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Chapter 126: The Cursed 'Golden Country' (4k)
Chapter 126: The Cursed 'Golden Country' (4k)
Cursed gold coins?
Sagrey was taken aback, "Where's the curse?"
Bellamy pondered for a moment, "I heard it's a legend too. This coin is said to be from 'Anu'. In the legend, that country had countless amounts of gold. Dreamers ventured there to plunder, but due to the heavy loss of life, the gold became cursed. It is said that any outsider who obtains these coins is destined to die."
Sagrey paused, "When do they die?"
"On the very night they acquire the coin," Bellamy continued, "and no one can prevent it."
"Well, I'm doing just fine, aren't I?" Sagrey snorted. "I've had this thing for over half a month now, and nothing's happened. It's a beautiful collectible, though. This 'Anu' country, do they really have gold?"
"In the legends, yes," Bellamy replied thoughtfully. "Three hundred years ago, Anu was known as the Golden Country of Anu, abundant in gold. But with time and excavation, the gold dried up, and now it's just an ordinary stone country. The locals make a living by mining and selling stones. Personally, I think it's all just a hoax!"
"I've heard that too," a voice chimed in from the crowd, and Roxio stepped forward. "The so-called cursed coins are merely a ploy to lure naive individuals to Anu, causing them to spend all their money and leave disappointed."
"Yes, and there's the golden curse too," Bellamy scoffed. "The island where Anu is located is said to be cursed every other year, turning it from a golden paradise into a stone-cold place. This is supposedly due to the countless killings and bloodshed from the plunderers. But later explorers and scholars have proven otherwise. The island has numerous mineral caves, and during specific times of the year, the surrounding waves create a reverberating effect within these caves. It's as simple as that! Naive adventurers spend their fortunes excavating these caves, only to have them buried again over time."
Bellamy dismissed all legends, believing that pirates ought to face reality. However, he didn't completely reject the existence of treasures, as some things had been verified.
But this so-called Golden Country of Anu, a place in the Grand Line, was just a country of stones, devoid of any gold.
The three-hundred-year-old legend felt fictitious to him.
Though he was initially startled by the coin, he now realized something was amiss.
"Captain Sagrey," Bellamy asserted, "this coin is definitely a ploy crafted by Anu to attract people. It's nothing but a stone country, barren of any other treasures."
Sagrey chuckled, "The Cursed Coin, huh? I was expecting something like the eight hundred gold coins and the undead skeleton from the Caribbean. But then again, where would we find the Caribbean in the Grand Line?"
He vaguely recalled hearing about a ship called the Flying Dutchman in the vast ocean.
However, the rest of the story didn't align at all.
"Nonetheless, the craftsmanship is impressive, and it does seem ancient," Sagrey acknowledged.
There were definitely suspicious elements—the coin's craftsmanship and purity were exceptional. Was it worth going to such lengths for attraction? But it didn't matter anymore; it was just a single coin, and there were plenty of eccentric individuals out there. Perhaps the creator was simply a perfectionist.
"Let's begin the feast!" He laughed heartily.
Mary and her kitchen crew had prepared a sumptuous spread, arranging dishes after dishes on the tables before the pirates.
The long table before Captain Sagrey was especially filled with delicacies, each dish more exquisite than the last, showcasing Mary's culinary prowess.
The pirates uncorked the stolen wine and drank merrily, sometimes competing in drinking games. Midway through the meal, they grew boisterous, with some even hugging their companions while still clutching their wine glasses.
The female pirates spontaneously took to the center of the hall, dancing with unrefined yet captivating grace.
Amidst the howling storm, the sturdily built Death Omen sailed smoothly through the angry waves, its decks alive with revelry under the dark clouds.
Noise?
What was a pirate crew without their raucous celebrations?
The festivities continued deep into the night until the first-floor banquet hall finally quieted down. The inebriated crew members simply passed out where they stood, sprawled on the floor in drunken slumber.
Lily and her companions had retired early, knowing that staying up late was a sure way to invite wrinkles.
"Not a single one of you can hold your liquor!"
Sagrey poured himself one last drink, intending to turn in for the night after finishing it. However, Bellamy, who had passed out earlier, suddenly got up and stared fixedly at him.
