Chapter 24

"The total bounty on all of them is nearly twenty million Berries!"

"Captain Kukali, bounty one million one hundred thousand Berries!"

"He is also an Animal-Type White Ostrich Devil Fruit user!"

Three days later.

The blue sky was spotless,

stretching endlessly clear.

A pirate ship flying a skull flag drifted leisurely through the waters three hundred li north of the Twin Straits of the East Sea, seemingly never worried about pursuit by the Navy.

A gentle breeze brushed by,

the skull flag hanging high looked like a white ostrich.

They were…

The White Ostrich Pirates!

Captain Kukali, Animal-Type Devil Fruit user, bounty one million one hundred thousand Berries.

The rest of the crew numbered no fewer than three hundred, their combined bounties approaching ten million.

Altogether, the entire crew's bounties amounted to roughly twenty million Berries.

In the East Sea,

the White Ostrich Pirates could certainly be called a formidable pirate group!

"Captain, we just raided a cargo ship yesterday—turns out it was loaded entirely with premium wine! We've hit the jackpot!"

"This stretch of the East Sea is so weak! Not only are the pirates here pitifully weak, even the Navy is laughably feeble!"

"It's better this way—otherwise, why would we have gone to all the trouble of returning from the Grand Line all the way back to the East Sea?"

"This so-called weakest sea—here, with our strength, we're emperors!"

"Don't forget, our captain is a great pirate with a bounty of one million one hundred thousand Berries!"

"In the East Sea, who among the foolish would dare to move against the White Ostrich Pirates? Even the Navy probably wouldn't dare act rashly against us."

"…"

A group of pirates stood on the deck, laughing wildly with excitement, their words brimming with longing and anticipation for the future.

During this time,

the White Ostrich Pirates had ruthlessly plundered countless merchant and cargo ships across the East Sea, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake.

They burned, killed, and looted—committing every evil deed.

Therefore,

gradually,

the White Ostrich Pirates' fearsome reputation began spreading through the East Sea.

Their infamy reached far,

their prestige towering.

Especially…

Not long ago, the Junzhibu Sect dispatched a warship to pursue the White Ostrich Pirates—only to be sunk by them instead, sending the pirates' morale soaring.

It made them lawless and utterly arrogant.

"Men, drink your fill!"

"Bring out the wine we raided yesterday!"

"Drink hard!"

Captain Kukali was a burly middle-aged man, a grotesque scar across his forehead like a centipede, twitching intermittently as he spoke, sending chills down the spine.

He wore dark brown clothing, bare-chested, powerfully built, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, his body covered in battle scars that testified to his countless fights.

These scars were the greatest symbol of his lifetime's honor!

"Brothers, drink…"

The entire pirate ship buzzed with noise and revelry.

Meanwhile,

five kilometers east of the pirate ship, across the sea,

a massive warship had silently caught up to the White Ostrich Pirates.

On the warship's deck,

a young Navy officer reported: "Captain Kapu, we've located the White Ostrich Pirates."

"Issue my order: full speed pursuit!"

Captain Kapu's eyes flashed, and he gave the command.

"Yes, Captain Kapu."

The young Navy officer nodded and withdrew.

At that moment,

Captain Kapu turned to Lu En and said with solemn gravity: "Lu En, it's your turn now. Are you ready? To face down a pirate crew with bounties totaling millions of Berries… alone?"

Beside him,

Ace's throat was dry, speechless.

He stared blankly at Captain Kapu, then turned to look at Lu En beside him.

Under Captain Kapu's gaze,

Lu En nodded: "I made thorough preparations three days ago."

"Good!"

Captain Kapu let out a hearty laugh, his face full of satisfaction, and said, "Since that's the case, then this old man won't say any more. Next, you're going to face a fierce battle."

"What weapon do you need? Feel free to speak up."

"Whether it's a spear or a sword, this old man's entire warship armory can satisfy your needs."

Hearing this,

Lu En shook his head and said with great enthusiasm: "No need. A real man fights with his fists! Only the weak who have no confidence in their own strength would rely on external force."

"And I prefer a fight where fists meet flesh!"

As the words fell.

Captain Kapu was slightly taken aback.

Immediately,

He laughed without stopping: "Hahaha, good! Well said! A real man must fight with his fists! This old man likes that sentence very much."

Captain Kapu has never used any weapon.

Relying on a pair of iron fists, he carved out a illustrious reputation on this sea.

He is honored by countless pirates as Iron Fist Kapu!

Today,

Hearing these words from Lu En instantly gave Captain Kapu a feeling.

This old man...

Has a worthy successor!

"Lu En, are you out of your mind? Going to take on an entire pirate crew alone? And a pirate crew with a bounty of over ten million?"

"Old man, you're sending him to his death!"

Ace appeared somewhat anxious and alarmed.

"That's enough."

Captain Kapu roughly rubbed Ace's hair, messing it up, and laughed, "Ace, you may have some huge misunderstanding about this kid Lu En's strength."

"His strength..."

"Far exceeds your imagination!"

"In this battle, if this kid Lu En can go all out, basically no accident will occur, and he can take down this pirate crew alone."

"Next, you just need to quietly wait for this good show to unfold."

Ace wanted to say more, but was stopped by Captain Kapu.