Chapter 264: Food for the Fishes
Chapter 264: Food for the Fishes
The ship swayed violently, gradually moving towards the massive black ship in the storm through the manipulation of the sails and the helmsman's forceful turning of the rudder.
The dark sky, shrouded in night-like darkness, and the howling winds made it impossible to see the flags on the mast, and as they drew closer, their attention shifted away from it.
All they knew was that this was an enormous ship, capable of accommodating their group of a thousand people.
"Hurry, hurry! Bring all the supplies, don't worry about this ship!"
As they watched, their own ship's mast was already half-burned and collapsing onto another mast, setting it ablaze as well, with the fire showing no signs of stopping. The wealthy merchant couldn't afford to hesitate and directed his men to carry the essential supplies up the gangplank and onto the other ship.
This black ship was sailing, and they had to hurry. Otherwise, if they stayed too long, their ship would be burned beyond seaworthiness, and they would be doomed.
Fortunately, luck was on their side. As the last of the thousand people climbed aboard using the gangplank and ropes, none missed a step, and the vital supplies were hauled onto the vast deck. Only then did the black ship begin to pull away from their stricken vessel.
Simultaneously, the mast of the other ship was completely engulfed in flames and collapsed, sending half of the ship into an inferno. A massive wave then struck it, instantly flipping it over, leaving only lingering flames on the ocean surface.
The wealthy merchant wiped the sweat from his brow and breathed a sigh of relief, laughing as if he had cheated death, "Great, we made it!"
"It seems there's no one on the ship."
A man with a knife, dressed like a menacing pirate, scanned the deck but couldn't spot a single soul. He was slightly taken aback, "An empty ship?"
"Maybe they all died from an epidemic?"
A man with two guns and a cowboy hat, the quintessential bounty hunter, hesitated and said, "If that's the case, we need to be careful, or we might catch it too."
There had been similar incidents on the high seas. Often, a ship would be spotted sailing in a particular region, and upon boarding, it would be found filled with dead bodies.
These were not ghost ships; this was the New World, and they had witnessed both wondrous and terrifying scenes, all of which had rational explanations.
There were no such things as ghost ships. Either the crew had been slain by a formidable foe, or they had succumbed to a virulent disease.
Usually, in such cases, the lucky few who boarded the ship would strike it rich. An abandoned ship invariably left behind untold treasures.
Perhaps that was the case with this empty ship as well.
"An empty ship is even better! We'll just use this ship to reach our destination!" The wealthy merchant was thrilled. "What incredible luck! In the middle of such a tempest, we stumbled upon this vessel, and feel how stable it is!"
Despite the ferocious storm, this ship remained steady, unlike any other ship he had been on. Even in fair weather, a wind-sail ship riding the waves and wind would rock to some degree.
But not this one.
What a magnificent ship!
The wealthy merchant raised his hand to the crowd and shouted, "I hereby declare that this ship is now ours! From this day forward, she shall be known as..."
BOOM!
Just then, the sky erupted with a thunderous roar as a bolt of lightning streaked down, striking the wealthy merchant and reducing him to a charred husk that crumpled to the deck.
"Wh-what?!"
The pirate-clad man had barely uttered his exclamation when the lightning in the sky transformed into shimmering silver flowers, striking the black ship with bolt after bolt, frying those unlucky souls on the deck.
Lightning?! Why?!
The man's mind froze, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"No, don't!"
Some people panicked and, in their desperation to escape the relentless lightning, jumped overboard into the hungry waves below, never to be seen again.
"Everyone, get to the cabins and structures! Don't run around!"
The man with the guns shouted, "Take cover from the lightning first!"
Only then did the others react and rush towards the cabin entrance on the forward deck and the nearby structures.
There were several buildings on the ship, including a massive two-story structure that loomed over the rear deck. Both the forward and rear decks had a pair of smaller buildings, but the rear deck was too far, so they focused on the ones near the forward deck, hoping to find refuge there.
Suddenly, one of them stumbled, his body erupting with blood as the storm swept him off his feet and onto the deck.