This golden-haired loser was good for nothing but arrogance. He lacked both strength and alcohol tolerance, passing out halfway through his drink.
Yet now, he was awake again.
"Do you want to keep drinking? Go ahead, I won't call you a quitter. Even if you sleep it off and wake up, you still won't be able to outdrink me!" Sagrey laughed.
Bellamy didn't respond; he just stared at Sagrey for a while, then suddenly turned and started walking in a particular direction, heading straight for the wall of the banquet hall. He walked right up to it and kept going, as if he wanted to walk through it.
"Save... save..."
He muttered, his eyes losing their luster, becoming dull. Then, he clenched his fist, and his forearm sprang back like a coiled spring as he prepared to punch a hole in the wall. So close to the wall, his fist was fast, and in an instant, it could be seen retracting as the recoil of the punch struck the wall.
Bang!
A dull sound rang out as his fist hit a spot on the wall that had suddenly turned pitch-black.
Sagrey hardened his Busoshoku Haki, covering the floor beneath his feet and extending it to the wall that Bellamy had struck.
"Ajin!"
Sagrey shouted, "Throw this guy into the sea to sober him up!"
Whoosh!
Ajin, who was lying on the ground, sprang up like a ghost and swiftly moved behind Bellamy. He threw a punch that landed on Bellamy's cheek from behind, sending him crashing to the floor. As Bellamy fell, Ajin swept his leg sideways, kicking him into the air, then grabbed his hair and dragged him across the floor.
"Yes, Captain Sagrey," Ajin said, his drunk eyes making an effort to stay open as he obeyed Sagrey's order and hauled Bellamy away.
Even though he was drunk, he would faithfully carry out orders.
As for Bellamy, who had been knocked down, he didn't resist at all and didn't seem to feel any pain. He just kicked his legs aimlessly, as if he still wanted to keep walking.
Clang!
As he moved, a shiny gold coin fell out of his pocket and rolled across the floor, coming to a stop at the steps of Sagrey's jewel throne. It spun for a while and then lay still.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
After the coin fell, Bellamy let out a fit of coughing. His dull eyes suddenly cleared, as if he had woken up from a nightmare, and he tried to get up. But because his hair was being pulled, the movement caused him pain.
"Hey, Ajin!"
Bellamy yelled through gritted teeth, "What are you doing?!"
"The captain told me to throw you into the sea," Ajin said calmly.
"Why throw me into the sea? Captain Sagrey!"
Bellamy cried out, ignoring the pain and struggling to lift his head, "What did I do wrong?!"
"Ajin, let him go."
Sagrey narrowed his eyes and repeated the order, telling Ajin to release Bellamy.
Bellamy rubbed his sore waist and ribs as he staggered to his feet. "Captain Sagrey, I didn't disobey your orders! I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed.
He had just joined the crew and was hoping to become an officer. Moreover, now that he had decided to switch allegiance, he wouldn't betray Sagrey again.
Even if Sagrey wanted him off the ship, he had to be given a chance!
No matter the cost!
Sagrey slowly got up and walked down the steps to pick up the coin.
It was his skull coin, a treasure he had found during the raid on Rainbase in Alabasta. It was a collectible, spotted by his Kenbunshoku Haki.
Bellamy had thought it was a coin deliberately made by the country of Anu.
It was meant to be a reward for Bellamy, who had discovered the mutineers who were executed. But now, something seemed amiss.
Sagrey held the coin in his hand for a moment, then slowly said, "Bellamy, oh Bellamy."
"Yes!" Bellamy replied loudly.
"Do you remember what you were doing just now?" Sagrey asked.
Bellamy thought for a moment, a trace of fear crossing his face. "Captain Sagrey, I don't know. I just remember walking in a place of total darkness, with the only light coming from ahead. I wanted to get to that light and escape the darkness," he said.
"A dream?"
A smile played at the corners of Sagrey's mouth. "How interesting. Let's try something, then."
He flicked his finger, and the coin landed randomly among the sleeping crew, coming to rest on the chest of the slumbering Paloo.
Sagrey sat back on his throne and took a sip from his jewel-encrusted cup, his eyes fixed on Paloo with keen interest.
