Chapter 190: I Am Sag (9K) (Part 1)
Chapter 190: I Am Sag (9K) (Part 1)
Lily had seen many cities like this one, and she was already accustomed to their peculiarities.
No wonder Gabra had said that he would be able to tell where the money was as soon as they arrived.
The wealthiest area was indeed the one they were currently looking at.
Their target was singular, and the area wasn't too large, making it an ideal spot for a raid.
However, that was also where the problem lay.
Because the area wasn't too big, the five thousand defensive troops weren't spread out too thinly. As the pirates jumped down, alarm bells began to ring in the square ahead.
Footsteps could be heard coming from all directions as uniformed soldiers wearing helmets and carrying weapons quickly gathered toward the port, engaging in battle with the pirates one after another.
As soon as they made contact, the pirates took the upper hand. A pirate stabbed a charging soldier with his sword and seamlessly dodged another soldier's slash, then withdrew his sword and slashed it across the soldier's body.
The pirates had sailed the high seas and battled all sorts of opponents, so they were extremely rich in both strength and combat experience.
Not to mention, there were also experts among them.
Zhing!
Lily took the lead, facing the swarming defensive soldiers on the main street. She pried open the sword handle with her thumb, unleashing a flash of white light that thundered into the crowd and carved a path forward until she reached the soldiers' backs, only then revealing her figure.
Those soldiers seemed to be frozen in place, maintaining their charging postures without moving a muscle.
With her back to them, Lily slowly sheathed her White Thunder.
Ka-chak!
Tzz!
Wounds blossomed on the soldiers' bodies, spraying arcs of blood as they toppled together.
"Taste my Bomb Pop!"
Sucking on a lollipop, Reinitya swung her mechanical hammer. The cannon on the hammer's face fired three shots, flipping over a wave of soldiers pouring in from a street, then transformed into a machine gun form and unleashed a frenzy of bullets, causing every soldier on that street to collapse in sync with the rat-a-tat of the gun.
Bang, bang, bang!
Gunshots rang out from another intersection as the approaching defensive soldiers raised their guns and fired. After taking down several pirates, their lead bullets all struck a barrier of writhing, pitch-black hair.
In front of them, a mass of hair squirmed like flowing water, forming a barrier that blocked the bullets. The barrier in the center automatically parted, revealing Malica.
"Oh dear."
She smiled at the group. "Using firearms is very dangerous, you know."
Hoo!
The hair bundled into snakes and rapidly shot toward the soldiers, instantly coiling around the firearms and wrenching them from the soldiers' hands. At the same time, strands of hair separated and formed into sharp, sword-like spikes.
"Hair Binding—Gun!"
The sound of piercing flesh came from the soldiers as the hair impaled their bodies, and the force of the spikes sent their bodies flying off the ground, and they tumbled down again.
Hawkins strolled leisurely among the enemies, mowing them down like grass with his sword. He cut down one soldier after another, unconcerned as they tried to attack him.
Whether it was a slash or a gunshot, whenever an attack landed on him, a straw man would pop out. Similarly, one of the surrounding soldiers would exhibit the same wound and fall down.
His current ability limit was ten straw substitutes, but against these soldiers, he could replenish them at any time, even if all ten were consumed.
In a sense, numbers had no meaning to him.
The high-ranking executives made short work of the soldiers, but that didn't mean they had won.
The vast sea was home to countless powerful experts, especially in such a robust kingdom.
Naturally, there would be formidable individuals among those defending this prosperous city.
Boom!
Bellamy leaped back and forth between the tall buildings, and with each bounce, he knocked aside a dozen soldiers. But after a few repetitions, his fist was suddenly intercepted by a fist clad in iron knuckles.
The colliding fists sent out a wave of air that blew outward.
"I am Gram, the defensive captain of the Ssomia Kingdom, and my nickname is 'Killing Fist'!"
Blocking Bellamy's fist was a man wearing boxing gloves and a waist belt.
"I know who you are—the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew. How dare you come to our kingdom to plunder? This time, I will defeat you!"
Bang!
On the other side, a massive hammer shattered the iron shield in Paul's hands, sending him flying back several steps.
"You actually...shattered my iron wall, the impenetrable defense of Paul!"
Paul stared at the newcomer in shock. The man held a gigantic round-headed hammer that was several times larger than Reinitya's mechanical hammer. Standing at a height of over thirteen feet, the man was like a small giant, clad in soldier uniform-style armor. He brandished his huge hammer with vigor, sending over a dozen charging pirates flying with each swing.
