Chapter 245: Who Did This?
Chapter 245: Who Did This?
There were several others just as unfortunate as Bei Te Luo. The pirates who’d once boasted fortunes of tens of millions stared in stunned silence at the empty harbor, unsure how to proceed.
“Hey, Bei Te Luo,” called Dao Ge Wo Si, known as ‘Rabid Dog,’ as he approached with his subordinates. His ship had survived since it was docked on the opposite side, untouched by the earlier tsunami. “Want to join my crew? I’ll make you Vice-Captain.”
“You’d be lucky to be my Vice-Captain!” Bei Te Luo shot back.
“My bounty’s higher than yours, Bei Te Luo.”
Dao Ge Wo Si was a middle-aged man with a thick, curly mustache and a muscular build, clearly a practitioner of unarmed combat techniques. Compared to Bei Te Luo’s wiry frame, he looked like a completely different breed.
“If you don’t join my ship, no one else will take you,” Dao Ge Wo Si said, gesturing toward a group of bald figures approaching. “Unless you want to become a monk.”
“I’d gladly accept Mr. Bei Te Luo aboard,” interjected Yuan Tong He Shang, the ‘Big Eyeball Monk,’ dressed in black robes with a thick prayer beads necklace and eyes as wide as saucers. “But to sail with me, you must follow my rules—shaving your head and becoming a monk.”
Bei Te Luo fell silent, glancing at the other pirates. They avoided his gaze. Most had lost their ships to the tsunami, sharing his fate, while others refused to take him or his men aboard for fear of being absorbed into Bei Te Luo’s crew. Only two options remained—become a monk or a Vice-Captain.
“I understand,” Bei Te Luo said finally. “Please guide me in the future!” He wisely chose Dao Ge Wo Si’s offer.
Monks could become pirates, but no one had ever heard of a pirate becoming a monk. That was a path no one had dared to tread.
Yuan Tong extended his palms in a respectful bow. “A pity. It seems fate won’t allow me to guide Mr. Bei Te Luo.”
“Let’s get on board first. We need to leave before this place gets worse.”
Dao Ge Wo Si glanced back at the sky-obscuring ruins looming above, sweat dripping from his brow. Whoever caused this destruction was beyond terrifying.
“Wait,” Bei Te Luo suddenly said. “Now’s our chance! That thing didn’t fall on the city randomly. Neither the dwarves nor the Navy would dare massacre civilians so recklessly. We can capitalize on this chaos—plundering the island will make us legends!”
The neutral zone had been untouched for years. Striking now would earn them infamy across the Grand Line, a reputation boost every pirate craved. For Bei Te Luo, it was a path to rebuilding his power.
Dao Ge Wo Si exchanged a glance with Yuan Tong. Stroking his curling mustache, he asked, “What do you think, monk?”
“I believe it’s wise,” Yuan Tong said, staring at the town with his hands clasped. “Peace makes people complacent. They must suffer to cherish peace. Inflicting hardship is our duty as seafarers who follow the Buddha’s path.”
His bloodshot eyes widened grotesquely. “Let them feel pain! Only by knowing suffering can they understand true peace!”
“Agreed! Let’s strike first!” Dao Ge Wo Si roared, raising his fist. He turned to the stranded pirates. “Join us! All are welcome aboard my ship!”
The shipless pirates exchanged glances, then raised their fists. “Raid the island! Let our names echo across the Grand Line!”
“Long live Captain Dao Ge Wo Si!!!”
Dao Ge Wo Si waved them quiet, scanning the area before settling on a young man in the shadows. “Let’s start with him!”
The youth, a local resident, trembled as the pirates’ excitement surged. “Stay back!” He stepped back, reaching for his waist. “This is Moe Island! Do you really think you’ll escape Lord Kuro’s wrath?!”
“Whether he’s here or not is anyone’s guess, kid. The era of neutral zones is over,” Bei Te Luo sneered, drawing a pistol. “Let’s spill some blood to warm things up.”
“Don’t underestimate me!” The youth hissed, pulling out a Firecracker. “Light this, and reinforcements will come! If you don’t flee now, you’ll never escape!”
“Relax. We have all the time to escape after the loot,” Bei Te Luo grinned, pulling the trigger.
The youth closed his eyes, ignited the Firecracker, and hurled it backward with a deafening explosion.
Boom!!!
A chunk of sky-obscuring ruins plummeted from nowhere, smashing onto a pirate ship. The massive debris, larger than the vessel itself, crushed it into splinters.
The sudden air pressure left the youth gaping. He’d just panicked, but the heavens had answered his desperation.
Shards rained down. A dog-shaped figurehead rolled toward Dao Ge Wo Si, landing at his feet. Silence fell.
A gust of wind sent the figurehead rolling out of sight. Dao Ge Wo Si stood frozen, his face pale.
His ship… was gone.
Bei Te Luo lowered his pistol slowly, turning to Yuan Tong. “Master, do you think it’s too late for me to become a monk?”
Yuan Tong gazed at the sky. “All beings can attain enlightenment, Mr. Bei Te Luo. With wisdom, any place is a temple—land or sea.”
“And in human terms?”
“I can’t handle that thing either. We’re stuck here.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Chunks of ruins rained like meteors, smashing into the sea and unleashing tsunami-like waves. Every pirate ship nearby was obliterated, reduced to flotsam swallowed by the ocean.
The harbor flooded, and the force sent pirates sprawling in disarray.
Dao Ge Wo Si was swept off his feet, clutching at nothing as the tide receded. In his hands remained a broken ship’s rudder. The familiar pattern confirmed it was from his own vessel.
“My ship!” He roared, hurling the rudder at the shadowy figure in the sky.
The heavy wood whistled through the air, aimed at the figure above.
With a slap, Kuro caught the flying debris. Recognizing it as part of a ship’s rudder, his face darkened.
He dove downward, landing before the group with the rudder raised. His voice was cold and sharp.
“Who… did this?”
(End of Chapter)
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