will burn the ships first, and ordinary guns are no match for him.

The operation to capture Shada has already resulted in the deaths of 73 members of his branch, the destruction of two warships, and the horrific number of civilian casualties.

Wales had to write a request to the Admiralty to send senior combat personnel for support.

I just don't know if headquarters can send someone.

Despite the heartfelt and earnest application, Wales has little hope of getting the newspaper's approval.

After the Age of Exploration, the number of pirates increased dramatically. The navy's manpower was already stretched thin, and it also needed high-end combat power to protect Marineford and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

There are countless branches like his; if the application were successful, the marshal's room would be overflowing with applications every day.

However, even so, Wales had no choice but to write.

He was well aware of his own strength. He hadn't risen through the ranks based on his abilities, but rather on his seniority. He was powerless against the Devil Fruit user with the Flame-Flame Fruit.

Wales, who was already depressed, was so shocked when he saw the branch's financial expenditures that he stood up.

"What's going on? Why are the expenses so high?"

The Navy branch has a fixed monthly budget. If it exceeds the budget, it needs to apply to headquarters. Don't think it's easy. Unless you have a legitimate reason, headquarters will not cover it for you. If the budget is insufficient, the base commander will be held responsible. However, Wales is not a corrupt official. He is quite dedicated to his work.

Because of the considerable repair costs incurred last time, he now desperately wanted to make every penny count. Looking at the bill, which was more than 200 million Berries more than usual, Wales felt his blood pressure soar to over 200 and he almost vomited blood.

"That's because someone is exchanging bounty posters and pirate corpses for the reward," the lieutenant replied.

"I see?" Upon hearing this, Wales breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing the satisfactory answer, his blood pressure immediately dropped.

If that's the reason, headquarters wouldn't mind spending funds to fill the gap, as long as the branch can provide evidence. Wales isn't expecting any reward; he'll be content as long as the branch's marines have sufficient supplies.

The navy also risks their lives to protect the sea, and the necessary material support must not be compromised.

"Could it be that a group of bounty hunters suddenly arrived? Who are they? How could they kill so many pirates?"

"No, it was a merchant ship. They brought the heads of Shaq and his men."

"Oh, I see. No wonder it cost two hundred million. So Shaq died... What? Shaq died?"