Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Shark Tooth Pirates (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The two heroes of the Tankobichi family, renowned throughout Bluerobic.
Furen Tankobichi and Sharin Tankobichi.
Unlike the calm and charismatic elder daughter, the younger, Sharin Tankobichi, was a belligerent battle maniac, which would make setting the stage much easier.
Shin-ju took a shallow breath.
He had never met Sharin, but if her temperament was as hot-headed as Enri said, he might be able to turn the situation around with ease.
“Sara… then where is Lady Sharin right now?”
- I've got her with me, separate from the others.
“So you're saying she's locked up somewhere on your pirate ship?”
Shin-ju began to stall, placating Sara while pretending he couldn't think of a proper solution.
“Hoo… If Lady Sharin is there, that does change things.”
Seeing Shin-ju's submissive posture, Sara smiled triumphantly.
“Right… I'm sure you've heard plenty from your Bluerobic police colleagues, haven't you? Good, then let's do this.
No protection fee for the elderly and children. Instead, we'll handle Lady Sharin for a special premium price. How about it?”
Though it was for the sake of persuasion, Shin-ju felt a momentary disgust at his own words.
What kind of human trafficker talk was this?
- Hmph…
Sara, displeased by his refusal to pay the protection fee for the old and young, crossed her arms with a disgruntled look.
Seeing her expression, Shin-ju firmly drove the point home.
“I'll say it again. If you can't accept these terms, we will move to formally arrest you, and if you resist, we'll proceed with a sweep operation like last time. So you know.”
- Hnnngh…
Sara took a deep breath, clearly displeased.
A moment later.
- Fine… Fine! I get it! Better to get a premium fee than get caught. Dammit!
“Good choice. Let's proceed.”
Shin-ju crossed his arms and asked bluntly.
“So, including Lady Sharin's fee, how much are you thinking?”
- 10 billion! Not a julas less! That's 7.5 billion off the 17.5 billion!
Shin-ju found it absurd but calmly continued the conversation.
“Okay, great! Then I'll need to confirm her safety first. Can I see her right now?”
- Hmm, fine. I can show you that much. Hold on.
The hologram flickered off for a moment.
She's certainly thorough.
Does this mean she's determined not to show the ship's interior?
Shin-ju sent a text to someone on his tablet.
[Silver, you received the distress signal from the Bluerobic refugees, right?]
A reply came back immediately.
[Yes.]
[Good. Sara has kidnapped the Bluerobic refugees and is trying to extort money from us under the guise of a protection fee. How long will it take to pinpoint her location?]
[Give me 20 minutes. I'm starting now.]
Shin-ju let out a small whistle.
Silverfire was an alien from the planet Frontline, his entire body made of machinery.
An officer in U.C.I.D.'s anti-terrorist unit, he was a reliable ally to Shin-ju and a friend of Jeg's from the same planet.
His four-meter frame was optimized for dealing with organized crime like space pirates.
There were often times when Shin-ju would create a situation that required negotiation to tie down the criminals, and Silver would assist in this way.
A hologram rose from the phone.
Sara's face appeared in the hologram.
- Here, look.
Then, the image of a sturdy Bluerobic Elf appeared on the phone's screen.
She was lying on a bed in a prison-like space.
She had blue hair similar to Enri's and was stunningly beautiful, but she had a much stronger, more warrior-like feel.
Her eyebrows were very thick, and a large, prominent scar of unknown origin ran down one side of her face.
For a moment, Shin-ju's eyebrows twitched as if he'd noticed something.
Her physical condition was strange.
“Wait a minute.”
Shin-ju's eyes widened.
“Is… Lady Sharin missing an arm…?”
The lying warrior's left arm was gone.
Her right hand, however, was tightly gripping a massive greatsword.
Sara's urgent voice came from off-screen.
- Hey, hey, I didn't do it! It was already gone! Looks like it got cut off during a fight on her home planet.
Shin-ju recalled Enri's characteristically melancholic expression.
She would be heartbroken if she found out.
The shaky camera's view suddenly shifted to Sharin's right hand.
- Tsk, she just won't let go of that greatsword! It's not like it's welded to her hand. What a stubborn bitch.
Sara suddenly seemed to realize something and thrust her face toward the camera.
- Anyway, hey! Don't you dare think about lowering the price just because she's missing an arm! Got it?
“Don't worry, that won't happen!”
Shin-ju replied in an agitated voice, pretending to be angry.
In any case, Sharin Tankobichi's whereabouts were confirmed.
Now, it was time to prepare to wake Sharin.
Before long, Sara shouted.
- Hey! Stop wasting time and send me the negotiation location. Where are we doing this?
“Just a second.”
Shin-ju lifted his phone, pretending to pinpoint a location while surreptitiously sending a quick text.
[Silver, the Bluerobic SS-Class hero, Lady Sharin, is aboard the pirate ship 'Beherit'.]
[Her senses are specialized for war, so even a slight stimulus will wake her immediately.]
