Chapter 158: Nun Carmel Vanishes—Smack Big Mom Again! (Subscribe, please!)
"Lord Eustass, where do you want to go after this?"
Beside him, the young giant Hajrudin tilted his head back and asked in puzzlement.
Ever since Hajrudin saw Eustass crush Linlin, he'd started to idolize him.
"Travel around and take a good look at this beautiful sea."
Eustass answered.
"Lord Eustass, how can you be so strong? Is there a trick to it?"
Hajrudin asked curiously.
"Grow stronger through battle."
Eustass glanced at him. In truth it was a cheat—something he couldn't teach.
A few more days passed.
The giant village finished building him a new ship. Holding the three-in-one log pose unique to the New World, Eustass stepped aboard.
"Lord Eustass, when you reach other islands, be sure to recruit more crew. Sailing alone, you'll find it hard to handle a sailing ship."
Yaruru sat by the shore, looking down at Eustass on deck.
"I know. Head back now."
With that, Eustass hauled up the anchor, unfurled the sails, and stood beside the helm.
"Be careful—the New World's weather shifts wildly; your greatest enemy isn't pirates, it's the climate!"
Yoruru shouted.
"Got it, got it—go home already."
Eustass kept waving the two old men off. After the Giant Warrior Pirates' defeat and Carmel's influence, giants were quite friendly to humans.
"Lord Eustass, one day I'll sail the seas and become as strong as you!"
Hajrudin yelled from the shore.
"I'm looking forward to it!"
Eustass replied with a grin.
Sea wind filled the sails, whipping Eustass's coat.
Standing by the helm, he felt the gale on his face, gazed at the blue expanse, and sailed toward the sunset.
Objectively speaking, while the New World's climate is fickle and storms frequent,
the environment is superb—far fresher air than in modern society.
Enjoying the old-school charm of handling sails, Eustasst bustled about, feeling as if he'd returned to the Middle Ages.
After a while he took a box from his pocket; inside were a dozen nano unmanned battle armors shrunk to finger size.
Reduced by Pym Particles, they were his safeguard against shipwreck. Not a native navigator, he'd only studied a few days—hardly professional.
Sooner or later he'd get lost, so he'd brought the nano armor and installed the wisdom system inside.
He tossed a few Armors out.
"System, take the helm and guide me to the nearest island."
At his words, the restored Armors sprang into action, scurrying about the deck.
These days he'd had the wisdom system scan the World's nautical knowledge; he'd had his fun—now it steered the ship.
After all, a lone man can't run a sailing vessel.
"Understood, Sir!"
"And please call me Aquaman—Mrs. Helen Cho named me that recently."
the wisdom system replied.
Eustass was speechless; his wife was teasing him… whatever—he'd own the title: Aquaman he was.
He entered the cabin, lit the kerosene lamp, and started preparing a meal.
Several days later.
An unnamed islet.
Eustass docked, recalling every nano drone back aboard.
He glanced far off: an Elbaf giant ship lay anchored there.
He dropped anchor, leapt ashore, and headed inland.
No one was on the giants' ship; he sensed many presences at the island's center.
Not long after.
The new Lambs House.
Eustass arrived just in time to witness a scene that shook him to the core.
In front of the cabin,
on the grass beside a table,
dozens of children lay slumped in unconscious heaps.
Linlin sat on a tree stump, lifting the unconscious Nun Carmel toward her mouth.
Even with all he'd seen, Eustass found the sight unbearable.
At last he understood why the nun had vanished—and why Big Mom gained the Soul-Soul Fruit right after.
In her sight, Linlin grabbed the largest samra on the table; seeing the cream she licked it.
"Delicious, so delicious~!"
"Gulp!"
She swallowed the samra whole without chewing.
"Stop!"
Eustass roared, punching out; Armament Haki burst as an Impact wave that slammed into Linlin's forehead.
Her huge body went flying.
Eustass sprinted over, unscrewed his canteen, and splashed cold water on several kids.
"samra—I want samra! Kill whoever gets in my way!"
Linlin's eyes blazed red as she howled skyward.
Her food-craving frenzy had struck again.
"W-what happened? Why did I faint?"
a fish-man child asked hurriedly.
"Where's the nun—where's our nun?!"
a long-arm child shouted.
Eustass glanced at Linlin's belly.
The nun… would probably be out in a few hours… Big Mom was insane; in her frenzy she'd do anything for food.
Even family, she'd kill without hesitation.
Yet once the fit passed, she'd remember nothing.
"Run, kids!"
Eustass yelled.
He wasn't a saint, but he couldn't watch Charlotte Linlin"kill" these children—
and in such a disgusting way!
No normal human could stomach it!
"Linlin—there she is!"
a little girl screamed.
"How long do you think you'd last unprotected?"
At his words the kids' hearts sank; they turned and fled.
"Run that way—there's a big guy over there!"
Eustass pointed behind a distant boulder; the giant who'd hidden there watching Carmel's death stepped out and waved the children over.
The Lambs House kids ran toward him.
Eustass glanced at the giant; he'd sensed the man's presence the moment he arrived.
Chapter 159. 159. Eat, Sleep, Beat Linlin, Prolonging Life! (Please Subscribe!)
"Take them away!"
Eustass shouted.
The Giant hiding behind the boulder quickly nodded, taking the children and rushing toward the shore.
Eustass turned to look into the distance at Linlin, who was running toward the children.
As she ran, she stretched out her hands toward the children, constantly screaming:
"samra, don't run, my samra!"
The children and the Giant were startled and ran even faster.
Eustass blocked their path and threw a punch.
Linlin swung her hand to slap him, but Eustass grabbed her hand, parried the strike, and punched Linlin in the face.
Eustass exerted tremendous force, and Linlin flew out like a cannonball, destroying numerous trees and soaring toward the distant mountains.
"Rumble—!"
A small mountain was pierced through by Linlin, scattering dirt and Rocks and churning up dust.
Eustass's strength was truly immense; Linlin pierced through one mountain, then several more, before finally stopping.
Eustass waited for a moment, and only left after seeing that the children had followed the Giant onto the Giantship.
He glanced back with distaste, wondering if the future Big Mom would have a mental breakdown if she ever learned the true reason for the Nun's disappearance.
[The host has defeated the juvenile Big Mom Linlin!]
[Reward gained: Longevity +10!]
Eustass looked back in surprise; he understood now
—from now on, it would be Eat, Sleep, Beat Linlin.
It seemed Rocks would also be setting sail in a few years, so he could also Eat, Sleep, Beat Rocks.
Eustass left the island, reached the shore, and returned to his ship.
The nearby Giant was just preparing to take the children back to Elbaf by boat.
"Are you coming back with us?"
The Giant asked.
"No need. Let them follow you back to Elbaf. Staying in Elbaf is better than staying here."
Eustass replied.
"Alright, see you if we get the chance!"
After saying that, the Giant hurriedly boarded the ship and slipped away, truly terrified of Charlotte Linlin; that child was simply a demon.
"What a monster."
Eustass stood on the ship and glanced back at the island.
What Charlotte Linlin had just done was truly sickening.
Eustass immediately left the island aboard his sea vessel. He sat on the deck reading a newspaper, while nearby, several nano unmanned battle armor, disguised as ordinary people, were busy working on the hull and steering the sailboat.
Not long after sailing.
A large warship sailed from afar, passing right next to Eustass's ship.
The captain glanced at the mast of Eustass's ship, saw no pirate flag hoisted, and thus paid it no further mind.
"Hey, you'd better not go to that island far away. There's a crazy little brat there."
Eustass sat on a deck chair reading his newspaper and spoke to the nearby Marine.
The Pirate World is actually a World of competing evils.
The Marine is a puppet of the World Government, and the World Government is nothing good.
But at least within the Marine, there are still some righteous individuals willing to help civilians and drive away pirates.
As for pirates, aside from the protagonist group decades later, most of them are essentially scum who burn, kill, and plunder.
It's impossible to distinguish good from bad; one can only judge who the good people are based on their actions.
"Who are you? Why do you say that?"
The captain looked at Eustass suspiciously. Beside Eustass lay a long, sharp sword
—a gift from Odin, which he had shrunk and kept with his Armor.
Usually, Eustass would choose to take out the sword and practice his swordsmanship.
"Just a passing nobody."
After speaking, Eustass waved his hand. The nano unmanned battle armor disguised as ordinary humans immediately sprang into action, continuing to sail the ship toward the distance.
"Hmph, who are you trying to scare!"
The captain snorted coldly and waved his hand, "Accelerate! We still have a target to pick up!"
As he spoke, he looked at the photo of Linlin that Nun Carmel had given to the CP Organization. The CP Organization stepped forward to buy Charlotte Linlin, even giving Carmel a deposit.
