The Hunter of Pirates

Chapter 29: Nothing to Lose

The barrel of the gun swiftly aligned with the shadowy figure.

Before the face could even be made out, Morin decisively pulled the trigger.

Bang—

The lead bullet shot straight toward the figure's forehead.

The figure hadn't expected Morin to be so ruthless, denying even a chance for conversation and firing immediately.

Despite the abruptness, the figure's extraordinary reflexes and acute sense of danger allowed them to jerk backward just in time to narrowly avoid the bullet aimed at their forehead.

Even so, the close call left them drenched in cold sweat.

"WHAT THE @#$%#@%…!!!"

The figure turned out to be Ratsnout, who had stepped out of the bar to check the commotion after hearing the noise.

He had intended to spectate, but he almost got himself killed, prompting him to swear furiously in a rage.

Bang—

Another lead bullet came hurtling toward Ratsnout, this time targeting his body.

This happened just as Ratsnout was straightening up from his previous dodge.

Fortunately, as a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, his enhanced physique allowed him to twist his body just enough to avoid a critical hit.

Still, it wasn't enough. Morin, having missed the first shot, had intentionally aimed the second at the more likely-to-hit torso.

The second lead bullet pierced Ratsnout's left abdomen, splattering a burst of blood.

"Are you kidding me? I was just spectating, and you do this to me?!"

Clutching his bleeding abdomen, Ratsnout stared incredulously at the masked Morin.

If not for his ability to "smell" Morin's identity, he wouldn't have wasted any words and would have struck back to teach him the principle of "talk before action."

Morin gazed expressionlessly at Ratsnout, someone he didn't recognize at all.

Casually discarding the two flintlock pistols he had grabbed off his prey, Morin squatted down and pulled the dagger lodged in the back of the knife-wielding man's waist.

"It misfired."

Lowering his voice, Morin offered a perfunctory explanation as he began to slowly retreat.

"Misfired?"

Ratsnout, enraged, let out a bitter laugh.

If he hadn't reflexively transformed part of his abdomen to increase its defense while dodging the bullet…

At such close range, that shot would have been much more devastating.

"You've got quite the sense of humor."

Ratsnout's expression turned complicated as he watched Morin slowly back away.

He transformed into a half-beast state, using clawed fingers to dig the bloody bullet out of his wound and hold it between his fingers.

The transformation wasn't meant to prepare for an attack but to accelerate his body's healing and suppress the pain.

"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user...!"

Seeing Ratsnout's transformation, Morin grew wary but couldn't hide the flash of desire in his eyes as he noted the enhanced physique.

However, with all five guns around him emptied of bullets, reloading was not an option in this situation.

Without the critical edge of firearms, Morin doubted a lone dagger would suffice to subdue this Zoan-type user.

In short, the odds weren't in his favor. Better to retreat for now.

"What's with that look?!"

Under Morin's intense gaze, Ratsnout couldn't help but shiver.

Perhaps it was his beast transformation altering his perception, but for a brief moment, he felt as if he were being treated like prey.

Morin said nothing, continuing to back away while keeping his eyes locked on Ratsnout.

Ratsnout took a deep breath, wincing as the motion tugged at his wound.

Suppressing the rage that Morin had nearly ignited within him, he softened his expression as much as possible.

"My bad. I shouldn't have startled you from behind like that. It's my fault, really. No hard feelings."

"..."

Morin halted his retreat, looking puzzled at Ratsnout.

Seeing this, Ratsnout felt a glimmer of hope.

He truly harbored no ill will toward Morin. The earlier outburst had been nothing more than a bad habit cultivated over time.

But now that Morin had stopped retreating, it signaled an opportunity to turn the situation around.

If he could use this chance to befriend Morin, that would be ideal!

"I really mean it—no hard feelings. Look, this transformation isn't for attacking you; it's just to speed up my healing. That's all.

"Of course, I'm not saying this because I want you to feel guilty or anything.

"You had every right to shoot in that situation—anyone would have.

"So no, I'm not angry about it. Honestly, I'm more impressed by your skills.

"You know that feeling, right? The kind of admiration one feels for a truly strong individual.

"I think I'm starting to admire you, so I'd like to, uh, get to know you better—"

Ratsnout raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture, only to trail off when he realized Morin had disappeared down the alleyway before he could finish speaking.

A cold night breeze swept past, sending scraps of paper fluttering around Ratsnout's frozen expression.

So… the guy had stopped, not to hear him out, but to retrieve the flintlock pistols he had discarded earlier?

"Son of a—@%#*@#!"

Ratsnout was seething with a mix of anger and frustration.

I'm the one who's hurt!

Why are you the one running away?

Is it that hard to let me finish a sentence?!

Tatamu, who had somehow appeared at the bar's entrance, glanced at Ratsnout's unvented fury and asked, "Not chasing after him?"

"Chase my ass."

Ratsnout shot Tatamu a glare, exasperated beyond belief.

"That's not like you."

Tatamu tilted his head, puzzled.

Ratsnout let out a long sigh. "That guy's the one the Bull Pirates are looking for. You think I'd dare chase him? Even if he shoots me again, I'd have to just suck it up."

"..."

Tatamu fell silent.

He wanted to ask Ratsnout: If that's the case, did you really have to grovel so much just now?

After a moment's thought, he decided silence was the better option.

Ratsnout glanced at the bullet wound in his abdomen and gritted his teeth.

"But damn it, that guy's ruthless. Tatamu, do you know what he did? I just made a sound behind him, and he shot me in the forehead without a second thought!"

"..."

Tatamu nodded in agreement.

That level of ruthlessness was indeed rare.

But it was also precisely this kind of person who tended to survive the longest.

"Damn it, if my reflexes weren't sharp, I'd be dead by now."

The more Ratsnout thought about it, the more unsettled he felt.

"Forget it. Let's head back inside and keep drinking. Wait, hold on."

Ratsnout's eyes landed on the three pirate corpses on the ground.

A few seconds later, he rummaged through the bodies and retrieved a money pouch.

"Now that's more like it."

Tossing the pouch in his hand, Ratsnout exhaled a long breath, finally feeling some relief.

"You're getting more and more shameless, Rat."

A sudden female voice rang out in the alley.

Unlike Tatamu's girlish tone, this voice was mature and commanding.

Ratsnout shot up like a spring, staring in shock in the direction of the voice.

Meanwhile, Tatamu tensed, instantly adopting a combat-ready stance.

Neither of them had noticed there was a third person present until she spoke.

Following the direction of the voice, they saw a tall, slender woman clad in a hooded cloak that still accentuated her figure.

A long sword hung at her waist, and she exuded an overwhelming aura without even moving.

Tatamu, who had been in Mad Hat Town for years, had never seen anyone like her. His wariness heightened.

But Ratsnout's expression suggested he recognized her.

"You… what are you doing here?!"

"Since when do you get to decide that?" The woman's reply was sharp and dismissive.

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