https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-149-Pirates-Too-Have-Their-Saviours/12610946/
Chapter 148: Bait x, Human Bait √!
Chapter 148: Bait x, Human Bait √!
As the surging tide engulfed half of their bodies, Lily, who was standing next to Sag, made a swift decision. After a moment of paralyzing fear and the overwhelming urge to flee, she ordered Ajin and the others to keep their distance and initiated a rapid retreat for the Grim Reaper.
Others may not understand, but Lily knew.
She had heard Sag mention that his streak of bad luck extended to any situation involving water.
Back in the East China Sea, he had casually taken a dip only to attract a sea beast. In Sag's own words, that had apparently been a stroke of good luck; otherwise, he would have undoubtedly encountered a sea king-class monster!
Since then, Sag had refrained from venturing into the sea. In fact, aside from when he had first started out as a pirate, he had never gone swimming again.
This time, it wasn't a matter of choosing to swim; the rising tide had simply taken an unexpected turn.
As expected, just as Lily issued her commands and the Grim Reaper began its retreat, the entire ocean around the island erupted in chaos. Like towering mountains, massive tsunamis formed, and beneath the swirling waters, one after another, gigantic sea king-class monsters emerged.
And then... everything unfolded just like that.
Enraged beyond measure, Sag's Haoshoku Haki failed to intimidate this herd of beasts. In a fit of frustration, he simply punched each one, blasting them into gaping holes.
While the sea kings were colossal in size, their threat was primarily posed underwater. With Sag standing on solid ground near the island, the situation was relatively under control.
These creatures weren't any special breed of sea kings; they were merely large in size and possessed unprotected flesh. Sag's 'Fist Bone: Galaxy Impact' easily punched through them, creating cavernous holes.
However, as the sea kings toppled...
Lily gazed in the direction of their fall. With their enormous size, just a few of these creatures occupied half the island. And from their location, it was less than half an island's distance to Gourmet City; the city was right nearby.
Given the circumstances, even with the best of luck, Gourmet City would still suffer significant damage.
And if luck were to take an unfavorable turn, the entire Gourmet City would likely be crushed under the weight of these fallen behemoths.
"There's nothing we can't take."
Despite his annoyance, Sag remained confident. "A mere handful of sea kings can't possibly stand in the way of my plundering plans! Go through the holes I punched out, and raid Gourmet City!"
The reason for his glum expression wasn't the appearance of the sea kings but simply the fact that someone had inexplicably interrupted his fishing process.
In this fish-abundant sea, he had been certain that he would catch something remarkable! Yet now, his mood was thoroughly ruined.
With the emergence of such massive sea kings, any fish in the vicinity would have long fled in fear.
"I refuse to admit defeat. We'll return to the ship and try our luck with fishing elsewhere!"
Sag called out, signaling for Lily to instruct the Grim Reaper to turn back and head toward the vessel.
Although they were on a beach, the Grim Reaper didn't fear running aground. This ship was equipped with propulsion devices, ensuring a smooth escape even in the most challenging environments.
As for Ajin, he had already obeyed Sag's orders and was making his way toward Gourmet City through the holes punched into the sea kings.
"Alright, send down some people. The meat of these sea kings is quite exquisite—it would be a waste not to make use of such fine ingredients."
Marika caressed her face, a hint of bother evident in her voice. "Sometimes, having an abundance of ingredients is a blissful dilemma."
As for Gourmet City, Marika was definitely going there. She had a keen interest in all sorts of culinary delights.
Initially, according to their plan, she had intended to go there first, explore the various culinary techniques, and then commence the plundering. However, given the current circumstances, that plan had to be adjusted, and she could only settle for seeking out rare ingredients.
Regarding these sea kings, it was evident that they couldn't possibly take all of them along. Even if they were to host a grand feast, they would only be able to select the most delicate portions due to the sheer size of these creatures.
"Is this what fate has in store for us?"
On board the Grim Reaper, Hawkins glanced at the sea king carcasses and remarked, "Sometimes, the unpredictability of fate is beyond our control, just like sailing the seas; we never know what the next moment may bring."
"Who asked for your two cents!"
Sag shot him a glare. "If you've got nothing better to do, scram and get to plundering!"
"With a success rate of 99.8%, this mission is as good as accomplished without me there." Hawkins drew a tarot card and studied it.
With such high odds of success, there was no need for him to join the raid, and he had little interest in gourmet delights, even going so far as to dislike meat.
What he did fancy were fortune cookies.
"What about my chances of catching a fish?" Sag inquired.
"..."
Hawkins paused, giving him a subtle once-over, before replying thoughtfully, "If you're using a fishing rod."
"Get lost, you pest! Go design the captain's quarters like I asked! You're just getting in the way here."
Sag rolled his eyes, signaling for his men to fetch him another fishing rod. He cast his line out into the open sea beyond the island, unconcerned with Hawkins' divination.
What did he mean by 'if you're using a fishing rod'?
Was he implying that Sag should be the bait? Without any fish biting, perhaps using himself as bait would not only attract fish but also lure in the big ones—the kind that were known as sea kings.
"Aye, aye, Captain."
Hawkins nodded, unfazed by the dismissal, and made his way toward the deck's superstructure.
Aside from his talent for divination, he also had a penchant for decorative arts, particularly when it came to interior design, where he had a unique artistic flair.
In this regard, he was superior to Renetia, who excelled at crafting but lacked a refined sense of taste.
The design of the Grim Reaper itself was a testament to this, as the original blueprints had been conceived by the king of the Natia Kingdom, with Renetia's own contributions prioritizing functionality over aesthetics.
Sag had requested that Hawkins redesign the captain's quarters and banquet hall to complement the twin thrones, infusing the spaces with a style befitting their majesty.
And so, the task fell to Hawkins.
Three hours later, Marika boarded the ship, lugging a sturdy, oversized cloth bag filled with the rare ingredients she had collected. Accompanying her were Ajin and the three hundred Demon Clan members who had been specifically chosen by Sag for this raid to hone their pirating skills and maintain their edge.
Like their raid on the Spring Queen's City, they had acquired over twenty treasure chests and several additional leather trunks filled with Berries.
Compared to the Spring Queen's City, Gourmet City was even more prosperous due to its proximity to the trade route.
While the amount of treasure was comparable, they had made off with a significantly larger sum of Berries this time.
Gourmet City attracted wealthy food connoisseurs, restaurateurs, and nobles who profited from the sale of rare ingredients sourced from the surrounding lands.
These were the kinds of targets worth plundering.
When they arrived, they saw that the heads of the two sea kings had crushed half the city.
Fortunately, everyone had evacuated, sparing them the trouble of searching each building, and they had managed to collect a substantial amount of Berries.
Just as Ajin was about to report their findings, Lily shook her head and gestured toward the banquet hall on the first floor, indicating that they should head there to rest.
Three hours...
The vast ocean remained calm.
Not even a single fish had taken the bait, let alone a fish bone.
Sag was fuming.
Reporting their lack of success now wouldn't improve his mood; it would be wiser to wait until he gave up on his own.
(End of Chapter)
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