They had received the photo from CP and were heading to the destination island to pick up Charlotte Linlin.
"They are determined to die~"
Eustass joked, then continued reading his newspaper.
However, he heard what those people said: the World Government was buying children from Carmel, and the Marine was responsible for taking the children away.
Given this, Eustass decided he didn't need to interfere; let them all die.
Human traffickers deserve death, but their accomplices deserve death too!
The next day.
Early in the morning.
Eustass sailed near a small island and anchored. Just after disembarking, Eustass saw a newsboy constantly running and shouting along the road.
This was 65 years before the start of the plot, and Morgans hadn't even been born yet.
Naturally, the World Economic News Agency did not yet exist in the World.
Information circulation was extremely difficult in the World today. Since Eustass had just arrived in the New World, he had already heard of at least four types of newspapers there, and that wasn't counting Paradise and the Four Seas.
Eustass waved at the newsboy, who quickly ran over and pulled out a newspaper, which also had a wanted poster attached.
"Newspaper is 5 Berries, sir, plus a complimentary latest bounty poster."
Eustass looked at the newspaper in surprise. Wasn't it 50 Berries?
After thinking about it, Eustass understood.
Inflation, of course. The Pirate World was no exception.
As the times developed, if the currency issued exceeded the demand, the currency's value would naturally decrease.
Since it was over sixty years before the start of the future plot, it was normal for the Berries to be worth more now.
"Here."
Eustass gave the Berries to the boy and took the newspaper and the wanted poster.
The newspaper reported the news of Charlotte Linlinseizing a warship.
Just yesterday, after Eustass left, that group of Marines still went to the island to find Charlotte Linlin.
As a result, a pirate named Long Bread corrupted Linlin, prompting her to kill those Marines and steal the warship.
"Serves them right."
Eustass sneered and walked toward the small town.
As he walked through the town purchasing supplies, Eustass handed the goods to the nano unmanned battle armor disguised as ordinary humans behind him, while he continued reading the newspaper.
At the end of the content, the newspaper also mentioned that the previous attack on Elbaf by Linlin was stopped by a man descending from the sky, and Linlin suffered a brutal beating until she was incapacitated.
However, the reporter dared not go to Elbaf, so aside from mentioning the name "Eustass Mola," no photo was provided.
Eustass entered a shop, ordered some food, and sat at a table near the entrance to eat.
The unmanned nano armor stood around Eustass, quietly awaiting their Master.
Eustass ate while looking at the bounty poster.
Charlotte Linlin, Dead or Alive, Bounty 5 million Berries.
"It's low. I estimate it will double in a couple of days, and then double again after a while."
Eustass commented while looking at the bounty.
Chapter 160: 160. Exchanging Charlotte Linlin for some spending money! (Please subscribe!)
Several days later.
New World.
Cheese Island.
Eustass sat on the street, eating delicious food and drinking beer, while looking at the newspaper on the table. In just a few days, Charlotte Linlin's bounty had doubled again, reaching a staggering 50 million Berries.
Just in the past few days, Charlotte Linlin had attacked a castle and destroyed a kingdom for some sweets.
The Marines who went to stop her were annihilated, some burned to death by the Fire Homie Prometheus, others electrocuted by the Thundercloud Homie Zeus.
Eustass put the newspaper aside and continued eating.
"Linlin is still too cheap, huh."
Eustass grumbled.
If Charlotte Linlin was worth hundreds of millions now, he would really consider throwing her to the Marines for some spending money.
Just then.
A thunderous roar came from afar, and a bolt of lightning struck from the sky. The lightning snake landed on a building with a deafening explosion, and flames ignited.
Eustass looked up. A black, anthropomorphic thundercloud flew rapidly from a distance, continuously spitting lightning and striking everything in its path.
An anthropomorphic ball of fire flew quickly into the distance, continuously spewing flames, turning many buildings into a sea of fire. They laughed arrogantly and acted wantonly.
Pedestrians on the street ran in terror, screaming in panic, the scene utterly chaotic.
Eustass turned his head and saw that the chef had dropped his apron and run away too.
"Hahaha, excellent, Linlin! Become the King of the Sea like this!"
In the distance, the short man, Streusen, hiding behind a ruined wall, laughed arrogantly. He swiped his sword across the wall, and it turned into a piece of delicious fatty meat.
"Bring me sweet snacks quickly!"
Linlin walked down the street, looking down at the fleeing civilians. She clutched the King of the small island in her hand, squeezed him hard, and instantly killed him.
The King's body instantly lost its life and was tossed aside by Linlin.
His crown slowly slid to the side.
Eustass sat nearby, finishing the last bit of food on the table, then tilted his head back and guzzled down his beer.
"Hey, where are the sweet snacks?"
Linlin looked over and asked, pausing in surprise when she saw Eustass.
She remembered this person; he had suddenly appeared in the Giant Village of Elbaf. However, the Nun was afraid the truth would upset her, so no one had told her about him.
She left quickly and hadn't really gotten to know him.
"Yo, Little Girl, we meet again."
Eustass said, then stepped on the rolling crown nearby.
What kind of nonsense? A tiny island the size of a fart dares to call itself a kingdom?
"Are you that Big Brother?"
Linlin asked curiously.
"Hmm, you're bothering me. Can you leave this island? Spare these poor people; they're already miserable enough."
Eustass said, tapping the table.
In this World, pirates run rampant, transportation is inconvenient, and productivity is extremely backward.
The lives of civilians are truly miserable; they can't eat enough and still get robbed by pirates.
And now, an ignorant little brat comes along, smashing, grabbing, and playing 'zero-dollar shopping.' It's unbelievable.
"No, I can't. Linlin wants sweet snacks, she wants subjects. Linlin wants to build the country the Nundreamed of."
Linlin's expression changed, and she shook her head angrily.
"Alright, then I'll show you something with action."
Eustass said, then stood up, leaped, and kicked Charlotte Linlin.
Linlin's face showed surprise, and she quickly reached out to strike Eustass's leg.
Eustass's leg was wrapped in Armament Haki. He kicked Linlin's fist, and with a crisp crack, Charlotte Linlin's fist bone fractured. Eustass kicked her fist away and then kicked Linlin in her big, fat face.
"Ah!"
Linlin's face was distorted, and she was sent flying, crashing into and collapsing a building.
"Someone like you can never become a King."
Eustass said coldly.
"Linlin, run!"
In the distance, Streusen shouted in terror. He had regarded this naturally powerful Little Girl as his cash cow, and he had always been the one to trick Linlin into becoming a pirate.
But seeing Eustass kick Linlin away, Streusen was terrified. He didn't want his cash cow to die so soon.
"You, you actually hit Linlin! You're finished!"
In the ruins, Linlin lay there, her head dizzy, her face furious, blood trickling down her face.
Just as she spoke two sentences, a figure suddenly appeared before her eyes. Eustass used Soru to instantly appear in front of her and brought his foot down.
Eustass stamped Linlin's face with his shoe.
"Ah!"
Linlin screamed and was kicked unconscious.
A large number of threads flew from Eustass's hand, wrapping Charlotte Linlin into a zongzi. He pulled the threads and dragged Linlin towards the edge of the island.
Streusen watched all this, anxious but helpless.
There was nothing he could do; he was just a down-and-out pirate, down-and-out precisely because he lacked strength.
If he could defeat Eustass and save Linlin, he wouldn't have been living on the island of the New Lambs Housein the first place, but would have been gallivanting across the sea, slaying all his enemies.
"No! Give Linlin back to me! I'll give you as much money as you want!"
Streusen hurriedly ran over. Eustass glanced back at Streusen, pointing a finger at him.
"I am the Vice-Captain and Chef of the Big Mom Pirates, Linlin's most important person. Just state your demands."
Streusen quickly said.
"die."
Eustass said, then used Finger Pistol. A crescent-shaped air bullet flew swiftly, piercing Streusen's heart.
"Cough, cough..."
Streusen coughed up blood, his vision went dark, and he fell with a thud.
[host defeated Streusen, the user of the Eat-Eat Fruit Ability!]
[Reward obtained: Strength x2!]
Eustass pulled the threads, continuing to drag Charlotte Linlin towards the sea.
People on the street saw this scene and cheered joyfully.
"My Lord Eustass, thank you!"
The chef from the restaurant where Eustass had eaten ran back and immediately knelt, shouting.
All the people in the small town heard and knelt in gratitude.
Eustass silently looked back at these people, then turned and left.
He never admitted to being a hero; perhaps he would beat up those Marines later.
Arriving on the ship, Eustass secured Charlotte Linlin and sailed away from the island.
Not long after leaving the small island, Charlotte Linlinwoke up, causing quite a ruckus. Linlin kept clamoring, threatening to beat Eustass until he was toothless, telling him to release her quickly, or else, blah blah blah~
Like a naughty child.
