Chapter 249: Bring Me My Fishing Rod!
Chapter 249: Bring Me My Fishing Rod!
The Grim Reaper was currently sailing towards the right side of a massive bridge connecting two islands, where a landing port could be spotted.
"Have you called Doflamingo?"
Sarge stepped out of the captain's room and walked towards the deck, asking the question of Lily, who was trailing behind him.
"Yes, I've made the call and informed them of our location. However, they suggested we approach from the west coast, which I refused. We'll be landing on the northeast coast instead." Lily explained.
"Good call. Why would I want to take a detour to get here?"
Sarge chuckled and, gazing at the azure sea, praised, "This is indeed a great spot. I wonder if there are any fish to be caught."
"I'm afraid not."
Lily peered down at the seawater, a red dot appearing in her eyes. "I see. No wonder Donquixote Doflamingo had a strange smile on his face earlier. There's something here. Watch out, Sarge."
From the left front of the Grim Reaper, under the massive bridge surrounded by steel, a larger shadow emerged from the water and swam towards them.
Whoosh!
Just as Lily finished speaking, the shadow passed under the bridge, creating a splash like a wave. A massive, pitch-black object then leaped out of the sea.
This creature was even larger than a typical two-masted sailboat. Its body was entirely black, with a physique resembling a goldfish, but its head looked more like that of a cow, complete with sharp fangs and a pair of gigantic horns on its head.
As it leaped into the air, the cow-like horns charged straight towards the Grim Reaper.
"Hehehehe, it's a fighting fish!" Moriah laughed.
"Fighting fish?"
"It's a fierce and bloodthirsty sea creature that inhabits this area. It will flip over any living creature it sees. And when one appears, it means there are more, as fighting fish travel in schools."
Sarge paused, taking in the sight of this cow-headed, tiger-toothed goldfish. He then looked towards the seawater, where numerous shadows had appeared around the Grim Reaper.
"Are you saying they're fish? Not sea kings or sea beasts? And they will definitely jump out of the water? There's no chance of them scattering?"
He suddenly turned to Moriah, and the excitement in his eyes caused the latter to unconsciously take a step back.
Afraid?
Impossible.
"Well, they're fish, although they don't quite qualify as sea kings. If you want to differentiate, do you know about Little Garden?"
Moriah thought for a moment before replying, "It's an ancient island in the first half of the Grand Line, where ancient species like dinosaurs still exist. Surrounding the island is a whale-eating island—although it's called a whale, its true form is that of a goldfish, just enormously large enough to swallow an entire island. Fighting fish belong to the same category as that creature."
"Also, they will definitely attack; it's their instinct, regardless of whether their opponent is strong or weak."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Hearing this, Sarge urged, his eyes blazing with excitement. The color of the conqueror burst forth, directly impacting the fighting fish that was leaping through the air. Its massive eyes rolled upwards, and its body lost momentum, freezing for a moment before falling back into the sea.
"Bring me my fishing rod!"
Sarge stretched out his hand and shouted, "Just look at it! It's begging to be caught! Today's my lucky day! What a fantastic place! It's perfect for me!"
I'll even forget about the money they owe me!
Let Donquixote Doflamingo trade Dressrosa for it!
"Here you go."
Sarge knew that Lily, ever efficient, would have gone to fetch his fishing rod the moment he started speaking. True to form, as he stretched out his hand, the fishing rod was placed right into it.
Sarge eagerly sat on the edge of the deck, skillfully attaching the bait to the hook. With a smooth motion, he cast the rod forward, the fishing line extending like a heavenly rift. A silver glow cut through the air as the hook sank into the seawater, entering the shadows that churned the waves, seemingly ready to leap out at any moment.
"Byron! Byron!"
Sarge excitedly called out, "Come out, and play me a tune! Isn't it a wonderful day?"
"N-no, it's not, Sarge." Byron stuttered.
"Then just play something festive and joyful!"
Sarge grinned, "Today's the day I finally get my first catch!"
Everything has a difficult beginning! This will be my first catch as a fisherman!
The hardest part about being a fisherman is getting that first catch. But once you do, you're well on your way to becoming the Fishing King!
This wasn't a sea king or a sea beast; it was just a plain old fish.
A fish!
The sea truly is a wondrous place, even hosting fish that can initiate attacks!
"Hey, do you think I can really catch one?"
Renitia curiously poked her head out from behind the railing, staring at the massive shadows below. "But, Sarge, that fish is so ugly."
"Do you understand the value of a big catch? Ugly? We're in the Grand Line! The New World!
