Chapter 203: We Can Hold Out Until Old Age
Chapter 203: We Can Hold Out Until Old Age
"Understood."
On the Grim Reaper, Lily hung up the Den Den Mushi and waved her hand, signaling for her subordinates to leave with the transmitter.
"Just three days. That was quick," Marika commented with a smile.
They had all prepared to wait here for a month or even longer, planning to sail back and forth in the nearby seas and surrounding islands.
Unexpectedly, Sag had called in just three days and had even reached the royal capital.
How did he cross over?
"Ability," Lily replied after a moment's thought.
"Only a miracle like this could explain it."
All the unknowns and miracles on the high seas could be attributed to abilities.
In such a short time, he had crossed the vast ocean and reached the royal capital directly; there was no other explanation besides an ability.
It wasn't explicitly mentioned over the Den Den Mushi, but it was a guess that couldn't be more obvious.
"We'll proceed according to Sag's plan. Marika, you'll land from the northern side and head to the royal capital. Regardless, Sag must have gone without food since leaving Impel Down and reaching here. You're a chef, so your skills will come in handy."
"No problem," Marika replied cheerfully.
"Hawkins, you can go too. Sag may need your fortune-telling ability. Letty, stay on the ship—I'll need your power."
Lily glanced at the eager Reinity but decided to keep her on board.
With Reinity's presence, this ship would have the fastest speed possible.
"I'm ready," Hawkins said, drawing a few tarot cards and speaking indifferently.
The success rate of this action was so high that he didn't want to mention the probability. It was a plan destined for success.
"Bellamy, follow them. The rest of you, stay on the ship. We'll head to the southern port city, 'Selfbufrey,' to plunder and await Sag's arrival."
This was Sag's plan.
Now that he knew their location and had obtained basic information about this country, Sag had given his orders.
Since he was already in the royal capital, there was no reason for him to leave empty-handed. He had come all this way, so plundering a few more places wouldn't hurt.
Instead of landing at Noffbufrey, the Grim Reaper sailed to a different landing point. Since their destination was the royal capital, there was no need to engage with the guards who had regrouped in that city.
"Use these!"
Reinity ordered her subordinates to bring out the motorcycles from the ship's cabin. "I've made ten of them. Take them all!"
The area of Ssomia was just a bit smaller than Alabasta. Sailing around the island wouldn't be too slow—it would take one or two days at most to go from north to south. However, traveling on land was a different story.
Of course, they needed a means of transportation; otherwise, they'd be walking until kingdom come.
Whether approaching from the north or the south, reaching the center at the royal capital and then returning would mean traversing the entire kingdom. Walking would be too time-consuming.
This motorcycle, which Reinity called the 'Round Mo,' could seat nine people. With ten of them, that meant ninety people, which was more than enough.
Lily selected a group of Demon Race members, and they mounted the motorcycles, kicking up trails of dust as they sped toward the royal capital.
As for the Grim Reaper, the black ship prepared to sail around the large island and head toward the southern city.
...
Within the royal palace.
In the half-collapsed grand hall, chefs pushed carts loaded with food.
A dining table had been brought into the hall, and trembling soldiers acting as attendants laid out the food for the person seated at the head of the table—Sag.
"Why are you putting it so far away? My arms aren't that long. Bring it closer!" Sag held a knife and fork and unabashedly speared a chunk of meat, bringing it to his mouth as he shouted at the soldiers.
The soldiers' bodies trembled, and with shaking hands, they nudged the plate holding the food a little closer. But it was only a small adjustment, as if they were afraid of approaching some fierce beast.
Sag rolled his eyes and leaned forward, bringing the plate with fried vegetables closer himself. He devoured its contents in a few bites before suddenly pausing and speaking indifferently, "Still haven't learned your lesson?"
Hum!
A group of chefs who had finished delivering the food and were about to take the opportunity to drag away the unconscious king trembled, their eyes rolling back in their heads as they fainted on the spot.
At this moment, there were already over ten people lying beside the unconscious king.
They were all people who had tried to play smart and rescue the king.
In front of Sag, at the entrance of the grand hall, there were even more soldiers lying on the ground.
