I'd be happy about Power Stones!(Power Stones = Bonus Chapters)
"You must understand this!"
"Truth only exists within the range of a cannon! And dignity—only upon the edge of a sword!"
Practically shouting this warning from his previous life, Kael turned his gaze sharply toward the mayor.
Seeing that the middle-aged man seemed stunned by his momentum, Kael pressed his advantage, shifting to a tone full of gravitas and melancholy.
"Mr. Mayor."
"As I understand it, Will Town, due to the scarcity of nearby islands, rarely has contact with the outside world. Your livelihood depends solely on selling agricultural products and fruits to passing merchant ships…"
"And since the nearest Navy base is three days away by sea, this place is visited by pirates almost every year."
"I'm not wrong, am I?"
"...That's… correct." The mayor bowed his head in pain as he replied.
No one knows the hardships of their own home better than those who live there.
Kael, however, grinned and suddenly raised his voice with passion:
"If that's the case, why don't you arm yourselves and become a force to be reckoned with on the seas?!"
"Just imagine…"
"The next time those lazy pirates think about returning to this town for an easy meal…"
"They'll be greeted by deafening cannon blasts and bullets that pierce straight through bone!"
"What they bring is their greed…"
"But what they leave behind—will be their lives!"
"Tell me—under such circumstances, what pirate would dare step foot here again!?"
"With lasting peace and security, what future could Will Town possibly fear!?"
"This…"
As if drawn in by the vision Kael painted, the mayor's eyes briefly lit up.
But soon, they returned to their usual muddiness, and after a long hesitation—perhaps worried his words might get him into trouble—he finally spoke:
"No, sir… That won't work."
"Even if we have cannons and rifles, we can't afford the ammunition."
"Without enough cannonballs and bullets for practice, even if we had weapons, we still wouldn't be a match for pirates."
"Oh? Is that so?" Kael smiled faintly, unfazed by the mayor's concern.
Brushing dust off the man's shoulder with a casual hand, he chuckled and said:
"Well then, how about we make a deal?"
"A deal?" The mayor blinked in confusion. "May I ask—what kind of deal?"
Kael grinned slyly. "Suppose I could provide you with a steady supply of cheap ammunition year-round…"
"Would you then have the courage to defend your home with your own hands?"
"What…?"
The mayor was stunned once again. As he looked at the expression on Kael's face, he bent slightly and asked with respect:
"Might I ask, sir—how cheap would this ammunition be?"
"What about… half the market price?"
Kael's eyes gleamed with cunning, like a fox.
Upon hearing this, the mayor's eyes lit up. He quickly looked up at Kael.
"Sir, are you serious!?"
Half the market price?
That meant—even if they didn't use it for themselves, just reselling it could bring them huge profits!
Of course, he wouldn't do anything so shortsighted as to kill the goose that lays golden eggs.
Still, this deal was clearly in their favor.
The only catch was…
He was making a deal with a pirate.
And not just any pirate—an infamous one!
But then again… if he thought about it that way, didn't that make refusing even more dangerous?
If Kael got angry and decided to loot Will Town instead, he and the townspeople would suffer most.
After just a moment's consideration, the mayor made up his mind.
"Very well! I agree to your deal, sir!"
"Excellent! That's excellent!"
Kael threw an arm around the mayor and patted him warmly on the shoulder, as if they were long-lost friends.
But then his tone shifted again.
"Oh, right—while I can give you a discount on the ammunition…"
"The cannons and rifles themselves—I can't sell those at a loss…"
"At most, I'll give you a little markdown!"
As he spoke, Kael pointed toward Alvida's pirate ship.
Though clearly not his to begin with, he offered it as if it were his own possession.
"Alvida's bounty, the ship, and all the guns and ammunition aboard—I'll give it to you all for… 25 million Berries."
"What do you think?"
"This…"
The mayor's eyes flickered.
He had already guessed what Kael was planning when he first pointed to Alvida's ship.
To be honest…
25 million Berries, minus Alvida's bounty…
20 million for everything else—that was already a bargain!
The problem was…
Will Town was just a small agricultural island.
Paying such a sum would practically empty their coffers.
Thankfully, they weren't under the rule of a tyrant like Arlong, so the townsfolk still had some savings.
After a long moment of deliberation, the mayor gritted his teeth and said:
"That's a very reasonable price. Might I ask you to wait a moment while I gather the funds with the townspeople?"
"Sure—but don't keep me waiting too long."
Kael released his arm and patted him on the back, motioning him to go.
The mayor didn't dare delay. He quickly ran off to speak with the townspeople.
Once he explained Kael's offer, after a brief discussion, the townsfolk came to the same conclusion: this deal could only benefit Will Town!
With that ship, they could sell their goods directly to other islands.
No more waiting around for middlemen who underpaid them!
That meant more profit, which meant more weapons, which meant more safety!
A positive cycle!
Soon, with Kael's permission, the residents began heading back into town to gather the funds needed to buy weapons to defend themselves.
Meanwhile, thanks to Tashigi's swift and ruthless actions, the small-time pirates who hadn't even earned a bounty were already lying on the ground.
Dead or wounded…
The Alvida Pirates were, at that moment, wiped off the map.
Kael now turned his attention to the only remaining member who could still stand…
Short, a bit pudgy, trembling on his feet, eyes full of fear and tears…
This was the pink-haired boy who would one day be known as the "King of Cowards"—Coby.
But right now, he was so terrified he couldn't even run.
Kael hadn't forgotten—aboard Alvida's ship was still one last...
"Important person."
"Hey, kid!"
On the high platform, Kael shifted his gaze and suddenly shouted at Coby with a sharp tone:
"You! Weren't you part of Alvida's crew too?"
"I saw you helping her set up her chair just now!"
With his musket in hand, Kael leapt down from the platform and strode straight toward Coby.
"W-Wait, wait—please wait—!"
Coby, who had just started to hope he might finally escape the pirates, panicked and waved his hands desperately, his face full of fear as he cried out:
"Sir, you're mistaken!"
"I—I wasn't one of them! I was kidnapped and forced onto their ship!"
"I'm not a pirate, I swear!"
Though the distance was a bit far, Coby had clearly seen—
That female swordswoman who'd rushed into town had cut down two pirates in a single strike.
She hadn't even given them time to react—just straight to execution.
That told him everything about how ruthless this group was when dealing with pirates.
Terrified, and worried that Kael might shoot him on the spot, Coby immediately dropped to his knees.
He pressed his forehead and hands to the ground, sobbing pitifully:
"I'm really not a pirate, sir! I swear I'm not~!"
"Please don't kill me! Please, I beg you—!"
Tears mixed with snot ran down his cheeks, picking up dust from the ground…
It was as wretched as could be.
Several townspeople nearby glanced over at the crying sound.
But upon seeing that it was Kael and the boy who had helped Alvida earlier, they all quickly turned away.
It had nothing to do with them—let him cry if he wanted.
At that moment, Coby had been reduced to a terrified, trembling mess.
Completely overwhelmed, he had lost all conscious thought—left only with the instinct to beg for mercy.
His pitiful appearance was enough to make one feel both contempt and disgust.