https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-131-No-Matter-How-Small-the-Chance-It-s-Still-a-Chance/12610889/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-133-The-Golden-Country-Does-Exist-/12610891/
Chapter 132: I, Too, Am a Magician
Chapter 132: I, Too, Am a Magician
With the island in sight, the sailing ship naturally wouldn't go astray or be misled in its direction.
Even in the Grand Line, there is a direction to follow. It's just that ordinary compass needles are useless, hence the need for log needles.
If one possesses something that can discern direction, it is not impossible to sail without log needles. One could navigate by the sun, but the sun in the Grand Line is rather unreliable due to the unpredictable climate.
To the northeast of the Annu Kingdom lies the Calm Belt. As for why it's not directly north, it's because the route itself is crooked.
Most maritime charts depict the Red Line and the Grand Line as crossing to form a cross. However, in reality, they form an 'X' shape because the East Blue is indeed to the east and not the northeast.
The Death Omen approached the island and began to circle it. It was a clear day, and Lily could see the sun. After determining her direction using the sun, she headed northeast.
After about two hours, the Death Omen arrived at the back of the island and docked near this stony island.
The Annu Kingdom was, in its entirety, a stony island. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing on the island but stones, and even the ground was made of stone, barren of any vegetation.
The Death Omen docked at an uninhabited site, devoid of any natural harbor. The land extended beyond the ship, but not by much, just enough to accommodate the gangplank.
"Bellamy, Paul, and Miote, you three will lead the squads,"
Ajin chose the pirates who would go ashore to plunder, selecting the more outstanding members from his crew. He picked out five hundred to follow Sag onto the island.
The new recruits and the old hands from the East Blue were split evenly, with half remaining on the ship. Although Ajin felt that the pirates wouldn't cause any trouble, he still wanted to be cautious and kept some of the new troublemakers in the squad.
While these individuals listened to Captain Sag, they were inherently impatient. With all the squad leaders and officers dispatched, he didn't want to leave these individuals aboard the ship, especially since the Death Omen had a treasure vault. Should any of them attempt to stir up trouble, although the old hands could stop them, Ajin didn't want any chaos to ensue.
That would reflect poorly on his ability to discipline his crew, which would be a great disgrace.
If not for Captain Sag specifically requesting his presence on the island, he would have preferred to stay on the ship.
"Captain Sag, everyone is here. Are we waiting until nightfall?"
Ajin asked Sag after ensuring that the personnel had disembarked.
After all, the cursed coins only took effect when people were asleep.
"Why wait until nightfall?"
Sag took out a cigar from within his fur cloak and casually pointed at someone. "You there, give me a light."
One of the crew members scurried over and lit the cigar with a match.
"Good. Now, it's your turn."
Sag took a deep puff and exhaled a cloud of smoke, casually pointing his finger at the crew member's forehead.
In that instant, the crew member's pupils dilated, and he collapsed into a deep sleep.
For a strong opponent, Sag's use of the North Dipper Fist might only inflict damage. However, to truly showcase the effectiveness of striking the vital points, one would need to weaken their opponent first.
But for a weak individual like this crew member, they were as good as a puppet under his control.
"A Devil Fruit ability?"
At least in Hawkins' eyes, Sag's action resembled that of a Devil Fruit ability user.
There were many ways to render someone unconscious, but making them fall into a deep sleep instantly wasn't easy.
"Just like your fortune-telling, there are things in this world that Devil Fruits can't accomplish," Sag said with a smile.
Some individuals had unique talents that could be likened to Devil Fruit abilities, but the North Dipper Fist surpassed them.
To some extent, apart from being a 'Haki User', Sag was also a 'Dim Mak User'.
He took out one of the cursed coins and placed it on the sleeping crew member.
Soon enough, the crew member's fingers clutched the coin, and he stood up with dull pupils, marching in a particular direction.
"Oh, towards the royal palace,"
Even at the edge of the island, one could see the tallest mountain, its peak gleaming like a pearl. Through the telescope, Sag could make out the massive castle, white in its entirety, atop the mountain.
It, too, was made of stone, but it looked rather impressive.
"They must be wealthy!" Sag exclaimed as he lowered the telescope and casually tossed it to one of his crew members. Following the crew member under the curse's influence, he marched toward the palace.
The entire island was stony, but it wasn't flat. Large and small stone mountains dotted the landscape, and the ground was riddled with pits and craters. As they ventured deeper into the island, they spotted some dilapidated tools used for quarrying, carelessly discarded on the ground.
Yet, the crew member under the curse's influence continued marching unwaveringly toward the royal palace.
"Is he heading to the royal palace? Lily furrowed her brows, watching the cursed crew member march forward.
"Isn't that perfect?"
Greed flashed in Sag's eyes. "It means that there's gold in the royal palace. We can just plunder the palace and then head to the port. By then, it'll be nightfall."
