Chapter 81

Luo En thought to himself.

"As for the New World, I won't consider going there for now. I'll wander around the Grand Line first, and look for news about Sabo along the way…"

Earlier, when he was at Marine Headquarters Marineford, he had also asked around for news about Sabo, but had come up empty-handed.

"I came up in such a hurry earlier, I still don't know where this ship is heading…"

Luo En gazed out the window, thinking silently to himself.

At a thought from him, a light screen only he could see appeared before his eyes.

It was a sea chart of the entire ocean, with a red dot on it representing his current location.

Sabaody Archipelago is considered the end of the first half of the Grand Line. To get from Sabaody Archipelago to the second half of the Grand Line, the New World, one must pass through Fish-Man Island beneath the sea, or cross the Red Line via the Holy Land Mariejois.

Watching the red dot inch forward on the map, Luo En could roughly judge that this merchant ship was heading in the opposite direction from the New World.

Not far away was the infamous Devil's Triangle.

White fog shrouded the sea surface year-round, as if draping a veil of mystery over the ocean.

Legend has it that over a hundred pirate ships vanish each year in the mists of these waters. They say there are also mysterious, eerie giant creatures within—a region brimming with danger…

On the sea chart displayed on the light screen before him, Luo En also spotted a somewhat familiar name—

Ghost Island, that is, Moria's Thriller Bark.

"Southwest, about three hundred and sixty miles from here, and it's constantly moving…"

Luo En pinched his chin, thinking with keen interest.

"Hm?"

Luo En's eyes suddenly narrowed slightly.

He turned his head to look out the window.

The next second.

Accompanied by the thunderous roar of a bomb exploding—

The window glass of Luo En's room was shattered by the shockwave, and the entire ship trembled slightly.

A clamor of panicked shouts came from outside the room.

Luo En thought for a moment, picked up the windbreaker coat lying beside him, opened the door, and walked out.

He arrived on the deck.

The Marines escorting the ship were already squaring off against a group of ferocious, vicious-looking pirates, with the terrified passengers huddled behind the Marines.

Among them, the twin girls who had been peeking at Luo En earlier were curled up timidly in the arms of the hat-wearing noble Lady, their big eyes filled with panic and fear.

"They're… the Desa Pirates?!"

A passenger cried out in panic.

"Their captain, Desa Shils, has a bounty of forty-five million! Why would pirates like them target a merchant ship like this?!"

"Because our boss took a fancy to a Devil Fruit on Sabaody Archipelago, and we're a little short on cash."

A pirate with a greatsword over two meters long on his shoulder stepped forward.

"It's the vice-captain of the Desa Pirates, the Blood-Blade Misa!"

Someone recognized the man and said in a trembling voice.

"His bounty… twenty-seven million!"

Misa, nicknamed the Blood-Blade, heard that man's words, stuck out his tongue to lick his lips, and let out a sinister laugh:

"Our captain is still waiting for us on the island—we can't keep him waiting. Get them! Strip every last one of them of their valuables!"

"Heheheh, got it!"

The pirates behind him let out strange cackles and advanced on the terrified passengers with weapons in hand.

In front of the several dozen Marines, the Lieutenant, draped in a Justice coat and wearing a Marine cap, clenched his fists and stared fixedly at the Blood-Blade Misa.

"Blood-Blade Misa, you won't succeed today!"

"Raise your guns!"

At his command, the Marines all raised their long-barreled handguns in unison, aiming at Blood-Blade Misa and the pirates beside him who showed no trace of fear.

"You won't take me down with toys like these."

Blood-Blade Misa sneered, then lunged forward.

"Fire!"

Bang bang bang!

The lead bullets flew out, but were all swatted away mid-air by the long blade swung by Blood-Blade Misa. He charged up to the Lieutenant, and with one slash, the handguns of the Lieutenant and the several Marines beside him were all cut in two.

"Damn it!"

The Lieutenant gritted his teeth and threw a punch at him.

"Too slow! Is this all the Marines are?"

Blood-Blade Misa dodged his attack with blinding speed, laughing wildly and arrogantly, "Die!"

The greatsword in his hand, tinged with a faint bloody light, swept across the Marine Lieutenant's back, and fresh blood instantly gushed out.

The crowd's faces filled with terror; some women even covered their mouths with their hands to keep from screaming.

"Pathetic!"

Misa planted a foot on the head of the fallen Marine Lieutenant, then turned to the pirates behind him—feral, vicious, grinning arrogantly—and said: "Go! Before Marine reinforcements arrive, strip this ship of everything worth taking!"

"Hehe, wonderful!"

"I'm going in! Heheheh!"

"Kukuku, can we kill these Marines?"

"Suit yourself."

"Siliu siliu sihei xixi."

That group of pirates let out strange cries as they swarmed past Misa, some going to deal with the remaining marines, while others, with sinister smiles on their faces, charged toward the terrified passengers.

In an instant, the entire ship descended into chaos.

Watching the marines being suppressed and killed one by one by those pirates, the passengers' hearts gradually sank into the abyss, their faces showing despair.

And looking at their despairing gazes, the Blood Blade Misa was utterly savoring it.

Despair and fear — that is the proper posture the weak should show before the strong!

"Oh, aren't there some fine women here, siliu."

A pirate, his face full of greed, walked toward that noble Lady with the beautiful face and refined bearing, along with the two little girls beside her.

"M-Mother."

The two little girls, utterly terrified, stared at the approaching pirate; tears welled up in their eyes as they clutched tightly at the noble Lady's clothes.

"A mother and her two daughters too, siliu siliu, my luck today is really good."

That pirate licked his lips, his gaze greedy as he reached for them.

The noble Lady, panicking, shielded the two little girls and retreated; soon there was nowhere left to retreat. She looked around and called out anxiously for help: "Is anyone there, please save us, please save us!"

But... where was anyone?

Everyone was too busy trying to save their own lives.

Her gaze gradually turned to despair.

Just as that greedy-faced pirate reached out his hand toward them, about to grab them—

Bang!

A gunshot rang out across this utterly chaotic ship.

"How... could..."

The pirate who had just been about to reach for the noble Lady widened his eyes; fresh blood streamed down from his forehead.

73, this ship, I'm taking it (10/8 begging for subscriptions!!)

The ship fell silent at the sound of that gunshot.

The noble Lady stared blankly as he collapsed with a huge hole blown through his forehead, still unable to quite believe it.

Just who... was it?

"Who?!"

Blood Blade Misa frowned and looked around.

The surrounding pirates also stopped their actions and looked around.

Soon, everyone's gaze fell upon the black-haired youth standing by the railing on one side of the deck, wearing a military-green long trench coat, his left hand tucked in his pocket, his right hand gripping a silver revolver, its muzzle still trailing wisps of smoke.