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Chapter 251: Lida, Be More Careful With Your Movements
Chapter 251: Lida, Be More Careful With Your Movements
Elmos, a Weaponmerchant who had risen to minor infamy in the underworld after securing connections with Donquixote Doflamingo, was known for his grotesque, toad-like nose—a feature that earned him the nickname "Frog Merchant" Elmos.
At this moment, he sat with a stormy expression, staring at the closed Transponder Snail in his hand. He couldn’t fathom why that greedy yaksha had ordered him to retreat. And that man called Lucius Kro—Doflamingo had compared him to Whitebeard?
He hadn’t even watched the live broadcast of the Top War. During that time, he’d been busy selling weapons across the world. With the Navy mobilizing globally, local forces were weakened, creating the perfect window for profitable ventures. Why would he waste time watching a live feed when earning Beri was far more tempting?
All he knew about the Top War’s outcome came from newspapers reporting the Navy’s victory. But what did that matter? The war had cost the Navy dearly in its clash with Whitebeard and drawn conflict with Shanks. Now, as the Grand Line spiraled into chaos, the Navy’s grip weakened by the day. What did he, Elmos, have to fear from them?
“I won’t abandon Moe Island,” he muttered. “Donquixote Doflamingo may be a fool for fearing Navy retaliation, but I won’t let go of that island—it’s key to two Kingdoms’ weapon trades and dozens of shipping routes. Just wait until I seize it. You’ll see, Doflamingo… you’ll regret underestimating me.”
Elmos clenched his teeth, confident in his influence. Still, he couldn’t ignore Doflamingo’s warning. Before escalating things, he needed to investigate that Navy officer’s background thoroughly and decide on the scale of force required.
…
The azure sea lapped against the shore of Moe Island, its midday sunlight glaring.
Kuro lay shirtless on a lounge chair, golden hoop earrings glinting in the sun. One hand cradled his head, the other held a drink. Below him, Lida, her hair tied into twin buns and wearing a child’s swimsuit, knelt in the sand, intently molding something with her small hands.
Her focused movements brought beads of sweat to her nose as her breathing quickened, her lips parting with soft panting.
“Hngh…” Kuro winced, a sudden pressure making him suck in a breath. “Lida, slow down.”
Lida looked up, smudges of sand on her face. “Don’t move! You’re splashing it on me!”
From his feet up to his waist, Kuro’s lower body was buried in a mound of sand sculpted into elaborate shapes—Lida’s plaything, naturally.
“Can’t you play somewhere else? Why here? You’re ruining my pose,” Kuro grumbled. “What if a photographer shows up to capture my heroic, photogenic moment? You’d wreck it all!”
Lida rolled her eyes. “Please. You? Photographed? You hate cameras! Don’t move—this sandcastle took forever!”
“Then why build it on my body?!”
A distant Boom interrupted Kuro’s retort. Cannonballs arced through the air, fired from coastal artillery toward a Pirate Ship advancing on the island.
Kuro had stationed himself here, but his defenses were makeshift. Warship cannons weren’t enough, and the old city’s artillery—once useful—had been reduced to scrap, thanks to him. Fortunately, he’d salvaged cannons from several pirate vessels and repurposed them as coastal defense, though the ships themselves had been sent “skyward.”
“How many times is this?” Kuro asked, watching the ship approach.
Since declaring Moe Island a Marine Base days ago, countless fools had tried their luck.
“Dunno,” Lida shrugged.
“You only care about eating,” Kuro shot back.
“Eating’s a blessing!” Lida countered. “You said so yourself—strong people eat what’s given, while weaklings fuss over what they won’t eat. But by fussing, they’ve already lost strength.”
She tilted her head. “You said that’s a saying from your homeland, from someone called Tree-Man Xun. What’s a tree-man? Did he eat a Devil Fruit?”
Kuro grimaced. What does that have to do with me?
A shadow leapt from the shore to the sky, landing on the pirate ship. Screams erupted, then silence.
The figure returned to the beach.
Klah, ever the gentleman, dabbed blood from his hands with a towel before reporting, “Kuro, it’s handled. A petty pirate with a 33 million Beri bounty—now fish food. As per old rules, supplies are saved, spoils shared, and cannons salvaged. Save the ship.”
Kuro extended his empty glass. “Bring me another drink. Lida?”
“Me too!” she chirped.
Praise me!
Damn it, say something!
After commanding, managing logistics, and even fighting on the frontlines myself, you’re sunbathing while I refill your drinks?
“Of course, Kuro Mr.”
Klah fetched two fresh drinks from a nearby cooler, handing them over.
“Ew, you reek of blood. Back off,” Lida wrinkled her nose.
“Work on your smell,” Kuro nodded. “Control that Devil Fruit’s stench.”
“Understood.” Klah stiffened, then bellowed toward a distant warship: “Sazil! Sazil-Kuro! Kuro, you trash! Time to train!”
Sazil, boarding the ship at the dock, shivered. Wish I could just drift through the Grand Line forever…
“Commander! Commander!” A panting Ensign sprinted over, clutching a Transponder Snail. “Call for you—it’s the Seven Warlords of the Sea!”
“Huh?”
Kuro blinked, eyeing the Snail. The Seven Warlords? He barely knew any of them. Hawk-Eye?
“Kshhhkshhkshh… Been a while, Lucius Kro.”
The Snail’s voice cackled, its screen flashing an evil grin and sunglasses.
Kuro’s eyes narrowed. “What does that carrion-eating flamingo want now?”
Only one person had that laugh—Heavenly Yaksha Donquixote Doflamingo.
(End of Chapter)
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