He glanced at the darkening sky and cackled, "The perfect time for a raid!"
As they walked, Hawkins affixed tags to the straws and muttered, "95% success rate for the raid and 95% success rate for the plan."
"Look at that! Perfect!"
Sag's smile widened. "It's fun to do these calculations when we're idle. But, old Hawk, what's the 5% discrepancy for?
”
Hawkins shook his head. "There's no such thing as a pure 100%; it can only be approached infinitely. As for the 5%, perhaps there are other factors at play."
"Oh? Can't you calculate what will happen afterward?" Sag asked.
No wonder he couldn't foresee his encounter with Kaido. It seemed that only after an event occurred or certain knowledge was acquired could he make a divination.
"This place is so annoying, it's all rocks," Renetia complained, pouting. "Let's just hurry up and raid the royal palace."
"What we want is money and treasure," Sag said. "Who knows if he's going to the royal palace? Maybe he'll turn a corner soon. We'll follow, and if we get tired, we'll set up camp and rest."
There were countless ways to put someone to sleep, and if they got too tired, they could always rest and then have someone else take over the journey.
Until the sky completely darkened and the stars and moonlight appeared, they wouldn't risk being discovered.
As the night sky revealed itself, they halted their journey in the stony terrain.
The stone island was quite large, and after walking for half a day, they still hadn't reached their destination, likely due to the distance to the royal palace.
"Ajin, set up camp," Sag ordered. Ajin then went to the front of the group, pulled on the hand of the crew member under the curse's influence, retrieved the cursed coin, and dragged that person back to the rear.
"Yes, Captain Sag," Ajin replied.
Their current location was a massive, dilapidated quarry. The ground had been dug out into an irregular polygon, littered with broken tools and leftover stone blocks. However, compared to the uneven, stony terrain outside, this quarry provided a relatively flat surface suitable for resting.
Lily instructed some crew members to start setting up camp in the center of the quarry, mainly for the captain and the officers, while the rest of the crew made do with mats or found a spot by the campfire.
"There don't seem to be any fresh ingredients around," Marika said as she surveyed the area, shaking her head with a smile. "Looks like we'll have to make do with packed meals."
Lily, on the other hand, gazed at the looming mountain, estimating the distance. "If we keep going for another day or so, we should reach it. It won't take too long."
"Occasional camping isn't so bad," Sag said with a shrug. "It's just stones, but we'll manage."
Seeing his crew setting up a simple camp, Sag sat down on one of the mats and said, "No alcohol today. We don't want to delay our journey. Everyone, just eat casually."
"Mhm," Hawkins nodded in agreement. "With so many people, if we make too much noise, we might be discovered, and that could ruin our plans. It's best to keep a low profile."
"Me? Worried about that?" Sag laughed. "I'm just concerned about getting up early if I drink."
He watched as his crew set up a wooden platform, lit a fire, and laid out a mat and food for him.
Sag had a substantial amount of food, requiring several crew members to carry it. These preparations were necessary to ensure they had supplies after landing, as Marika's culinary skills wouldn't be of much use in this barren, stony environment.
It was always better to be prepared.
Usually, the three main officers would join Sag for meals, so they tended to bring more food.
"Old Hawk, come and join me. I have high hopes for you," Sag said, taking a large bite out of a meat leg. Seeing Hawkins quietly eating his meal, he waved him over. "Don't be so distant. Come on!"
"I'm not being distant," Hawkins replied. "It's just my nature. And please, call me Hawkins, or Basil if you prefer."
Sag completely ignored his request and continued, "Old Hawk, I'm also a magician. I have a trick where I can go to someone's house, and whether they're home or not, their money disappears!"
"Sag, that's not magic, that's robbery!" Renetia exclaimed.
"Don't worry about the details," Sag waved dismissively. "I can also taste food without even opening my eyes."
He picked up a cup, took a sip, savored the flavor, and then opened his eyes, declaring, "This is water!"
Water?
The veins on Hawkins' hand, which was holding his food, bulged noticeably, and he could no longer maintain his calm. His voice rose an octave as he exclaimed, "Aside from water, there are no other drinks here! And it's pronounced 'water,' not 'wo da'! Have you never been to school?"
"Yeah, I'm illiterate!" Sag laughed heartily and slapped Hawkins on the back, causing him to stumble and drop his food onto the clean tablecloth.
"That's more like it! Don't be so cold and distant. Even without alcohol, let's liven things up!" Sag laughed loudly.
Lily felt embarrassed, while Marika maintained her gentle smile, and Renetia joined Sag in his boisterous laughter.
The surrounding crew members also ate and chatted, occasionally bursting into laughter. Their presence brought life to this deserted quarry.
After all, this was the life of a pirate.
Why be so uptight?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