These soldiers had just tried to rush into the hall and take out Sag.
And outside the hall, a large number of people had gathered but dared not approach, standing at the doorway in numbers too great to count.
Sag paid them no mind and continued to devour his food as if a storm were sweeping through, not stopping until all the food on the table had been reduced to empty plates. Only then did he pick up a cup of rum and down it in one go.
"Not bad."
Rubbing his chin, he mused, "Being a chef here is such a waste of talent. Why don't you join my crew and embrace the thrilling life of a pirate? It's so much fun!"
However, no sooner had he finished speaking than the remaining chefs seemed to have fainted from his presence.
"Just what are you trying to do, Disaster!"
Within the grand hall, in addition to the soldiers acting as attendants, there was also a guard captain standing his ground.
"This is the King's Castle, and there are fifty thousand soldiers here. You will never escape!"
Sphink exclaimed, "I know you are formidable, but you still won't stand a chance against so many of us. Let the King go, and I will negotiate with those outside. Release the King, and we will let you walk free. How does that sound?"
"Let me walk free?"
Sag chuckled and, with a glass of rum in one hand and the cup in the other, strolled over to the throne. Unfazed by Sphink's furious gaze, he sat himself comfortably upon the golden throne, adorned with swan-shaped armrests.
"Impel Down didn't dare to say 'let me go', and yet you presume to do so?"
Sag poured himself another drink, propping his feet up on the armrest in a casual, relaxed posture. "I'll give you folks a chance. For a mere twenty billion berries, I'll forego the plunder and be on my way."
"Impossible!"
Sphink grit his teeth in determination. "You're just one man; we will undoubtedly prevail!"
"So, you refuse my offer?" Sag inquired.
"With but a single one of us, we will hold out here until old age!"
Sphink asserted, "Moreover, we are a World Government member state, and the World Government will never tolerate your actions!"
"Hohohoho! Indeed, and so I left Impel Down!"
Sag burst into a fit of laughter. "Since you won't agree, then I suppose our negotiations have fallen through!"
He drank another cupful and proceeded to refill his cup, downing one glass after another until the rum was no more. Only then did he set the cup aside, hurling it toward the unconscious king, where it shattered upon impact.
"Tenfold South Dipper Bottle Strike!"
Bang!
The bottle seemed to appear before the king in the blink of an eye, abruptly enlarging and delivering a hefty blow that shattered the king's skull alongside the bottle.
A crimson glint flashed through Sag's eyes as he wore a sinister smile. "If you won't negotiate, then I'll just take it!"
Hum!
Sphink's eyes widened in disbelief, and before he could even cry out in protest against the king's demise, an indescribable pressure bore down upon him, causing his legs to buckle and forcing him to his knees.
Thud! Thud!
Behind him, a chorus of falling bodies resounded.
Sphink struggled to twist his head around, only to behold the soldiers gathered outside the grand hall, all of whom had collapsed to the ground, save for a scant few who remained standing.
"Behold, this is the truth of the sea! When your fist is mighty enough, then you earn the right to set the terms!"
Sag surveyed the kneeling Sphink, his smile twisting into a grimace. "I offered you folks a chance because I felt like it. Yet, with the king gone and his soldiers felled, what else do you have to rely on? You refused my proposal, but can you truly defy me with these meager resources at your disposal?"
He was willing to negotiate because he felt like it, primarily due to his laziness in awaiting his crew's impending battle. It was simpler to let these folks bring out the money rather than fight his way through and waste time.
However, if they were unwilling, then he had no choice but to take it all!
"You, you killed the king! Have you lost your mind?! That was the king we're talking about!" Sphink grit his teeth, forcing himself to stand tall despite his wobbling knees. His voice quivered with disbelief as he shouted his protest.
The king!
The monarch endowed with noble blood and the rule of law!
How could their sovereign, the very heart and soul of this nation, be gone just like that?!
"You know who I am, don't you?" Sag queried, a hint of surprise lacing his tone. "Am I supposed to be surprised that I killed the king?"
At least half of his bounty could be attributed to that factor.
