https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-205-Don-t-Dump-the-Remaining-Pirate-Ships/13536461/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-207-A-Little-Story-After-the-Rain/13536463/
Chapter 206: The Mustache King (Repost—don't repurchase if you've already read it)
Chapter 206: The Mustache King (Repost—don’t repurchase if you’ve already read it)
Three days later.
The sea basked under a scorching sun. The weather on the Grand Line was ever-shifting—just hours ago, torrential rain had battered the area, and now the merciless heat made sweat drip from every pore.
Kuro lay lazily on a deck chair, shaded by an umbrella held upright by a Navy soldier. Nearby, a table held several chilled drinks, their condensation glistening in the sunlight.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannon fire thundered from the warship. Explosive cannonballs rained near a distant Pirate Ship, and after several volleys, a direct hit shattered its main mast.
“Cease fire.”
Klah stepped onto the ship’s railing. With a kick, he launched himself forward, using Moonstep to stride across the air toward the Pirate Ship.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Sparks flew as the Pirate Ship’s crew fired lead bullets skyward. The projectiles streaked toward Klah, who had just reached the ship’s deck.
“Iron Body.”
Without glancing, Klah tensed his frame. The bullets ricocheted off his hardened flesh in showers of sparks, leaving him unscathed as he descended among them.
The deck erupted in screams.
Then silence. Klah leapt back into the air, returning to the warship with two pirates slung over his shoulders like sacks.
Thud!
He tossed them onto the deck. Navy soldiers swarmed, binding the wounded pair.
“Two bountyheads.”
Klah pulled out a clean handkerchief, wiping blood from his fingers with practiced indifference.
“Hard work. Have a drink.”
Kuro gestured lazily at the chilled beverages.
“Unforgivable!!”
Suddenly, the pirate captain—sporting three thick mustaches—shoved aside his captors. Snatching a soldier’s blade, he charged Kuro at the lounging chair.
Lida, still reclining, lifted her head but paused when Kuro waved her off. He sat up slowly, pulled a cigar from his coat, and lit it with a flick of his lighter.
Inhale…
He drew the smoke deep, letting it coil in his mouth before exhaling. The cigar’s smoke shot forward in a straight line, smacking into the charging pirate’s face. Alive with eerie energy, it seeped into his eyes and nostrils.
Cough! Cough!
The sudden assault made the pirate double over, wheezing. By the time he recovered, a Navy soldier slammed his rifle butt into the back of the pirate’s head. Stunned, the man slumped.
“Let go of me! Let go—!”
Kuro sighed, shaking his head. Turning to Klah, he asked, “How many ships now?”
“Eight.”
Kuro eyed the three-mustached pirate. “He’s not another ‘mustache king’ himself, is he?”
“‘Threeforks’ Augudin—bounty 160 million. His battle captain, ‘Madman’ Kaelven—70 million.”
Kuro stood, striding toward the subdued pirate. A sharp kick to the jaw sent the man flying into the ship’s railing.
“Add you to the count, and eight ships make five mustaches. Five! My warship’s becoming a mustache convention. Anyone see this ship thinks we’re pirates instead of Navy. What’s wrong with you lot? Can’t you grow mustaches And be more creative? I’d respect mountain bandits more—they’ve killed fifty-six Four Emperors in their day!”
Three days total. Add the earlier ‘Flame Sword’ encounter, and he’d faced eight pirate crews.
On average, a run-in every half-day. Frequencies this high annoyed Kuro to no end—especially with how many of these crews had ‘mustache’ nicknames.
His ship’s brig already held ‘Graybeard’, ‘Redbeard’, ‘Chrysanthemumbeard’, ‘Mountainbeard’, and now ‘Threeforks’.
Whitebeard had barely fallen cold, yet these random mustache crews sprouted like weeds. Kuro felt stunned—stunned—to be sailing through this ridiculous mustache epidemic.
If even he kept running into them on patrol, the world must be positively overrun with mustache-worshipping lunatics.
“What are they aiming for? The One Piece? Or the Mustache King title?”
“Shave his hairs off later. Let him keep those deadbeard bastards company.” Kuro waved the soldiers away.
Then he soared into the air, landing on the crippled Pirate Ship. With a touch, he lifted the vessel upward, flipping it inverted. Its wounded occupants tumbled into the sea. Once empty, the ship floated skyward, vanishing into the clouds.
Kuro clenched his fist. A massive wave surged, swallowing the drowning pirates. Only then did he return to his deck.
“Commander! Commander!”
A Lieutenant sprinted over, clutching a trembling Transponder Snail.
“Distress signal—Navy origin!”
The Snail’s face contorted in terror, its voice broken and bloodied.
“H-help… Tada Town… Save me… No—don’t come here! Gaaaahhh!!!”
A deep, guttural roar cut through the connection. The soldier’s scream followed—metal slicing flesh—then silence.
Kuro’s eyes narrowed. “What happened?”
The Lieutenant swallowed. “From Tada Town. Our comrade… seems to’ve perished.”
“Tada Town?”
Klah frowned. “Certain it’s Tada?”
“Positive. Seems unlikely, I know.”
Kuro’s brow lifted. Klah explained. “Tada Town is the sole port of the eponymous Kingdom. Tiny, but fiercely martial. Their justice system? Public Burning—they roast criminals alive. Locals fight like rabid dogs. Pirates avoid the place—Navy’s base there exists mainly for recruitment.”
“A powerful guardian watches it. Even major pirates steer clear. The Kingdom’s poor, sure, but…”
“Ah. You mean ‘Gatekeeper’ Gurgas?” Lida interjected, sitting upright.
“Exactly. Saw a newspaper recently—solo took down a pirate crew worth 150 million bounty. Over a thousand men.”
Kuro’s eyebrow rose. Impressive.
“Is the Log Pose’s next destination… Tada?”
“Yes, Commander.”
Kuro stood, shadow in his eyes. No more sunbathing.
If even that guardian couldn’t prevent this… whoever struck must be no ordinary threat.
Sixth-level escapees already stirring chaos?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