"I am 'Smashing Hammer' Rager, a defensive captain, and I am here to stop you!" the giant bellowed.
"Grrrr! Grrrr!"
Miot charged into the crowd of soldiers, swinging his Japanese great sword and blowing away the soldiers at his sides. Just as he was about to lift his sword again, a foot pressed down on the back of his blade.
He tried to move his arm but found that he couldn't lift his sword. Turning his head instinctively to look, he saw a foot flying at his face, and he was kicked backward, flying several meters through the air before landing heavily on the ground.
As the kicker lowered his foot, he rushed forward and leaped into the air above Miot, bringing his feet together in a heavy stomp.
That move generated a ripping sound that hinted at tremendous power.
Just as his foot was about to reach Miot's head, a residual image flashed by, and a cane hammer came into view, approaching the kicker's body. But just as the hammer was about to strike, the kicker extended a foot and fiercely kicked the hammer, sending the wielder flying away. At the same time, the kicker himself flew and landed on the other side, touching down on the ground.
He was a man wearing a soldier's uniform with a head of blue hair. He had no weapon, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Although he was thin and small, his entire body exuded an extremely formidable aura.
"Oh?"
He shook his leg and looked at the figure opposite him. "'Ghost Man' Agin, right?"
Agin tightly gripped the handle of his cane hammer, his eyes serious. That previous kick, even though it only landed on his weapon, still sent a shock through his arm with the force behind it.
"Not the kind that belongs to Captain Sag—pure, raw power. Immense."
"This shorty is a tricky fellow!"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Tony, the city's overall defensive captain."
The skinny man revealed a sinister smile, "The Natural Disaster Pirate Crew has quite the reputation. I've always wondered if you would ever come to my turf. Now that you're here, after I defeat you, my fame will spread even wider. I never expected you to actually show up, where is your Captain Norton Sag? I want him; he's my target."
"You're not yet worthy of meeting Captain Sag."
Agin twirled his double-headed flail into a circle, his cold eyes fixated on the shorty, "I will be the one to defeat you."
Tony scoffed and scanned the surroundings, "With just this many people, you intend to defeat me and my five thousand defensive troops?"
Aside from the four who held the upper hand, the rest were entangled and overwhelmed by the influx of soldiers, gradually gaining the upper hand.
Only those with black eyes seemed formidable, holding their ground against the growing number of soldiers, but the rest of the pirates were struggling.
The pirates were at a numerical disadvantage; most could handle at best two to three soldiers, and as the number of opponents increased, their effective limit decreased.
One-on-two, perhaps they could emerge victorious. One-on-three, they might manage to hold their ground. But one-on-five, they'd be lucky to take down even one. One-on-ten, they wouldn't stand a chance against any.
While the high-ranking executives were skilled, they could only take down a couple of dozen soldiers each, and in terms of stamina, taking down a couple of thousand enemies single-handedly was probably their limit.
The vast sea was not an easy place to survive.
As time passed, even if these powerful individuals managed to defeat five thousand soldiers, the pirate crew would undoubtedly suffer significant losses, and
"In one hour, the Navy will arrive, but I don't want to share the credit with them. Only if I defeat you will this feat boost my fame."
Tony's sinister smile widened, "Within an hour, the battle will be over!"
He took out a small Den Den Mushi and spoke into it, his voice blaring through the city's speakers, "I am the overall defensive captain, Tony! Listen up, you wretched folk! There's a group of pirates at the port, kill them!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
A coldness permeated Agin's voice, "The civilians won't participate in the Captain's robbery plan; they've never targeted civilians."
Not robbing civilians was Captain Sag's policy. Additionally, from their extensive robbery experiences, Agin had realized that refraining from targeting civilians had its benefits.
In the past, pirates who ransacked towns, stealing everything in sight, often invited excessive hatred, increasing the likelihood of retaliation from civilians. However, since following Captain Sag's robbery guidelines, they found robberies much simpler.
While they still engaged in battles, the absence of civilian interference simplified matters. Their sole targets were the wealthy, and they maintained a neutral relationship with civilians.
Pirates and civilians coexisted without intruding on each other's affairs; it was a live-and-let-live situation.
Similarly, civilians wouldn't be easily swayed.
With what influence? What incentive?
"Not participating? Only the citizens are exempt from this!"
Tony laughed upon hearing Agin's retort, continuing into the mouthpiece, "Kill a pirate, and a third-class villager will be promoted to a second-class civilian! Take down ten, and you become a citizen of this kingdom! If you manage to kill one with a bounty on their head, that bounty is yours!
