Chapter 559: The Past of the Red Hair Pirates and Posadong
Hearing Morgans' high-pitched words, many magic pattern users in the passage below cursed him silently.
Would this guy die if he didn't stir things up?
His words dragged everyone into the spotlight.
The pressure was greater than in a single match, and poor performance would invite public criticism.
What a troublemaker!
For weaker magic pattern guilds, the earth and stone dolls controlled by a three-star gem-level hunter like Holy Knight Posadong were daunting.
No matter how you looked at it, they weren't simple.
To conserve strength for later rounds, surviving as long as possible was ideal.
But Morgans' words tied guild performance to their reputation.
This made holding back difficult.
Reputation was vital for many guilds.
"Guhahahaha! No time to waste!" Morgans exclaimed.
"The first knockout round officially begins."
"Please, each team, appear in order according to your assigned number and the screen display." he instructed.
Morgans turned to his Den Den Mushi.
"Which guild will pass the test fastest?" he asked.
"Let's wait and see!"
As Morgans' words ended, a display appeared on the stone wall of the auditorium.
"No. 1: Thunder Spear Guild." it read.
Morgans' recorded voice echoed through the speakers.
In the passage, Bashan flashed a heroic smile.
"Hahaha, as the first guild to appear, let me show the world the power of magic pattern users!"
"Let's make this Demon Hunting Ceremony a grand event for us."
"Having a hunter as referee, isn't that looking down on our magic patterns?" he asked.
"Young guys, let's show that guy our strength!" he rallied.
As Bashan strutted forward, flexing his hard muscles, the others were speechless.
They hoped he wouldn't embarrass them up there.
Slandering a three-star gem-level hunter could make things tougher.
A casual increase in difficulty might leave them in tears.
Though many of Bashan's subordinates shared this concern, he was the president.
They had no choice but to follow him.
The team totaled twelve members.
Bashan was a mid-tier B-level magic pattern user, with a trusted aide at early B-level.
Of the remaining ten, three were high-tier C-level, and the rest were mid-tier C-level.
Magic pattern user levels were divided into three tiers: ordinary, elite, and high-tier, also called early, middle, and high stages.
Initially, those encountering magic pattern users classified them as ordinary, elite, or high-tier based on reliability and power.
This system was later adopted officially, though many preferred the terms early, middle, and high.
Bashan's team was the elite core of his guild.
Compared to their showing at the Mythical Beast Conference, their guild had grown stronger.
The Eight Alliance enabled them to trade suitable magical beast materials.
This exchange of benefits, coupled with the Mythical beast's advantages, accelerated their growth.
Da da da.
As Bashan's group emerged from the passage, at the uppermost edge of the auditorium, a group in hooded gray cloaks observed Holy Knight Posadong in the sandy arena.
"Boss, look, that Posadong guy is stealing the show!" one said.
"It's not like us, hiding up here. It's kind of sad."
Tear!
A stout figure, Roux, bit into a large chicken leg, seemingly venting his frustration.
"Hahaha, Roux, you're not still holding a grudge, are you?" another figure asked, draping an arm over Roux's shoulders.
The smiling face under the hood revealed Yasopp, a member of the Red Hair Pirates.
The mysterious hooded figures were, in fact, the renowned Red Hair Pirates.
As early adopters of magic power, they were naturally drawn to the Demon Hunting Ceremony.
However, participation required registration, which posed a problem.
They witnessed a pirate group register, only to be apprehended.
It was disheartening.
The announcement promised no force during the ceremony, but excluding illegal guilds and pirate groups felt like a trap.
This move by the World Government narrowed their options.
Unwilling to accept this, the pirates and illegal magic users lingered, waiting for opportunities.
"What you're saying sounds nice. That guy chased me across the world back then. Thinking about it still gets me riled up." Roux grumbled, responding to Yasopp's teasing.
His complaint piqued the curiosity of a figure in a white cloak nearby.
"Shanks, it seems you and Posadong have some history. What's the story?" the figure asked.
"It sounds intriguing."
Under the hood, Shanks smiled.
"Rayleigh-san, it's not a story worth telling."
"Oh? Now I'm really curious." Rayleigh replied, intrigued.
Rayleigh had been heading to Twin Capes to meet his former ship's doctor.
A few days into his journey, he learned of the Demon Hunting Ceremony on Alabasta Island.
Since it was on his route, he couldn't resist attending.
Upon arriving, he contacted Shanks.
It was a pity the pirates couldn't participate; otherwise, Rayleigh would have loved to see Shanks and his crew's progress.
"Since Rayleigh-san is curious, I'll share." Shanks said.
"You know Posadong is a rather peculiar guy." he began, his face tinged with nostalgia.
"Hahaha, of course. I once saw him doing construction in Sabaody Archipelago." Rayleigh said.
"Using his abilities for that, it's certainly unique."
(End of this chapter)