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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Six: Meeting
The East Sea.
The azure waves rippled gently, white clouds floated with the wind, and a soft sea breeze blew.
On a merchant ship, Marcel stood at the bow, arms crossed, gazing into the distance with a somewhat lonely expression.
"Marcel, drink."
Not far away, a middle-aged man tossed a bottle of wine toward him.
Thud.
Marcel reached out to catch the bottle, opened the cap, and took a hearty swig.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The sound of a stick striking the deck echoed as a figure appeared beside Marcel. "You look a bit down."
"Uncle Jozef."
Marcel glanced at him, handed back the bottle, and sighed. "I'm not unhappy."
"How can you say that?"
Jozef chuckled. "Every time you go to sea, you take the opportunity to train during your breaks. Yet this time, you're just standing here, almost ready to head back without even touching your sword."
"I just wanted to take a break," Marcel replied somewhat disheartened.
"Mm." Jozef nodded and then said, "After we return this time, I won't be sailing with you anymore."
"Not sailing with us?"
Marcel was somewhat surprised and quickly asked, "Uncle Jozef, what do you plan to do?"
"I intend to find a job watching the warehouse at the Merchant Association," Jozef replied with a smile.
"But the pay is very low; it's not as good as working on a ship," Marcel immediately countered.
"I just don't want to trouble you anymore. I broke a leg and can no longer work on a ship. It was you who insisted I stay on board; otherwise, how could I still be on the ship?" Jozef said, patting his left leg, which had been amputated and replaced with a wooden prosthetic.
"Those despicable pirates."
Marcel clenched his fists, recalling how Uncle Jozef had been struck in the leg by a pirate's sword before their last voyage. He hadn't intended to fight the pirates and had planned to give them some money to leave. But seeing that scene filled him with anger, and he charged at the pirates, driving them away but getting injured in the process. When he returned, he was scolded again by Nokigao and his mother.
"Forget it."
Jozef waved his hand dismissively. "I've spent my whole life on ships; it's time for me to go back."
"You can still stay on the ship. I can give you part of my earnings," Marcel said, looking at Jozef. Over the past nine years, Uncle Jozef had been by his side, teaching him how to live and work on a ship. After becoming First Mate, he had guided him in that role, and two years ago, when Marcel became captain of a new ship, Jozef had come along to help him.
In those nine years, Uncle Jozef had helped him immensely, and Marcel didn't want him to leave.
"I don't want to take money without doing any work; let's forget about it," Jozef said, patting Marcel's shoulder. "You don't need me anymore."
"How can you say that?" Marcel exclaimed.
"You are already a qualified captain. You are familiar with every job on the ship and how to manage the crew. Your swordsmanship is exceptional; you've faced many Pirate Crews and managed to drive them off with your strength." Jozef continued, "Moreover, your knowledge of meteorology and navigation has become increasingly refined. You are now capable enough that you could set sail without me."
"But..." Marcel hesitated.
Jozef said, "You can't possibly be unaware. Over the past year, you've been running long-distance routes, nearly crossing half of the East Sea. It's not because you were chosen by the Shining Gold Consortium to manage the route; it's because you're exceptional that they want to open up long-distance shipping. You're the first person to travel this far in seven years; the last one was Loff, the vice president of the Shining Gold Consortium."
"I didn't know any of this."
Marcel scratched his head, and Jozef smiled, saying, "Alright, I've made up my mind, so there's no need for you to say anything more."
"Okay."
Marcel nodded. Seeing Uncle Jozef's determination, he decided not to press further.
"Then I'll head back now."
Jozef turned and walked away, but suddenly a voice rang out.
"Pirates! It's pirates!"
A voice came from the watchtower.
"Pirates?"
Marcel's expression froze as he quickly grabbed his telescope and looked into the distance, spotting a ship approaching.
It was a Pirate Ship, massive in size, measuring at least fifty meters long, with four masts and three lookout points.
At the bow of the ship was a giant elephant, its trunk transformed into a cannon.
On the largest sail was an odd pirate emblem: crossed bones with a skull that had a round head. The skull's eyes were marked with black slits, and it sported a distinctive large nose.
"Buggy Pirates."