"Furthermore, if you die in battle, there will be substitutions! For every villager who perishes, another villager can be nominated for second-class civilian status! Die a dozen, and you can appoint someone to become a citizen! Perish a hundred, and I will reward the appointed individual with a hundred thousand berries!"
Tony's eyes narrowed to pinpricks, his face contorting with a surge of violent tendencies, "Go, kill and be killed! For your status, for your future! Hahahaha!"
The blaring announcement from the speakers resonated throughout the city, from the towering skyscrapers to the humble thatched cottages.
On a rooftop, Kaku crossed his arms, observing the chaotic clash unfolding below. "So that's what's happening. I suspected something unusual was afoot." He exhaled, reflecting on the situation.
"We've found you, and you expect us to remain idle?"
On the rooftop, a hawk suddenly materialized, its gaze fixed on the gathered CP9 members.
"There's no need."
Lucci's tone was indifferent, "Our collaboration is merely a means to an end. Eventually, we will seek retribution from Spandam, and until then, we won't incur bounties."
Their task was solely to gather intelligence, and their collaboration didn't extend to providing physical assistance, which fell outside the scope of their agreement.
When it came to intelligence gathering, they were professionals. Even with just two hours, they could gather a rough outline of the situation.
Especially now, after obtaining two Devil Fruits from Spandam during the events at Enies Lobby, their information-gathering capabilities had expanded.
Lucci wandered the streets, blending into the surroundings. Kaku and Jabra had transformed into a deer and a wolf, respectively, with Bruno acting as their manager, posing as a performing animal troupe to draw crowds and subtly extract information about the city.
Califa, having consumed the 'Bubble-Bubble Fruit,' could generate vast quantities of bubbles, enabling her to clean the city while covertly gathering intelligence from various manors.
Ultimately, their collective efforts yielded a comprehensive understanding of the kingdom.
However, one aspect puzzled them—the presence of individuals who resembled slaves and were treated worse than the impoverished, seemingly bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Slavery was nothing new to the CP9 agents; although the World Government officially prohibited it, they knew that every place had its dark underbelly, beyond the reach of regulation.
However, such matters were usually kept hidden, unlike in this city, where it was brazenly displayed. Moreover, these people were not technically slaves; they received wages and had jobs, and they did not seem to suffer inhumane treatment or discrimination in their daily lives—it was merely a simple distinction between the rich and the poor.
This was why Gabra had said there was no need to investigate the residences of the wealthy; aside from this city with its towering skyscrapers, the rest were populated by the poor.
But now, it seemed things were a little different.
Zhing!
Just as Tonya was about to finish speaking, his ears twitched, and he arched his body backward. A flash of lightning appeared before him, transforming into a slender sword, no wider than two fingers, that sliced horizontally.
Bang!
At that moment, Tonya lifted his foot and tapped the blade, propelling the sword upward to his head. Simultaneously, he threw a punch toward the side.
Lily's pupils contracted as she swiftly retracted her sword, slashing at his fist. But in that instant, the incoming punch suddenly changed trajectory, like a flexible snake, dodging the blade and hooking toward her cheek.
Boom!
Lily's figure vanished, and Tonya looked at his hand in confusion. "Strange, she's just a woman, yet her defense is so strong."
He lifted his head to look at the figure that had flashed in front of him and said, "Biendata Lily, the 'Sword Princess' and a pirate with a bounty of over 100 million berries. You've got some skill."
Lily held her sword in one hand, glancing at her slightly trembling left hand with a solemn expression.
That left hand was still hardened with Busoshoku Haki.
But Haki alone wasn't enough; this man was not only fast but also incredibly strong, which was unexpected coming from such a diminutive physique.
He was a formidable opponent!
It wasn't just pirates who possessed great strength; there were powerful individuals everywhere, but pirates tended to attract more attention due to their notoriety. Normally, if Sagel hadn't become a pirate, the world might never have known of his strength.
So, while Lily acknowledged his power, she wasn't surprised. Instead, she felt anger building within her.
In a cold voice, she asked, "What have you done?"
"What have I done?"
Tonya tilted his head, thinking for a moment before realizing, "Oh, you mean my orders. I've simply done what needed to be done. You lot are quite troublesome, and if I want to defeat you within an hour, I need to enlist some help. But I don't want to wait for the Navy, so using these worthless lives to wear you down is a good idea, don't you think?
(End of Chapter)
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