"Keep making a fuss. If you break the ship later, you're a Devil Fruit Ability user, so falling into the sea means certain death."
After Eustass spoke, Linlin's expression froze. She looked at the seawater, then at the dilapidated little boat, and swallowed.
Eustass smiled. Linlin was just a little kid; dealing with her was super simple~
Chapter 161 – Linlin Spills Gold Coins! (Subscribe, please!)
Several days later.
On an uninhabited island.
Eustass tossed Charlotte Linlin down and, over the next few days, fought her ten times; Linlin lost every single match.
Eustass therefore received ten rewards:
[Reward obtained: Lifespan +10!]
[Reward obtained: Strength ×2!]
[Reward obtained: Strength ×3!]
[Reward obtained: Recovery ×2!]
[Reward obtained: Lifespan +5!]
[Reward obtained: Speed ×2!]
[Reward obtained: Strength ×2!]
[Reward obtained: Lifespan +5!]
[Reward obtained: Stamina ×2!]
[Reward obtained: Lifespan +1!]
Eustass could now live another twenty-one years; worthy of his personal cash-cow of longevity. Eating, sleeping, and beating Linlin—living centuries longer was no longer a dream.
With that drop-rate, Linlin was destined for many more beatings.
"Boo-hoo, Linlin will be good from now on. Uncle Eustass, stop hitting her. She'll mend her ways and never be bad again—ouch, it hurts…"
"Thud-thud-thud!"
Charlotte Linlin's head was covered in bumps. She sat on the ground drumming her short legs, shaking the earth, hiding her eyes and wailing.
"Linlin, you're too weak—such a let-down."
Eustass shook his head in disappointment; he strongly suspected reward quality was linked to strength.
"And I'm your big brother, not your uncle!"
With that, Eustass hopped up and flicked her forehead.
His strength was so great the flick broke through Linlin's defense, sending her flying and raising a huge lump on her head.
"Boom!"
Linlin crashed into a hill, gazing in terror at Eustasswalking toward her.
Linlin was born a king, but she only ever ate, ate, ate—she never trained.
Like that, she could never reach the pinnacle and become a true sovereign.
"Eating everything in sight will ruin you, Linlin. Time I applied some pressure."
Eustass dragged her out and hauled her all the way to the ship.
"What are you doing?"
Linlin asked fearfully, watching Eustass study a wanted poster.
"Your bounty's gone up; I'll fetch a better price."
Eustass grinned; Linlin shuddered.
"Didn't you say you hate human traffickers the most?"
Linlin asked hastily.
"But you're a pirate. Handing you to the Marines for cash is only right—ridding the people of a scourge."
At those words, Linlin's face paled… Several days later.
The New World.
G-1 Marine Branch.
A seagull glided down and perched on a tree, flapping its wings.
On the town street a squad of Marines patrolled past; stalls lined the road in bustling prosperity.
Where Marines are stationed, things are at least safer.
People can do business with peace of mind.
It was bright and breezy; children laughed and played in the streets while swordsmen or gunners lounged under roadside trees, some chatting, some reading newspapers for news of rising powerhouses on the seas.
"Hey, hear that? Another strong kid's shown up in the New World—sacked several islands in a row. Got a bounty of five-hundred million Berries the other day!"
"Scary—how can a child be so evil?"
"Hmph, that's nothing. This World's dog-eat-dog; hate breeds hate—figures like that are only natural."
"Terrifying—good thing we've got a Marine branch here."
"Don't relax—several warships have already been wrecked by her."
"That Linlin girl… ah…"
"What happened? Finish your sentence, damn it!"
A swordsman under the tree stared into the distance, stammering, "Sh-she's been captured."
"What!?"
Everyone gawked toward the shore.
By the seaside.
A ship was moored at the dock.
Eustass held the White Thread, its strands wrapped around Charlotte Linlin as he led her onto the island.
A specially-made Sea Stone cuff locked Charlotte Linlin's wrists, sealing her powers.
Eustass strode through the streets with her in tow; townsfolk stared in shock as he headed for the MarineBase.
Back in the Marvel Universe, Eustass had received Sea Stone as a system reward.
Before coming to the Pirate World, he'd had his scientists study Sea Stone for years, commissioning a pair of cuffs and hoarding the remaining material.
The cuffs were for others; hiding the rest ensured no one could use it against him.
Soon after.
Outside G-1 Marine Base.
Eustass arrived with Charlotte Linlin, ready to cash her in.
"Halt! Who are you and what—"
The guard at the gate started to block him, glanced up at Charlotte Linlin, looked down, sensed something off, and snapped his gaze back up.
He pulled a stack of wanted posters from his pocket, flipped to the last one and compared.
It showed a plump girl in a pink hat, profile laughing, mouth wide open.
Below it read: Dead or Alive — 500,000,000 Berries.
"N-no way—this is Charlotte Linlin!?"
The Marine was stunned; Charlotte Linlin, the rookie pirate whose bounty had skyrocketed this year, notorious for massive destruction.
But in these days of poor information flow, failing to recognize her at once was understandable.
"Um, may I ask who you are?"
The guard instantly became respectful; anyone who could defeat her must be a mighty warrior.
His attitude flipped one-eighty.
"Eustass Mola—here to collect."
Eustass said flatly.
"Understood! Please come with me; I'll take you to the Base commander!"
The guard pushed open the iron gate and excitedly led Eustass inside.
Eustass led Charlotte Linlin through the Base; Marines drilling nearby stared slack-jawed at the captive.
"Yatta! That little devil's finally caught!"
"That's the rumored Eustass—so powerful!"
"Lord Eustass, I'm your fan—please join us!"
The training Marines shouted.
Eustass ignored them; his mind was on the payout.
Ridiculous—Marines are the Celestial Dragons' private army; justice is just brain-washing propaganda.
He had no intention of being used.
Who knows whether any given mission serves justice or private ends?
Chapter 162. 500 Million Berries Received. Big Mom Joins the Marines? (Please Subscribe!)
Soon after.
The office of the Base Commander of Marine G-1 Branch.
Eustass met the Base Commander.
"Hello, my name is Antoine, the new Base Commander of the G-1 Branch. Please have a seat, Mr. Eustass."
Base Commander Antoine was wearing a suit and a Marine Justice Cloak draped over his shoulders, speaking with a smile.
"I brought Charlotte Linlin. Where are the 500 million Berries?"
Eustass extended his hand; he was here purely to collect the money.
"That's quite a sum, so our people will deliver it shortly. Putting that aside for a moment, Mr. Eustass, have you ever considered joining the Marines? If you are willing, we currently have an open Admiral position..."
Antoine smiled at Eustass, his meaning clear: if Eustassaccepted, Marine Headquarters would immediately break convention and recruit him directly as an Admiral.
This was understandable. Kong, the Admiral, had just been promoted to Fleet Admiral, leaving only two active Admirals, one of whom was quite old and ready to retire at any time.
The Marines were truly lacking top-tier fighting power.
Charlotte Linlin, a born King, was originally slated by the CP to be the material for the Strongest Shield, yet she was utterly defeated and kicked away by someone they had never even heard of.
Eustass easily suppressed Charlotte Linlin, so naturally, the Marines wanted to recruit him, believing he was qualified to become an Admiral.
"Not interested."
Eustass shook his head immediately. He truly had no interest in becoming a Marine, especially since he was accustomed to being a big boss in the Marvel 199999 Universe, and had even served as the leader of the New Human Empire in the Mutant Universe for a period.
To be honest, he really wasn't interested in working for anyone.
Hearing that Admirals had to take shifts protecting the Celestial Dragon brats at Mary Geoise made him even less interested.
"Please reconsider. As an Admiral in the Marines, you would enjoy many conveniences and benefits, and the salary is also very, very high."
Antoine quickly urged.
"Will I get a cut of the celestial tribute?"
Eustass asked, looking at him.
"Huh?"
Antoine was stunned.
"Dividends. If there are no dividends, I'm not doing it."
Eustass casually used this excuse to reject the recruitment offer.
Antoine was speechless. What audacity! This person actually dared to ask for a cut of the celestial tribute.
This either meant his strength was heaven-defying, or his intelligence was heaven-defyingly low.
"Alright, alright, stop wasting time. Just give me the money. I really don't want to be a Marine."
After speaking, Eustass sat down nearby, crossing his legs, waiting to collect the money.
Vice Admiral Antoine smiled. So he was just using a random excuse to refuse the recruitment.
He thought so; who wouldn't be afraid of the Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise?
Soon after.
A group of Marines rushed in carrying several suitcases filled with large-denomination Berries banknotes, which they handed to Eustass.
"Goodbye."
Eustass picked up the suitcases and walked outside.
