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They walked on the sea for half a day, but Larson and the others didn't even see the shadow of Yerug Island.
Larson wondered, "Is this guy playing tricks on us?"
Rayleigh's face was ashen, and he said nothing.
No one would look good after going to four wrong places in one day.
In the distance, Whitebeard and Roger were still playing chess. They didn't care about the situation at this time.
It seemed that, due to the lack of entertainment in the pirate world, Roger had developed a strong interest in the simple yet intriguing game of backgammon.
Larson, Rayleigh, and Gaban—three of the highest-ranking people in the Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates—sat in their chairs. Marco, Thatch, and Shanks, along with the crews of the Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates, stood on either side of them.
With an ugly expression, Larson looked at Gangplank in the distance. "Bring that guy over to me."
"Yes!"
Gangplank left.
Soon, Jim, who was visibly confused, was brought to Larson.
"You—what do you want with me?" Jim asked, sensing that something was off about the atmosphere.
Marco and the others looked at him with sneers, and Jim began to feel uneasy. "I didn't run away!" he blurted out, feeling the pressure mounting.
Larson walked over, squinting his eyes. "How far is it to Yerug Island?" he asked coldly.
Jim stammered, "I don't know either. The only one who knows the location of Yerug Island is Roberta."
Roberta—the one who must've spoken to Rayleigh earlier.
Larson turned his gaze toward Rayleigh. "I'd like to thank you so much for inviting that Roberta along."
Rayleigh replied expressionlessly, "That's exactly what I had in mind."
After a short time, a trembling Roberta was dragged before Larson.
Everyone gathered around, snickering and whistling. Their laughter echoed as if they were inside a villain's lair. But, in reality, there was nothing unusual about this scene—they were pirates, after all.
"Bang!"
Rakuyo, holding a cigarette in his mouth, slammed Roberta's head hard against the deck, pushing down with force.
"You think we're idiots? You've been leading us aimlessly on the sea. Did you think we wouldn't notice?"
Larson, Rayleigh, and Gaban stood off to the side, arms crossed, silently observing the scene. They knew not everything required their direct involvement. Some tasks were better suited for others.
Rakuyo, who had led the Labelle Pirates for a long time, radiated the aura of a ruthless pirate. He was the type of man who could send ordinary people into a state of uncontrollable fear with just a glance.
"Please, forgive me!" Roberta cried, collapsing to the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden terror of the situation.
Rakuyo kept her pinned to the deck, still pressing her head down, rubbing it against the wood as he sneered. "Didn't I make myself clear? If you think you can trick us, you must not understand what happens when you mess with us."
Larson, standing nearby, wore an unreadable expression. If not for the Whitebeard Pirates, Rakuyo might've found himself leading some other pirate crew in a much darker part of the world.
Jim, watching the scene in horror, couldn't speak. His mind raced as he tried to understand why they had brought Roberta here to witness her punishment. Did they mean to warn him? Were they trying to show him that he'd be next? Was this their way of telling him to fall in line?
The gathered pirates seemed to be waiting for Roberta's inevitable demise, eager to see how this would unfold. Jim began to realize just how dangerous the situation was. These weren't people who would let him or Roberta go—these were pirates, and liars at that!
"He's still got some fight in him," Rakuyo muttered as Roberta remained silent, despite the harsh treatment.
A cold smile spread across Rakuyo's face. "Interesting."
Jim, seeing that sinister smile, shuddered in fear. He looked down at Roberta, who lay limp and defeated, and silently wished she would give in soon, hoping it might somehow spare them both from what was coming.
"Talk, you're talking, hey brother, are you blind? Can't you see clearly the situation in front of you? Don't anger them. If you provoke these people, they'll be doomed!"
If circumstances hadn't prevented it, Jim would have wanted to get up and kick Rebecca in the face to make him speak quickly.
Rakuyo sneered: "I want to see just how tough you really are."
After saying that, he stood up, ready to fetch his "tools" and prepare to use some special methods on Roberta to pry open his mouth.
"Yes, sorry."
A sudden voice stopped Rakuyo from getting up.
Rakuyo was disdainful. Wouldn't it have been easier if he had just spoken earlier?
Larson came over, looking at Roberta, who lay limply on the ground, and said expressionlessly, "Please don't test my patience any further. I don't have time to waste on you."
Though they hadn't found the correct location the first three times, it was because the guide didn't truly know where Yerug Island was—they hadn't misled them intentionally.
But this time was different. Roberta's behavior clearly challenged the authority of both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates.
Even though Roberta appeared to be a victim in this whole affair, Larson and the others were content to play the bad guys.
But in this lawless world, Larson felt that just forcing Roberta to lead them without inflicting further harm had already been a generous gesture.
For Larson, since the world couldn't be changed, he'd simply had to adapt to it.
And as things stood, he had adapted quite well.
Roberta, on the other hand, was terrified. He hadn't expected his small act of defiance to be uncovered so quickly.
He had indeed misled Larson and his crew deliberately, hoping to buy time until Kaido recovered, so they could potentially fend off these pirates.
Though it seemed unlikely, he thought, What if these people are just bluffing? All flash, but no real strength?
The real reason he didn't want to lead Larson and his crew to Yerug Island was his reluctance to share in the spoils. The treasure on Yerug Island was finite, and if another person arrived, it meant his cut would shrink.
It was simple human nature. From Roberta's perspective, there was nothing wrong with what he had done.
After all, a gang of people had appeared out of nowhere, demanding he lead them, and had even kidnapped his brother. Of course, he would resist.
But Roberta had overestimated Kaido's boldness and severely underestimated the power of the three pirate ships trailing him.
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