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Chapter 311: Since You Asked So Sincerely!
Chapter 311: Since You Asked So Sincerely!
The ocean waves rolled majestically, their crests sparkling in the sun, as a gentle breeze blew across the vast expanse, caressing the sailors aboard a merchant vessel.
The New World was not all treacherous weather; as long as one followed the trade routes, most of the time, the conditions were quite ordinary, especially for those who made their living in this very realm. With sufficient experience, one could easily navigate around the violent storms that occasionally ravaged these seas.
This was especially true for the merchant standing on the balcony of the second-story structure atop the deck. With his eyes closed, he savored the sea breeze, his heart serene.
As a merchant and navigator, he thrived even in the lawless waters of the New World.
No, it would be more accurate to say that only in the New World could one strike it rich.
Chaos reigned in these seas, with pirate crews occupying territories and further disrupting an already disjointed maritime trade. However, many of the goods they plundered were practically given away, and as long as one could avoid encounters with other pirates, these ill-gotten wares could be sold elsewhere for a hefty profit.
Compared to the potential riches, the risks of sailing these waters were negligible, and this merchant had no lack of capable bodyguards to boot.
"Boss, we've spotted a pirate ship!"
Just then, a trembling voice rang out from the lookout post.
"So what if it's a pirate ship? Don't panic; we'll just steer clear of them!" The boss waved his hand dismissively, his demeanor relaxed.
Encountering pirates was a common occurrence in these parts.
"B-but, boss! That's the flag of the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew!" The sailor cried out in fear.
"Natural Disaster Pirate Crew?"
The merchant's eyes widened, and he quickly grabbed his telescope, scanning the area the sailor had been observing. Sure enough, he spotted a swift brigantine bearing down on them, its sails and flag displaying the familiar symbol of a starry sky skull—an emblem well-known to those who plied the New World.
The Natural Disaster Pirate Crew, who had seized Garess and renamed it Ohara, was a constant topic of conversation among seafarers. As itinerant merchants with their fingers on the pulse of the latest news, they were undoubtedly aware of this crew's exploits.
This merchant had once considered venturing to their territory to conduct business, but upon learning that they levied a 40% commerce tax, he had quickly abandoned the idea. Why would he willingly pay a tax to a band of pirates when he could trade anywhere else without such exorbitant fees?
And if he had to pay taxes, he might as well deal with the local nobles; at least that would be safer.
"Don't worry; it's just a pirate crew with a big reputation. There's only one ship, and it's at the ten o'clock position to the left of our starboard side. We'll just sail around them!" The merchant issued his orders with confidence.
A single pirate ship at this distance was hardly a concern.
Moreover, he was particularly familiar with the waters in this region, which would make it easy to shake off this unwanted pursuer.
As the merchant vessel altered its course, the sailor on lookout cried out again, his voice laced with panic: "Boss, there's another Natural Disaster pirate ship in that direction!"
"Two of them? Hard about!"
Frowning, the merchant ordered the ship to change direction once more. But just as they caught the wind, the trembling voice of the lookout sent a chill down his spine.
"Th-there's another one!"
Within their field of vision, another vessel bearing the starry sky skull flag drifted on the waves, slowly but surely closing in on their position.
The three pirate ships formed a triangular formation, effectively surrounding the merchant vessel.
"Boss, what do we do now?" The sailors drew their weapons, their faces etched with fear.
"D-don't worry! This ship is specially made; we'll break through in this direction!" The merchant quickly regained his composure amidst the chaos.
He had faced far worse situations; he had even escaped from ships bearing the emblems of the Four Emperors. How could he be intimidated by the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew? The merchant vessel was undoubtedly larger than the pirate ships, as it needed to carry substantial cargo. The pirates, on the other hand, valued speed and maneuverability, which usually made escape impossible for their targets. But this merchant ship was different; he had spent a small fortune modifying it to be more wind-resistant and faster than most, even outpacing the average pirate vessel.
It was thanks to these enhancements that he had successfully evaded pirate attacks on numerous occasions.
And this time would be no exception!
Bang, bang, bang!
A barrage of cannonballs rained down from the surrounding triangle of pirate ships, exploding in the waters around the merchant vessel, sending towering geysers of water into the air and causing the ship to shudder.
"Don't panic! They can't hit us from this distance! Keep breaking through; they're just trying to scare us with those cannon shots!" the merchant shouted.
As the merchant vessel attempted to break free, Bellamy lowered his telescope aboard one of the brigantines. "Missed, huh?"
"Captain Bellamy, should we let them go?" asked a pirate who had approached him.
"Not a chance!"
Bellamy shook his head. "We rarely come across merchant ships out here, so when we do, we never let them slip away. If the cannons aren't doing the trick..."
Boom!
Before he could finish his sentence, a sound-based attack blasted out from the distant pirate ship on the right, striking one of the merchant vessel's masts.
"That's more like it!"
Bellamy's eyes glinted with excitement, and his tongue lolled out as he leaped onto the ship's mast, his legs coiling like springs before unleashing their compressed energy. He shot through the air like a bullet, leaving a trail of smoke rings in his wake. With a thunderous 'boom,' he smashed into another mast on the merchant vessel, creating a deep crater on the deck and kicking up a cloud of dust. As the dust settled, Bellamy emerged, his sunglasses askew, a fist clenched, and his tongue flicking across his lips:
"You can't escape!"
