"Give up struggling, Miss Alvida."
"If you want to stay alive…"
A cold, deep gun barrel suddenly appeared in her field of vision, aimed squarely between her eyebrows like a yawning abyss, ready to devour her life at any moment.
Behind that barrel, however, was a handsome face wearing a mocking smile.
"You… who are you people really?"
Feeling a pressure on her shoulder as heavy as a mountain ridge, Alvida instantly realized—
Her pirate crew… was completely defeated this time!
The strength of these two people was on a completely different level from theirs!
Hearing Alvida's question, Kael lightly twirled the flintlock in his hand. Seeing she no longer resisted, he chuckled softly.
"Looks like your crew's intelligence work is seriously lacking~"
"The main character of the biggest news in the East Blue these past few days is standing right in front of you, and you still didn't recognize me?"
This wasn't Kael being narcissistic.
Over the past three days, every newspaper in East Blue had reported on Kael's incident of hijacking a female Marine in Loguetown.
Even the renowned World Economic News had given him a small article.
His name had already spread across East Blue.
Some pirates were even planning to imitate his actions to make a name for themselves in Loguetown.
Getting the hint, Alvida narrowed her eyes, looked Kael up and down, and then showed a terrified expression.
"You're that Kael who caused a huge commotion in Loguetown!!?"
"The very same."
Kael responded from above, looking down on her.
"Unfortunately, your pirate crew has been defeated by us."
"According to pirate rules, all your supplies now belong to me."
"You don't have a problem with that, right?"
Gulp~
Lying on the ground and staring at the gun barrel that looked like it could fire at any second, Alvida whimpered in fear.
"...N-no."
"Good!"
Kael put away his flintlock and grinned.
"I like talking to smart people!"
"Tashigi, tie her up."
"Got it."
Utility-person Tashigi stepped forward, murmuring some strange incantation under her breath.
The next moment, under Alvida's stunned gaze, a golden rope of energy suddenly shot from Tashigi's fingertip.
"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!"
With a soft shout, the shining chain slithered through the air like a snake and instantly bound Alvida like a dumpling, even sealing off her grotesque face.
Formed from spiritual energy, the chain didn't block air, so even if someone was fully wrapped, it wouldn't cause suffocation.
"What a handy technique," Kael said, licking his lips in admiration.
Though Tashigi hadn't awakened her true Zanpakutō powers yet and only had Kido skills, Kido itself was split into three types: Hadō (attack), Bakudō (binding), and Kaidō (healing).
As Tashigi leveled up, it was only a matter of time before she mastered all of Kido.
This one skill alone could function like a hundred different techniques!
In comparison, Kael's "Super Instinct," though also an A-rank ability, was nearly useless beyond predicting the future and sounding cool.
Unless used intentionally or against vastly weaker enemies, letting opponents get close was practically an insult to his isekai protagonist status!
Kael could only hope his second awakened skill would actually make him formidable.
Gazing toward the town still shrouded in smoke, Kael turned to Tashigi behind him and said:
"There are still pirates over there. Go clean them up."
Then he added:
"No need to spare them."
"Understood."
Tashigi acknowledged the order, carrying her Zanpakutō as she rushed off.
Despite her gentle personality, as a Petty Officer from Navy HQ, Tashigi's hands had long been stained with pirate blood.
If killing was involved, Kael might still hesitate—but Tashigi definitely wouldn't.
Watching the girl gracefully vanish into the port, Kael ignored Alvida's still-bleeding wounds and casually lifted her up.
Then he turned toward the port and shouted:
"Is the mayor of Will Town here?"
Kael's voice quickly echoed through the area, causing a stir among the crowd.
Despite Kael and his team subduing Alvida swiftly, the townspeople were far from relieved—on the contrary, they grew even more anxious.
Many had already recognized Kael's identity, and noticed the pirate flag on the Diga.
No one could be sure whether Kael would be any better than Alvida's crew.
At least Alvida only cared about money—not lives.
But Kael, who had committed crimes in Loguetown… what did he want from them?
If the rumors were true—that he liked young women—then things would be even worse!
Just then, murmurs rose from the crowd.
Soon, a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties slowly stepped out.
From his hesitant steps, it was clear he was deeply reluctant.
Still, he made his way to the platform, removed his hat, and nervously said:
"S-sir, I am the mayor of Will Town…"
"May I ask what you require?"
"Oh? So it's you?"
Kael ignored the fearful townspeople and simply smiled at the mayor, gesturing with his chin:
"Come up here and talk."
"Huh?"
The mayor froze for a moment but then, bracing himself, stepped onto the platform.
The moment he did, a huge body was tossed at his feet.
"Alvida. 5 million Beli bounty. You recognize her, right?"
Kael narrowed his eyes at the mayor.
"Y-yes! Of course!"
Not knowing what was going on, the mayor nodded frantically, afraid he'd be turned into another "golden dumpling."
"Good. Recognition helps."
Kael smiled and kicked Alvida over onto her back.
"I'll sell her to you for 4 million Beli. How about it? Cheap enough?"
"Huh?"
The mayor blinked in confusion, staring at Alvida on the ground.
Before he could react, a contemptuous voice rang in his ear.
"What's wrong? Not willing?"
Looking up, he met a pair of threatening eyes that seemed ready to devour him if he uttered a single word of refusal.
Terrified, he nodded repeatedly.
"Willing! Very willing!"
Aside from being intimidated by Kael, he was honestly eager to close the deal.
Flipping her would instantly net him 1 million Beli. Who would pass that up?
Still…
Could a pirate really be that generous?
The mayor was uneasy.
Just then, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
"That's more like it!"
Now that there was money involved, Kael's expression returned to its usual casual self—as if he hadn't just been threatening murder.
After all his time in this world, this was Kael's first real profit.
His first pot of gold.
Of course…
That 4 million was just an appetizer.
Now came the main course.
With the Alvida matter settled, Kael slung his arm around the mayor's shoulders and forcibly turned him toward the pirate ship, then pointed at it and laughed:
"Mr. Mayor, do you know why a town of over a thousand people could be terrorized by a pirate crew of only a few dozen?"
The mayor blinked in confusion and hesitantly replied:
"Because… because we don't have weapons?"
"Exactly!!"
Kael suddenly raised his voice, one hand pointing at the cannons on the pirate ship, the other clawing into the mayor's shoulder.
"Look at that ship…"
"You're like sheep in a pasture."
"And that pirate ship is the wolf that breaks in."
"When the sheep see a wolf, all they do is run away and cry for the shepherd…"
"Never once thinking to grow horns and pierce the wolf's belly themselves!!"
As he spoke, Kael tightened his grip on the mayor, making him feel the blood rushing through his veins, helping drive his point home.
"Now imagine this…"
"If your port wasn't wide open but instead guarded by long-range cannons; if your citizens weren't just farmers but armed with guns at all times, ready to open fire…"
"Would those stick-swinging thugs dare to invade your land?!"
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