In the hall, even the sound of the crew's snoring seemed to fade into the background, as if all noise had been sucked away by the coin.
Clang!
Paloo, who had been asleep, suddenly reached out, grabbed the gold coin that had fallen on him, and opened his eyes. He sat up straight like a puppet, his eyes dull and lifeless, as if they had lost their sparkle.
He took a step forward and walked in the same direction as Bellamy had earlier, pressing himself against the wall. He seemed to be aware of an obstruction and took out several fireflies, intending to burn it away.
Seeing this, Ajin, who was still a bit drunk, widened his eyes. He swiftly moved to Paloo's side and threw a punch, his immense strength causing his fist to embed itself in Paloo's face and sending him crashing to the ground.
"Ajin, bring that gold coin here," Sagrey suddenly said.
"Yes, Captain Sagrey," Ajin replied.
Ajin seized Paloo's hand, twisted it, forcing his fingers open, and caught the falling coin. He then made his way towards Sagrey.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
At this moment, Paloo suddenly jolted awake, covering his face and rolling on the floor in pain.
"Blood! I'm bleeding! Who did this to the invincible Paloo?! Who dares?!"
Paloo quickly got to his feet and scanned the room, his eyes landing on Bellamy. With a fierce expression, he exclaimed, "Was it you, Bellamy?!"
"Not me," Bellamy shook his head. "It was Ajin."
"Ajin, the General? Why?"
Paloo was taken aback, glancing at Ajin, who had reached the bottom of the steps and was handing the coin to Sagrey.
"I ordered him to," Ajin replied.
Sagrey took the coin and casually responded, his eyes fixed on the coin in his hand. With a smile, he said, "Interesting. Ajin, did you sense anything?"
"No, I didn't sense anything," Ajin said, his eyes widening as he realized something. "Captain, do you mean that this coin is the reason behind their strange behavior?"
Bellamy didn't understand, but he had witnessed Paloo's actions.
The fact that this guy dared to set fire to the ship was beyond Ajin's expectations as well. After all, Paloo's tendency to go berserk when bleeding was already well-known, and he had been trained to resist it. There was no way he would randomly try to burn the ship, especially the Death Omen—that would take an incredible amount of daring.
"Does it only affect people who are asleep? Paloo, what did you dream about?" Sagrey smiled and asked.
"Umm,"
Paloo thought for a moment, his face reflecting the same fear that Bellamy had shown earlier. "Captain Sagrey, I did dream. I dreamed of being in complete darkness, with the only light coming from ahead. I wanted to escape the darkness, so I walked towards the light," he said.
"A cursed coin?!''
Bellamy's eyes widened in shock. "Could the legend be true?!"
This guy had the same dream as him!
Could there really be a curse?
"I don't know if a curse exists, but I do know that there's something in the vast ocean that can do this, Bellamy. Something you're very familiar with," Sagrey said.
Sagrey flicked the coin, watching it spin in the air before catching it again. With a malicious grin, he continued, "It's a Devil Fruit user!"
He had kept this coin with him for quite some time, even sleeping with it on his person. After all, it was a small item that he could play with at any time.
However, he had never experienced such a nightmare himself.
But both Bellamy and Paloo had.
The only difference between these two and himself was that they hadn't mastered Haki yet.
On the other hand, Sagrey's Haki was strong.
In the vast ocean, there was no such thing as soul strength; willpower had replaced it.
Willpower trumped everything, and so did Haki.
Even abilities could be resisted to some extent by those with strong Haki.
If it didn't affect Sagrey, then it meant that this so-called cursed coin was imbued with an ability.
"No one would go through the trouble of imbuing an ability into a coin. Anu Country must have golden treasures! Sagrey, with a mischievous grin, declared, "I want to go there and see for myself!"
Bellamy's earlier theories didn't hold up. Based on their actions, they seemed compelled to plunge into the sea and head in a particular direction. However, anyone who ventured into the sea alone would surely perish.
If Anu Country deliberately crafted this attraction, they wouldn't be so foolish.
Whether it was historical treasures or the legendary Golden Country...
One thing was certain: this was all connected to a vast amount of gold!
Once they reached that place, all their questions would be answered!
(End of Chapter)
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