C19 Rogue Town

"Hey, Navy bro, since Lieutenant Garp's already left, how about you just settle the Blood Wolf Pirates' bounty for me now? It'd save me another trip, right?"

Esaki shifted his gaze back to Rega with a smile.

"Where am I supposed to get the money to pay you? You need to go to the branch office for that."

Rega glared at him, clearly annoyed.

He hadn't expected a renowned Pirate Hunter to act like a bum.

"Fine, but which branch are you with, Navy bro?"

"Logue Town. Why do you ask?"

"Perfect, I'm headed there myself. Let's travel together," Esaki said, his smile broadening.

Truth be told, he had another motive – he was hoping to score a free meal from the navy. Days of dry rations at sea had left him nauseated.

"Suit yourself."

Rega, now somewhat accustomed to Esaki's shamelessness, responded coolly and turned to his men, "Move out!"

"Heh heh..."

Esaki chuckled, squinting his eyes with amusement. He instructed Gaimon to transfer the corpses with bounties to his ship, then followed the navy group.

Over the last five days, he had hunted down five pirate crews, averaging one per day. These bounties had netted him a cool 20 million Belly.

Half of that, 10 million Belly, went into boosting the Australovenator's speed, making it significantly faster.

Yet, its power remained the same, still on par with a Brigadier General.

The other 10 million Belly were invested in enhancing the Wukongopterus.

The Wukongopterus, part of the air force, was incredibly useful, usually soaring high as a reconnaissance scout.

Its attributes had undergone a substantial transformation.

Name: Wukongopterus

Type: Pterosaur

Abilities: Super Vision (clear sight up to ten thousand meters), Subsonic Flight (flies at half the speed of sound), Razor Claws (exceptionally sharp)

Strength: Captain at the Naval Headquarters!

Apart from its formidable presence, every other aspect had been upgraded with the 10 million Belly, including its size, now a meter long with a two-meter wingspan.

The gains from the past few days had been impressive.

"Once we get to Logue Town, I've got to find a chef. I can't keep living like this."

Esaki stood at the bow of the ship, muttering to himself. He wasn't the kind of pirate hunter who would remain anchored to one spot. The future held long stretches at sea, which meant a chef was essential.

Over the next period, he shadowed the naval warship until it reached Logue Town.

...

At the Naval Headquarters.

"Thanks a lot, Colonel Rega." Esaki grinned, eyeing the box of Belly with satisfaction.

"Hmph!" Colonel Rega snorted, clearly irritated by the ungrateful man. "I'm heading out."

With a smile, he strode toward the exit. Outside, an imposing Australovenator stood, its massive and menacing frame radiating a formidable presence, its vertical green pupils glowing softly.

A crowd had gathered, marveling and pointing at the creature. "It's enormous. Looks like it's been raised by people."

"That maw could probably swallow me in one gulp."

"A dinosaur, a fierce beast, right here in our midst."

Most were locals from Logue Town, and the presence of the naval base meant they harbored no fear of danger.

"Out of the way!" A harsh voice cut through the chatter.

All eyes turned to see a lean, fierce-looking young man in a garish green outfit pushing through the crowd, clearing a path for himself.