Sarge exclaimed, "This fish perfectly embodies the dangerous nature of the New World. It's not ugly; it's fierce and valiant! Reti, wait till I reel one in. After Mary cooks it, you'll realize that the more ferocious something is, the more delicious it tends to be!"
"Ah, I'm not so sure about that, Sarge."
Mary smiled and said, "While I don't like wasting food, I also strive for delicious flavors. Unfortunately, goldfish meat is quite unpleasant, not suitable for cooking at all."
"Then find an aquarium to keep it in!" Sarge grinned, his sharp teeth bared. "As long as I can reel it in, I don't care how it's handled!"
"Ugh, it's too ugly. I don't want to look at it." Renitia continued to complain.
"It's just fishing."
Moriah laughed. "Hehehe, Sarge, there's no need to get so worked up. You can fish anywhere. Don't act like you've never caught a fish before."
However, Moriah's voice suddenly trailed off. As a strong cultivator, he immediately sensed that something was amiss with the surrounding aura; it had noticeably cooled down. This feeling prompted him to swallow the rest of his words.
Hawkins extended a few straws from his leg, drew out his tarot cards, and swiftly shuffled them before drawing a few and sticking them onto the straw tips. After a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak but then stopped himself.
The surrounding crew members seemed to freeze, and even the ship came to a halt, quietly floating in the sea as they awaited the school of fighting fish to take the bait.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Ten minutes.
"Hey, Moriah."
After half an hour, Sarge inhaled deeply as he gazed at the group of shadows lurking motionlessly in the water. "Aren't you the one who said they would attack? Now, aside from that one fish that leaped out of the water, the rest of them aren't even coming up."
His Conqueror's Haki had now reached a level of precision where he could direct his attacks with pinpoint accuracy, striking only the intended target without any collateral damage. So, when he attacked that single fish that had jumped out of the water, he was certain that he hadn't affected any of the others.
But now, after all this time, this school of fighting fish was still hiding underwater, unmoving like they were dead.
"This is quite a strange sight."
Moriah also found this odd. His sharp-gloved fingers stroked his chin as he mused, "Hmm, they clearly have life force, and they're quite aggressive. I don't understand why they aren't attacking."
"Hmm?"
Sarge furrowed his brow, looking at Moriah with a puzzled expression.
Was this guy's willpower starting to recover?
Sarge shook his head and laughed, reeling in his fishing line and placing the rod on the deck. "Hmm, maybe it was too sudden for them. I'll try fishing again in a couple of days."
Splash!
Just as he gave up on this fishing attempt, something seemed to stir in the depths, as if the fighting fish had sensed something in this moment. Giant splashes erupted around the ship as several fighting fish leaped out of the water, their cow-like horns aiming straight at the Grim Reaper.
"Sky Destroying Murderous Intent!"
Sarge's arms were enveloped in Haki as he hurled out several bursts of black flames, each one slamming into the airborne fighting fish.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The massive fish bodies trembled, and they seemed to explode, spraying blood flowers into the air before falling back into the sea, staining the waters beneath the Dead Star with a crimson hue.
"They're doing it on purpose!" Sarge glared at the sea, gritting his teeth. "Just you wait, I'll be back to fish for you soon enough! Lily, set sail!"
Lily nodded, instructing the crew to continue sailing forward.
At this moment, Renitia quietly approached Hawkins and asked, "What probability did you calculate?"
"The usual." Hawkins' voice was also a bit softer. "There's no way Sarge will catch a fish."
"Hehe, I knew it!"
Renitia revealed her small tiger teeth, dashing over to Sarge's side, and she tiptoed, stretching out her small hand to pat Sarge's shoulder. "Sarge, Sarge, don't worry. I'll help you blow them up!"
"Scram!" Sarge glared at her sideways, his eyes full of impatience. "Get lost with your hammer, will you?!"
Before long, the Dead Star drew closer to the landing point, and on the coast, a figure was already waiting for them.
This person was about the same height as Mary, with a head of green, wavy hair. She wore a light blue, striped tube dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure.
She was a beauty.
A gangplank was lowered from the side of the ship, and Sarge, with his fur cloak flowing behind him, strode down the plank, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Are you the one who's here to greet us?"
The woman smiled and bowed slightly, her movements graceful. "Yes, I am, Sarge. My name is Monet, and the young master has already given me instructions. Please allow me to guide you from here."
Speaking thus, she took the lead, with Sarge scanning his surroundings with sidelong glances as he followed Monet.
The interior of the giant rock formation wasn't entirely covered in buildings; there were also trees and grassy areas, resembling suburban wilderness, with some small settlements nestled within.
However, once they passed through these villages, they could see a bustling town of considerable size, as well as a wall that bisected the entire island, towering at the town's center.