Eustass glanced at Linlin, who was watching him with a pitiful expression nearby, and smiled:
"Goodbye, brat. Have fun eating rats in your cell~"
As soon as Eustass finished speaking, Linlin heard that she would only be eating 'rat-rats' from now on and instantly burst into tears.
For Linlin, the cruelest thing wasn't actually fighting.
It was having terrible food.
"No! Linlin doesn't want to eat rat-rats! Wuwuwu, don't leave Linlin behind! Linlin doesn't want to eat rat-rats, Linlin wants sweets! Saint-Tropez Tart, Chocolate Kouglof, Madeleine Cake! Wuwuwu, no! Linlin's snacks..."
Linlin watched Eustass walk away carrying the suitcases, crying uncontrollably.
Eustass looked back at Linlin. He felt that soon enough, Linlin would provide him with another sum of money.
This massive glutton—unless she was kept by the Celestial Dragons—the Marines' meager budget probably couldn't afford to feed her... After all, most of the celestial tribute goes to the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, and only a small portion is allocated as Marinefunding.
Money was needed everywhere. The food quality was indeed quite good, but it was insufficient compared to the needs of the massive glutton, Linlin.
Linlin going on a rampage was only a matter of time.
The next day.
Linlin sat in a Sea Stone prison cell, bound all over with Sea Stone chains. Outside the bars of the Sea Stone cell, a young woman was feeding her cake.
The Marines were keeping Linlin stable by feeding her snacks, preventing her from rampaging.
Not long after, an Admiral walked in. He had white hair, an extremely imposing build, stood five meters tall, and carried a greatsword on his back.
"Are you Charlotte Linlin?"
Greg, the elderly Admiral who was about to retire, asked.
"Yes, yes! Om-nom, om-nom! The Brioche is absolutely delicious~"
Charlotte Linlin nodded in response while happily lowering her head to eat the snack offered by the young woman outside.
Greg was speechless. She truly was a child, so easy to fool. After just giving her some snacks and having someone lie to her about a few things, she became this obedient.
But a pirate is a pirate after all. She had harmed civilians, and in Greg's eyes, she would always be a detestable pirate!
"Hmph, if it weren't for that guy Kong's orders, I wouldn't want to see you, little pirate!"
Greg said angrily, "Come out. You have been pardoned. From now on, you will undergo training at Marine Headquarters, Marineford, to be groomed as a future Admiral, or even a Fleet Admiral."
After speaking, Greg turned and left, grumbling discontentedly, "Pah, the Marines are doomed sooner or later."
Greg came from a common background. He had witnessed the evil of pirates and the shamelessness of nobles.
He became a Marine only to protect civilians, but he felt that the Marines would likely deteriorate in the future, as they were merely a private army serving the Celestial Dragons to maintain their rule.
Several days later.
Charlotte Linlin followed Admiral Greg by boat to Mary Geoise, transferred through Mary Geoise to the Sabaody Archipelago, and then prepared to board a warship heading for Marineford.
When the news that Charlotte Linlin had been pardoned by the World Government, declared innocent, and recruited for Marine training spread everywhere, the common people erupted in condemnation.
But it was useless.
Because power rested in the hands of the Celestial Dragons, no amount of protest from below could affect the top.
As soon as Linlin arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, she was so captivated by the bustling dessert shops that she couldn't move. No matter how many Marine Colonels tried to drag her, they couldn't budge her.
A group of Marine Colonels and one Major Generallooked like hanging ornaments. They were clearly trying to drag Linlin and telling her, "Let's go."
Instead, they were all being dragged along by Linlin, swinging in the air like ornaments as she ran.
"Fruit Pancakes are so delicious! Coconut Cookies are delicious too! Om-nom, om-nom..."
Linlin ran up to a stall and grabbed food to eat.
Macas Elthurgon, a Celestial Dragon strolling nearby, was wearing bulky clothes and a Glass Helmet. He looked up at the giant fat person continually stuffing her face next to him, and immediately yelled loudly at the CP Agents behind him:
"You! Kill this fat person for me!"
"No!"
The Marines' expressions instantly changed; a major incident was about to occur.
In their eyes, Linlin was an oblivious, naughty child who never considered the consequences. They had just managed to pacify her and trick her into joining the Marines.
Now this Celestial Dragon suddenly had a spasm!
Today, either the Celestial Dragon dies, or Linlin lives.
Macas Elthurgon:???
Chapter 163: 163. The Confused Gorosei, Crushing Homies Zeus and Prometheus!
"Bang bang bang!"
Gunshots rang out as the low-ranking CP Agents protecting the Celestial Dragons raised their guns and continuously fired at Charlotte Linlin.
As bullets flew, the Marines quickly pounced to block them.
If Linlin were hit, they wouldn't be able to account for it, they'd all lose their jobs, and they'd be sent to Enies Lobby for trial.
If Linlin were angered and killed a Celestial Dragon, they would be executed on the spot, skipping the Enies Lobbyprocess, and their families would likely suffer harm from the Celestial Dragons.
"die, you lowly slave!"
Macas Elthurgon had no idea how terrifying the Little Girlhe was facing was. He was enraged that a Marine dared to spoil his fun.
He raised his gun and fired a shot at the Marine Colonel.
"Ah!"
A bullet flew from the gun barrel, hitting the Marine Colonel.
The Colonel lay on the ground, in immense pain.
"Kneel, all of you, kneel!"
Macas Elthurgon roared. A senior member of his family was one of the Gorosei, one of the supreme rulers of the World Government. What did he have to fear? He feared no one!
The Marines looked at each other, still very afraid of him, and quickly knelt down one by one.
"Hahaha, you guys are all my slaves, just slaves~!"
Elthurgon laughed loudly, picked up a pistol, and fired a shot at the cake Linlin had just gotten her hands on, splattering cake cream all over Linlin's face.
"Damn it!"
Linlin's face was filled with fury, and the Marines around her quickly shouted for her not to.
The next instant, Linlin slapped down at Elthurgon.
"Splat!"
Elthurgon was instantly flattened.
The Marines cried out in alarm, and the low-ranking CP Agents fell to the ground in terror, their legs trembling.
"A Celestial Dragon has been killed!"
Terrified shouts rang out, the street descended into chaos, people scattered and fled, and the Marines directly threw away their Marine hats and quickly deserted.
Staying here would also lead to being held accountable and killed by the Celestial Dragons, so it was better to slip away quickly... Several days later.
First Half of the Grand Line, Paradise.
Eustass sailed on a sailboat, coated, passing by Fish-Man Island from under the sea, and arrived at Paradise in the first half. As soon as he arrived, he bought a local newspaper and only then learned the news here.
In an era where information flow was inconvenient, even reading the news was troublesome.
Eustass looked at the newspaper, which published the latest information about Charlotte Linlin.
[Charlotte Linlin, a devil from the New World, naturally evil, the culprit who killed Celestial Dragon Macas Elthurgon!
Bounty: 1.5 Billion Berries!
Demand: Dead or Alive!]
This information was half-true and half-false. It was true that Charlotte Linlin was indeed a natural-born evil, but Eustass could only say 'well done' for her killing a Celestial Dragon.
Not long after, Eustass had only sailed a short distance when the whistling of numerous cannonballs echoed in his ears.
Eustass looked into the distance.
A pirate ship continuously accelerated to escape. Charlotte Linlin was holding a cake and constantly stuffing it into her mouth. The ship's deck was piled with a large amount of gold, silver, jewels, and a mountain of snacks.
A pirate flag hung on the main mast of the pirate ship, and the pirates on board shouted, "Long live the Captain!"
Behind them, a dozen Marine warships relentlessly pursued, with Marine Admiral Greg and numerous Vice Admirals and Major Generals constantly chasing Linlin.
Originally, Kong wanted to cultivate Linlin, to train her to become the strongest fighting force of the future Marine.
But unfortunately, Linlin killed Celestial Dragon Macas Elthurgon.
The Martial God Macas of Mary Geoise was extremely furious and demanded that the Marines capture Charlotte Linlin and bring her to Mary Geoise for execution.
But just like the Gorosei treated the future Luffy, they always demanded the Marines capture so-and-so, but never personally took charge.
These people act like a bunch of undercover agents.
They talk about capturing so-and-so, but they never get serious.
Even if Sabo was captured and brought before Imu and the Gorosei in the future, and the Gorosei even transformed, they still let Sabo escape... Eustass watched as the Marine Admiral of this era pursued Linlin, but a dozen warships couldn't catch her... He always had the illusion that the Marines and the high-ranking World Government officials were all actors... The Gorosei did a lot of stupid things in the future.
For example, regarding the escort of the nika Devil Fruit, if the Gorosei plus the three Admirals had escorted it, it would have been invincible. Who would dare to snatch it?
