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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 159: The Invitation
The air was thick with a salty, damp scent, and the sound of waves crashing filled the atmosphere as a seagull glided by, disappearing into the distance.
Where am I?
Marcel slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, trying to sit up, but was met with a sharp pain coursing through his body.
Right, I was injured.
Marcel recalled the events leading up to his unconsciousness—Luffy and Buggy were fighting, while he endured the pain to fend off the attacking pirates. The boy named Luffy and he were both at a disadvantage for a brief moment.
As time passed, both of them sustained injuries.
But in the end, Luffy had sent Buggy flying, while Marcel found himself surrounded by other pirates, facing imminent death when a figure swooped in to save him.
Marcel only remembered that the figure had green hair.
Then what happened?
"You're awake?"
A voice broke through his thoughts. Marcel turned towards the sound and saw a man with long hair holding a sword—Green-Haired Man.
"It's you!"
Marcel looked at him in surprise, then glanced around to find himself on a ship sailing across the ocean. Besides Green-Haired Man, there was also that boy named Luffy—the Straw Hat Boy.
"Don't move around too much; you've just received treatment and need to rest," Green-Haired Man said.
"What exactly happened?"
Marcel asked in confusion. He had indeed received treatment, and his body was already bandaged, but why was he on a ship?
The Green-Haired Man yawned and replied, "You fainted and got injured. We took you for treatment, and when the Navy arrived, we had to take you away."
"Navy? You mean the Navy came to the town?"
Marcel's eyes widened as he looked at them.
"That's right," the Green-Haired Man said. "Just after your wounds were stitched and bandaged, some villagers notified us that the Navy had arrived, so we took you with us."
"Don't worry, the Navy didn't follow us," Luffy said with a grin.
Marcel asked in confusion, "Why did you take me away?"
"To prevent the Navy from capturing you," Luffy answered from the side.
"Why would the Navy want to capture me?" Marcel questioned.
Luffy looked at Marcel and said, "Aren't you a pirate too? If the Navy finds you, they'll definitely catch you."
"When did I become a pirate?" Marcel asked, bewildered.
"You are one! You're the captain of a ship. Your crew was killed by Buggy, and you were tied up," Luffy stated.
"I'm not; I'm the captain of the Pirate Crew."
"I am the captain of an ocean-going line for a Merchant Association, attacked by Buggy. Why do you think I am a pirate? Those Navy officers might have been sent by the Shining Gold Consortium to rescue me. Now that you have taken me away, I have completely missed my chance to meet them."
Hearing Marcel's words, Luffy laughed heartily and said, "So that's how it is. Who told you not to clarify?"
"Forget it. Once I recover, I'll find a place to disembark and return on my own."
Marcel sighed. Given the circumstances, he could only go along with them for now. However, he felt that his injuries were being treated and would heal in no time. At that point, he could leave.
But Marcel noticed something and asked, "You chose to leave because of the Navy's arrival, which means you are pirates?"
"That's right."
Luffy smiled and said, "I am Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. This is Zoro, the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"So you really are pirates," Marcel sighed. He never expected to be saved by pirates. His father had been killed by pirates, and his crew had also fallen to them; yet here he was, rescued by them.
Noticing Marcel's gaze, Zoro narrowed his eyes, thinking that Marcel might harbor resentment towards them for being pirates.
But the next moment, Marcel said, "Thank you for saving my life."
Regardless of everything else, without them, he would undoubtedly be dead. Moreover, they had helped him take revenge, which was a heavy bond for Marcel.
"No need to thank us."
Luffy smiled, while Zoro closed his eyes and said, "It's just a small effort, after all, you fought until the very end."
When Zoro found Luffy, he noticed Marcel fighting against a group of pirates. Despite being heavily injured, Marcel continued to fight, and this determination moved him.
Marcel nodded, then looked around and asked, "Where are we now?"
"I don't know," Luffy shook his head.
"You don't know?"
Marcel asked, "You have no idea where you are? So where do you plan to go?"
Luffy smiled and said, "We plan to head to the Grand Line."
"The Grand Line?"
