On the deck, Gion stared at the incredible scene before her, completely stunned.
The sea in the Calm Belt was as still as a mirror, yet the going merry cut through the waves like an arrow released from a bow, the spray from its bow rising high, a truly fantastical sight.
The source of power was Gunko, standing at the bow.
Her expression was cold, and with both hands, she controlled countless bandages extending from her body. These bandages converged in front, forming a giant arrowhead. From the tip of the arrowhead, another bandage branched out, firmly tied to the bow of the Merry, dragging the entire ship through the Calm Belt in an utterly unreasonable manner.
"The Arrow-Arrow Fruit… it can be used like this?" Gion's mouth was slightly agape. She wanted to stop this crazy behavior, but the words caught in her throat.
After all, the other party was a Celestial Dragon and a member of God's Knights.
All she could do was watch helplessly as the Merry rampaged through this forbidden zone of the Marine. Occasionally, a few ignorant Sea Kings would poke their heads out from the depths, but before they could even roar, they were entangled and constricted by the suddenly appearing arrowhead, then crashed into by the high-speed Merry, leaving them disoriented.
Gion pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation, her mind a mess… The going merry finally sailed out of the Calm Belt and arrived at Mock Town, a unique island in the first half of the Grand Line.
As soon as they approached the port, a hot wave of mixed alcohol, gunpowder, and cheap perfume assailed them.
The harbor was filled with various pirate ships, their skull flags fluttering in the wind, each unique, showcasing the brutality and individuality of their owners. The island's architecture was chaotic, with both magnificent grand hotels and dilapidated, shaky taverns. The neon signs of casinos and entertainment venues flickered with ambiguous light. On the streets, pirates walked arm in arm in groups of three or five, loudly and uninhibitedly, and from time to time, sounds of fighting and screams could be heard from the alleys.
This was a pirate's paradise, a lawless land of freedom.
Ian and his group disembarked.
He walked at the front, followed by Gunko, Gion, Tina, and the two princesses, Anna and Sally.
A remarkably handsome man accompanied by several graceful and uniquely charming beauties naturally became the center of attention.
The pirates lining the streets all turned their gazes towards them, with greed, admiration, and assessment in their eyes.
"Hey, look at that guy, the girls he's with are hotter than the last!"
"They're all top-notch, absolutely top-notch! I'm so jealous!"
"In a place like this, strength and Berries are what truly matter. Women are just playthings, heh heh heh~"
Amidst the chatter, a man with short golden hair and a flashy shirt leaned out from the second-floor balcony of a bar. A cigar hung from his mouth as he looked at the beauties following Ian, a playful smile on his face.
Bellamy the Hyena, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user with the Spring-Spring Fruit, founder of the "Instant Gratification" philosophy, and a tyrant of Mock Town.
Ian and his group ignored the surrounding stares and walked directly into the town's most luxurious hotel, booking several presidential suites.
After a brief rest, Princesses Anna and Sally eagerly changed into their most splendid gowns brought from the palace, meticulously dressing up, as if they wanted to compete even in this lawless pirate town.
Gion and Tina also changed their outfits; though simple, they could not hide their outstanding figures and beauty.
As night fell, Ian led the women into the liveliest bar in Mock Town.
Deafening music, flashing disco balls, a crowd dancing wildly on the dance floor, and a strong scent of hormones permeated the air.
As soon as they sat down in a booth, Bellamy, who had appeared on the balcony during the day, walked over with a drink in hand.
"My friend, taking so many beauties out for fun, you don't mind if I join you, do you?" Bellamy wore what he thought was a handsome smile, but his gaze darted back and forth between the beauties on either side of Ian.
Ian looked up at him, a corner of his mouth curving upwards. "Sure, the more the merrier."
Bellamy sat down unceremoniously, calling over his companions, and several heavily made-up female companions also gathered around, instantly making the booth crowded.
"Brother, what path are you on? I see you have the style of our 'New Age Pirates.' We believe in instant gratification, living in the present!" Bellamy took a gulp of his drink and said loudly, "What do you say? Interested in staying and joining our Bellamy Pirates?"
"Perhaps." Ian raised his glass, clinked it with Bellamy's, and drained it.
Receiving an affirmative answer, Bellamy became even more excited, putting an arm around his female companion and clinking glasses with Ian, the atmosphere instantly becoming incredibly lively.
Gion and Tina sat a little further away, watching Ian mingle with a group of pirates, their brows slightly furrowed, but they said nothing.
They weren't worried about Ian encountering misfortune; rather, they didn't understand why Ian would mingle with the pirates here. If it were any other Celestial Dragon, not to mention sitting in the same booth and having fun with pirates, they would even find the outside air unclean just by leaving the Holy Land and would need to wear bubble helmets.
After several rounds of drinks, Ian suddenly pointed to a curvaceous female companion beside Bellamy and spoke languidly.
"Just drinking is boring. You, come over here and dance on the table to liven things up."
The female companion paused, then scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning against Bellamy, pouting, "Lord Bellamy, he actually dares to order me around."
She clearly didn't take Ian seriously, thinking he was just a rich young master with some money.
Bellamy also felt Ian was being a bit of a killjoy but still chuckled, "Brother, my girl can't just dance for outsiders. She only dances for me, hahahaha~"
The smile on Ian's face slowly vanished.
He stared at the woman, his voice not loud, yet the surrounding noisy music seemed to quiet down.
"Didn't you say 'instant gratification'?"
"You won't even dance, that's not giving This Young Master face!"
Before he finished speaking, Ian abruptly grabbed the entire bottle of red wine from the table, yanked the woman's hair, and poured the cold wine over her head!
"Ah—"
The woman let out a piercing scream as the red wine streamed down her face and neck.
But that wasn't all.
Ian casually grabbed the fruit bowl from the table, scooped up the cherries, grapes, and strawberries inside, and roughly stuffed them into her soaked neckline!
In an instant, the entire bar fell silent.
Everyone stopped what they were doing, watching the scene in disbelief.
Bellamy's smile completely froze, and the pirates around him all stood up, glaring menacingly at Ian.
Ian, however, acted as if he had done something trivial. He let go, allowing the woman to collapse to the ground, then picked up a tissue, slowly wiped his hands, and looked up, his gaze cold, at Bellamy.
"Now, can we enjoy ourselves?"
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