Instead, they let a rookie escort it, the fruit was snatched, they chose to dispose of the rookie, and then acted as if nothing had happened... Later, when the Revolutionary Army developed, they knew that the Revolutionary Armywas extremely dangerous, but they still did not interfere, choosing to ignore it, letting a group of rookies investigate and that was it.
Afterward, someone suggested they collect several Poneglyphs so that others couldn't gather all the Poneglyphs and learn the truth, but they still ignored it.
Perhaps these five brain-dead old men thought face was more important, fearing others would misunderstand them as laborers... In the future, after Luffy grew up and went to sea, Luffy always had three phrases:
"I am Monkey D. Luffy, I am a rubber man who ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi, I am the man who will become the Pirate King."
Luffy went to sea with maxed-out buffs, fighting his way from the East Blue to Enies Lobby, and later even visited the rebuilt Marine Base to convey information to his companions.
Yet these five senile old men still chose to do nothing, waiting until nika awakened before saying with shock that they needed to deal with the nika Devil Fruit user... Eustass was truly baffled. Were these five utterly useless individuals really repaying Imu?
Are they not ungrateful traitors?
These utterly useless individuals even helped Imu rule the World for hundreds of years. Eustass fell silent.
Just how useless were the people of the World in the past?
Not long after, Charlotte Linlin's ship happened to cross paths with Eustass's ship.
Charlotte Linlin quickly ordered her crew to change direction, and the pirates busied themselves, turning the sails and rudder.
"Linlin, let me test if you've made any progress recently!"
Eustass said, then leaped up, jumping towards Linlin's ship, scaring Linlin into running towards the edge of the ship.
"Get lost!"
"die!"
Zeus and Prometheus flew over, one spitting lightning, the other spitting Fire.
Eustass directly clapped his hand forward, and Armament Haki expanded outwards, forming a barrier that directly blocked their attacks.
Then he grabbed one in each hand and threw them far away.
"Ahhh! Don't come any closer!"
Linlin screamed as she saw Eustass running towards her, wielding a long sword to strike at him.
White threads flew from Eustass's hand, imbued with Armament Haki, and a single strike broke the long swordin Linlin's hand, then whipped her body.
"Ah!"
Linlin was sent flying. Eustass leaped up and whipped Linlin again.
Linlin was thrown into the air, landing on Eustass's ship, as numerous threads flew out and wrapped around her body.
Chapter 164. Defeat the Admiral! Kill the Celestial Dragon's Lackey! (Please subscribe!)
The Marine warships sailed quickly toward them. The main ship approached, and Admiral Greg jumped onto Eustass's sailboat.
"Thank you very much for helping us capture this pirate. Please hand her over to us."
"That won't do. One and a half billion Berries!"
Eustass waved his hand while listening to the sound of the system reward in his mind.
[The host has defeated the young Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin!]
[Reward acquired: Lifespan +4!]
Eustass looked at Linlin. She truly was his ATM for longevity!
The lifespan rewards provided by Big Mom were the most numerous and frequent.
"Well, we were dispatched to capture her. How about this: you come with us to the Marine Base, and we will apply for the funds for you."
Admiral Greg spoke.
"I have no interest in going to a Marine Base. When you have the full funds ready, come back and exchange her for the money."
After Eustass finished speaking, he waved his hand, dismissing them.
"Damn it! You bastard, immediately hand over the major criminal Charlotte Linlin, or beware the punishment of the Celestial Dragons, My Lord!"
Beside him, a Marine Vice Admiral with narrow, rat-like eyes pointed at Eustass and shrieked.
"If you're sick, take medicine. Don't yell at me, or I might kill you."
Eustass said coldly.
"What? You're going to attack the Marines? Fine, you scoundrel, come with us!"
The rat-eyed Marine Vice Admiral roared, waving his hand to signal the warship cannons to aim at Eustass.
"Shut up, Grossy!"
Greg turned around and shouted angrily.
Marine Vice Admiral Grossy, who had gray hair and was on another ship, was so startled he immediately shut up.
He was indeed a lackey of the Celestial Dragons, but he didn't dare provoke his superior officer.
"I apologize profusely. Marine Vice Admiral Grossy was injured in a certain place during an assassination attempt by a great pirate while he was being entertained in a kingdom in North Blue, so his mentality might be a bit twisted... He is mentally ill, please don't take offense."
Greg quickly said to Eustass. Eustass glanced at Marine Vice Admiral Grossy. So he was an eunuch~
In a fight, it's inevitable that some people are ruthless and strike where they shouldn't... "I never take seriously people who are neither male nor female."
Eustass said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, the Celestial Dragon's lackey's rage instantly maxed out, and he cursed and jumped up and down in fury.
"I already said, gather the money and then come back to exchange for the person. That's all. Please leave my ship."
Eustass said.
"How about we give you a partial deposit?"
Greg quickly said.
"No."
Eustass waved his hand.
"Well, let's agree on a location. I will go there to deliver the money."
Greg quickly said.
"Water Seven."
Eustass said. Greg nodded, turned, and jumped back onto his warship.
Eustass turned the ship and departed.
"You just wait! Your disrespect towards me is disrespect towards the Celestial Dragons, My Lord! I will put a bounty on you!"
Grossy stood on the warship and muttered through gritted teeth.
The warship escorted the pirate ship away. Eustasslooked back at the warship.
Did that lackey really think he couldn't hear him?
Several days later.
Spring Queen City.
Eustass docked his ship, untied Charlotte Linlin, pointed to a pirate ship in the distance, and told her to leave.
"Eustass Big Brother, won't you use Linlin to exchange for money anymore?"
Linlin looked at him confusedly.
"I have enough to spend."
Eustass replied dismissively.
"Oh, then why don't you buy some desserts for Linlin? Not too much, just enough to fill a small pushcart!"
Charlotte Linlin shouted happily, "The money exchanged for Linlin should have a share for Linlin too, right!"
"No, scram."
Eustass said coldly.
"Huh? Is that so... You hate Linlin, so why did you let Linlin go?"
She tilted her head and looked at Eustass in confusion.
"Because I dislike the Marines."
Eustass said.
"Just like that?"
"I'll count to three, or I'll kill you."
Before Eustass could count, Charlotte Linlin ran away.
Eustass let Charlotte Linlin go primarily because the Marine's attitude was too disgusting.
Marine Vice Admiral Grossy clearly had no intention of paying him and even used the Celestial Dragons to threaten him.
Was he someone who could be threatened? Impossible!
So Eustass directly released Linlin; otherwise, if the Celestial Dragons executed Linlin, his ATM for longevity would be gone!
Rocks hasn't set sail yet; Sengoku, Garp, Roger, Tsuru, and Whitebeard are still little kids; and Zephyr was only born a year ago.
Not to mention Kaido; the Cute One hasn't even been born yet.
Among the older generation of powerhouses at Marineford, only Kong remains, along with two Admirals; one old man is about to retire, and the other middle-aged Admiral reportedly has mediocre achievements.
There are very few characters from whom Eustass can farm rewards.
He is truly looking forward to the future Rocks Era.
After the Rocks Era passes, there will be the era of Rogerand his crew, and after their era passes, he can wait for the era of Luffy.
The rewards at that time will truly come one after another, extremely generous.
The sea is simply too boring right now, and Eustasscertainly doesn't want his ATM for longevity, Charlotte Linlin, to die prematurely.
Several days later.
Admiral Greg went to Water Seven, but the only person waiting was Eustass, not Charlotte Linlin.
Eustass fought Admiral Greg, and it only took a little over ten minutes for Eustass to defeat Greg, leaving him lying on the ground.
[The host has defeated Marine Admiral Greg!]
[Reward acquired: Strength ×2!]
Eustass was stunned. So weak? But then again, that made sense; the opponent was old and long past his peak.
Eustass glanced at him, turned, and walked away.
"St-stop... C-come back with me and explain, or Grossywill frame you for releasing Charlotte Linlin, and the Marines will put a bounty on you!"
Admiral Greg quickly stood up, staggering as he walked toward Eustass.
His conscience made him unwilling to see a top-tier powerhouse forced to become an enemy of the Marines by foolish Celestial Dragons and their lackeys.
"An eagle does not concern itself with the opinions of ground ants."
After Eustass finished speaking, he turned and left.
Greg was speechless, watching the figure walk away. Just how strong was this guy!?
The opponent didn't even care about Mary Geoise, regarding it as mere ants.
Eustass left Water Seven. A large number of Marines, led by Marine Vice Admiral Grossy, surrounded him. Eustasswatched them indifferently.
"How dare you, Eustass! You treat the noble World Nobles as ants! Now come with me to Mary Geoise and kneel before the Celestial Dragons to beg for mercy!"
Grossy borrowed the tiger's might, shouting angrily.
"Disgusting."
Eustass said this, ignored him, and walked away directly.
