Chapter 297: Taking Abilities
Chapter 297: Taking Abilities
In the same palace, in the same banquet hall.
The banquet hall's doors were flung open towards the courtyard, where Juan Wolf, with his chestnut-sized head, sat in the courtyard. With his towering 180-meter frame, he perched on a massive fountain as if it were a tiny stool. He held a gigantic wooden bowl and slurped a soup of flowers and chestnuts.
"Delicious," Juan Wolf smiled broadly, his expression a little dull as he spoke: "But I'd rather have grilled sea king."
Inside the banquet hall, a group of rough men were seated.
Abalo Pizarro picked up a bowl of shark fin soup and drank it dry, laughing heartily. "This is delicious! Hey, bring another serving, meow!"
A pirate serving them nearby hurried to the kitchen and pushed a cart back. Before he could even serve it, Pizarro snatched a bowl, not minding the soup that splashed onto his fingers. He licked his fingers after finishing the soup.
"Mmm, the breast meat of a young chicken is so tender and tasty."
Sitting next to him, Katharina Depeng was equally unrestrained as she grabbed a handful of freshly roasted chicken breast and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes glazing over with delight. "Young and tender things are always the best, just like you."
She turned her head to look at Lily, who was seated at the head of the table, and licked her lips. "So young and beautiful... Plucking you would surely be delightful."
Lily, expressionless, said, "I wouldn't mind granting you a taste of death, Depeng."
"Wihahahaha, Captain! This place is fantastic! Let's kill Sarge and make it our base!"
Cheers to Bass, raising his arms and flexing his biceps, laughed boisterously.
"Oh?"
Just then, a deep voice sounded from the doorway, causing the rowdy members of the Blackbeard Pirates to suddenly fall silent, their necks retracting.
"Have you been feeling too bored with life lately, Bass? If you're looking to die, I can accommodate that."
Sarge strode in through the main door, glanced at the group, and sighed softly. He took his seat at the head of the table and said, "Am I some sort of harpy here? One after another, you never cease. Teach, what brings you here, and how long has it been? What have you been up to all this time? Do you have a thing for wood, or are you just stingy?"
"Zeha Hahaha, Sarge!"
Seated at the other end of the long table was none other than Thatch, who tore into a piece of meat on the bone with his greasy hands. He then grabbed an expensive-looking silver goblet with intricate carvings and took a big gulp, baring his teeth, which were starting to grow longer.
"I can't help it, Marco's been giving me trouble. I need to take him out so I can freely seize territories. My preparations aren't sufficient yet, so here I am seeking your help, AiBo!"
"I'm not going to summon a black magician for you."
Sarge rolled his eyes. "So, what are you here for this time? It's been so long since I've heard from you, not even a call. Don't tell me you still don't have a territory."
"Zeha Hahaha! I plan to take over Honeycomb Island; you know that's where I want to be. I've already got a plan in mind."
Sweat trickled down Thatch's temples, but he quickly regained his composure and burst into laughter.
"So, you're here to ask me to help you take on Honeycomb Island?" Sarge paused, taken aback.
"Of course not, Sarge,"
Thatch pointed at him and laughed. "If you can take down the Garley Kingdom, I can take out Wang Zhi and get Honeycomb Island. If I didn't have that capability, we wouldn't be working together in the first place. I'll handle Honeycomb Island myself. This time, I'm here for our real collaboration, zeha hahaha!"
At this, Sarge pushed his jewel-encrusted goblet forward, and Bellana, who was attending to them, filled it with wine. He took a swig and then pulled out a cigar, lighting it and blowing a smoke ring. "Whitebeard..."
Neither Sarge nor Thatch had officially intruded into Whitebeard's territory yet.
The Garley Kingdom conquered by Sarge did not belong to any faction, and it hadn't been long since its fall. The city was still under reconstruction, and the surrounding territories they had taken weren't fully settled either. It was a busy time, and digesting these gains took effort.
As for what Thatch had been up to, Sarge had no idea. The two hadn't been in contact since their last meeting.
But based on Sarge's understanding of Thatch, his sudden appearance meant he was ready to take a gamble.
"Hmm, Lily." Sarge glanced in her direction.
"Our total strength currently stands at five thousand, but only three thousand are truly combat-ready," Lily stated.
Over time, Sarge had recruited quite a few followers. From those worth tens of millions of berries to those worth five or six hundred million, there were even some opportunists within his territories who aspired to become pirates.
As long as they were willing and had decent physiques, Sarge accepted them all.
He simply didn't have enough manpower.
Not only did he need people to garrison Whitebeard's territories, but even the nearby islands required a substantial presence.
The New World's seas were never short of hot-headed fools.
Even Garley had seen its share of intruders, not to mention the outlying territories, especially the transport ships out at sea.
Aside from the Garley Kingdom, Sarge now had control over ten or so islands, near and far.
Each island produced different raw materials, from iron and grain to timber and stone, and some were suitable for livestock farming, producing meat and butter.
