Chapter 263: The Crime of Possessing a Treasure
Ian wasn't stupid. With a bit of thought, he immediately grasped the key issue and couldn't help but rest his arm on the table, rubbing his brow.
This King Valoa was quite cautious and careful.
What should he do now? Ian's mind raced quickly. In truth, it didn't need to be this troublesome. With his and Fujitora's strength, they could have simply led the Dragon Hunter Pirates straight into the palace, overthrown King Valoa. The tyrant's atrocities on this island had already ignited the people's fury; overthrowing him would likely earn Ian the support of the entire island's residents.
But... overthrowing him alone was simple. Ian's current goal, however, was also to obtain the Thunder Stone refining technology. Valoa would certainly keep such technology a secret. Ian had considered sneaking into the smelting plant to take a look, but he figured he wouldn't be able to steal anything. When it came to smelting, a single key catalyst formula stored in someone's mind was enough to make theft impossible.
So, the safest approach was still to find a way to get close to Valoa and then seize the opportunity to strike.
With that in mind, Ian made his decision. He put away the money from the chest in front of him and said to Harbs, "Alright, since I can take the money without doing any work, that's the best outcome!"
Seeing Ian accept the money, Harbs couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. But just then, Ian suddenly added, "However, our pirate crew will be staying on this island for a while. If there's anything you need, feel free to come find me!"
Harbs's heart sank. He had offered the money hoping the Dragon Hunter Pirates would leave, but Ian's intention to stay caught him off guard.
Still, he couldn't say anything about it. He certainly didn't dare to outright ask the Dragon Hunter Pirates to leave. So, with a troubled heart, he left to report back to Valoa.
After Harbs left, the pirate captains in the tavern quickly departed as well, dragging along their unconscious subordinates. The Dragon Hunter Pirates staying on the island was a major headache; they had to go back and warn their crews not to provoke them.
Once only Ian and his crew remained in the tavern, Fujitora quietly asked Ian, "Captain, what's your plan?"
Fujitora understood Ian's intentions, but faced with this rejection, he was also at a loss, unsure of how to proceed.
However, Ian's mind was quick, and he smiled, saying, "That Valoa doesn't want us involved, right? But things always have unexpected twists. For instance, what if the rebel miners suddenly become much stronger and beat those pirate crews into submission? Or what if those pirate crews, fearing for their lives, all decide to leave this island?"
"You mean..." Fujitora immediately caught on, a smile spreading across his face.
"Yeah, right now he's unwilling to deal with us because he still has those pirate forces backing him up," Ian said. "So let's just cut off his support at the root—drive those pirate crews off this island. Then he'll have no choice but to turn to us!"
Fujitora nodded in agreement. Since becoming a wanted pirate, Fujitora had found his place as the first mate of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, always aligning with Ian's ideas.
After spending so much time together, Fujitora understood that Ian was different from true pirates. In a sense, they were like-minded companions.
"Then we should contact the rebel miners here as soon as possible," Fujitora said. "They must have a leader."
"That's what I'm thinking. I need to meet them," Ian replied. "Hopefully, Konenai and Walnut can successfully get in touch with them."
After their discussion, Ian and his crew truly began to rest on the island. Perhaps Valoa's massacre of the miners had taken effect, or maybe the arrival of two major pirates like Ian and Fujitora had made the other crews more cautious. Over the next couple of days, the island temporarily returned to calm, and the townspeople gradually reopened their shops.
Three nights later, Konenai quietly returned, bringing Walnut and Yardy with her.
Seeing familiar faces again lifted everyone's spirits. After exchanging stories about what had happened since they parted ways at Mary Geoise, they quickly got down to business.
Konenai's guess had been correct. Walnut and Yardy, who had been waiting for Ian in the city, had indeed managed to contact the local miner organization. On the night of the massacre, when they saw pirates looting and killing in the city, they stepped in out of righteous anger and killed some pirates. Using her Silent-Silent Fruit ability, Walnut successfully helped a group of rebels escape the city, earning their trust and being brought before the rebel leader.
For the past few days, Walnut and Yardy had been staying at the rebel hideout until Konenai found them and brought them to Ian.
