Chapter 41 Artillery Barrage! The Villainous Pirate Crew Under Whitebeard!
Montbouli immediately gave the order to seize the ship. The surviving crew members were thrilled—an unmanned sailboat was a gift. No one wanted to risk their lives on a damaged, sinking ship.
The crew rowed carefully, approaching the sailboat. Montbouli nervously scanned through binoculars but saw no immediate danger.
Despite artillery fire, the sailboat remained empty—or so it seemed. They moved slowly, deliberately, as if unaware of their presence.
"Don't fire! That's our ship!" Sniper Bin shouted, stopping a gunner.
The two ships came to rest side by side.
"Send a team over." After their previous failure, Montbouli was cautious.
"I'll go!" Rapier Gongxi volunteered, leading a small crew aboard the sailboat.
Signs of battle littered the deck. Gonzalo, tense, sent two men into the cabins to investigate.
They opened each door, finding them empty. A sigh of relief passed through the pirate team.
"What was that?" one pirate suddenly asked, sensing a dark shadow flash past him.
"Hey, did you hear something strange?" his companion asked, shaking his head in confusion.
"Where's that sound? You must be imagining it. There's no one here. Let's report back to the captain—we can return to Paradise with this ship."
Just then, a dense swarm of dark shadows descended.
"Ah... ah..."
Two screams echoed, then silence.
"What's going on?" Gonzalo asked, panic creeping in. The pirates outside were equally startled.
Montblanc's hand trembled over the binoculars. Could luck be that cruel?
"Listen! Do you hear that?"
A flapping sound. Not one pair, but many wings.
"They're here!"
A black torrent surged from the dimly lit cabins.
"Huh? What's that?" a pirate cried.
"A bat!" Gonzalo's eyes widened. The black torrent revealed itself as a massive swarm of bats, flapping and surrounding them instantly.
"A Hundred Stars!"
Gongxi unleashed a hundred sword thrusts with his rapier, but the bats were too many. Seven or eight latched onto Gonzalo's back, their sharp teeth piercing his thin shirt. Misty Island's vampire bat saliva had an anesthetic effect—painless at first, deadly when too late.
Where did so many bats come from?
Montblanc watched, puzzled, but seeing his men swarmed, he ordered a rescue.
"Wait, Captain, look—the bats are changing!" Sniper Bin shouted.
Montburi glanced and saw the bats rising, forming a dark, orderly cloud.
The deck was empty. Except for Gonzalo, who barely stood, all others had vanished.
The scene unnerved Montblanc and his remaining pirates.
"Who are you?" a voice rang out.
Montburi looked up sharply. A young man stood atop the mainmast lookout tower.
Call out!
Suddenly, shells whistled through the air, startling everyone.
"Captain, it's bad! That's villain Ufian's ship—they're coming after us!" the lookout yelled.
"What?" Montbry exclaimed. He scanned the horizon.
A three-masted pirate ship flew its flag, cannons aimed directly at them.
"Damn it! We were so focused on seizing the boat, we didn't notice them pursuing," Sniper Bin groaned.
"What do we do?"
"Run! We can't win!" Montblanc's crew had witnessed the power of the villain Ufian—they had no will to fight.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannon fire exploded around them, water jets spraying high.
"Captain, there's another ship—but no Daddy's flag," a lookout reported.
Villain Ufian was nearly three meters tall, hair standing like a hedgehog, fierce eyes, bulging chest with a breastplate strapped tightly, wearing shorts, wielding a massive 400-pound spiked club.
Rivals are enemies. In the New World, trespassers in a Three Emperor's territory either submit or get destroyed.
No one is sitting down for tea in a war zone.
Ships under Whitebeard's rule flew his flag, paying tribute for protection. Those without flags? Vulnerable prey.
Lister felt a surge of annoyance. Another idiot firing cannonballs at him. If he were Hawkeye, the captain would already be dead.
"Storm Kick!"
Lister leapt, slashing mid-air. Incoming cannonballs split, exploding harmlessly.
"Moonwalk!"
In an instant, Lister vanished, reappearing multiple times beside the pirate ship.
"Um?"
Ufian turned sharply. A captain among 34 Whitebeard crews, his strength was formidable. Lister's sudden disappearance tested him.
"Storm Kick!"
Lister's slash struck the ship.
When!
Ufian appeared, club raised, blocking the attack. The slash's force knocked him back onto the deck, crushing wood beneath him.
Observation Haki?
Lister held "Shave" mid-air, leaping repeatedly. Pop! Pop! The air vibrated with energy.
Sizing up Ufian, Lister realized: sudden appearances and stopping attacks indicated Observation Haki.
Ufian glared: "Who are you? How dare you attack us? Do you want a war with the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"The Whitebeard Pirates?" Lister blinked, scrutinizing him. Whitebeard? This guy? No way.
"That's right. I am Ufian, captain of the Villain Pirates, one of 34 crews under Whitebeard," Ufian said proudly.
Liszt caught a glimpse of two flags hanging from the mast and slapped his forehead—he'd been napping too long.
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End of this chapter...