"Damn it, stop right there, you commoner who disrespects the Celestial Dragons!"
Grossy roared and lunged to grab Eustass.
"You don't know what's good for you."
Eustass said coldly, and a large number of threads flew out from his hands. The threads twisted together, imbued with Armament Haki, and instantly pierced Marine Vice Admiral Grossy's body.
Chapter 165. Kong's Invitation! A Bounty? Just Entertainment (Please Subscribe!)
Eustass tossed Grossy aside, glanced at the numerous Marines surrounding him, and released his Conqueror's Haki. The Marines immediately fainted on the ground.
[The host has defeated Marine Vice Admiral Grossy!]
[Reward obtained: Stamina × 2!]
Eustass walked through the streets, went all the way to the seaside, boarded a sailboat, and left the area immediately.
The civilians in the houses behind him watched his retreating figure through the windows, unable to recover their senses for a long time.
"The Admiral was defeated? How is that possible!?"
"He's too strong!"
...Several days later.
Alabasta.
Eustass moored his ship by the banks of the Santora River, and the nano unmanned battle armor, disguised as humans, carried supplies for him.
Eustass took the collected map and walked toward the nearest Alubarna Oasis.
Alabasta is a desert kingdom, and the weather was extremely hot. Eustass walked up the dune, releasing his Observation Haki to perceive everything around him.
Within the range of Eustass's Observation Haki, he sensed a vibrant, energetic aura.
That must be the Alubarna Oasis.
Eustass walked all the way toward the Alubarna Oasis, but after walking for a short while, Eustass stopped.
In the distance, yellow sand drifted. Under the scorching sun, a towering figure stood blocking Eustass's path.
The person had long black hair shaped like the character 'mountain' (Mountain), a black beard shaped like three mountains on his chin, and he wore a Marine coat of justice over a dark red shirt, his arms crossed as he looked at Eustass:
"You are Eustass Mola, the fellow who defeated AdmiralGreg?"
"You are the Marine Acting Fleet Admiral... Kong?"
Eustass looked at the figure and asked.
"That is correct."
The young Kong remained silent for a moment, then nodded. Though still young, he was already an extremely powerful individual in the Marine. The previous Fleet Admiral had died in battle, and the Marine now lacked talent, so the young Kong naturally rose to become the Acting Fleet Admiral.
"You killed one of our Vice Admirals, and you sheltered a great evil pirate, Eustass. Do you intend to become enemies with us Marines?"
Kong looked at Eustass, his expression serious.
"Enemies with the Marine?"
Eustass laughed.
"Kong, you overestimate yourselves. I don't even consider you worth noticing."
After Eustass finished speaking, he continued walking forward.
The nano unmanned battle armor, disguised as normal people, followed closely behind him.
"This is..."
Kong glanced in surprise behind Eustass. Through his Observation Haki, he had already sensed the difference in these "people."
Their appearance was human-like, but their aura lacked any trace of the vitality of a living being.
"Eustass, you are incredibly strong. There's truly no need to be our enemy. After all, the Marine also stands for justice in their hearts, protecting the people of this ocean."
Kong watched Eustass and the nano unmanned battle armor pass by him, and quickly called out.
Kong had gone to Mary Geoise after hearing that Eustasshad defeated Admiral Greg.
The Gorosei told him that he must invite Eustass to join the Marine, no matter what. After all, it was better to have such a powerful person as an ally than an enemy.
Moreover, the current Marine was desperately lacking top-tier combat power; it was a time when they needed people most.
Up until now, Kong had originally intended to try and test Eustass's strength, but then he sensed the unusual aura of the "people" beside Eustass, which reminded him of the story of Eustass descending from the sky.
He had a faint feeling: was it possible that Eustass was a descendant of the Moon People?
Did the other party descend from the moon and bring black technology robots from the moon?
If that were the case, Kong would be even more determined to invite Eustass to join the Marine.
Super strong and mastering black technology—who wouldn't be tempted by that?
"Eustass, the Marine offers excellent benefits. You can requisition warships freely for travel anywhere. Not only are our salaries high, but when you defeat pirates on missions, you can also keep the wealth obtained from their ships.
Furthermore, when you travel around the World, you can choose to ignore, or even despise, the nobles of various countries.
The Marine has many advantages. Will you reconsider? Moreover, only by becoming a Marine can you better protect civilians.
You only need to make a small concession: obey the command of the World Government at critical moments."
Kong followed Eustass, continuously listing the benefits of the Marine.
"Not interested."
Eustass thought for a moment, then shook his head.
Kong turned to stone on the spot.jpg!
Kong felt helpless. Was there really someone who wasn't interested in money, fame, and power?
'He might truly be a survivor of the Moon People who came from the moon, someone detached from worldly matters.'
Kong pondered internally.
"Then what are you interested in?"
Kong quickly asked, curious.
"Fighting, fighting, and more fighting."
Eustass said, looking at Kong.
"The Marine is filled with experts. As long as you join the Marine, you will gain countless opportunities to fight.
Through combat, you will further hone your strength and experience."
Kong chased Eustass into the small town. Eustass looked at the passing exotic beauties wearing veils—discovering beauty, appreciating beauty~!
Kong talked for a long time, but Eustass didn't hear a single word.
What a joke. If he wanted to fight, he could just find any reason to fight the Marine. Does he need to join a faction just to fight? Ridiculous.
"How about it? Will you consider it?"
After Kong finished speaking, he glanced at Eustass, following his gaze to where several beauties from the desert kingdom were walking by.
Kong was somewhat confused. What was so interesting about beauties?
Eustass browsed the stalls, picking out Alabasta's local specialties, while also enjoying the sight of passing beauties.
It wasn't until he went to a restaurant and finished his meal that he patted his stomach and said to Kong:
"I'm not interested in joining the Marine because I don't want to work for anyone else. Go find someone else."
Having said that, Eustass stood up and walked outside.
Kong was shattered.
You should have said you weren't interested earlier!
"Eustass, you need to think this through carefully! You defeated an Admiral and killed a Vice Admiral. If you walk out of this building right now, you will immediately become a great pirate with a bounty of several billion Berries, hunted by the Marine and the World Government!"
Kong roared furiously.
He was truly unwilling to let such a strong person become an enemy.
But the Gorosei's meaning was clear: if they are not one of us, they will eventually be an enemy! They must be eliminated!
"Oh."
Eustass responded indifferently and walked straight outside, completely disregarding Kong's threat.
If the World Government truly had the ability and determination, they wouldn't have allowed so many pirates to rise up in later generations.
To true powerhouses, the Marine's bounty is nothing more than entertainment for their leisure time.
Chapter 166. Kong's Devil Fruit Ability! Thrashing Kong! (Please subscribe!)
"Put a bounty on me. The higher, the better."
Having said that, Eustass walked straight outside.
Kong's expression was furious. He slammed the table and stood up, chasing after him.
"Eustass Mola, I, Marine Acting Fleet Admiral Kong, hereby formally announce your capture, as a great pirate with a bounty of 3 billion Berries!"
Kong stood at the restaurant entrance, roaring angrily as he watched Eustass's retreating back.
"Come on. Whether you're eliminating dissenters or executing justice, I'll take it."
After Eustass spoke, Kong's expression changed.
This guy... actually spoke the honest truth... The World Government had tried to recruit Eustass, so they hadn't put a bounty on him. They had even been trying hard to suppress the news, offering various seemingly excellent conditions.
As soon as Eustass refused, they were going to put a bounty on him, immediately setting it at 3 billion Berries.
Furthermore, that previous Marine Vice Admiral had provoked Eustass; he deserved to die.
The World Government also understood this matter. They felt that if Eustass became a Marine, he would be one of them.
But if he insisted on not joining the Marine, he was a potential enemy who might endanger their rule, and thus must be eliminated.
After all, the World Government was well aware of the role they had been playing all along.
"Damn it, you raving lunatic! I'm going to beat you down, throw you into Impel Down, and let you reflect properly!"
Kong, seething with anger, clenched his fists and followed closely behind Eustass, all the way to the desert outside the town.
"Let's begin, Kong!"
Eustass turned back to look at him, extending his hand and pointing it toward Kong.
"You will regret this!"
Kong roared, rushing forward quickly. Armament Hakiwrapped around his fist as he punched towards Eustass.
Eustass punched towards Kong, sending him flying immediately.
Kong's body flew backward through the air. He looked at Eustass with a horrified expression; the opponent's strength was immense!
Kong's body tumbled continuously across the desert, rolling very far before finally stopping.
He shook his head, knocking the sand out of his hair, then quickly rushed toward Eustass. Kong used Soru, instantly appearing before Eustass, his fist wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, striking like a black lightning bolt coiled around his hand.
"You are not strong enough."
Having said that, Eustass wrapped Conqueror's Hakiaround his hand, black lightning coiling around his fist, and punched Kong away.