Before they could process what had happened, several strands of murderous, writhing straw emerged in the storm, revealing the killer.
A man with golden hair slowly walked out from the left building on the forward deck, glancing at the group before speaking in a slow, steady voice, "Strange, are there still intruders on board?"
In his hand was a sword blade that had transformed into straw.
He's human!
As long as he's human, we can take him!
"Kill him!" The pirate-clad man pointed with his blade, and everyone on the deck rushed towards the golden-haired man.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar sounded as lightning struck the golden-haired man, eliciting a pleased expression from him.
He was also struck by lightning, but before he could finish that thought, one of the crowd turned into charcoal and fell to the ground, smoke billowing from his mouth.
A charred straw doll emerged from the golden-haired man's arm and dropped to the deck.
"Who are you people?" He looked at the group and asked, "How did you end up on this ship?"
"Who are you?! Who are you really?!" The pirate-clad man exclaimed, his eyes filled with fear.
"My name is Basil Hawkins."
Hawkins extended the hilt of his sword, and the straw-transformed blade writhed and forked into dozens of sharp, straw-like blades. "I am the Chief of Staff of this ship."
Hawkins...
Many of them paused, the name sounding familiar.
"Wait, 'Magician' Basil Hawkins?! Aren't you..."
The pirate-clad man suddenly recalled something and turned to look at the mast.
The lightning that had struck earlier had startled them, and in the chaos of the storm, they had forgotten to check the sails and flags. Now, as the lightning continued to flash, they could make out the shape of the sails on the mast and the pattern on them.
It was a pattern of countless stars, like a starry sky, and within it, a skull with fiery eye sockets seemed ready to burn the very sky itself. That flag...
"It's... it's the 'Natural Disaster'!" The pirate stuttered, his lips quivering as he spoke the name.
Few who sailed the seas didn't know of this pirate crew. Even if they hadn't known before, after witnessing the live broadcast of the Summit War, seeing the public execution of a World Noble, and the destruction of Marineford, this pirate crew had etched itself into the minds of all who sailed these waters!
This was the ship of the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew!
Clang!
The man's hand loosened, and his weapon fell to the deck with a dull thud amid the howling wind and rain.
"We surrender! Please spare our lives!" He was blunt and direct as he knelt on the deck.
As he lowered his weapon, a portion of the crowd lost their will to fight and followed suit, setting their weapons down and kneeling on the deck.
"So what if it's the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew?!"
However, some remained defiant.
The bounty hunter-like man with the two guns pulled the triggers, and bang, bang! Two lead bullets struck Hawkins directly in the head, leaving two gaping holes.
Bang!
One person from the crowd fell swiftly, two identical bullet holes now adorning their forehead.
"Haki?!" Hawkins exclaimed, intrigued.
A straw doll, identical to the two holes in his shoulder, emerged from his body as he felt the impact of the bullets. "So, it's true what Sage said. Everyone in the New World possesses Haki—a refinement of willpower?"
The straw on the sword hilt twisted and lunged like a snake, piercing the man's throat before he could react, leaving a fist-sized hole.
"What a pity. The quantity is too little; it can only give me a serious injury."
Hawkins didn't even glance at the fallen man as he continued, "I don't accept your surrender either. Just stay here, and when Sage wakes up tomorrow, we'll discuss your fate."
"But the lightning..."
"That's your destiny."
Hawkins interrupted the kneeling pirate, drawing out a few Tarot cards. "Rest assured, the mortality rate for you people is only 20%. Many of you will be able to stay."
BOOM!
Another bolt of lightning struck the crowd, turning one person into charcoal and sending them tumbling to the deck.
But under Hawkins's watchful gaze, none dared to rise up in rebellion.
Some recognized him, while others didn't.
But no matter what, these people weren't fools. This man was impervious to lightning and bullets, and instead, their own companions were suffering casualties. He was clearly an Ability User, and a powerful one at that.
Resisting would definitely lead to death, but if they didn't resist... perhaps there was a chance to survive.
BOOM!