Upon hearing this, Marcel looked at Luffy with some surprise and asked, "You guys are going to the Grand Line?"
"That's right. To become the One Piece, you have to go through the Grand Line," Luffy replied.
"The One Piece, huh? That does sound like a place to go..."
Marcel instinctively said this before realizing, "You want to become the One Piece?"
"That's right."
Luffy nodded and then pointed at Zoro, saying, "This guy wants to become the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"You, you two."
Marcel was taken aback by their words, unable to respond at first. Then he said, "Do you have any idea how many strong individuals are in the Grand Line? One Piece is the pinnacle for all pirates, and the World's Greatest Swordsman is the peak for swordsmen. Do you know how difficult that is?"
Luffy grinned and replied, "Of course we do."
"Then why are you..." Marcel said irritably.
"Exactly because we know it's difficult, overcoming those challenges to reach our goals makes it all the more worthwhile, doesn't it?" Zoro said calmly from the side.
"Is that so?"
Marcel paused slightly, then helplessly said, "But the Grand Line is too dangerous. There are too many pirates and unpredictable currents; we can't get there with just this ship."
Luffy slammed his fist into his palm and said, "So we need a bigger ship."
"It's not just about the ship."
Marcel shook his head and said, "Forget it; talking to you two is pointless. But as a favor, if you need a ship, I can help you. I can contact the shipyard to buy a vessel that can withstand the storms of the Grand Line."
"You want to give us a ship?" Luffy's eyes widened as he looked at Marcel.
Marcel sighed and said, "I can help you buy a ship, but you'll need to pay me."
"But I don't have any money."
Luffy rummaged through his pockets, finding nothing but emptiness.
"I really don't know how your Pirate Crew survives," Marcel shook his head and then said, "Tell me the location of the port you left, the direction, and the time of departure."
"To the west, I think. We left about three hours ago," Luffy replied after a moment of thought.
Marcel nodded, then looked at the sails and glanced at the sun. "We should be about twenty nautical miles northwest. If we want to reach the Grand Line, we'll be getting further away from Reverse Mountain."
"What should we do then?" Luffy asked Marcel.
Marcel pointed to the sails. "First, lower the sails. We can't sail against the wind with them up. Then you should row northeast. There's a village over there; we just unloaded our cargo there before encountering Buggy. Once we get there, you can drop me off, and I'll contact the Merchant Association to pick me up while you leave on your own."
"Do you know navigation?" Luffy asked, looking at Marcel with bright eyes instead of immediately following his instructions.
Marcel thought he didn't believe him and replied, "Of course! I’ve been sailing since I was sixteen. I learned navigation from an excellent navigator and became the only captain in our Merchant Association capable of handling long-distance routes. I've never stopped studying meteorology either."
The excellent navigator Marcel referred to was Nami; he had indeed learned navigation from her and read many books she had left behind.
"That's impressive," Luffy said, his eyes shining as he grinned. "Then join my crew! We still need a navigator."
"I refuse," Marcel replied directly.
A few days later, in the Drum Kingdom.
Bang! Bang!
After two gunshots rang out, Dalton fell heavily to the ground.
"Quick, save him!" Bola shouted from a distance. Two doctors rushed over, lifted Dalton, and carried him toward the operating room.
"Why bother? It would be better to admit defeat sooner," Bola said, closely following Dalton. "She has the Gate-Gate Fruit, allowing her to move freely through Interdimensional Space. You can't even touch her. You're not her match if you wait for an opportunity to strike. The moment you saw her abilities, you lost. Why fight?"
Dalton's injuries healed quickly; in this world, wounds tended to mend rapidly, and as a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, his recovery abilities were exceptional.
In just a few hours, he could move his left arm again and was eager to continue challenging others.
The opponent he chose was Christmas, once Heckler's partner, who was now teamed up with Cecilia.
As a Gunner, her shooting skills were formidable, excelling in long-range sniping and mid-range gunfighting.
However, due to her physical condition being inferior to that of the current Senior Agent, she could dodge based on Dalton's arm movements.
In close to mid-range combat, her fighting capability would diminish significantly.
However, it wasn't until she obtained a fruit, the Gate-Gate Fruit.