"Your Dragon Hunter Pirates landing on this island is already all over the island," Yardy, the boy with an adult face, said, scratching his head. "The rebels are wary of you, afraid that King Valoa might hire you to fight against them. If you could meet with them and ease their concerns, that would be perfect."
"Then let's arrange a meeting. I need their cooperation too," Ian said.
Walnut and Yardy didn't stay long and soon returned to the rebel hideout, carrying Ian's request for a meeting. If all went well, they would get a response soon.
However, since the Dragon Hunter Pirates were under close watch on the island, any move Ian made would easily attract attention. King Valoa, if he were cautious enough, might even assign people to tail Ian and monitor his every move.
So, in the end, it was the rebels who sent someone to meet Ian at the inn the following night.
This method of meeting was likely because the rebels didn't fully trust Ian either. After all, he was still a pirate, and in this world, people generally had little faith in pirates.
The rebel contact slipped in through the back door of the inn, shielded by Walnut's Silent-Silent Fruit ability, ensuring absolute stealth. Meanwhile, the Dragon Hunter Pirates' members were drinking and making noise in the inn, drawing plenty of attention. Ian quietly slipped away from the group and went to the second floor to meet the visitor.
In the room, Walnut set up a soundproof barrier, ensuring no sound could escape. Only then did the man they brought in remove his hood, revealing a weathered face.
He was a middle-aged man with an air of charisma and charm. He studied Ian for a moment, surprised by his youth, but remained composed and said, "So you're Ian, I presume? Forgive my bluntness, but why would a major pirate want to contact us?"
"Mutual benefit," Ian replied, seeing at once that this man was likely an important figure in the rebel group. He didn't beat around the bush. "You want to overthrow Valoa's tyranny. As for me, I want to obtain the Thunder Stone refining technology."
Hearing this, the man's face darkened. "A pirate is a pirate. Truly untrustworthy. So even you have your eyes on the Thunder Stone?"
Ian wasn't offended. "Trust me, the Thunder Stone isn't something you can handle. If I'm not mistaken, Valoa's trading partner is the World Government. Even if you overthrow Valoa, the World Government won't necessarily trade with you. In fact, they might force you to join the World Government's allied nations and then legitimately seize the Thunder Stone on this island."
Spreading his hands, Ian shrugged. "So, even if you get the refining technology from Valoa, you won't be able to protect the secret. You simply don't have the strength."
That was Ian's point. The World Government traded with Valoa because he might be the only one who knew the refining technology, and as a pirate, Valoa could easily flee if things went wrong. Unless the Marines could capture him, they would never get their hands on the technology.
But the rebels were different. They were just ordinary people. Even if they overthrew Valoa and seized control of the country, a small nation of just over 200,000 people wouldn't be taken seriously by the World Government. Instead of trading, they might face an attack from Marine warships!
As an energy ore, even if the Thunder Stone wasn't part of the PX project, the World Government wouldn't let it fall into the hands of a small country. And could the rebels abandon their homeland and flee?
However, if the refining technology passed from one pirate to another, the situation would be different...
The man understood what Ian was saying, but he still couldn't accept it. "We won't let more people know about this refining technology. Only a few of us at the top will hold onto it."
Ian smiled faintly. "You might not know this, but the World Government has an organization called Cipher Pol."
Hearing this, the man's expression shifted dramatically. But Ian pressed on. "Even if only you alone know the secret, you must have a family, right? If the World Government threatens your family to force you to hand over the technology, do you have the strength to protect them?"
The more Ian spoke, the darker the man's face became. He knew such a scenario was entirely possible.
"The crime of possessing a treasure—you understand that principle," Ian said. "So the best solution is for us to cooperate. I'll help you overthrow Valoa's rule, and you'll help me obtain the refining technology. Then, you mine the ore and sell it to me. I'll refine the Thunder Stone and trade it with the World Government."
This was the best plan Ian could come up with. He knew that since the rebels were aware of the Thunder Stone's existence, they would want to get the refining technology from Valoa. The island's gem mines were depleted, and they needed a new source of income. On this point, Ian and the rebels had a conflict of interest. But just as the rebels would struggle to protect the secret of the refining technology, Ian also had his own difficulties. Even if he obtained the technology, he would still need the island's miners to extract the ore. He couldn't do it alone. In his view, after overthrowing Valoa, the miners would still need jobs to support their families. So, the two sides could benefit each other.