A text arrived from Silver.
[Understood. Someone like her will surely act at once for the kidnapped Bluerobicians.]
Shin-ju smiled briefly at the text before his expression returned to neutral.
He couldn't drag this out for too long.
He immediately sent the address to Sara.
“Okay, location sent. But let's check one more thing.”
- What now?
“You need to show me the condition of the Bluerobic refugees, too. Once I confirm their safety, I can get the money ready immediately. It's part of the procedure, so I need your cooperation.”
- …….
Sara stared intently at Shin-ju with suspicious eyes.
“Don't worry, I'm not stalling. As proof, I'll call the United Government right now.”
Shin-ju showed Sara his phone, confirming that he was making the call.
The voice of a United Government official came through, and Shin-ju greeted him and explained the situation.
He finished the conversation by arranging for Sara to be patched in to discuss the transaction.
“Then, I'll be counting on you, Director. I 'respect' you!”
Shin-ju gave the official the 'signal'.
'Respect' was the pre-arranged signal for a fake negotiation.
Sara, unaware of the signal, looked visibly more relaxed.
- Good. Since you even spoke with the director, it seems you weren't lying.
Sara paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
- Hmm… Alright. I'll show you the refugees.
A moment later, Sara showed the Bluerobic refugees on camera.
- Here, look.
Through the monitor, he could see the eyes of people scarred by war, including the elderly and children, in a prison-like space.
As soon as he confirmed their condition, Shin-ju deliberately raised his voice.
Fluent Bluerobic flowed from his lips.
“Greetings, people of Bluerobic. My name is Park Shin-ju, an officer with U.C.I.D. from a nation on Earth called the Republic of Korea.”
The Bluerobic refugees listened to Shin-ju with anxious expressions.
Their pointed ears twitched.
“U.C.I.D. is an organization founded through the collaboration of Earthlings and various alien species. You can think of us as an agency that protects visitors from space from external threats and supports their adaptation to Earth.”
A glimmer of hope began to dawn on the refugees' darkened faces.
“We are fully aware of your current situation. We will ensure a safe transfer from Sara and land you safely on Earth, so please do not worry too much. I will see you all soon.”
Sara's blunt voice cut in.
- Are you done?
“Yeah, thanks for waiting. You're pretty nice for a human trafficker. Haha.”
- Grrr! I don't care, as long as I get my money!
Shin-ju smiled.
She had just agreed to the second condition.
If he could draw one of her executives away from the pirate ship for the negotiation, their combat strength would be that much weaker.
- Alright! That's it, right? Stop stalling. When do we meet?
“Let's meet there in exactly one hour.”
Shin-ju stated simply and ended the call.
A text from Silver arrived immediately.
[Location confirmed. Pirate ship Beherit has appeared in the airspace above the West Sea of Incheon. Arriving in 10 minutes.]
And so, Shin-ju succeeded in luring the money-blinded Sara into South Korea's territorial waters.
Incheon North Port Multipurpose Pier.
In the middle of the pier, which was packed with shipping containers, stood a single empty container that looked like it had been converted into an office.
The 'agent' of the United Government official Shin-ju had just spoken with got out of a police car.
“Quite a fitting place for a negotiation…”
The agent wore a strange expression.
“Haha, just think of it as stepping out for a bit of sea breeze.”
Shin-ju looked completely at ease.
The agent eyed Shin-ju dubiously.
Squeak—
The sound of an unoiled doorknob echoed.
Dust scattered through the opened doorway.
Shin-ju and the agent entered the shipping container.
A simple table and chairs were set up, with a filing cabinet in the corner.
The place had the musty smell of a day labor office.
The two brushed the thick layer of dust off the chairs and sat down.
“Mr. Shin-ju, you're not actually planning to give them the money, are you?”
The agent probed, just in case.
Shin-ju gave a friendly laugh, reassuring the anxious man.
“I never intended to, and we don't have that kind of money anyway. Haha.”
The agent nodded silently.
A moment later.
The two men waiting inside turned their heads.
A dark silhouette appeared before them.
Someone entered the room carrying a strange slate that looked like a laptop.
Purplish skin, almost black.
Strangely twisted horns on both sides and a youthful, sullen face.
It was 'Hyde,' a self-proclaimed genius hacker and a Fifth Chapter executive of the Shark Tooth Pirates.
“Ah, you're here? Well… just sit wherever's convenient.”
“Dammit… why does a genius hacker like me have to come to a place like this? And what's with this stench?”
Hyde muttered, reluctantly taking a seat.
Shin-ju watched Hyde silently.
Just as he'd expected, Sara had sent the weakest of her executives.
As if nothing was wrong, Shin-ju casually picked up his phone and checked the text from Silver.
[Current position above the West Sea of Incheon. Awaiting orders.]
Shin-ju, with a barely perceptible smile, nonchalantly began typing in front of Hyde.
[Silver.]
[From now on….]
Shin-ju finished the message.
[Let's start fishing for sharks.]