Within the walls was a prosperous city, and outside the walls, one could also glimpse traces of smaller towns.
A country wouldn't be entirely covered in urban development, especially when the island was of substantial size. Dressrosa featured a central city, as well as remote villages and towns.
Aside from the central city, there were also extremely tall rock pillars next to the walls, and atop those pillars...
"Mr. Sarge, up there is where the palace lies. This is my destination for bringing you this time."
As they approached the city, Monet turned to look at Sarge, who was already gazing upward. She bowed once more, then spread her arms wide. "Welcome, then, to the Country of Love, Passion, and Toys!"
At her gesture, the city before them seemed to come to life, the clouds parting to reveal its true splendor.
Here, amidst the cobblestone streets, laughter rang out, and pedestrians kicked up their heels in dance. Some performed acrobatics, while others chased and playfully tackled each other, all seemingly filled with love and passion.
And toys.
Within this city, aside from humans, there were also toys that moved like real people. Some even walked arm-in-arm with humans, clearly couples, and others still, a pair of parents, rearing a toy child.
Renitia's eyes sparkled, and she tugged at Mary's sleeve. "Look, they can move and talk! What kind of structure is this?! Hey, get someone to grab one so I can dissect it and study it!"
Monet maintained her smile, saying nothing.
Sarge glanced at the toys and remarked, "What's so interesting about ability users?"
He hadn't given them much thought before, but the moment he saw these toys, he immediately recalled.
That fruit was indeed one of the 'miracles,' capable of transforming people into toys—the Hobi Hobi no Mi.
"Abilities, huh?" Renitia pouted. "I thought it was some kind of technological construction."
"Alright, those who want to play, go play. This place isn't bad. Let's take a vacation, everyone!"
Sarge waved his hand. "Take it easy until the ship is built. You all have some fun here!"
This time, he had brought everyone along. Now that they were on Doflamingo's turf, he certainly wasn't going to leave anyone behind to guard the ship. That was for Doflamingo to handle.
"Oh!"
The pirates cheered and scattered, each seeking their own entertainment.
The gamblers headed for the casinos, the drinkers to the pubs, and some simply formed groups of five or six, wandering the streets as tourists.
Dressrosa was filled with the fragrance of flowers, surrounded by delicious food and melodious music, complemented by beautiful women and fiery dances. It was indeed a place worth exploring.
Urki and Hawkins also left the group, Mary went to select ingredients, and while Renitia showed no interest in abilities, she wanted to see if there were any interesting inventions. Only Lily and Moriah remained by Sarge's side.
Moriah surveyed their surroundings, letting out a strange laugh. "Hehehe, I've never actually come in before. That damn Sky Nightmare has such a nice piece of turf."
Lily frowned as she looked at the toys.
If Sarge said it was an ability, then that meant these toys might have once been human. Furthermore, if they could think and speak...
"Humans?" Lily murmured.
However, she didn't feel any sense of dissonance.
She was a pirate herself, and she shared the mindset of a pirate.
Regardless of how these toys came to be, one fact remained: suppressing those who rebelled was not oppression, but simply a victory of strength. If their positions were reversed, the same would occur.
With so many toys, if the ability ceased to function, it could spell disaster.
The group followed Monet towards the central rock pillar, and along the way, they passed a circular arena. Lily furrowed her brows and stared at it. "Bloodstains."
"That's an ancient tradition passed down here. It's the bullfighting arena," Monet explained. "In the past, this was where criminals fought for the entertainment of the people. After the young master ascended the throne, he kept this place but changed it so that instead of criminals, those who wish to prove their bravery and valor fight within."
"He governs quite well, I see."
Sarge nodded, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "No wonder he has the business acumen."
"The young master is excellent at everything he does." Monet chuckled softly, leading them up the spiral staircase that encircled the rock pillar. At the top, they arrived at a massive square wall, and within those walls stood the palace of Dressrosa.
"Mr. Sarge, up there lies the palace. This is your destination for this trip," Monet said, bowing once more.
Sarge scanned his surroundings with sidelong glances as he followed Monet.
The interior of the giant rock formation wasn't entirely covered in buildings. There were also trees and grassy areas, resembling suburban wilderness, with some small settlements nestled within.
However, once they passed through these villages, they could see a bustling town of considerable size, as well as a wall that bisected the entire island, towering at the town's center.
Within the walls was a prosperous city, and outside the walls, one could also glimpse traces of smaller towns.
A country wouldn't be entirely covered in urban development, especially when the island was of substantial size. Dressrosa featured a central city, as well as remote villages and towns.
(End of Chapter)
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