novelraw Chapter 70: Bounty
Chapter 70: Bounty
Murder—a simple word that echoed through everyone's minds like the tolling of a bell.
They all turned their gaze back to the images projected by the film reel.
How was this possible!
On a ship completely covered by Black Sludge, someone actually dared to commit murder? Someone was capable of doing so?
The bespectacled man swallowed hard. At Pelu's reminder, he too noticed this detail:
"It wasn't the Blackfin Crew. In the footage from the Navigator's Eye, the bald man responsible for liaising with the Blackfin Crew also died. Besides, the Blackfin Crew had no reason to attack us.
To dare strike against our boss while under siege by both the Coastal Apex Predators and Black Sludge—they must be at least a third-tier expert.
Could it have been the Abyssal Merchant?"
Pelu rested her chin on her hand, reviewing the footage repeatedly.
"Not the Abyssal Merchant. Despite the storm, there was still daylight. The Abyssal Merchant never appears during daytime."Pelu had once been captured by the Abyssal Merchant during an interview, flailing desperately in the water.
She'd only barely survived thanks to her camera's flash.
Thus, she could confirm the perpetrator wasn't the Abyssal Merchant.
The fleeting shadow in the footage was likely the killer.
After reviewing it three more times, Pelu remarked:
"To dare attack an ironclad ship on the open sea with both Coastal Apex Predators and Black Sludge present... that's truly a monster."
Suddenly, Pelu realized something.
Her intuition told her the assailant possessed some special technique that made them immune to attacks from both Black Sludge and Coastal Apex Predators.
"How fascinating! The Black Rabbit Gang, attempting to ally with the Blackfin Crew, gets slaughtered by an unidentified sea monster during their maiden voyage. Now that's newsworthy."
Pelu began writing, transcribing details from the footage onto her draft.
After three days of chasing leads, she'd finally found some interesting material!
When the Abyssal Merchant first appeared, people had mistaken it for an ordinary boatman.
This new monster might become as infamous as the Abyssal Merchant.
And her report would likely be the first to document this mysterious entity!
The bespectacled man's lips twitched. He suddenly recalled the Black Rabbit Gang's first business venture—could that chef have hired someone?
He debated whether to mention their plan to rob the chef.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. What first-tier chef could afford to hire a third-tier transcendent?
Confessing would only tarnish their reputation and add to their crimes.
Pelu snapped a few photos with her camera before preparing to leave.
The bespectacled man swallowed again—this jinx was finally leaving:
"Miss Pelu, farewell. I'm your fan. May I ask when this article will be published?"
The Black Rabbit Gang needed to transfer their assets, dispose of all slaves in the basement, and flee before publication.
"Hmm?"
Pelu turned back with an amused smile:
"You didn't actually think you'd walk out of this meeting room normally after seeing me, did you?
Let me share some breaking news—after reorganization, the navy plans to execute a batch of recent pirate recruits to curb rising piracy.
Care to guess who's on that list?"
Every gang member present felt their hearts stop.
With that, Pelu pushed open the conference room doors.
Outside stood civilians wanting to thank her.
Alongside them were ten law enforcement officers in heavy steam-powered armor.
As steel boots clanked into the room, gang members drew their weapons.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Pelu casually picked her ear.
Uninterested in the shootout, she signed autographs for her admirers before heading toward the White Pigeon Press.
All she wanted now was to finish her work, take a nap, then enjoy a delicious meal.
...
...
At dusk.
Gentle waves lapped against the shore with a soothing rhythm.
Outside the small houseboat by the harbor hung a "Closed" sign.
Chen Qi sat inside, examining the Ice Demon Pirates' nautical charts while planning his next destination.
Sinking an ironclad ship single-handedly was no small matter.
For safety's sake, he needed to leave Moonstone City temporarily.
Lie low until things cooled down, he thought.
Just then, urgent knocking sounded at his door.
"Open up! Boss! Don't you want to make money? Time to open shop!"
That lively, confident voice... Chen Qi put away the charts and opened the door.
Outside stood a golden-haired woman smiling at him.
"What is it, Miss Pelu?"
"My dear fan, you finally opened the door!"
The self-assured Pelu strode in with a fresh newspaper, casually taking a seat at the dining table.
"?"
Chen Qi looked puzzled.
Since when had he become her fan?
While Pelu did have many diehard fans in Moonstone City, he certainly wasn't one of them.
As if reading his mind, Pelu crossed her legs:
"I'll have some Moonlight Fish. And let me guess—you're wondering when you became my fan?"
"When exactly?"
Chen Qi was baffled.
If she wanted Moonlight Fish, he'd have to buy some at premium prices from neighboring ships.
Still, Pelu's visit wasn't unwelcome.
He could ask her about any D-class dimensional rift intel.
Pelu handed him the latest White Pigeon Times.
Chen Qi accepted it.
Today's edition covered how the navy's three admirals planned to reclaim coastal waters and dimensional rift dominance while increasing bounties.
It also reported on gang activities.
Three gangs—Moonstone City's Wild Dog Gang, Black Rabbit Gang, and Dice Gang—had been wiped out for collaborating with pirates.
The Black Rabbit Gang... Chen Qi maintained his composure while reading on.
The entire Black Rabbit Gang had been captured, many facing execution.
In Beiguo, executed prisoners traditionally became test subjects.