"Boom! Crackle!"
Large amounts of black lightning spread out from around the two of them.
"What a terrifying guy!"
Kong shakily rose from the sand, looking at Eustass with a serious expression. No matter how much strength or Haki he used, the opponent could effortlessly send him flying with a single punch.
At this moment, Kong realized that his strength might be inferior to his opponent's.
"It looks like I have to get serious!"
The next instant.
Kong's body instantly swelled up. Large amounts of black fur grew out of him, and his entire physique began to transform, turning him into a Giant Gorilla tens of meters tall.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Kong stood in the desert, feeling the scorching sunlight, continuously beating his gorilla chest and roaring furiously at Eustass.
"Die!"
Kong the Gorilla roared. His gorilla fist, wrapped in both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, punched toward Eustass. At the same time, the Conqueror's Haki spread outwards.
Sand flew high, the sky was covered in dark clouds, and the cloud layers rolled.
Eustass looked in surprise at Kong, who had transformed into a gorilla. So Kong was a Mythical Zoan, Gorilla Form.
Watching Kong's huge gorilla fist smash toward him, Eustass activated his Devil Fruit Ability. Large amounts of sand on the ground were assimilated into countless white threads.
The white threads coiled around Eustass's fists, forming two massive Thread Fists.
Eustass wrapped both types of Haki around the white fists, then violently punched toward Kong.
"Rumble—!"
The loud tremor echoed between heaven and earth, shockwaves spread outwards, and dust rose everywhere.
Amidst the dust, massive black lightning bolts flashed and intertwined between the two. In the sky, two masses of clouds continuously collided and rolled.
With one punch, Eustass directly sent Kong the Gorillaflying. Kong's body flew far away, smashing into the sea of sand.
He roared, transforming into a berserk gorilla, and quickly sprinted toward Eustass, his feet moving extremely fast, kicking up sand and dirt.
Inside the town, people watched this scene in shock.
A man with gigantic white fists was fighting a massive gorilla tens of meters tall!
The Giant Gorilla had just reached Eustass and punched out.
The gigantic white fist simultaneously punched back at the Giant Gorilla. Eustass managed to open the gorilla's fist, then slammed a punch into the gorilla's abdomen. Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki struck the gorilla's body, resulting in a muffled sound.
The gorilla screamed miserably and flew out horizontally.
Eustass quickly walked toward Kong, the white threads on his hands disappearing one after another.
Just as Kong stood up, Eustass leaped into the air. The sand assimilated by the Devil Fruit Ability flew in, turning into numerous white threads that coiled around Eustass's legs, forming two Giant White Thread Feet.
Eustass's Giant White Thread Feet, wrapped in both types of Haki, stomped down onto the gorilla's abdomen.
"Crack! Crack!"
As Eustass's foot landed, Kong groaned, and several ribs in his chest snapped.
He controlled the gorilla's arms to grab Eustass, but Eustass used his other foot to kick the gorilla's arm away directly. With a snap, the gorilla's left arm broke.
"Roar—!"
The Giant Gorilla roared and bellowed, continuously slamming its right hand furiously onto the ground.
"You are truly weak."
Eustass looked at Kong and said coldly.
"Y-you hateful pirate!"
Kong roared.
"You dog of the Celestial Dragons."
Eustass scoffed, delivering a direct punch to the gorilla's forehead.
Kong let out a miserable cry, his body rapidly shrinking until he returned to his normal size, where he passed out.
[The host has defeated Fleet Admiral Kong!]
[Reward obtained: Recovery Power x3!]
Eustass glanced at him, then turned and walked away.
The current Kong has not yet reached his peak.
Eustass left Alumaru, traveled to the Sandora River, boarded a sailboat, and left the area immediately.
Kong putting a bounty on him was something he was happy about.
Because the higher his bounty, the more famous he became, and the more people would come to challenge him.
This way, he would have more opportunities to fight strong opponents, which was much better than working for the Marine and performing tasks.
And since he defeated Kong this time, his bounty would probably increase again.
Alumaru.
On the desert outside the oasis.
A long time later.
The heavily injured Kong slowly woke up, sat up, and punched the sandy ground:
"Kuso!"
Chapter 167. Kong's Imagination, Gorosei the Slacking Kings! (Please Subscribe!)
Several days later.
Red Line, Mary Geoise.
Kong arrived here and went straight to the conference room where the Gorosei were waiting for him.
The Gorosei were seated around the room, all looking at Kong.
"I'm very sorry, he didn't join the Marine. I even fought him, and I lost."
Kong looked at the Gorosei and said with shame.
"Kong, you were defeated? Tell us about the battle."
Financial Warrior God Ethanbaron V. Saint Vinsmoke sat dressed in a white martial arts robe, holding a samurai sword in his arms, looking at the acting Fleet Admiralwith a serious expression.
"Yes, this is what happened..."
Kong recounted his experience to the five Warrior Gods.
The Gorosei were respectively appointed by Imu as: Financial Warrior God (Ethanbaron V. Saint Vinsmoke), Agricultural Warrior God (Shepherd Ju Peter Saint), Legal Warrior God (Topman Saint Vahcy), Environmental Warrior God (Macas Elthurgon Saint), and Science Defense Warrior God (Jaygarcia Saint Satan).
"Wait a moment."
Just then, Topman Saint Vahcy, the Legal Warrior God, wearing a dark green suit and sporting a handlebar mustache, waved his hand from the sofa.
Kong immediately fell silent and looked at him.
"I ask you, what did you just say? That Eustass was accompanied by several figures that highly mimicked human appearance but had no biological aura?"
Saint Vahcy asked urgently.
"This guy couldn't be..."
Saint Satan, the Science Defense Warrior God, wearing a flat hat with white curly hair and a bushy white beard, looked at Saint Vahcy in surprise.
"Kong, continue."
Saint Mars waved his hand, and the others continued to look at Kong.
"Alright."
Kong nodded and then began to recount his battle with Eustass.
In short, it was Kong's time to show off, transforming into a giant golden gorilla tens of meters tall, terrifying beyond measure.
Then he was instantly defeated... The Gorosei exchanged glances, and Saint Vinsmoke waved his hand, dismissing Kong.
"Keep the bounty as it is; don't provoke him too much."
Saint Vahcy said with a wave of his hand.
"Why? Just because he might be from..."
Kong pointed above his head.
"That's not for you to concern yourself with. Retreat, Kong!"
Shepherd Ju Peter Saint, the Agricultural Warrior God, dressed in a crimson suit with golden hair, reprimanded him.
"Yes, My Lords, I shall take my leave!"
Kong quickly bowed respectfully, turned, and exited.
The Marine, in the hands of the Celestial Dragons, was merely a tool. The Gorosei never gave them a proper look, treating them only as high-ranking slaves.
The five waved their hands, and the CP0 leader outside the door quickly closed it, dismissing the others.
"He's definitely a Moon People survivor."
Saint Mars said.
"Falling from the sky, accompanied by robots, it must be him."
Saint Satan nodded, in deep agreement.
"What should we do?"
Shepherd Ju Peter Saint inquired.
"If that Eustass knows the truth of history and no one can defeat him, then let's not provoke him."
Saint Vahcy said.
"First, let's ask Imu My Lord."
Saint Vinsmoke said, then stood up and walked outside.
The other four quickly followed, heading together to the Flower Chamber in the deepest part of Pangea Castle.
Soon after.
Flower Chamber.
A tall, slender figure stood before the Gorosei, with his back to them, a sharp sword hanging at his waist.
The Gorosei entered, immediately knelt, and respectfully said in unison:
"Imu My Lord!"
"What is it?"
Imu, with his back to everyone, spoke sparingly.
"There's a person on the sea who is suspected to be a Moon People survivor. This person descended from the sky, and he's accompanied by several robots."
Saint Vinsmoke, kneeling at the back, spoke.
"Just capture him."
Imu said indifferently. As long as it wasn't Joy Boy, Imudidn't care.
"The current acting Fleet Admiral was defeated."
Shepherd Ju Peter Saint said in a deep voice.
"Hmm, give me the information."
Imu said.
Saint Vahcy quickly handed over the information, which detailed Eustass's Devil Fruit Ability, how strong his demonstrated combat power was, where he first appeared, and even his approximate personality, which the Marine had people speculate about.
"He cannot be Joy Boy."
Imu snorted coldly, throwing the information aside. Saint Vahcy quickly scrambled over to pick it up.
"Imu My Lord's meaning is?"
Saint Mars asked.
Imu waved his hand, and the others prepared to withdraw.
In Imu's view, even if that person was a Moon People survivor, the fact that he only now appeared on this sea meant he must have been protected and dormant through some means until now.
And since he wasn't on this sea when the Great Kingdomappeared, and the Great Kingdom was later destroyed, he certainly couldn't know the truth of history.
