Chapter 54: Named Mate

  Four days later, the massive merchant ship arrived at its destination in Rog Town on the East Sea and stopped sailing. After Hobodi disembarked, when the whole town of Rog was celebrating the arrival of the 'Four Seas Food Festival', Hobodi finally figured out why that ship had so many officials and nobles coming to the East Sea.

  Rogue's Harbor, Hobbit and Podo found a hidden alleyway, then changed into new clothes.

  After removing the original disguise, Hobodi basically maintained his original appearance and changed into casual clothes. Since he would have to change back into his naval uniform once he arrived in Bergen Town, he didn't bother with anything fancy.

  "Hey, old man, are the small boats in the harbor for sale? I need to go to the Jeco Islands." Hobodi walked up to an elderly man sitting on the coast of the harbor and asked.

  "Jieke Archipelago?" The old man said in surprise: "Rare indeed. Most of the Food Festival are from all over the world, and I've never heard of anyone going back at this time."

  "The little clown Baki who was caught in the East Sea has escaped, didn't you know? I have relatives on the Jekyll Islands." Hobodi made up a reason he had prepared long ago.

  The old man's face changed drastically after hearing the name of Boaky the Clown, and he stopped talking. He pointed to a small boat docked by the coast: "One million Berries, pay up and it's yours."

  "Take care of this old man." Hobodi pulled out a stack of banknotes, then dropped the rope tied to the stone on the shore and jumped onto the boat with one foot.

  "Let's go, Monet." Hobodi said to the green-haired woman disguised as a female swordsman on the opposite shore.

  "This town looks lively, I thought you'd take me shopping after we disembark. I also want to pick out a few outfits, our disguises are all ruined now." Mona reluctantly walked onto the ship with an unwilling expression.

  "We'll talk about it later!"

  Three days later, Jieke Archipelago Beigen Town. At 2 am, a naval warship docked at the port.

  On a moonless and windy night, a small boat slowly approached the shore. Two dark figures emerged from it. In the dim outline of the night, they appeared to be a man and a woman. The man was about two meters tall, wearing a large cloak blown by the wind, with what seemed to be epaulets on his shoulders.

  "It's unbelievable, Master, you're actually a Navy..." Another enchanting figure spoke in a lazy voice.

  "Why don't you stay on the warship for tonight and come to apply for the secretary position at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning, I will arrange an identity for you then."

  "It has to be this way, you're really cautious, Master~" Mona lightly laughed.

  "This is an order. If you don't comply, nothing you want will be possible for the next three days."

  "It seems it can't be helped"

  "That's enough." Hobodi nodded and slowly walked towards the side of the 76th Brigade's gate, where a short figure had already been waiting.

  "Welcome back, Commander," Matt said with a salute.

  "Hopkins grunted: 'You open the door, and we'll talk about everything tomorrow.'"

  "Yes!" Mate's figure stepped forward, the iron gate creaked with a loud noise, Hobodi gazed at his back, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable light.

  A dagger was drawn from Hobody's waist in a wild and windy night, flashing with cold light.

  Hobodi held a dagger in one hand and stabbed it directly into Mate's body. With a "puchi" sound, the dagger pierced through the clothes and directly penetrated the heart: "Sorry, Mate. Since you've already come back... only you knew that I left, although I have confidence to make you completely believe me, but your potential and value can't keep up with my footsteps."

  Matt's body convulsed and jerked, Hobodi's other hand clamped tightly over his mouth to stifle any sound.

  The scarlet dagger was withdrawn, and Mat's body suddenly convulsed for a few days before stiffening. Hobodi knew that he had lost his vital signs at this time, so he loosened his grip, and Mat's limp body fell to the ground, but on his face, there was an inexplicable expression that left Hobodi perplexed.

  "Why did the person who was suddenly stabbed to death with a punctured heart have their eyes closed and their eyebrows relaxed? Did he already anticipate that I would come back and kill him, and had made preparations for his own death?" Hoboldi was puzzled, squatting down to carefully examine Mate's condition.

  After rummaging through his clothes, Hobodi finally found a small knife, a flashlight, 302 Beli in loose change, and... a letter.

  "Letter?"

  Hobbit furrowed his brow, turned on the flashlight, opened the envelope, and saw that the letter was divided into several segments, one for each day.