Upon seeing this Pirate Crew, Marcel's face turned grim. In the entire East Sea, aside from the Klick Pirates who had just headed to the Grand Line, the Buggy Pirates had the highest bounty.
Captain Buggy, with a bounty of fifteen million, commanded the ship.
"They might not find us. Hard to port, full sail! We need to get away quickly."
Marcel immediately issued the order, and the helmsman took control of the vessel while the crew lowered the sails, catching the wind to escape.
However, as they turned, the pursuing vessel also adjusted its course, closing in on them in a straight line.
The Buggy Pirates had more masts and double the sails, rapidly gaining speed.
Most importantly, their cargo ship was still loaded with goods.
"We can't escape."
Marcel gazed at the distant Buggy Pirate Ship, his expression grim; there was no way they could outrun it.
Unless they jettisoned the cargo.
Just as Marcel was about to speak, a loud boom echoed as a cannon made from an elephant's trunk fired a cannonball.
Boom.
The cannonball struck the stern, resulting in a violent explosion. Two figures at the stern were knocked to the ground, and Marcel was caught in the blast wave as well.
"Damn it."
Marcel stood up, surprised by the power of the cannonball as he looked at the wreckage of the stern.
The cannon's mouth wasn't particularly large, but the cannonball's impact was significant.
"Are you all okay?"
Marcel looked at the injured figure and realized that one person had been killed instantly by the explosion, while the other was struggling to breathe.
"These bastards."
Marcel's expression was filled with anger. The death of his two crew members filled him with rage, and he longed to kill the enemy to avenge them.
Boom.
Another cannonball came crashing down, landing in the water with a tremendous splash, creating a massive shockwave that rocked the ship.
"Stop the ship, raise the white flag."
Marcel suddenly shouted. There was no way to escape like this; the chances of abandoning their cargo and getting away were slim. More importantly, the enemy had cannons. If they hit them even once, the ship would slow down.
Rather than being bombarded by them, it was better to surrender voluntarily.
His words prompted the vessel to raise the white flag and lower its sails.
After surrendering, the distant warship ceased fire and slowly approached.
"Everyone, grab your weapons."
Marcel shouted loudly as he drew his broadsword. The others also took up their longswords, preparing for their arrival.
Bang.
The massive pirate ship slowly drew near and collided with theirs. Many figures jumped down from the ship—men riding lions, swordsmen on unicycles, and a man with a red nose.
Buggy, infamous with a bounty of fifteen million.
Seeing them, Marcel tightened his grip on his weapon but did not strike.
“Who is the captain?” Buggy shouted loudly.
“I am,” Marcel stepped forward, staring at Buggy.
Buggy snorted and said, “Hand over all the cargo and money on your ship, then come with us. I can spare your lives.”
“What? You want us to follow you?” Marcel's face darkened at those words.
“Of course. I'll take you captive and have your Merchant Association send a ransom. A Cargo Ship like this will surely fetch a good price.”
Hearing this, Marcel gritted his teeth and said, “Lord Buggy, if you take all our cargo and money, our losses will be too great to explain to our superiors. How about this? You could show some mercy and let us go this once.”
“Let you go?”
Buggy's expression darkened as he replied, “Who gave you the right to negotiate? Take them away.”
Buggy's men immediately moved forward, while the crew of the Merchant Ship gripped their weapons, standing in front.
“What are you going to do?” Buggy coldly glared at them, three knives appearing in his right hand.
Marcel looked at Buggy's men and the figures not far behind them, gritting his teeth as he said, “I am the captain. If I hand over the cargo and money to you, I will go with you.”
“Captain.”
“Marcel.”
The people around shouted loudly, but Marcel silenced them, saying, “As the captain, my value is the greatest, right?”
“Alright.”
"Hopefully, you can be worth something; otherwise, I'll just kill you," Buggy said coldly after a moment of thought.
Immediately, two figures stepped forward, grabbing Marcel and twisting his arms behind his back as they led him onto the ship.
Meanwhile, the pirates on board began to unload cargo and loot valuables.
Jozef watched this scene, gritting his teeth but feeling powerless.
After finishing their plunder, the Buggy Pirates set sail, heavily laden with their spoils.
"We can only notify the Shining Gold Consortium to pay the ransom once we reach our destination," Marcel said, tied up and looking grim.
