“East Blue really is the weakest sea. The pirates here are way too easy to defeat.”
Yamato sat bored on a few boxes. After arriving in East Blue, they had a minor clash with some local pirates, but the battle was hard to describe. To put it simply, Yamato just stood there doing nothing, but those pirates couldn’t even break her defense.
“Not just that. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have used those things… This is a huge loss…”
Page One, who was inventorying the loot, also complained. These pirates were undoubtedly a bunch of paupers with barely any money on them. They were so weak that Page One couldn’t even be bothered to fight them directly, so he resorted to using some explosive weapons instead.
But war supplies are inherently expensive. After calculating the value of the loot, it wasn’t even enough to cover the cost of the equipment he had used.
As for the weapons those pirates were using…
Outdated muzzle-loading cannons, single-shot pistols, and crude black gunpowder—even the gunpowder they used in their mines was of higher quality than this.
“Still, this isn’t so bad. At least we don’t have to worry about any unexpected surprises. Ferren, we’re almost there, right?”
“Almost. This time, we’re really close.”
…
Meanwhile, on Luffy’s ship, the crew was starting to grow. Zoro and Usopp had now joined his crew, but without a Navigator, the Going Merry had gone through quite a few hardships.
At this moment, all three people on board had been stripped of their navigation rights. It was now up to Hercules to decide which direction to go.
And it had a rather unique way of determining the route—it used Zoro to point the way, but no matter where he pointed, it went in the opposite direction. By pure coincidence, they ended up near the sea restaurant Baratie.
Under Zeff’s years of management, Baratie had become a well-known restaurant in East Blue. But today, a large number of people were gathered here. Krieg, who fled in panic from the Grand Line, had also arrived, setting his sights on Zeff’s log book and Baratie’s ship.
Arrogant as ever, he hadn’t learned his lesson and was planning to regroup before returning to the Grand Line.
If any pirate from the Grand Line were to encounter him, they would surely admire his courage—after all, he had the guts to stand in the way of Hawk Eyes.
“Stop! You think you can just leave like this? Weren’t you here to take my head? The head of the Ruler of East Blue, Don Krieg?”
“I was, since I was bored. But along the way, I met far more interesting people. I’ve had my fun, and now it’s time to go back to sleep. Oh, and your jokes were quite amusing, but you won’t get another chance to tell them.”
Hawk Eyes completely ignored Krieg’s provocation. He carried the title of the Strongest Swordsman in the World, and just because of that title, countless clowns had come to challenge him.
But these people were just too weak that it made him lose all interest, so he couldn’t be bothered to remember their names. He wasn’t bored of fighting, but his opponents needed to have at least some strength—or at the very least, they should show him a glimpse of some future potential.
Krieg?
After losing interest in playing around, Krieg didn’t even deserve to make Hawk Eyes draw his sword.
Hawk Eyes left on his boat, but his actions only further inflated Krieg’s arrogance.
However, while Krieg was laughing his head off, his officers were being taken down.
…
“Hercules, get ready. Let’s use that move to take him down. Curly Eyebrows, step aside and give me the spot by the door!”
Pushing Sanji aside, who was preparing to fight Pearl, Luffy positioned himself at the entrance of the restaurant. He found places to anchor his hands and feet, leaned back slightly, and Heracross stood directly on his stomach, using Luffy as a human catapult.
With the coordination between a man and beetle, Luffy’s body gradually stretched, and a white glow began to shine from Heracross’s horn. The Megahorn move was ready to launch.
“Gum-Gum Ballista!”
After years of being together, Luffy and Heracross had developed their own combo moves. Using Luffy’s body as a bowstring to launch Heracross had become one of their signature techniques.
This greatly amplified Heracross’s attack power, and the seemingly comical preparation often made enemies lower their guard.
At the very least, Pearl, who had wrapped himself in layers of shields, did not take this attack seriously. In his mind, a mere beetle could never break through his iron wall.
His expectations were high, but reality was cruel.
With the momentum provided by Luffy, Heracross shattered the large shield on Pearl’s chest with a single hit, sending him flying unconscious into the sea.
After that, Luffy engaged in battle with Krieg once again, while the chefs of Baratie clashed with the other pirates.
Even though Zeff had lost a leg and was already quite old, dealing with ordinary pirates was still an easy task for him.
With Pearl knocked into the sea by Heracross, the only troublesome opponent left was Gin.
Due to Krieg’s orders, he still fought against Sanji, but for some reason, he never saw any trace of nervousness on the chefs’ faces.
…
Sanji hadn’t fought Pearl, so his stamina was unaffected. His battle with Gin was evenly matched, and Gin hesitated when it came to dealing the fatal blow. While he temporarily had the upper hand against Sanji, he hadn’t secured a decisive advantage.
“Leave this ship. You can always get another one. Captain Krieg has set his sights on this place—you’re no match for him. If this continues, all of you will die!”
“You’re pretty strong, but unfortunately, it’s time. The little guy should be back soon.”
Sanji took out a lighter, lit a cigarette, and spoke with confidence.
“What are you talking about?”
Dong~ Dong~ Dong~
Inside the Baratie restaurant, as the hour hand moved, the clock chimed and the faces of Baratie’s chefs lit up with joy.
Shortly after the bell rang, shadows emerged beneath the sea. A whirlpool formed on the water’s surface, dragging the fallen pirates into its depths. Then, with a mighty roar, a blue Gyarados burst out of the sea.
“ROAR!”
The Magikarp that Nereus had once deemed unfit for the Grand Line had grown up. It had evolved from a weak Magikarp into a powerful Gyarados and had been living in these waters ever since, becoming the guardian deity of Baratie.
It was no longer the frail Magikarp that had been washed ashore by the waves—it was now the leader of the nearby Magikarp.
Because of this Gyarados and Zeff’s experience, Baratie had even established a Magikarp protection organization. A large number of Magikarp lived in the surrounding waters, and Gyarados patrolled its territory during the day but always returned to Baratie at mealtimes.
This was why Baratie’s chefs had no fear whatsoever.
“Yo, right on time, little guy. But today’s meal is going to be late.”
“Aside from that hammer-wielding guy, the one in the straw hat, the long-nosed one, and the green-haired one—can you take care of the rest?”
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