Chapter 77 – Shadows of Surveillance
The plaza emptied slowly after Arthur's small display of power.
The Marines who hadn't fainted scrambled back in shame, dragging their unconscious comrades with them. They didn't dare look back at the silver-haired pirate who had felled them with nothing but his presence.
Citizens whispered in corners, eyes wide. Hope and fear tangled in equal measure. Some wanted to cheer, others to hide. In Cleaica, rebellion wasn't just dangerous — it was suicidal.
But one thing was certain: news of this incident would spread like wildfire.
---
Back at the Tavern
The Silverhair Pirates regrouped at a modest tavern tucked away in the lower district.
The smell of baked bread and fish stew filled the air, but most of the crew ignored the food. Their minds were elsewhere.
Lisa spread her maps across the table, candlelight flickering over the inked lines. "We've barely been here a day, and already the city's bracing. Patrol numbers doubled since we docked. Ships in the harbor are sealing exits."
Rus scratched at his jaw, the wooden chair creaking under his bulk. "Feels like we walked into a spider's web."
"Feels like?" Rio said, leaning back with his boots on the table. "No, we definitely walked into one. You don't get this many Marines in one city for free."
Hiroshi crossed his arms, his sword propped against the wall. "They'll know who we are soon. The question is whether we stay long enough to let that matter."
Arthur sat quietly through the discussion, sipping water instead of wine. His gaze drifted toward Leo, who sat apart near the window, his guitar resting across his lap. The young musician had followed them almost without words, his expression unreadable.
Finally, Arthur spoke. "Leo Von Seo."
The boy stiffened at the sound of his name. "...You know me."
Arthur's lips curved faintly. "Enough to recognize that your songs aren't just for coins. They're messages. Codes."
The room went silent.
Leo's fingers tightened on his guitar strings. His eyes flicked across the crew, gauging whether this was mockery, suspicion, or something else.
Arthur's voice remained calm. "Your rhythm in the plaza carried the pulse of resistance. A march hidden in melody. It wasn't meant to entertain. It was meant to remind."
Surv leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "So he's not just some street player…"
Leo exhaled slowly. "My father was executed for saying the King was nothing but a Celestial Dragon's dog. My family imprisoned for refusing to pay tribute. If music is all I have left to fight with… then I'll fight with it."
There was no trembling in his voice now, only a quiet steel.
Arthur set down his glass. "Then let me ask you plainly. What do you want?"
Leo hesitated, then met Arthur's silver gaze head-on. "I want my family freed. I want this kingdom to breathe again. But…" He clenched his fists. "I don't know if you're saviors or devils who'll burn it all down."
For a heartbeat, the room held its breath.
Then Alex chuckled dryly, cleaning the scope of his rifle. "You're not wrong. We are pirates."
"Yeah," Surv added with a crooked grin. "We steal, we fight, we cause trouble. But we don't kneel to tyrants."
Lisa's expression softened. "Leo, you saw it yourself. Arthur didn't cut down those Marines because he wanted to kill. He stopped them because they were crushing people who couldn't fight back."
Arthur leaned back in his chair. "I'm not here to save kingdoms for the sake of glory. But if tyranny stands in my way, I'll cut it down. If you join us, you'll have your family. That's my promise."
Leo searched his face, trying to pierce through calm words for lies. But all he found was certainty.
Finally, he nodded. "Then I'll follow your lead."
Arthur smiled faintly. "Good. Then we'll begin by watching the enemy who's already watching us."
---
That night, the crew split into pairs to scout.
Lisa and Surv walked through the merchant quarter, pretending to haggle at stalls while subtly mapping guard rotations. Rus wandered near the docks, his size drawing attention while his sharp eyes counted cannon placements. Alex and Rio took rooftops, their scopes gleaming as they tracked suspicious movements.
Arthur, Hiroshi, and Leo moved through the shadowed alleys of the noble district.
It didn't take long to notice the difference between Marines and something else.
Marines walked openly, rifles in hand, boots loud on cobblestone. But here, figures cloaked in dark suits slipped through crowds silently, their movements too precise, their eyes too sharp.
Arthur's Observation Haki brushed against them like faint blades in the dark.
"CP agents," Hiroshi muttered, hand on his sword.
Leo's grip tightened on his guitar. "They're the ones who take children from villages. The King lets them. Says it's for 'security.' But we all know it's leverage — keep the parents quiet, keep the people broken."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "They're here because of the Celestial Dragon."
As if on cue, a procession rolled down the street. A gilded carriage, drawn by white horses, surrounded by Marines in tight formation.
Citizens dropped to their knees instantly, eyes to the ground. Not a soul dared to look up.
Leo's jaw clenched. "Tomorrow. That's when he arrives."
Arthur's silver hair caught the lamplight as he studied the carriage with calm intensity. "Then tomorrow, this kingdom's mask will shatter."
---
As the carriage passed, one of the suited agents broke formation, stepping lightly into the shadows where Arthur's group stood.
A tall man, sharp-faced, his black coat tailored like a blade. His eyes, cold and calculating, lingered on Arthur.
"You carry yourself boldly… pirate," he said in a voice as smooth as glass. "Too boldly for one who wishes to remain unseen."
Hiroshi shifted slightly, his hand brushing his sword.
Arthur didn't move. His gaze met the man's evenly. "And you hide yourself poorly for one who thinks himself invisible."
The agent's lips curved into a thin smile. "Clever tongue. But know this — Cleaica is not yours to stir. The World Government watches. Even light cannot slip past its eyes."
Arthur tilted his head faintly. "Light, hm?"
For a heartbeat, silence stretched. Then the agent stepped back into the crowd, vanishing as if he'd never existed.
Leo shivered. "Who… who was that?"
"Not a Marine," Arthur murmured. His tone held weight. "That was Cipher Pol."
---
Returning to the Tavern
When the crew regrouped, tension simmered. Each group had seen the same thing: Marines tightening, CP agents lurking, citizens shrinking further into silence.
"It's a powder keg," Surv said grimly, sparks flickering at her fingertips. "They're squeezing the people so tight, it's going to explode. Question is — do we light the fuse, or do they?"
Arthur stood at the head of the table, his silver hair catching the lantern glow. "We don't need to light it. The Celestial Dragon will. Tomorrow, when he arrives for tribute, his arrogance will break what's left of the people's patience."
Lisa's eyes flicked to him. "And us?"
Arthur's gaze swept the crew. "We'll be there. In the shadows, in the open, wherever the chains are weakest. And when they snap, we'll be the storm that drowns the rest."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Hiroshi smirked faintly, resting a hand on his sword. "About time."
Leo's heart pounded as he listened. For years, he'd played songs of rebellion in secret, praying for someone — anyone — to answer them. And now, here sat a crew of pirates who spoke of toppling kings and standing against dragons as if it were simply another day's work.
For the first time in his life, he believed it might actually happen.
---
Closing Scene
Outside the tavern, unseen by the crew, two CP9 agents lingered in the rooftops' shadows.
One adjusted his black gloves, eyes cold. "They've already disturbed the balance. Tomorrow, we remove them."
The other smirked. "And if the Admiral arrives early?"
A pause. Then a whisper, soft as a blade unsheathing:
"Then Cleaica becomes a grave."
---