Chapter 3

"Come out! You two brats—"

The next day, commotion echoed throughout the 'Pinta', and everyone received the captain's order to head to the deck.

This 'everyone' not only included the sailors of the ship but also a dozen or so paying 'guests' and the laborers Doflamingo and Rosswan.

"What happened?"

"Don't push me, I paid for this!"

Soon, sailors with dirty headscarves, guests in overcoats... everyone on the ship gathered on the deck.

"Gentlemen, I have an unfortunate announcement to make."

In front of the crowd was a man with a noble-style mustache, wearing a black top hat and holding a silver cane. When he spoke, his slightly raised head gave him an air of disdain.

This pretentious fellow was the captain of the ship.

Sir Klahowya!

A fallen noble who had to go to sea to earn money due to his family's decline.

"Our head chef, Dika, was unfortunately murdered last night."

The mustachioed noble slowly and calmly announced the incident on the ship, while casting a cold gaze over the crowd on the deck:

The boatswain, the navigator, several guests, other sailors...

Even the two children standing at the edge of the crowd were not spared.

"Someone was lying in wait in the kitchen. When poor Dika went to get a midnight snack, he was met with a fatal lead bullet!"

"Then his body was thrown out of the kitchen window and is now likely in the belly of some sea beast."

This information was deduced by the noble captain based on the 'clues' left in the kitchen. Although there were many suspicious points in this information, there was no doubt that Dika had been murdered.

The kitchen was just below the captain's cabin. If the murderer could silently kill Dika, he could also silently kill the captain!

Dika was just a servant.

How could his life be more important than the captain's and the revival of his family?

This world is full of sea beasts and fierce fish.

Once a body is thrown into the sea, it will be quickly devoured, making it the simplest way to dispose of evidence.

Hmph, someone on this ship wants to challenge his authority?

Unfortunately, Sir Klahowya is not Conan and would never think that the tall and strong head chef was actually killed by two unremarkable children.

While the noble captain was scrutinizing the crowd on the deck, one of the 'real culprits,' Rosswan, had a blank look in his eyes, thinking about the 'big events' of the year.

Year 1494 of the Sea Calendar~

Robin was just born? The Empress was born last year...

As for Doflamingo, it would be a miracle if he could see anything through his cracked sunglasses.

...

"This is impossible!"

The boatswain was the first to stand up. His head was shaved to a shiny baldness, and a thin shirt could not hide his exaggerated and explosive muscles.

"If Dika was really shot on the ship last night, how could none of us hear it?"

His words made many people nod subconsciously. Even if they were sleeping soundly, they would have heard a gunshot on the ship.

"Then,"

The gloomy noble captain stared intently at the bald boatswain,

"Tell me, how did Dika die?"

"Mr. Alec, you and Dika shared a room, you should know best."

?!

"Are you accusing me of killing Dika?"

The bald boatswain was taken aback, his hand instinctively falling to the hilt of his knife!

At the same time, the sailors beside him, though unclear about what was happening, also instinctively gripped the weapons on their belts.

Battle-axes, curved swords, flintlock pistols...

"Wait!"

Seeing the deck suddenly filled with the smell of gunpowder, even the dozens of 'guests' lifted their overcoats to reveal the weapons on their belts. The refined navigator, wearing a sleeveless vest and a bow tie, stepped forward.

"Alec, the captain didn't mean it that way."

"But you and Dika shared a room, you should know when he met his end, right?"

"I..."

Faced with this question, the bald boatswain's face contorted with anger.

As the strongest sailor on the ship, he had long-standing conflicts with Sir Klahowya.

He led the charge in battles and negotiations, but the noble captain, standing in the background, took half the profits from each voyage, which made the boatswain increasingly dissatisfied.

The head chef shared a room with the boatswain to 'monitor' him!

Everyone knew this.

So the bald boatswain had no fondness for Dika. As long as he didn't bother him, he didn't care where the fat pig went or what he did.

"I was asleep, how would I know?"

"Cough, the 'Blood Blade' Alec, who is rumored to kill in his sleep, says he was asleep..."

The refined navigator shook his head, making the boatswain's forehead veins bulge.

"I told you, I didn't—wait!"

The boatswain seemed to realize something, his eyes suddenly turning fierce.

"Could it be that you want to keep the 'cargo' for yourselves, and now you're accusing me of hiding Dika, that fat pig?!"

With a clang, the curved sword was drawn from his belt, and the boatswain's eyes turned red.

"I'm telling you, don't even think about it!!"

...

Faced with the boatswain's murderous intent, the noble captain and the refined navigator exchanged glances.

It seems it wasn't the reckless Alec, then—

Their gazes fell on the dozen or so 'guests,' becoming increasingly dangerous.

———

"Rosswan, our chance has come!"

