Chapter 109: The Nickname Leech
When Hogkin reported this situation, he felt extremely indignant and aggrieved, because he had been pushed out by those who didn't run away to be the scapegoat.
The reason, of course, was that since Boss Ian only knew your name now, who else would go and report it if not you?
Having no choice, Hogkin had to steel himself and come before Ian to deliver this news. He was already prepared to face Ian's wrath.
After all, it made sense—his subordinates had just been shouting "Boss" and swearing loyalty, only to turn around and have so many run away. If it were Hogkin himself, he couldn't tolerate such betrayal either. Now this new boss Ian looked very young, and young people were more prone to impulsiveness. He was probably about to bear the brunt of Ian's anger...
However, what Hogkin never expected was that upon hearing the news, Ian, who was sitting on the sofa eating, only let out an "Oh."
He didn't seem surprised at all...
Hogkin thought he had misseen it and rubbed his eyes vigorously, only to find that Ian really did look completely unconcerned. At this point, even Hogkin couldn't figure out what Ian was thinking.
"If they ran, they ran!" Ian finished eating, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and then spoke: "I never expected many people to stay in the first place!"
Yes, from the very beginning when he took over these people, Ian was well aware that many of them harbored other intentions.
This was mainly due to Ian's own reasons. First of all, he looked too young, and these nominal subordinates of his—any one of them who stepped forward was older than him. For example, Hogkin was a man in his thirties, yet this young man Ian had somehow become their new boss. This naturally made some people feel awkward and uncomfortable.
Secondly, there was the issue of reputation. If Ian were a pirate, then as long as his bounty was high enough, these people would obey him out of respect for that bounty. But the problem was that Ian wasn't a pirate. His identity as a pirate hunter meant he currently had no bounty at all. His reputation was only relatively well-known in the East Blue and couldn't reach Sabaody Archipelago here.
Perhaps Ian was very strong, but this strength, lacking a matching reputation, couldn't leave a deep impression on these people. What he said about capturing major pirates with bounties in the tens of millions was seen by many as bragging.
Add to that the fact that as soon as Ian arrived, he vetoed the two businesses of kidnapping and human trafficking, which made some people feel that following Ian wouldn't make them any money. So once they were out of the building and no longer in life-threatening danger, running away was only natural.
Ian had vaguely anticipated this, which was why he remained unmoved by the news Hogkin brought.
Not only that, but he actually felt that these people running away was better. If his subordinates gathered intelligence on pirates, then when Ian captured them, the bounty naturally couldn't be kept all to himself—he would have to share some with his men. Of course, he didn't plan to give out too much. This way, with the same total amount of money, fewer people meant those who stayed would get a larger share, making it easier to win their loyalty.
Carrot and stick was the principle. Ian had never regarded these people as true subordinates; he was only using them to gather intelligence for him. Since it was all about using them, why should he be angry?
Ian didn't plan to bother with those who had run away. However, for those who stayed—regardless of their intentions, whether they had nowhere else to go or just wanted to wait and see—Ian still intended to win them over a little. So he said to Hogkin: "Since you came back to report this news, that's good. From now on, you'll lead the remaining members!"
Hogkin felt a surge of joy in his heart, knowing this meant he would be given the second-in-command position of the family. He quickly pledged his loyalty: "Yes, Boss Ian! I will work hard to serve you from now on!"
Ian nodded and asked: "Have the men been sent out?"
"They've been sent out!" Hogkin replied. "It won't be long before they bring back intelligence on all the pirates currently staying on Sabaody Archipelago. Don't worry!"
Rats have their ways, snakes have theirs. These so-called bounty hunter families, though they were just a bunch of thugs, were still the local snakes of Sabaody Archipelago. They always had their own methods to obtain this kind of intelligence, which was much better than Ian wandering around the island alone.
That night passed without incident. The next day, the repair materials Hogkin had ordered arrived first.
Actually, Hogkin had originally wanted to hire someone to fix the house directly, but unfortunately, this was the lawless zone, and repair craftsmen were unwilling to come here. So Hogkin had to settle for the next best option—buying a large amount of materials and doing the repairs himself.
Since the house needed repairs, this base was temporarily uninhabitable. Ian moved a chair outside to sit, with Lorraine and Elaina accompanying him, watching as Hogkin led a few people with hammers, banging and starting to smash the walls.
The noise was chaotic, almost unbearable. Fortunately, at that moment, the scouts who had been sent out began to return one by one, giving Ian something to do.
A table was brought out, piled with wanted posters and the corresponding intelligence gathered by Ian's men. A member of the Ian Family, nicknamed Lame, was explaining things to Ian.
"Boss, we have limited manpower, so for now we've only investigated the nearby hotel area and amusement park area. Red Trees 70 to 79 are the hotel district, and Red Trees 30 to 39 are the amusement park district. These two areas are where pirates frequent the most. However, in recent days, it seems no pirates with bounties over 100 million have landed on the island."
"Oh, then who's the one with the highest bounty you've found?" Ian asked.
"It's the Flaying Pirates!" Lame said. "Their captain is Burton Lucius, nicknamed 'The Leech.' He's a very cruel guy, currently with a bounty of 86 million Berries!"
Ian picked up the wanted poster for Burton Lucius and saw a man with a gentle smile and refined demeanor, with a neatly trimmed mustache on his upper lip.
"This guy's nickname is Leech? Are you sure there's no mistake?" Ian asked in surprise.
Lame said with a panicked expression: "No mistake, Boss Ian! Don't let his noble appearance fool you—this guy is truly cruel. His favorite torture is flaying people and hanging them on crosses. As soon as he landed on the island, all the bounty hunter groups on Sabaody got the news, but not a single one dared to target him."
"Are any of his subordinates wanted?" Ian asked.
"No, they're not," Lame shook his head. "He's the most famous one in this crew."
"Alright, then he's the one. Where is he?" Ian nodded.
"Boss Ian, are you really sure you want to capture him?" Lame asked uneasily. "This guy is a Devil Fruit user!"
"Don't worry about that," Ian said. "Just tell me his situation!"
Lame looked conflicted but still nodded and said: "Burton Lucius is a Paper-Paper Fruit user. It's said his body can turn into countless pieces of paper! The family brothers have found out that he's been staying in the hotel district for the past few days, apparently waiting for his ship's coating to be finished before heading to the New World."
"Is someone watching him in the hotel district?" Ian asked.
"Yes," Lame nodded, then took out a small Den Den Mushi and handed it to Ian, saying: "Since you've decided to capture him, Boss, use this Den Den Mushi to gather the family's men."
"You dare to join the fight?" Ian looked at Lame with a half-smile.
"I... we..." Lame stammered, unable to speak.
"Forget it," Ian said, not expecting anything from these people. He waved his hand and said: "You can just stand by and watch. After I capture Lucius, you can come over and help."
Ian didn't take the small Den Den Mushi either. He picked up his Enma sword, put on his hat, and said to Hogkin: "Watch the house!"
Hogkin and the others quickly responded, then watched as Ian left, with Lame limping along behind him.
"Do you think the boss can really capture such a powerful pirate?"
After Ian left, a thug repairing the house asked.
"Who knows," Hogkin shook his head. "If he really wins, then our Ian... Family might truly rise. But if he fails, we might have to change bosses again..."
Lorraine and Elaina also looked worriedly at Ian's retreating figure. Perhaps they were the ones who truly cared about Ian.