Bang! Bang! Bang!
Screams echoed across the deck under the night sky.
After thoroughly beating up these scoundrels, Nojiko shook her wrist and coldly glared at the bruised and battered nobles and merchants lying on the ground.
She bent down to pick up the shackles that had just been removed from the slaves. With swift movements, she tied these men up tightly in no time.
The shackles locked firmly, chains coiled around them, ensuring they couldn't even move a finger.
"You like locking people up like this, don't you?"
Nojiko grinned as she weighed the keyring in her hand before casually tossing it into the sea. "Now it's your turn to experience it. How does it feel? Comfortable?"
"N-no! Please don't!"
Were they going to be thrown into the sea? Garde turned pale with terror, struggling desperately but unable to move, reduced to tearful begging:
"Spare me! Both of you, I have money—tons of it! Just let me go, send me back, and I'll give you two hundred million... no! Three hundred million Berries as a reward!"
"Three hundred million Berries?"
Nami let out a disdainful scoff, looking at him as if he were an idiot:
"Who do you think I am? Do you really think I care about money?"
"What should we do with these guys, Bro?" Nojiko turned to ask Xiano.
"Up to you. Killing them outright is fine too."
Xiano replied casually while grilling meat.
Slave traders deserved no mercy—death was too good for them.
"Of course they'll die, but not so easily."
Nojiko snorted and activated her Snow-Snow Fruit ability, creating a hollow cube of snow around the men.
At the center of the bottom layer, she left an arched fire pit.
Nami immediately understood. With a flick of her finger, a large cluster of Flames landed in the pit, spreading outward with a hiss and blazing fiercely.
Nojiko kicked the massive ice block into the sea.
"No—!!!"
Garde watched helplessly as he was cast adrift on the ocean, howling in despair toward the Sunset.
Those two damned brats actually dared to do this to him!
Wasn't this just like a sealed iron cage? Was he really going to die the same ridiculous way as those lowly slaves?
Hiss! Hiss!
Inside the cube, the Flames in the fire pit raged, scorching their skin, while the six ice walls began melting visibly under the intense heat.
Between ice and fire.
Alternating between extreme cold and extreme heat, the melted ice water dripped down from above, soaking their clothes.
But soon, the water turned into scalding steam under the flames, searing their respiratory tracts in the nearly airtight space.
"Ahhh! It burns! It burns!"
"No, I'm freezing to death!"
"Help! Someone save us!"
"I was wrong! I admit it! Please, spare us!"
The nobles and merchants writhed madly inside the ice coffin, but the shackles and chains held them fast, preventing even the slightest movement. They could only endure this inhuman torment.
Fear, despair, agony!
Yet utterly powerless!
At this moment...
They finally experienced the same despair felt by those slaves they had locked in iron cages at the bottom of the ship and sunk into the sea—the terror of facing death.
...
On the deck of the Sunset.
Several newly freed slave laborers stood frozen, staring blankly at the massive ice block drifting away on the sea, listening to the agonized screams rising from the flames. For a moment, they seemed dazed.
"They… really died just like that?" one of them murmured.
"Died?"
Nojiko crossed her arms and sneered, "It's not that easy. They've got at least twenty more minutes to savor the experience."
"They got off lightly," Nami added. "If we weren't worried about them getting lucky and running into a rescue ship, I'd have let them suffer a little longer."
"..."
The burly men fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances before suddenly dropping to their knees and kowtowing heavily to the crew.
"Thank you, everyone!"
"Thank you, Master Xiano!"
"You not only saved us but also helped us vent our hatred…"
"We'll never forget this kindness in our lifetime!"
Xiano glanced at them and grinned. "Get up. No need for this."
He casually pushed over a large iron plate of freshly grilled skewers. "Earlier, I noticed you guys were too timid to fight for food. Still hungry, right? Here, eat up and regain your strength."
The men were overwhelmed, carefully accepting the food before devouring it ravenously.
"Take it slow. Don't choke," Zeff boomed with laughter, bringing over several bowls of hot soup. "There's more where that came from. As long as I'm here, no one goes hungry!"
"Thank… thank you…"
They could barely speak, tears streaming down their faces as they ate.
How long had it been?
How long since they were treated like human beings?
...
Xiano watched silently for a while before exhaling deeply.
Damn this rotten world.
But thankfully…
He had long passed the stage of "cultivating personal virtue when poor" and was steadily advancing toward "benefiting the world."
If he kept sailing, one day, he'd use his fists to change this world—from the top down.
Of course, there was still one immediate matter at hand.
Xiano's gaze shifted, sweeping over the survivors huddled in the corner, his expression growing cold.
The ringleader was gone, but his accomplices remained.
Among them were ordinary sailors who had no power to resist, innocent passengers unaware of the truth, but also the lackeys of nobles and merchants, or complicit partners in crime.
He wasn't skilled at distinguishing them.
But fortunately, there was someone on board who specialized in this.
Xiano turned his head, his eyes landing on Smoker. He raised his chin slightly, signaling.
Smoker, cigar clenched between his teeth, narrowed his eyes and immediately understood his captain's meaning.
"Tch, troublesome," he muttered under his breath, but without hesitation, he stood up and strode toward the survivors.
Before joining the Sunset, he had been an elite Marine Headquarters recruit—trained in interrogation, screening, and handling prisoners. This was familiar territory.
Xiano withdrew his gaze, confident in leaving the task to Smoker.
However.
With this turn of events, the planned barbecue feast would have to be postponed.
Xiano didn't linger on the deck for long. After a simple meal to fill his stomach, he headed straight into the cabin to the training room, where he resumed venting his frustrations on the Poneglyph.
