I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 438 The evidence is conclusive
“But the question is, where do we even begin?” Nami frowned. “The capital is so big; he could be hiding anywhere.”

Borsalino, however, had a different idea. Based on his years of experience handling cases, he knew that these criminals usually had certain behavioral patterns.

“Actually, it’s not necessarily that hard to find,” he said slowly. “These professional thieves, while highly skilled, also have weaknesses.”

"What weakness?" Luffy asked curiously.

“First, they need to sell the stolen goods,” Borsalino analyzed. “They can’t just hide so much jewelry forever. They’ll have to find a way to convert it into cash.”

“That’s right!” Nami exclaimed, suddenly realizing. “He needs to find a buyer!”

“Secondly, people with such professional training usually have fixed lifestyle habits,” Borsalino continued. “Even while on the run, they maintain certain habits.”

"For example?" Sanji asked with interest.

“For example, his choice of training, diet, and living environment,” Borsalino explained. “These habits could give away his hiding place.”

The boss was stunned, never expecting this out-of-town businessman to be so experienced in chasing criminals.

"Have you done this kind of work before?" he asked curiously.

“A little,” Borsalino replied modestly. “In my hometown, merchants sometimes have to deal with some complicated situations.”

"So, are you planning to take on this task?" the boss asked.

Borsalino looked at the others and found that everyone was looking at him with expectant eyes.

“If everyone agrees, I’d like to give it a try,” he said. “The 75 Berries reward should be enough to solve our financial problems.”

"I agree!" Luffy was the first to speak. "That sounds interesting!"

“I agree.” Nami nodded. “Besides, it’s much faster to earn money than working at a restaurant.”

Others also expressed their agreement. Although there were some risks involved, the reward was indeed very tempting.

“Alright, I’ll go to the Kingdom’s government to find out the details,” Borsalino decided.

"I'll go with you!" Luffy said excitedly.

“No, Luffy.” Borsalino waved his hand. “You stay here and help at the restaurant. I can manage by myself. Too many people will attract attention.”

"Okay." Luffy was a little disappointed, but he still agreed.

At 10 a.m., Borsalino arrived alone at the government building of the Kingdom of Red Earth. It was a magnificent building, classical and solemn in style, reflecting the kingdom's long history.

On the first floor of the building, there was an office specifically for handling bounty missions. Borsalino went inside and found several staff members handling various matters.

“Hello, I’d like to inquire about the bounty missions for ‘Goldfinger’ Marcus,” he said politely to the receptionist.

“Oh, you’re interested in this case too?” The receptionist was a middle-aged woman who seemed very experienced. “Several groups have already inquired about it.”

“Really? It seems this case is getting a lot of attention,” Borsalino said.

“Of course, a reward of 75 Berries is no small sum,” the receptionist said. “However, so far, no one has succeeded.”

"Could you provide a detailed account of the case?" Borsalino inquired.

The receptionist produced a thick folder. "This contains the complete case files, but according to regulations, only those officially assigned the task are allowed to view them."

“Then I formally accept this mission,” Borsalino said without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" the receptionist asked, somewhat surprised. "This quest has been up for a month, and many professional bounty hunters haven't succeeded."

“I want to give it a try,” Borsalino insisted.

“Okay.” The receptionist began processing the paperwork. “Please fill out this form, including your personal information and contact details.”

Borsalino filled out the false identity information that Tom had prepared for him and quickly completed the registration.

“You can now view the case files.” The receptionist handed him a folder. “But please note that these files cannot be taken out of the office.”

"Understood." Borsalino took the folder, found a quiet corner, and sat down to study it carefully.

The case files were extremely detailed, including photos of the scene, screenshots from surveillance footage, witness testimonies, and more. Borsalino meticulously analyzed every detail.

The photos from the scene show that the jewelry store's security system was indeed very advanced, yet the perpetrator was able to sneak in without triggering any alarms. This indicates that he was very familiar with this security system and likely had received prior training.

Surveillance footage shows the perpetrator to be of medium build, agile, and wearing a mask, obscuring their face. However, details of their movements suggest they were a professionally trained individual.

“Interesting.” Borsalino carefully observed the criminal’s movements in the surveillance footage. “This movement…resembles military infiltration techniques.”

He noticed that the criminals' gait and posture during their movement clearly showed signs of military training.

The witness testimonies were also valuable. Several people claimed to have seen suspicious individuals before or after the incident, but their descriptions were inconsistent. However, one detail caught Borsalino's attention.

“A witness said he saw a man in a dark coat sit for a long time in a café near the jewelry store,” he said thoughtfully. “He was probably observing his target.”

After reviewing all the materials, Borsalino made a basic judgment about the case. This was indeed a professional thief, and he was very likely still operating in the capital.

"Have you found any clues?" the receptionist asked curiously.

“I have some ideas.” Borsalino handed the folder back to her. “Excuse me, does the kingdom have a dedicated jewelry market?”

“Of course,” the receptionist replied. “There’s a jewelry wholesale market in the business district, with many jewelers.”

“Underground transactions?” Borsalino continued. “I mean, some less-than-legitimate jewelry deals.”

The receptionist glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, "As far as I know, there are some...unconventional businessmen in the port area. But I can't say that publicly."

“I understand.” Borsalino nodded. “Thank you for reminding me.”

After leaving the government building, Borsalino did not immediately return to the restaurant, but instead wandered around the capital to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

The capital of the Red Earth Kingdom was indeed bustling, with shops and markets lining the streets. He paid particular attention to the jewelry district, observing the security measures and the flow of people in the jewelry stores. "If I were Marcus, how would I dispose of the stolen goods?" he pondered as he walked.

