Chapter 23 The Great Collision! Sinking the Shark Spab!
"There are still three hours until dark, what should we do?" Nokiko wasn't worried about her own injuries, but rather about the villagers; she had always been a strong child.
"Could it be that we really have to..." Doctor sighed.
"No, she'll die. I heard from Nami that that older sister injured a lot of fishmen. She must be someone special. If we save her, maybe our village will be saved!" Nojiko said.
"However, if the monthly payment in Berries doubles, it would be 200,000 Berries for adults and 100,000 Berries for children, which is simply unaffordable for anyone," Dr. Nagao shook his head.
Ah Jian pounded the ground with his fist and said, "We can't just stand by and watch her die, can we? Let's get through tonight first. Arlong Park isn't finished yet, they won't kill people randomly."
"As long as I show up before dark, that's fine, right?" Kuina came in from outside.
"Big sister! You'd better run, you'll die!"
Kuina crouched down, ruffled Nojiko's hair, and said, "Don't worry, I still have a promise to keep, I definitely won't die."
"Young man, you should go! We have some savings, don't worry about us," Doctor said.
"I won't run away, but I won't go to my death either. Those fishmen are after me. As long as I show myself, you'll be fine. So, please prepare some food and water for me. This is my battle!" Kuina's gaze was resolute.
"But your injury..."
"It's alright!"
As night fell and there was still no news from the woman, Arlong grew impatient.
"These inferior races of humans!"
Arlong stood up and brought the boat to shore.
"Brother Arlong..." A fishman hurriedly ran over from the direction of the village.
"What's up?"
"That woman appeared in the village and injured four or five people. Now Brother Croob and Brother Chu are chasing after her."
"oh?"
Arlong clenched his fist and said, "She actually dared to come out! Kill her!"
As the sun sets, its afterglow spills onto the sea, creating shimmering waves, and birds return to their nests.
A modified merchant ship cut through the waves, shooting like an arrow towards the island where Cocoyasi Village was located.
The notorious conman "Hundred Schemes" Kro, now known as "Black Cat" and the manager of the Arkham Merchant Guild, stood quietly behind the man standing at the bow of the ship.
Unlike the crew members who had never experienced terror, the black cat, who had trained in Shimotsuki Village, knew the formidable strength of the person before him. Moreover, his insight and knowledge made him unable to muster the slightest thought of resistance.
Two years is enough to change a lot of things!
"Black Cat, you have failed in your duty in this matter. Since you knew there would be problems in this sea area, you failed to provide sufficient protection. Due to a failure in intelligence, you have lost a talented person. It seems that the peace of the East China Sea has made you lose your vigilance. I am very disappointed!" Lister said calmly, his voice tinged with anger, as he faced the increasingly cold sea breeze.
He rescued Kuina from the Isshin Dojo, not so that she would die in the East Blue; he hoped to see the potential in Kuina.
"Yes, we failed in our duty." Black Cat Kro lowered his head, offering no explanation.
He knew that Lister valued Kuina highly, and that she might become the mistress of the house in the future. So when he received news of Kuina's accident, he immediately asked Politaya to arrange a ship to Shimotsuki Village, and he also came by ship. He met up with Lister not long ago.
"We'll talk about punishment later. Let's prepare for battle!"
"Hmm?" Kro looked up.
The next instant, the calm sea surface churned like boiling water, rising high like a fountain, with a thunderous roar and splashing water everywhere.
"Moo!"
"Ah, what is that? What a huge monster!"
Ahead of the merchant ship, a gigantic sea monster with bull horns blocked the way. Its milky-white skin was dotted with pale blue spots, its huge nose was pierced with a golden nose ring, and its round eyes were wide open, like an innocent child examining its toy.
"This is no time to waste, get out of here!"
Lister leaped from the bow of the ship, first approaching with "Moonwalk," followed by "Shave," the explosive power of his foot striking the manatee's neck. A shockwave rose up, forming a visible shockwave that spread in all directions. The manatee let out a low growl of pain, its head snapped back, and its massive body leaped out of the water, crashing back into the sea belly-up.
boom!
Whoosh!
The waves rolled and surged, creating waves tens of meters high that crashed onto the merchant ship.
"Ah ah..."
The crew members stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, as if they had seen a ghost, forgetting even to dodge the seawater that was splashing onto them.
Lister spun around and landed on the railing of the merchant ship, looking at the gradually clearing coastline and the large ship flying the pirate flag anchored in the bay.
"Sink it!"
The pirate ship entered the range of the merchant ship's cannons, which had been modified with weaponry, and the gunners, who were already prepared, began test firing.
Boom boom boom!
Sparks flew from the cannon muzzle as the propellant propelled the shell high into the air, whistling through the air as it landed near the pirate ship, creating a water column seven or eight meters high.
The sudden attack stunned the fish-man pirates who remained behind. Since leaving the Grand Line and arriving in the East Blue, the Arlong Pirates had been unmatched thanks to their natural physical advantages. Even the Navy couldn't do anything about them. They were the "kings" of this sea, ruling over seventeen islands and more than twenty villages. Their successive victories gave the fish-men immense confidence, making them forget the fear of being dominated by humans.
No one expected that a ship would suddenly dare to attack them.
"What, what, what's going on?" Hachi, the octopus who stayed behind on the pirate ship, looked around and scratched his head.
The lookout, following the direction of the cannon fire, finally spotted the three-masted sailing ship facing them. The dark muzzles of the cannons protruding from the hull suddenly emitted a muffled roar, followed by faint flashes of light and black smoke.
Sixteen cannons, which had been "discarded" by the navy, were adjusted with firing parameters and all landed near the pirate ship.
Boom boom boom...
One burst of fire after another erupted; the intense bombardment even terrified the murlocs.
After all, every group has strong and weak members.
The armed merchant ship quickly turned, positioning its left flank to face the pirate ship, and another round of cannon fire followed.
This time they were lucky; a shell hit the mainmast squarely, snapping the sturdy mast in two and causing it to tilt to one side.
Immediately afterwards, two cannonballs struck the side, blasting two holes in the ship. More cannonballs slammed onto the deck, and seeing that the ship was beyond saving, the fish-man pirates fell into the water one after another.
In the sea, Octopus Hachi saw the pirate ship become dilapidated and on the verge of collapse, and its eyes blazed with angry fire.
"Those bastards, I will never let them get way with this!"
Octopus Hachi called upon the Fallen Sea Clan to attack the merchant ship together.
"Full sails, turn left, extend the spare oar, and head towards the shore at full speed!" Kro calmly ordered.
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