Chapter 177: The Sabaody Specialty
...
A long while later—
"So this is the vision of a true big shot!" All the pirate captains on the island stood in awe, staring up at the sky and murmuring to themselves.
"Is the gap between us and them really this big?"
While they were still fretting over how to capture the mermaid princess, the big shots were already planning to rule the entire Fish-Man Island. While they were looking for one big score before disappearing, those figures had already mapped out a plan for sustainable development.
What is this? This is vision. This is foresight. This is magnanimity. These are the qualities of true powerhouses.
Some pirates on the island exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming. They were already intrigued by the big figure Mike had mentioned. If, upon meeting him, he truly impressed them, then joining his ranks might not be a bad idea. After all, once he controlled Fish-Man Island, that would mean a steady stream of wealth—far more comfortable than aimlessly wandering the seas.
"So! When is this big shot arriving?" Iron Hoof asked. Everyone perked up their ears. It was a key concern—after all, the New World was no longer peaceful. Wait too long, and the Navy might come crashing down on them.
Mike replied gravely, "He'll be here tomorrow morning. Anyone willing to join can stay. Everyone who participates in the assault on Fish-Man Island will receive at least 15 young female mermaids or fish-men as a share."
"Wow! That's a massive fortune!" the pirates gasped. Calculating it, 15 young female mermaids could fetch between 7.5 and 15 billion berries.
"Uhehehe! Now, it's time to make your choice!" Mike said with a dark chuckle.
At his words, the group paused, exchanged glances, then burst out into booming laughter.
"Hahahaha…!"
...
The scene shifted back to the Sabaody Archipelago. Luo Han and his group had landed near Island 13, and the six of them were heading toward Island 24 in search of a restaurant large enough to accommodate Cole and enjoy a proper meal.
Walking down the streets of Island 16, colorful bubbles occasionally floated up from underground, shimmering under the night lights like rainbow-colored foam. It truly felt like a dreamlike island.
The island seemed to be in a constant state of joy. It was dinner time, the streets were bustling, and behind the scenes, human traffickers prowled. Sure enough, everyone's eyes were on Luo Han's group.
"Hey, Luo Han, those guys are looking at us weirdly—like we're cargo or something," Aishi whispered, grabbing Luo Han's arm and glancing warily at the figures who kept staring.
Luo Han, walking in front, had already sensed the odd atmosphere. He patted Aishi 's hand and said, "Ignore them. As long as they don't bother us, we're fine." The group continued on without concern.
In Luo Han's spiritual sense, he could feel the greedy flames burning mostly in response to the four women in the group. It reminded him of one of Sabaody's cultural features—the "thriving slave market."
"Looks like these traffickers have their eyes on Aishi and the others," Luo Han sighed inwardly, shaking his head. Hopefully they weren't dumb enough to try anything.
"Hey! Those women are all top-tier beauties!"
"Yeah! Especially the one with the slightly pointed ears—she's definitely a rare species. The nobles go crazy for that kind of merchandise."
"Hey boss! We really not gonna go for it? A prize like that could be worth as much as a young female mermaid!"
"That's at least 500 million berries. One job like this and we can kick back for the rest of the year!"
In a shadowy corner, a few traffickers stared hungrily at Ellis and the others, drooling. They spoke rapidly to a middle-aged man beside them, who was also eyeing Cole.
The man, dressed in a black coat with slicked-back hair, didn't respond. He clenched a cigar between his teeth, frowning while flipping through a stack of wanted posters.
Then he stopped on a slightly worn one. After several glances between the poster and Cole's figure, cold sweat broke out all over his body, as if he were standing in 50°C heat. His breathing became heavy, his mouth gaped, but no words came out. His pupils shrank in sheer terror.
His odd behavior was quickly noticed by his men, who turned toward him. But they seemed to have misunderstood his expression.
"What's wrong, boss?"
"Are we making a move? Yeah, can't let anyone else beat us to it!"
"Boss is so excited he can't speak!"
Seeing their boss's eyes nearly bulging out while staring at Luo Han's group, they assumed he was overwhelmed with joy. One by one, they gathered their gear—rope, bags, and knockout cloths—the holy trinity of every self-respecting trafficker, always carried on hand.
"Let's go, boss!" One of them—a man with a huge black mole near his mouth, nose hairs like a mustache, and a sideways glance—was the first to charge forward with all three tools in hand.
SMACK! A loud crack rang out. The mole-faced man collapsed instantly, eyes rolled back, frothing at the mouth, half his face disfigured. The others froze in shock, staring stiffly. Then a collective shiver ran through them.
"That idiot nearly got us all killed!" The middle-aged boss exhaled heavily, lowering his right palm, which he blew on to ease the pain. He'd hit too hard, but at least he stopped disaster from unfolding.
A moment later, after watching Luo Han and the others disappear into the distance, the still-frustrated traffickers turned to their now-calm boss and asked tentatively, "Boss… should we still go for it?"
Hmph! The middle-aged man's eyes hardened. With a swing of his arms, the others suddenly felt a burning slap across their faces—SMACK, SMACK, SMACK!—and they dropped to the ground one after another, joining the mole-faced man.
Panting heavily, the boss blew on his hands again, trying to ease the pain. Then he looked down at his fallen men and muttered, "Don't think I'll go easy on you!"
After a while, he peeked around the alley—no sign of Luo Han's group.
"They're finally gone…"
He sighed and slumped down against the wall. His sweat was drying at last.
Confusion crept into his eyes. "Why would a big shot like that come here? Shouldn't they be battling monsters like Whitebeard in the New World? Are they here for that astronomical bounty on the mermaid princess?"
A bold idea took root in his mind. Maybe he could tail such a figure, pick up scraps, let the monsters take the risks, and make a massive profit. Maybe… he'd never have to work again.
Growing more excited, he roused his men and left to gather more gear. The basic trio of tools wouldn't cut it anymore—he'd need a full six-piece legendary set.
...
"Looks like they got scared of Cole. I thought we'd get some dumb thug like in the anime, but turns out they're pretty smart," Luo Han muttered with some regret. It would've been a minor flex, but still a good one.
"Found it, Luo Han! Let's go with this place," Aishi said, pointing to a large restaurant.
Luo Han looked up. Not bad. An outdoor setup, actually just some tables pulled out into the open because of the crowd. Oh well, a place to eat was good enough.
"What do you all think?" Luo Han turned and asked.
"No problem!" replied Sister Spoon, Ellis, and Sora.
"I'm good too, Brother Han!" Cole added with a wave.
"Then let's go!" Luo Han said, spreading his arms as he led the way. Soon, they were seated—Cole had to sit on the ground due to his size.
The surrounding diners were briefly surprised by Cole's enormous build, but quickly returned to their meals. No one recognized Cole or Roger's group.
Makes sense. Ordinary people struggle every day just to survive—who has time to follow the world's news?
Before long, food arrived, and the group ate in silence, too focused on the meal to talk.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10