This fruit belonged to Bruno and was an incredibly powerful fruit, but Bruno had developed it poorly.
Therefore, when she killed him, Xiaqiu prepared the fruit and transferred the Devil Fruit.
Xiaqiu gave this fruit to Christmas, whose marksmanship was precise, making it a perfect match for her.
She feared close combat with enemies, so all she needed to do was hide in the Interdimensional Space. She could open a door and enter the Interdimensional Space to evade enemy attacks.
At the same time, she could also open a door to be in the Interdimensional Space and shoot outward.
Dodge, lurk, sniping.
This ability allowed her marksmanship to be perfectly showcased, and her strong dynamic vision enabled her to detect approaching enemies.
In Baroque Works, there was no one more suited for this fruit than her.
Currently, she was still partnered with R, but after R switched to Cecilia, the latter learned Shave and became one of the top members in Baroque Works.
After Christmas obtained the fruit, she still matched Cecilia's status.
The two complemented each other well—one excelling in close combat and the other in ranged attacks, providing mutual support.
One was skilled in speed while the other could assist in stealth.
Their strengths combined perfectly.
Xiaqiu had very high expectations for the two.
"This is the agreement."
Upon hearing Bola's words, Dalton replied earnestly, "I must compete with you in four matches, fighting until the very last moment."
"But you will get hurt," Bola retorted, exasperated. "Is it worth it?"
"If I win, then you leave, and Drum Kingdom remains in our hands." Dalton paused before continuing, "If I lose, it will completely prove that you possess strength we cannot resist, and the villagers will accept their fate without causing any further trouble."
"So you're doing this for us?" Bola looked at Dalton with some surprise.
"Not exactly for you."
Dalton shook his head. "Since resistance is futile, there’s no need for unnecessary injuries. Moreover, your words make me feel that you are different from Wapol. So if you truly win all four matches, you will become the king of this country, and I will oversee you."
"I will accept your oversight."
Upon hearing this, Bola said lightly, "I assure you that you will be involved in the construction of this country."
"I look forward to it."
Dalton gazed at Bola and said, "But there is still one battle left—my fight against Your Majesty."
"Let's wait until you're healed," Bola smiled. "But you definitely won't win."
“Whoosh.”
The figure of Heckler suddenly vanished, only to reappear in the distance.
“How is that possible?”
Xiaqiu stared blankly at Heckler, unable to comprehend how he had learned such a technique after only practicing for three or four times.
He was skilled in karate but not particularly adept at kicking techniques, and his leg strength was not that impressive. How could he have learned this?
“How did you manage to do that?” Xiaqiu asked, looking at Heckler.
“President, I actually took a shortcut.”
Heckler walked over and explained slowly, “I only stepped three times, storing some power before releasing it while simultaneously reducing my body weight to one kilogram.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Xiaqiu nodded. Heckler's weight was probably around one hundred kilograms, and reducing it to one kilogram meant he was only one percent of his original weight.
He only needed a minimal amount of reactive force to propel himself forward, and he did so with great speed and distance.
Though it was a shortcut, the increase in speed also enhanced his combat effectiveness.
This application of technique was quite impressive.
Not only that, but the other Six Styles can also complement his abilities, especially Paper Drawing. If he reduces his weight and senses the flow of air, his evasion skills become exceptional.
Within Baroque Works, the one that aligns best with the Six Styles is undoubtedly Heckler.
Moreover, in Baroque Works, aside from the President and the R1 position, through personal development and not counting the Six Styles, the strength of a Senior Agent has already surpassed that of Crocodile's Baroque Works by a significant margin.
After all, R. Bon Clay's level of strength can now be matched by the current Senior Agents, and some have even improved beyond that.
However, compared to Daz Bonis, Front's combat ability is somewhat lacking. His Devil Fruit Ability adds too much to his overall power, but his destructive capability and lethality are not inferior.
Yet if we include the Six Styles, not everyone may be able to defeat him, but they can all reach that level of combat power. The few who possess greater destructive capability and lethality far exceed it.
Aside from hoping someone can master Haki, he basically meets his requirements for them.
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