At that moment, Buggy suddenly declared, "Prepare the Buggy Cannon and blow that ship to pieces."
"Yes, sir."
Someone quickly moved a cannon from the ship's deck to the side and aimed it at the distant vessel.
"What?" Marcel exclaimed in shock. "What are you planning to do?"
"Of course, we're going to take care of them," Buggy replied with a grin. "Your crew captain has already been captured; they’re of no use now."
"You can't do this! You promised me!" Marcel shouted loudly.
"How could you trust a pirate's word?" Buggy sneered before angrily adding, "Not only that, but they dared to insult my nose, calling it fake. My nose is perfectly fine; they all deserve to die."
"Fire!"
Buggy shouted loudly, and with his voice, Cannonball flew towards the distant ship.
Boom.
The vessel was hit, and an explosion rang out as the cargo ship sank directly.
Watching the scene, Marcel's eyes turned red as he cursed, "You bastard."
"Shut him up and contact the Shining Gold Consortium to have them send the ransom."
Buggy laughed, "We’ve got the map to the Grand Line. Once we’re ready, we’ll set sail for the Grand Line."
...
"Dalton has been released by the Militia. Bola encountered him and confronted him. Then Bola proposed... Dalton lost to Heckler, and there are still two battles left. However, Dalton's arm has been broken and he can't fight for now. Bola has entered the village, waiting for the next plan."
Cecilia stood in front of Xiaqiu, holding a Transponder Snail, reporting the news she had just received.
"I understand."
Xiaqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's good that she can avoid direct conflict. The way she challenged Dalton is not bad; even though he lost, he may not be willing to submit. But that way, she will hold the power in negotiations. Secondly, fulfilling the agreement will prove her credibility. By taking the initiative to withdraw, it can reduce their psychological resistance. Tell Bola not to do too much; be patient and wait for Dalton to recover while assisting the villagers in protecting their country. There’s no need to rush for now."
"I'll call her right away."
Cecilia said and left to notify Bola when Xiaqiu suddenly added, "Wait a minute. Since Heckler has finished his battle, let him come back here temporarily to this island. Christmas can follow him secretly; let her stay there."
"Understood."
Cecilia conveyed Xiaqiu's orders to Bola and then put the Transponder Snail back in the house before eagerly looking forward to training in Six Styles.
"This guy."
Xiaqiu watched as she vanished once again, feeling somewhat helpless.
Cecilia was quite impressive; she followed orders without hesitation, possessed great strength, and was incredibly diligent.
But the only problem was that she was too focused on improving herself. When I wanted her to take on the role of Vice President, she outright refused, claiming it would interfere with her training.
Bola was both lazy and foolish, while Cecilia was obsessed with martial arts, and Vivi was unwilling to assist me.
Ever since Nico Robin left, I had been unable to find a suitable partner.
However, I didn't necessarily need a woman as my partner.
The Baroque Works had changed significantly; it was no longer the simple assassin organization it once was.
Now that my strength had increased, it was time to reveal my identity to more people.
I had already chosen the person to announce my identity to, the candidate for Vice President, and had invited him to the island.
...
Two days later, Heckler arrived at the island by boat. He saw Cecilia standing on the shore and leaped forward excitedly, asking, "Did the captain call for me?"
Heckler held a deep respect for the captain; if that giant beast was so powerful, how strong must the captain be?
More importantly, his Devil Fruit Ability had also been granted by the president, significantly boosting his combat power.
In his heart, Heckler held great admiration for the president. Learning that the president wanted to see him filled him with excitement.
"Follow me."
Cecilia, lacking interest, led Heckler through the forest until they reached the outer wall of the courtyard. "You can go in by yourself."
"Is the President inside?"
Heckler excitedly walked in and arrived at the backyard, only to find it empty except for a giant beast.
"Where's the President?"
Heckler stared blankly at his surroundings. The President had arranged to meet him; why wasn't he here?
"Heckler."
A grand voice echoed, "From now on, you will be my partner and become the Vice President of Baroque Works."
"Huh?"
Heckler stared dumbfounded at the figure before him. After it finished speaking, he stood frozen for a while before finally saying, "You are the President of Baroque Works."
"That's right."
Xiaqiu looked at Heckler and said, "I am r0."
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