Moreover, his personality didn't match Joy Boy's, so Imufelt that person couldn't pose a threat to him.
"You handle it yourselves."
Imu said, then ignored them, instead looking at the nikaDevil Fruit in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
'Where are you?'
...The Gorosei left the Flower Chamber, exchanging glances.
What should they do?
Nothing!
Even the Fleet Admiral was defeated; sending anyone else would be useless.
The Gorosei's strength was indeed considerable, but they looked at each other, and none of them really wanted to go.
They were the Gorosei!
Imu My Lord's most loyal servants, the Gorosei, second only to one person and above ten thousand, the highest rulers of the World Government besides the Master!
How could they go to the front lines and do dirty work? It would be too embarrassing!
"Since Imu My Lord sees it this way, there must be a way to deal with him, so we shouldn't meddle."
Saint Vahcy suggested.
"Good!"
Shepherd Ju Peter Saint nodded quickly.
"What a pity for my sword; it hasn't slain an enemy in how many years."
Saint Vinsmoke sighed, feeling quite regretful.
"I really want to study his robots and equip our forces with them."
Saint Satan said, unwilling to give up.
"Let it be so..."
Saint Mars stroked his long beard and said calmly.
The five ultimate slacking kings reached a consensus, then each went back home to enjoy their retirement.
Those who didn't know might have thought they were super undercover agents... But there was no other way; for hundreds of years, the Celestial Dragons had done things this way, and their rule had always been as stable as a mountain.
Over time, the Gorosei naturally became more and more relaxed.
In the future, it would be even more absurd; Wapol even managed to escape successfully right in front of the Gorosei... Several days later.
Drum Island.
A sailboat slowly docked by the shore.
Eustass, dressed in a padded jacket, disembarked, carrying a backpack, and walked towards the shore.
"Creak, creak~"
His cotton shoes crunched on the snow, leaving footprints in the fluffy snow as Eustass walked towards the town.
Eustass made his way to a distant small town. Not long after he started walking, a child dressed in patched clothes ran over, holding a stack of newspapers:
"Uncle, uncle, buy a newspaper!"
"..."
Eustass looked at the Berries in his hand. "Call me 'big brother'."
"Big brother!"
The child quickly shouted.
"Give me a newspaper and the latest bounty."
Eustass said, handing over the Berries.
Chapter 168. 168. Kong, Second Round, Top-tier Observation Haki! (Please Subscribe!)
"Okay, Big Brother!"
The child quickly pulled out a newspaper and several wanted posters.
Eustass held them in his hand, reading as he walked.
Although he was already a father with children, he still liked it when people called him young.
The newspaper reported news from the Paradise: where new pirates had emerged, which country's king had found a new wife... it was all useless information.
Moreover, in this era, there was no World Economy News Company, and these small local newspapers only reported regional news from the Paradise area; forget the Four Seas or the New World, they didn't even have complete information on the Paradise.
Eustass put away the newspaper and looked at the wanted poster:
[Dead or Alive!
Eustass Mola.
3,000,000,000 Berries!]
Above that was a photo of Eustass. The Marine had taken three different photos.
One was of Eustass defeating an Admiral, which the Marines immediately rejected—a huge disgrace that absolutely couldn't be displayed.
Another was of Eustass instantly killing a Vice Admiralwho served the Celestial Dragons—that also had to be rejected, a huge disgrace!
The final one was a side profile shot of Eustass holding White Thread, dragging Linlin, who was completely bound in White Thread, toward a Marine Base.
Marines: Best of the Best!
Big Mom: A huge disgrace!
Therefore, the Marines chose the third photo without hesitation for Eustass's bounty.
Eustass walked into a restaurant, ordered some food, and sat at a table, admiring the photo on the wanted poster while waiting for his meal.
It was a great photo, making him look like a leisurely traveler walking his dog in the sunset~
The composition was perfect; everything was so harmonious.
It was just that Charlotte Linlin might fly into a rage if she saw it... Soon, the chef brought the food over.
Eustass ate the steaming hot food while looking out the window at the iceberg that resembled Drum Kingdom.
The current king of Drum Kingdom was a decent person who governed the country quite well. After Eustassarrived in the town, he saw a reasonably good small hospital filled with busy Doctors.
There were also many highly skilled Doctors in the other towns on the island.
Drum Kingdom was currently the foremost medical superpower in the World.
Unfortunately, decades later, after Wapol became the new king, he issued many idiotic regulations that destroyed Drum Kingdom, this great medical nation.
What Wapol wanted was simply to seize Drum Kingdom's medical resources for himself to accumulate wealth.
However, having witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic before he transmigrated, Eustass could understand such people.
The seemingly idiotic things they did didn't mean they were truly idiotic; they were just too wicked.
They knew the consequences of certain actions were severe, but for the sake of profit, they could abandon rationality and continue to make mistake after mistake.
Several years later.
sea circle calendar Year 1462.
Drum Island.
"Stop, stop... you bastard! Damn it!"
On the shore.
Kong's Marine cloak was tattered, and he knelt in the snow, suffering multiple injuries and fractures all over his body.
Kong watched furiously as the sailboat slowly sailed away from the area on the sea, absolutely enraged.
Eustass had originally planned to live in Drum Kingdomfor a few years, but shortly before this, Kong received intelligence that Eustass was residing there.
Now officially the Fleet Admiral, Kong, whose strength had greatly increased after dropping the "acting" title, immediately set out, hoping to defeat Eustass and avenge his past humiliation.
The result... was another crushing defeat.
Kong had always been improving, believing that one day he could defeat his powerful former opponent.
But he hadn't considered that Eustass was also in his youth and was constantly improving too.
Therefore, Kong could never catch up to Eustass.
"Damn it, you wait! I will defeat you eventually and throw you into Impel Down! Argh!"
After Kong roared, a broken rib pierced him, causing him to gasp in pain.
[The host has defeated Marine Fleet Admiral Kong!]
[Reward received: Top-tier Observation Haki!]
Eustass stood on the ship, turning back with a look of pleasant surprise to glance at Kong.
Kong dropped gold!
"Kong, I look forward to our next meeting. Hurry up and recover from your injuries, I'll be knocking you down again. As for Impel Down, I won't be visiting~!"
Eustass shouted with a laugh from the ship, causing Kongto furiously spit out a mouthful of blood.
Eustass quickly shut up, lest he anger his Reward ATM to death... First Half of the Grand Line, Paradise.
Along a certain route.
Langkawi Island.
A Marine warship was docked there.
Tsuru, dressed in a Marine uniform and carrying a Flintlock Rifle, stood on the ship, watching the rookie Marines who were happily running and playing in the Water by the sea or running into the dense forest, their hearts full of curiosity.
Tsuru listened to the calls of her companions beside her, shook her head, and didn't really want to go ashore to play.
Tsuru was only seventeen years old now. Earlier this year, she joined the West Blue Marine Branch, and because of her excellent performance, she defeated many pirates in the West Blue within half a year.
Therefore, the Branch Base Commander recommended she travel with the elite rookies from the West Blue by ship to the Grand Line, heading to Marine HeadquartersMarineford to receive training at the Marine Academy.
"If the talent from just the West Blue requires several ships to transport them to Headquarters, then there must be many competitors coming from the Marine Branches of the East Blue, North Blue, South Blue, the New World, and the Paradise."
Tsuru thought internally, clenching her delicate fists. She tied up her deep blue long hair, walked to the side, and began practicing her marksmanship.
"Ugh!"
"Help me!"
Just then, in the distance.
A large number of rookie Marines cried out in shock and screamed, followed by continuous painful wails.
Tsuru's expression changed in alarm. She quickly jumped off the ship and rushed ashore, looking at the twenty-odd pale-faced rookie Marines lying on the beach.
These people were pale, their bodies constantly trembling, seemingly poisoned.
"What exactly happened?"
Tsuru asked immediately.
"They found some fruit just now. They looked plump, juicy, and quite pretty, so they tried them, and they all got poisoned."
A rookie Marine said fearfully.
"Idiots!"
Tsuru was nearly exploding with anger. Why did these guys eat random fruits without clearly distinguishing the species?
However, education is extremely underdeveloped in the Pirate World, and illiteracy accounts for the majority.
Simple-minded fools also account for a high percentage of the population.
It was quite normal for these guys to do something like this.
Tsuru grabbed the body of a poisoned rookie Marine and wrung him hard, as if squeezing clothes.
"Whoosh!"
The toxic liquid was washed out by Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit, and the rookie Marine, now dry and flattened like a clean piece of laundry, was held in Tsuru's hand.
The Marines nearby quickly reached out to take him. People made a clothesline by the edge of the forest and clipped the washed rookie Marine onto it like a piece of clothing.