Soon, one headline caught his eye:
#New Deep Sea Monster Emerges During Dimensional Tide, Bloodily Massacres Black Rabbit Gang in Storm#
Accompanying it was a photo of Coastal Apex Predators.
"???"
That monster wouldn't be me, would it... Chen Qi scanned the article rapidly.
It described the Black Rabbit's demise, with speculation that a new 'Abyssal Merchant'-level monster had appeared.
This exceptionally powerful creature had ignored both Black Sludge and Coastal Apex Predators to kill the Black Rabbit Gang's leader.
"......"
Chen Qi was mildly shocked.
He'd made the papers.
Though his face wasn't shown, there was no doubt—he was the protagonist of this story.
In Pelu's words, he'd been portrayed as a bloodthirsty monster.
Numerous possibilities occurred to him.
The White Pigeon Times might attract nosy detectives who'd try identifying him from the photos.
What a hassle... Chen Qi rubbed his forehead.
His first newspaper feature in this world, and it had to be like this.
"Wait!"
Chen Qi noticed strange numbers and photos on the back page.
"Wild Dog Gang leader 'Wild Dog,' joined Blackfin Crew, organized underground boxing clubs—1,000,000 Shell Coin bounty."
"Blood Blade Pirates' new female recruit, identity unknown—3,000,000 Shell Coin bounty."
"Unidentified genderless black shadow massacred fifty on Black Rabbit—5,000,000 Shell Coin bounty!"
Beneath this last entry was a blurry image of his silhouette aboard the Black Rabbit.
"?"
Why? Chen Qi was stunned.
How could he get a bounty just for showing a shadow?
Who could possibly be identified from that fleeting glimpse?
Half a million for a damn shadow?!
Chen Qi massaged his temples.
The navy's logic eluded him.
Did they assign bounties by throwing darts blindfolded?
He just hoped nobody would actually hunt for people matching that shadow.
What the shadow did has nothing to do with me.
Pelu explained from her seat:
"To combat piracy, Beiguo decided to increase all bounties and partnered with us at White Pigeon Press. We're launching a new Bounty Times—this is the preview.
By the way, providing tips can earn rewards too."
"Is that so? Wonder if I could claim any bounties."
Chen Qi chuckled while continuing to read.
Besides the Four Pirate Emperors, the list included notorious coastal figures: Granny, Captain Blackeye, Magic Bullet Shooter, Butcher, etc.
One new name stood out:
The Flower Witch. Though not inherently dangerous at sea nor hostile toward civilians, her historical significance warranted a "20,000,000 Shell Coin bounty" for capture or delivery to naval headquarters.
Merely providing her whereabouts earned 500,000 Shell Coins.
Moreover, White Pigeon Press offered an additional 1,000,000 Shell Coins for exclusive tips.
The Flower Witch is worth a fortune... Chen Qi marveled, feeling tempted.
Seeing Chen Qi finish reading, Pelu smiled:
"No need to thank me—this is work stuff. Just treat me to some Moonlight Fish."
"?"
Then it hit him.
Previously, the Black Rabbit Gang had threatened him over hunting grounds.
While he viewed himself as solely resolving the Black Rabbit crisis, in Pelu's eyes, she'd taken down the gang through reporting!
The boss lady had effortlessly protected her chef fan from gang threats!
"Thank you, Miss Pelu. No problem—I'll prepare an exceptional Moonlight Fish feast."
Pelu tilted her head, touching her nose. She felt she'd gained another fan:
"No big deal—just work stuff. If you really want to thank someone, thank the Coastal Apex Predators or that mysterious shadow who attacked the Black Rabbit."
The Coastal Apex Predators did deserve gratitude.
"Thank them too."
Chen Qi smiled, purchasing a premium Moonlight Fish from a neighboring ship for 5,000 Shell Coins.
Perfect timing—he hadn't eaten dinner yet.
[Cooking Moonlight Fish: +100 Spirit Points.]
Soon, aromatic scallion-oil Moonlight Fish was ready.
Chen Qi served it.
"So fragrant!! This season absolutely demands Moonlight Fish!"
Blushing slightly, Pelu excitedly speared a bite, savoring the flavor.
The rich taste exploded across her palate.
Just as she'd imagined—perfectly showcasing the fish's exquisite texture!
"By the way, Miss Pelu, any updates on the Flower Witch investigation?"
Chen Qi asked.
Having recently mastered both Breathing Technique and Body Forging Technique, he now qualified for D-class rift exploration.
With his current need to lay low plus the Pale Scale Fruit from White Tree Shallows requiring a skilled alchemist, he wanted to locate her before she became embroiled in major events.
Once that happened, finding her amid pursuers would be impossible.
"I knew you'd be interested in the Flower Witch."
Pelu smiled mysteriously:
"Her whereabouts are extremely secretive—she has unique concealment methods that foiled my tracking attempts multiple times. This is White Pigeon Times' confidential intel—not for sharing."
"......"
Chen Qi looked skeptical.
Since when could she keep secrets?
The navy and gangs distrusted Pelu precisely because she couldn't keep her mouth shut!
You didn't need to ask her directly—she'd volunteer information unprompted.
Why aren't you begging me to continue? Pelu gripped her utensils with a meaningful expression:
"Though my boss explicitly forbade leaking this, I, Pelu, love defying orders. Can't help my personality."
"Actually... telling you wouldn't hurt."
"After all, I'm White Pigeon Times' star reporter. If even I don't know the Flower Witch's whereabouts, nobody does."