One of the crew members on the merchant vessel cried out in terror, "It's Bellamy the Hyena, with a bounty of 950 million berries!"
After six months of wreaking havoc in the New World, Bellamy, alongside Lily, had amassed a substantial bounty of 950 million berries, thanks to their exploits against the nobility and rival pirates.
"Take him out, hurry!"
In the midst of the chaos, the merchant pointed at Bellamy and shouted. The guards and sailors on the deck aimed their weapons at him, with the guards charging forward first, while some of the sailors behind them pulled their triggers, firing lead bullets.
"Iron Bullet."
Without even needing to use his Haki, Bellamy cackled, tensing his body as the lead bullets struck him, creating sparks.
Once the barrage of bullets ceased, Bellamy flexed his body and punched the guard who had rushed at him first, sending him flying.
"Storm Leg: Dog Bite!"
He lashed out with a kick, the slashing attack skipping across the deck like a pursuing hound, cutting through the people in front of him and leaving a trail of bloodied figures collapsing to the ground.
"Damn it!"
A burly guard gritted his teeth and grabbed a cannon tube from the deck, lighting the fuse and aiming it at Bellamy. "Die!"
Bellamy started, about to dodge, when he suddenly seemed to realize something. His tongue lolling out, he said, "You can't hit me!"
Boom!
As the cannonball flew towards him, a figure descended from the air, blocking the cannonball's path and taking the brunt of the explosion, which sent up a cloud of smoke and dust, revealing a figure within.
"Who, who are you?!" the guard exclaimed.
"Since you asked so sincerely!" came a somewhat doltish voice from within the smoke.
As the smoke cleared, a figure with a fluorite hat and a fringe of bangs peeking out from under it appeared, grinning widely.
"Since you asked so sincerely," the figure repeated.
He paused for a moment, then turned and called out, "Hey, Bellamy!"
"No way!"
Bellamy's temples throbbed, a vein popping out, "For this kind of thing, go find Kyros, I don't want to do it!"
"Kyros isn't here, so of course, I'm asking you. You promised!" Paru shouted.
"When did I ever promise that?!" Bellamy snapped.
"Three days ago, we had a drinking contest, and you lost. You agreed to cooperate with me, you won't welch on the deal, will you?!"
"No way! I'm not that kind of person!"
Bellamy's face turned from blue to red, and after gritting his teeth for a while, he finally forced out a sentence through clenched teeth, "We'll graciously tell you..."
Paru's teeth glinted, "To prevent our business from being destroyed!"
"To protect the Captain's territory," Bellamy closed his eyes.
"To uphold love and the true evil way!"
"Cool, cool!"
Bellamy's lips quivered, struggling to get the words out. But under Paru's insistent gaze, he closed his eyes tightly, "A swashbuckling, handsome, and charming pirate character!"
"Paru!" Paru gave a thumbs up, his teeth gleaming.
"Bellamy!" Bellamy felt like he was dying inside, his sunglasses slipping down.
In unison, they declared, "We are the Natural Disaster Pirates, plundering the seas! Treasures and wealth await us tomorrow!"
Just then, another figure landed between them, stepping lightly with the Moonwalk technique.
"Hm?"
Mewott whimpered in response, as if agreeing with their statement.
"How's that? I'm pretty slick, huh?"
Paru struck a confident pose, "Even though I'm not a Tank Man anymore, I've become a Handsome Man. That's right, I'm the absolute defense, Paru, with a bounty of 850 million berries!"
The sea breeze howled, sending a desolate whistle through the air, as the stunned crowd looked on.
"Enough!"
Bellamy's temples throbbed with several veins popping out, "Finish them off, Storm Leg!"
He didn't want to stay there a moment longer.
If only he hadn't been in such a rush to come and rob this merchant ship!
...
On another ship flying the starry sky skull flag, a tanned man peered through a telescope at an island nearby.
"Is that it?"
The tanned man lowered his telescope and asked, his voice deep and solemn. In the distance, a town near the coast displayed a flag with a white beard emblem, fluttering in the wind.
"Lord Agin, that's the place, an island under Whitebeard's protection." A man dressed like a merchant replied, his body slightly hunched.
"Good, we'll start with this place. Make it look good."
Agin lowered his telescope and thought for a moment before reaching out his hand, "Bring me a solid cannonball, I'll fire it myself."
A crew member ran over with an iron ball in his arms and presented it to Agin respectfully.
In an instant, Agin's arm began to glow with a metallic light, transforming into a high-temperature form. The scorching heat caused those nearby to back away unconsciously, wiping the sweat from their faces.
It was too hot.
With his high-temperature palm, Agin quickly melted the solid lead ball, causing it to turn into a liquid. Just before the lead ball completely liquefied, Agin raised one leg and leaned back, assuming a familiar throwing posture.
It was like Sarge's throwing posture...
"Bone Fist."
Thud!
Agin's eyes widened as he stomped his raised foot back down onto the deck. The molten lead ball was hurled forward with force.
"Flowing Fire!"
Boom!
His palm struck the air, creating a booming sound. In that instant, the lead ball completely liquefied, turning into a scorching red liquid that splashed onto the flag hanging above the town's gate, instantly melting it and also impacting the gate below, melting it and setting it ablaze. The town's gate was quickly engulfed in fiery red flames.
"This place, from now on, belongs to the Natural Disaster Pirates, to Lord Sarge!"
Agin's voice, full of vigor, echoed across the sea.
(End of Chapter)
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