  "I spoke with Officer Hopody today and was so happy. However, after reporting about Buggy the Clown's situation, the officer's tone seemed to become somewhat dissatisfied. I was worried that we had disappointed him because of Buggy's situation, but... The officer suddenly said not to worry, he would report back to headquarters. His tone was very unfamiliar, completely unlike his usual self, as if he had thoroughly lost faith in us... Unhappy."

  Hobbit was somewhat puzzled and continued reading:

  "It's been two days since the communication with HQ, and for some reason, I had nothing to do in the commander's room, so I accidentally took a look at the commander's past appointment records. Indeed, he's an amazing person, able to escape from that death island of Ponkotsu Hasade, and even has connections with the general. But precisely because of his excellence, he was assigned by the Shogun to the Eastern Sea, and encountered us useless people, which must have been thoroughly disappointing for him? Well, at least I now understand the commander's past."

  At this time, Hobodi's face was somewhat gloomy. He had not expected Mate to be so bold as to move his things.

  "It's the fourth day, and the superior officer has already arrived in Donghai. For some reason, I feel a sense of unease in my heart, as if something bad is going to happen. Moreover, today the Navy updated its wanted list, that man named King, although I don't know him, but in one corner of the wanted poster, I seem to have discovered an earth-shattering thing."

  "What...?!" Hoboldi stared at the corpse on the ground in surprise.

  "It's been five days, didn't the food festival in Rog Town just end yesterday? I wonder if Officer Hobodi attended it. Continuing from yesterday's topic, after that, I went to a fabric store in town and compared it with the corner of the wanted poster. Indeed, the fabric was the same. Although the officer had mixed the town's fabric with other oceanic characteristic clothing, making it hard to notice. However, only I knew that the fake bounty hunter clothes I wore before leaving had a coffee stain on one corner that I accidentally got on it. I confirmed it, the King with a 1 billion 100 million Beri reward is Officer Hobodi! And I also understood the source of my unease."

  "If so, why would you be willing to die?" Hoboldi muttered, looking at the corpse on the ground with a puzzled expression.

  "It's already the sixth night, and just now the officer called on the phone bug. At 2 am he will arrive at Bergen Town Harbor, and I'll have to go out and open the door... In three more hours, it will be the day my life ends! %￥#%……” A bunch of crossed-out text later, Hobodi expressionlessly stared at the gradually clearing text below.

  "I've made up my mind!"

  As he continued to look down, Hobodi's face suddenly widened in shock.

  "If I am the weakness of the superior, then I will erase this weakness myself! Superior, if you kill me and see this letter at this time, please do not worry. I have erased all connections between the superior and King."

  I'm the one who bought the clothes, and I haven't been to town this month either, so I have proof that I wasn't in Donghai. As for my comrades at the base, those who usually see me were just killed by me. The ones left are people who haven't seen me this month, and among them, I chose a guy who witnessed the whole process of me killing someone. Next, all it takes is for the officer to dispose of my body, and I'll be framed for murdering my comrades, wanted by the Navy, and eventually linked to King!

  "That's right, from the moment I died, I am the King! Please let me become the King, sir! On the desk in the intelligence room is my letter of apology to my comrades. In that case, even a fool like me... can still be of some use - Naval Branch 76, Sergeant Matey reporting for duty."

  Hobbiti closed his eyes and looked at Mate, who was lying quietly on the ground with her eyes closed, her expression calm and peaceful.

  "Foolish? You've taken me into account, so don't look down on yourself. You have such tactics, why didn't you show them early...?" The voice stopped here, and Hoboldi suddenly hesitated: "That's right, even if you showed it early, I couldn't trust you. Because of the habits brought by my previous profession, I only believe in dead people..."

  "Is this what it means to have killed my own future self?" Hobodi said, shaking his head afterwards. He picked up Matt's body and walked to the quiet forest by the harbor, which was usually a training area for the 76th Brigade, an area that the residents of Bergen Town would not enter.

  A few minutes later, he arrived deep in the forest, his hands transformed into dragon claws, and with several consecutive blows, a large and deep pit was struck out.

  Hobad then threw Matty's body into one of them and covered it with earth.

  Hobodi stood in front of his grave for a moment, lost in thought.

  "As you wish, Matt."

  "The Pirate Starting from Pongkhathas" latest chapter is released by Yunqi Book Academy, the fastest and most popular online release site! (This site provides: traditional pagination, waterfall two modes, can be selected in settings)