...
The next morning.
Only about twenty survivors remained on the ship. As for where the others had gone, it was obvious.
These sailors and passengers, who hadn't been accomplices, still had some spare change on them and didn't need much concern. They expressed endless gratitude to Xiano and his crew, planning to disembark at the next island and find their own way home.
However, the rescued slaves seemed to have other ideas.
"Hmm? What's this?"
Xiano, who had just finished breakfast, turned his head in surprise to look at the burly men who had sought him out.
The men exchanged glances before one of them gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Xiano, we... want to follow you!"
"Yes! We're willing to follow you!"
"We're strong and can work hard. Though we might not be much help in battle, you can trust us with all the chores on your ship!"
"Follow me?"
Xiano raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, my lord!"
The central man nodded emphatically. "Our hometowns have been destroyed, and our families are... gone. Now, we have nothing left but our lives."
"We'd rather follow you, my lord. Even if we die fighting for you, it's better than being slaves!"
Xiano's gaze swept over the group.
Most of them were robust and had determined eyes, clearly accustomed to hardship.
They would indeed make excellent deckhands.
But...
"I'm sorry."
Xiano shook his head. "I appreciate your sincerity, but I can't agree. Following me is far too dangerous."
If he were truly a great Pirate,
he might have eagerly welcomed such a group of devoted, free laborers.
Even if the coming adventures were beyond their capacity, it wouldn't matter—they could be treated as expendable, replaced when lost.
Unfortunately,
he wasn't that cold-blooded.
Now that the World Government had elevated its attention to the Falling Stars Adventure Crew, any future confrontations would only grow more intense.
Bringing these ordinary men, who couldn't even defeat low-ranking marines, aboard would be no different from sending them to their deaths.
Moreover,
his plans wouldn't change easily.
The crew of the Sunset adhered to an absolute elite model, mirroring Red Hair's flawless "Iron Wall Royal Guard" approach.
Anyone who wanted to join would have to at least be able to defeat Nami, the ship's non-combatant. Otherwise...
"My lord."
The men lowered their heads. Though they knew joining wouldn't be easy and that life aboard would be risky,
being outright rejected still left them visibly dejected.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's with the long faces? Sure, those scum ruined your past lives, but now you're free! There are countless ways to start anew."
Seeing their downcast expressions, Xiano softened his tone and smiled:
"My ship isn't right for you, but I'll give you enough money to settle down on the next island. Then you can—"
"No, no need, my lord!"
The men frantically waved their hands, moved to the point of tears:
"We have hands and feet, we can earn our own keep!"
"That's right!"
The burly leader took a deep breath and nodded firmly:
"You've already helped us twice. If we keep troubling you and taking your money, what kind of men would we be!"
"Exactly!"
"We might not be as strong as you, but we've got strength to spare!"
"At worst, we can carry loads at the docks or work odd jobs at taverns. We'll manage to feed ourselves!"
"..."
Faced with such determination, Xiano fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter, patting each of them on the shoulder.
Seems he hadn't saved the wrong people.
These were all fine men of the sea!
...
After another two days and nights of sailing.
On the morning of the third day, the next mysterious island indicated by the Eternal Pose finally came into view.
It was a medium-sized island.
From a distance, numerous merchant ships were docked at the harbor, with orderly town buildings and bustling streets full of pedestrians.
Along the road leading from the docks to the town, various shops lined both sides.
Most appeared to be restaurants from afar. The sea breeze carried rich aromas of delicious food, making one's appetite stir uncontrollably.
—"Welcome to Pukey"
"Pukey, is it?"
Zeff raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked at the large sign at the harbor entrance. "This isn't quite what I expected."
"That name sounds so familiar..."
Nami thought for a moment before suddenly clapping her hands in realization, her eyes lighting up. "I remember now! This city was in a book my brother bought me when I was little!"
"This is the famous Gourmet City known throughout the Grand Line!"
She gazed eagerly at the distant town, recalling descriptions from her picture book:
"The entire island looks like it's built from desserts, with chocolate waterfalls cascading down cliffs, whipped cream forests rolling across the landscape, and harbor chefs so enthusiastic they even offer free cakes to visitors... Huh? Why doesn't any of this match?"
The Pukey Island before them, while having a prosperous harbor and tidy streets, was far from the fantastical food paradise depicted in the book.
"Ugh, this is just an ordinary town! Picture books really do lie to children!"
Nami swung her right fist angrily and turned to Zeff. "Uncle Zeff, you must feel cheated by its reputation too, right?"
"No, quite the opposite."
Zeff shook his head: "This former Gourmet City did indeed have the glorious days depicted in picture books. But even before my first voyage on the Grand Line, I'd heard that after the Great Pirate Era began, this town—being on a popular route—suffered constant pirate raids. With no nearby Marine base to protect it, it fell into ruin within years."
"So..."
Zeff looked around at the now-bustling harbor, a thoughtful glint in his eyes:
"What surprises me is completely different from you. Somehow, this town has recovered to this extent."
"It may not compare to its golden age, but it's far better than the dilapidated state of previous years."
"I see." Nami also pinched her chin thoughtfully.
Xiano stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over the harbor when he suddenly noticed some commotion among the ships docked at the pier.
Many merchant ships were hastily raising their anchors, and even the Pirate ships that had been boldly anchored in the central positions were hurriedly retreating to either side, clearing the way.
"Seems they recognized our flag," Xiano shrugged, somewhat resigned.
As his "notorious reputation" continued to grow, he'd probably have to get used to this kind of reaction.
(End of Chapter)