"And those things will be transported to Garley, and then bring back the necessary consumer goods, but sailing on the high seas is still a big problem.
In terms of territory, Sarge has sent quite a few people over, and Letty has also made quite a few cannons to stop those stubborn fools. However, while direct attacks on our territories have stopped, there are still plenty of pirates along the way who ambush and rob our transport ships!
The high-ranking executives are stationed in Garley, and the lower-ranking ones are mostly out escorting the transport ships, fighting against the New World pirates. We've also expanded the number of pirates in the affiliated territories from one hundred to two hundred, as we need more people to escort the shipments.
With our current numbers, if we were to directly attack the remnants of Whitebeard's crew, we might not have enough manpower."
Whitebeard may be dead, but his influence and followers remain. If Sarge were to commit three to five thousand troops, he could easily be left high and dry. This is why he made an agreement with Teach before entering the New World.
Furthermore, since they are collaborating, it's only natural that they share the burden.
"Let's recruit more people. We need at least five thousand combat-ready troops," Sarge said.
"Zeha, ha, ha, ha! Wait for me to take over Honeycomb Island, and then we'll make our move, Sarge. That's what I came here to discuss with you."
Teach grinned, his teeth gleaming. "I want to lure them all out and force a decisive battle. If we win, the old man's territory will be ours. According to our previous agreement, you'll take the front half, and I'll take the back half!"
"Then I'll wait for you to capture Honeycomb Island. But before that, Teach, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for a long time," Sarge said. He snapped his fingers, and the door opened.
Three people walked in: Arkin, Palu, and Myot. They were escorting three individuals who were bound by sea prism stone chains. These captives looked like mud, their bodies limp, and they didn't even have the strength to lift their heads. They were thrown to the ground without a sound.
"These three have been eating my food for half a year," Sarge said coldly. "They ate the Steel-melt Fruit, the Turtle-Tortoise Fruit, and the Soundwave Fruit. Now that you're here, it's time to take their abilities."
"Lord Sarge," Palu said weakly, "the one who ate the Turtle-Tortoise Fruit is actually an Ancient Zoan type, an Allosaurus, not a tortoise."
"An Allosaurus is still a type of tortoise," Sarge waved his hand dismissively. "Don't get hung up on details."
"Oh? Ability users?" Teach stood up and glanced at the three captives on the ground. "Who gets them?"
Arkin pointed at the Steel-melt Fruit user. "This one's for me."
Arkin was skilled in physical combat, and if he waited a bit longer, he might have come across a better Ancient Zoan type. However, the Steel-melt Fruit was a powerful Paramecia type that could turn the user's body into high-temperature steel and amplify their physical attacks.
After half a year of battles within the kingdom and at sea, Arkin had made some progress in his understanding of Haki, but the amount was still insufficient.
The Steel-melt Fruit would be a great boost to his strength, allowing him to become steel and generate intense heat, which could be quite useful at sea.
"I want the Allosaurus," Palu said, choosing the Ancient Zoan type.
He wasn't wearing his usual iron shield armor.
Half a month ago, while escorting a batch of supplies to the stone-rich island of Tirtren, southeast of Garley, he had encountered a group of pirates attempting to rob them. They won the battle, but it was a close call due to their numerical disadvantage. His iron shield had been smashed to pieces, and if he hadn't been skilled in Iron Block, he might have been knocked out.
This was a blow to Palu, who prided himself on his defense, and it solidified his determination to obtain this fruit. So, Sarge granted his wish.
"Woof," Myot said simply, pointing at the Soundwave Fruit user. He wanted that one.
Teach paused for a moment, then laughed. "Zeha, ha, ha, ha! Myot, I remember you're a mute."
"Grrr!"
Myot growled at Teach, then opened his mouth wide and pointed to his throat.
His tongue had been cut out, but his vocal cords were intact.
"Alright, zeha, ha, ha, ha! Sarge, let me show you the true power of my Devil Fruit, Shiliew!"
Shiliew, cigar in mouth, stood up and walked over to the three ability users. He extended his thumb, and a crimson blade of energy appeared. With a swift motion, he beheaded the Steel-melt Fruit user.
As the head fell, Teach yanked the tablecloth off the table and draped it over the severed head. He reached into the cloth with one hand, and it appeared to be sucked in momentarily. He then pulled out a cloud of darkness and slammed it into Arkin.
Boom!
Arkin was sent flying backward by the impact, crashing into the wall behind him.
"You!"
Arkin quickly dropped to the ground and was about to shout when he suddenly froze, staring at his hand in disbelief.
"Zeha, ha, ha, ha! That's how you use abilities," Teach said, spreading his fingers wide as the dark smoke swirled around his palm. "The Yami Yami no Mi can attract demons. All ability users will be drawn to me. If the user dies, the demon residing within will be pulled out and can be given to someone else."
In essence, abilities are 'demons' that reside within Devil Fruits.
The fruit is the vessel, and when a person eats it, they become the vessel, gaining the ability.
(End of Chapter)
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