In the cramped lower hold, Doflamingo, wearing sunglasses, clenched his fists excitedly.

"Using the Silence ability to assassinate people on the ship, inciting the three factions to fight each other, and then reaping the benefits?"

After hearing Rosswan's words, the thin boy nodded vigorously, realizing that the two were indeed 'brothers' with the same plan.

"I refuse!"

?!

Faced with Doflamingo's suddenly stiffened expression, Rosswan, leaning against the wall of the cramped hold, shook his head.

"I won't actively harm others, but I will defend myself from harm. — This is what my parents taught me."

One should not have the intention to harm others, but one must be cautious of others.

Of course, this was the teaching of his 'previous life' parents, and the common values of most people in the Heavenly Empire.

Last night, Doflamingo shot the fat head chef, and Rosswan naturally didn't say anything, as Doflamingo was saving him.

But to actively incite the people on the ship to fight each other, Rosswan was unwilling, even though this was where the power of the Devil Fruit could be fully utilized.

"..."

You haven't changed, Rosswan,"

Faced with Rosswan's refusal, Doflamingo showed little disappointment.

After all, this brother was as 'innocent' as his parents, and his behavior last night was the exception.

But he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by!

Because the fat head chef was silently killed, the ship was now divided into three factions: the captain, the navigator, and the boatswain, each facing off against the others.

The guests were roughly gathered together, each filled with resentment!

At this moment, just a spark could make the people on the ship turn on each other.

Pushing up his sunglasses, Doflamingo's mind raced with thoughts.

He wanted revenge,

Revenge on the commoners who had hurt him!

Revenge on the Celestial Dragons who had rejected his return!

And revenge required power, money, and manpower... starting with this ship!

———

"Do you have any leads?"

In the captain's cabin, the noble captain, the refined navigator, and the bald boatswain, who were supposed to be 'at odds' according to Doflamingo's plan, sat calmly together, each with a glass of wine in front of them.

"What leads could I have? Dika, that pig, lost his life over a midnight snack!"

In response to the captain's question, the bald boatswain slammed his wine glass on the table, half in anger and half in fear.

Dika died silently. If the killer had targeted him while he was asleep... dying in his sleep would be too miserable.

"Choosing to ambush in the kitchen suggests someone who knew Dika's habit of having midnight snacks. Regardless of the method used to kill Dika, it's likely one of our 'own people.'"

The refined navigator glanced at the boatswain and asked softly.

"Among the sailors, who do you think is the most likely?"

"Let me think... "

The boatswain rubbed his shiny scalp and frowned, but came up with nothing.

He had focused all his points on combat, and observing the subtle details of life was too difficult for him.

"Alright, I don't have any leads either."

The refined navigator shrugged, appearing very relaxed.

"I just read sea charts. Whether it's killing or investigating, it's not my specialty."

"..."

Alright, today's meeting is over. Be careful when you return."

As the noble captain slowly spoke, the other two naturally got up to leave. After the boatswain and navigator left, the noble captain brought his hand from under the table.

Under the table, a loaded flintlock pistol was hanging!

Glancing at the three glasses of wine that no one had touched, the noble captain's face was as hard as iron.

Who could it be?

———

'The captain has no reason to kill his own confidant, and Alec, that reckless man, also... No, maybe that guy was counting on us not suspecting him!'

Walking through the ship's corridor, the refined navigator rubbed his chin.

'If I think about it seriously, I am the most likely one to have killed Dika, as that pig took a share in our deal... But it wasn't me.'

This merchant ship was ostensibly transporting a special mineral from the Grand Line to the North Sea, but secretly it was smuggling a prohibited item called 'Explosive Rock.'

It was an explosive with a power hundreds or thousands of times greater than ordinary gunpowder, and a fingernail-sized piece could blow up a ship!

Of course, the Explosive Rock that had ended up on the 'Pinta' had already changed hands many times and been diluted, making it only a few times stronger than ordinary black gunpowder.

Even so, this 'second-hand' item was a 'power' that many North Sea strongmen coveted.

It was also the hope of the captain, 'Sir Klahowya,' to revive his family.

A single trip could earn millions of beli in profit!

Even if divided among a few people, it was enough for them to live extravagantly.

But... if one person could have it all, wouldn't that be even better?

The captain's savings were almost enough to buy a small town.

In other words:

'Dika, that fool, could have been killed by the captain himself!'

Thinking this, the refined navigator stopped, feeling an inexplicable sense of danger.

Perhaps the captain really intended to finish this job and return home to be a noble landowner...

"Sir,"

Just as the navigator was frowning in thought, a child blocked his path.

"Can I have a few minutes of your time?"

The boy with short blond hair looked up, his cracked sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"I have information about Mr. Dika's murder."

?!