Legitimate jewelers certainly wouldn't dare accept stolen goods, so they'd have to resort to less-than-reputable channels. The port area is indeed a good choice, with high population turnover and relatively lax oversight.

In the afternoon, Borusalino arrived at the port area. The atmosphere here was completely different from the commercial area; it was bustling with dockworkers, crew members, and various vendors, making it rather chaotic.

He walked around the port area and quickly spotted some suspicious places. There were several pawnshops and antique shops that didn't look very legitimate, and the shopkeepers all seemed quite wary.

“These places might be the channels for selling stolen goods,” Borsalino thought to himself.

But he did not act immediately; instead, he continued to observe. As an experienced naval admiral, he knew that haste was the enemy of solving cases, and that patience was needed to gather information.

Outside a dilapidated-looking pawnshop, Borsalino noticed several people talking in hushed tones. Although he couldn't hear what they were saying, their expressions suggested it wasn't a typical business conversation.

"Wait a minute." He suddenly noticed one of the people's movements. "This movement... is very similar to the one in the surveillance footage."

The way that person walked and their posture when they turned around did indeed resemble the perpetrator in the case file. Although they were wearing different clothes now, it's difficult to change habitual movements.

Borsalino followed carefully behind the man, maintaining a safe distance. The man seemed very alert, frequently looking back, but Borsalino's tracking skills kept him completely unaware.

The man walked into a small alley deep in the port area and then entered a seemingly ordinary apartment building.

"Found you," Borsalino thought to himself.

However, he did not act immediately, but observed the person's activity patterns and the surrounding environment for a period of time.

As dusk fell, Borsalino returned to the restaurant. Everyone was waiting for news of him.

"How is it? Any leads?" Nami asked anxiously.

“There has been some progress.” Borusalino sat down and shared the day’s findings with everyone. “I think we’ve found the target.”

"Really? That's great!" Luffy jumped up excitedly. "When are we going to catch him?"

“No rush, Luffy.” Borsalino waved his hand. “First, we need to confirm that he is indeed Marcus, and second, we need to find the hiding place of the stolen goods.”

"Why?" Luffy didn't understand.

“Because our goal isn’t just to arrest people, but also to recover the stolen money,” Borsalino explained. “The reward for recovering the stolen money is 75 Berries, while arresting people only yields 10 Berries.”

"That's a huge difference?" Usopp was shocked.

“Yes, so we need to develop a comprehensive plan,” Borsalino said. “We need to catch the perpetrators and also find the stolen goods.”

"Do you need our help?" Sanji asked.

“Not yet,” Borsalino considered for a moment. “I’ll go observe again tomorrow and confirm more details. If the action plan is finalized, we may need everyone’s assistance.”

"No problem!" Everyone expressed their support.

Borsalino got up early the next morning. Although his tone was always slow and deliberate, he was extremely efficient in his actions. Today was a crucial day; he needed to further confirm the target's identity and find the best opportunity to make the arrest.

"I'll skip breakfast; I need to get out and investigate as soon as possible," he said to Sanji, who was preparing breakfast.

"Isn't that a bad idea?" Sanji asked worriedly. "Skipping breakfast is bad for your health."

“Just get me some portable food,” Borsalino said. “I might be out all day.”

Sanji quickly prepared some sandwiches and fruit, put them in a small bag, and handed them to Borsalino.

"Be careful," Nami warned. "If you encounter any danger, remember to contact us immediately."

“Don’t worry,” Borsalino said with a smile. “I’ll be careful.”

After leaving the restaurant, Borsalino headed straight to the port area. The weather was fine today, sunny and bright, perfect for an observation mission.

He found a spot with a clear view of the apartment building from the previous day and patiently waited for his target to appear. As a naval admiral, he had extensive experience in infiltration and observation, and could maintain focus for long periods without being detected.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, the suspicious man indeed appeared. He walked out of the apartment building, looked around, and then walked towards the depths of the harbor.

Borsalino followed carefully, maintaining a safe distance. This time, he observed his target's every move even more closely.

The man's gait was indeed very rhythmic, and he would stop from time to time to observe his surroundings, clearly indicating that he was a very alert person. Most importantly, Borsalino noticed a peculiar ring on the little finger of his right hand.

“That ring.” Borsalino carefully recalled the details from the case files. “The perpetrator was definitely wearing a ring on the hand in the surveillance footage!”

This detail further convinced him that this person was the "golden touch" Marcus they were looking for.

The man walked for about ten minutes and arrived at a relatively secluded cluster of warehouses in the port area. It was quiet even during the day, with only the occasional dockworker passing by.

The man stopped in front of one of the warehouses, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then took a key out of his pocket and opened the warehouse door.

"Found it!" Borsalino exclaimed with delight. "The stolen goods are very likely hidden in that warehouse!"

He found a secluded spot and continued to observe. About half an hour later, the man emerged from the warehouse, carrying a small package.

“It should be some of the jewelry,” Borsalino analyzed. “He’s going to sell it.”

Sure enough, the man carrying the package headed towards the commercial street in the port area. Borsalino followed him to a rather unassuming antique shop.

Through the window, Borsalino saw the man and the shop owner engaged in some kind of transaction. Although he couldn't hear the specifics, his gestures and expressions suggested it was indeed an illegal transaction.

“The evidence is conclusive,” Borsalino thought to himself. “Now we can move out.”

He began to devise a specific arrest plan. Ideally, the arrest would be carried out when the man returned to the warehouse, so that he could both catch the man and recover the stolen goods.

The man stayed in the antique shop for about twenty minutes before coming out. He had an envelope in his hand, clearly the payment for the transaction.

“He has cash on him now, he’ll definitely go back to the warehouse,” Borsalino assessed the other man’s actions.

(End of this chapter)