Several bolts of lightning descended onto the deck, just a little distance away from these people. They uniformly swallowed their fear, keeping their terror locked inside.
May we survive.
It wasn't until the dawn's early light that the violent storm finally subsided. The Death-Prophecy Star had either sailed out of the storm or arrived at the climate sea zone near an island.
In any case, the storm had ceased.
Hawkins had stood there for half the night, and during that time, five bolts of lightning had struck him. However, under the influence of his ability, the damage was transferred to these people instead.
He didn't mind attacks like lightning flames. As long as he had substitutes, and the damage wasn't something that could instantly kill him countless times over, he could withstand it. Furthermore, as he grew stronger, the amount of damage he could withstand would also increase.
"Hmm, so these are the intruders?"
As the rain began to let up, Lily emerged from one of the two buildings on the rear deck, glancing at the people kneeling on the deck before speaking to Hawkins, "You must be exhausted."
Last night, when these people boarded the ship, more than just Hawkins had sensed it. However, knowing that Hawkins had already taken care of it, Lily had returned to her quarters.
That kind of lightning was something Hawkins could handle, but it was beyond her abilities.
Sometimes, abilities were more useful than Haki.
"I'll go find Sage."
Lily said, "We'll decide what to do with these people later. But I can't believe that after entering the New World, the first attackers we encounter aren't the Navy, but these people instead."
A strange bunch, to say the least. While there were definitely pirates among them, there were also some who were trembling in fear and dressed like merchants.
But if you said they were victims of a pirate raid, it didn't quite fit the picture, as Lily could also spot a few people dressed like bounty hunters in their midst.
It was quite a mixed group.
After taking a look at these people, Lily made her way towards the captain's cabin to check on Sage's condition.
As for Sage, he was indeed asleep.
It wasn't that he hadn't noticed, but rather, he simply didn't care.
It wasn't that he didn't care about being attacked, but with so many crew members on the ship, he didn't need to keep a constant watch. If a strong foe were to come, he would immediately sense it.
However, if it were just ordinary folks, what was the point of keeping an eye on them? If someone were to make it to his captain's cabin and cause trouble, wouldn't that mean his crew was useless?
He had just woken up and was about to continue reading his historical novel when Lily pushed open the door and informed him about the situation on the deck.
"Huh?"
Sage paused, rubbing his still-groggy eyes, and said, "Pour me a drink."
Bella didn't stay here at night. She also needed her rest, and she would only come during work hours to attend to him and tidy up. Sage wasn't the type to exploit others relentlessly.
Lily skillfully made her way to the liquor cabinet, opened a bottle of wine, and poured it into a gem-encrusted wine glass, which she then handed to Sage.
He drained the glass in one gulp, smacking his lips, before striding towards the window and looking down at the people kneeling on the deck below.
"What's this? Someone's trying to rob us? They're trying to 'open a business' on my ship before I even get started?" He turned to Lily, his anger making him laugh.
He hadn't done a single business deal since arriving in the New World.
The Adam Steel didn't count, as it was for shipbuilding, not for profit.
And now, someone was trying to rob him?
"Not necessarily," Lily replied thoughtfully. "Last night, I sensed a burning ship approaching. But since I also felt Hawkins waking up, I didn't go out. It's very likely that they were seeking refuge."
Lily paused, then added, "However, there are indeed pirates among them."
"Feed them to the fishes."
Sage handed the gem-encrusted wine glass back to Lily and took off his upper sleepwear, revealing a body honed to perfection. He was about to head towards the training room when Lily nodded.
Using the window as cover, she made a throat-slitting gesture to Hawkins, who was watching from below.
"Great Sage! Great Sage!!!"
This scene was also witnessed by the pirate who had been the first to surrender. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Please don't kill me! I'm your admirer! I have important information that will definitely interest you, definitely!"
Sage paused, a low laugh escaping his lips. "My admirer is trying to rob my ship? This is hilarious. Alright, I'll hear you out. Lily, bring me my clothes."
If he wasn't interested, it wouldn't be as simple as just feeding them to the fishes.
(End of Chapter)
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