Sphink's expression twisted in confusion, having heard tales of Disaster's deeds. He knew of the man's reputation, and it was said that wherever Disaster went, casualties were sure to follow.
The citizens met their tragic end, the city turned into ruins, and the hard-earned wealth was plundered.
He was an extremely dangerous individual.
However, hearing about it and witnessing it with one's own eyes are two different things.
Logically, after the king's death, he should have withdrawn immediately, then gathered his soldiers, and killed this dangerous pirate.
But...
Sphink turned and looked at the sparse number of people outside the palace who were still standing, feeling bitter and dizzy.
They were not a match for this man. Numbers held no meaning for him.
"You will definitely die!"
Sphink exclaimed with reddened eyes, his voice filled with despair, "You will definitely die!"
"There's no such thing as immortality for humans. Don't speak such childish words. But..."
Sag's lips curled upwards as he continued, "...you should go before me."
"Huh?"
Sphink's body stiffened as he looked down at his chest, only to see a straw piercing through it. Fresh blood trickled along the straw from his chest to its tip, dripping down to the ground.
He slowly turned his head and saw that the straw had also impaled the chests of the guard captains who had been barely standing.
A man with golden hair and an expressionless face stood at the back of the palace, holding a sword that had transformed into straw.
"You have the mark of death today,"
Hawkins moved his arm, and the straw withdrew from their bodies, condensing back into the sword hilt.
He strode over the unconscious people and corpses, entering the palace, and casually sheathed his sword with a flick of his wrist.
"It's been a week since we last saw you, Captain."
Hawkins stood in the grand hall, looking up at Sag seated on the throne, and spoke indifferently, "You don't look like you've been to prison at all."
Behind him, the sound of motorcycles revving filled the air as ten vehicles carrying members of the Demon Race burst into the palace.
Sag slowly bared his teeth, "What's someone who's been to prison supposed to look like?"
"At least, you should look a little more dejected."
Hawkins stated, "The way you look now only makes us more confident."
Sag threw back his head and roared with laughter, "Hohoho! Hawkins, it's been a few days, and you've learned to speak!
Marika climbed off her motorcycle and glanced at the empty plates on the dining table, smiling as she said, "Looks like I won't need to cook after all."
"No, Marika, your timing is perfect."
Sag said, "The chefs here keep trying to poison me. They have decent cooking skills, but now they've all fainted. I haven't eaten my fill yet, so go ahead and make me something to eat. It's been a while since I last tasted your cooking."
"A rare opportunity to serve the captain," Marika replied with a gentle smile, making her way into the palace kitchen.
"Lord Sag!"
Bellamy led the Demon Race members as they stormed in, his voice filled with excitement, "We've made it!"
"Oh! Bellamy! Excellent! Let's start with this place, then!"
Sag rose from the throne, laughing heartily, "Alright, go ahead and ransack the place! Don't miss any valuables! After we're done with the palace, we'll move on to the city!"
"Yes, Lord Sag!"
Bellamy swiftly waved his hand, and the group began their search in the half-collapsed palace.
Although their numbers were few, the motorcycles could carry much more than people alone, and in this palace, Sag needed no additional supplies—only the gold and silver.
"Sag, this country—"
Hawkins was about to share some intelligence he had gathered about this country when Sag waved his hand to interrupt him.
"I don't want to hear about it," Sag declared.
"You know?" Hawkins paused, taken aback.
"Know what?"
Sag chuckled, "I don't know anything, and I don't want to know. We're pirates, and there's no need to fuss over our targets. It's all plunder to us, and I don't care how these rich folks acquired their wealth. I'm not interested."
As they approached, he had roughly glanced at the city's layout: the most prosperous area was around the palace, followed by civilian housing, and the outermost ring was the slums, which occupied the largest area and housed the most significant number of people.
But that didn't concern Sag; instead, it helped him pinpoint his target.
The wealthy were all gathered in one place—what a wonderful thing!
As for the history of this place, whether it was filled with sorrow or burning passion, Sag didn't care.
This wasn't his territory to rule over, so why bother with the specifics? The world was vast and wide, and he didn't want to waste his time listening to the stories of every place he raided.
There were only a few simple rules he followed when it came to plundering.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
