On the other side.
Just as Ethan and the others had walked past the street by the dock earlier, the pirates finally relaxed.
"Who exactly is that guy? He looks terrifyingly strong."
"Yeah, yeah, I always felt like he shouldn't be some nobody."
At this moment, one pirate in the crowd seemed to recall something. His expression changed dramatically, and he shouted in extreme fear:
"I know who that guy is!"
"Just a few months ago, a News Coo scattered newspapers everywhere, and that guy's photo was in them!"
A burly swordsman nearby heard this, his pupils contracting sharply as he stammered:
"You… you mean… it couldn't be?!"
The first pirate exclaimed again: "That's right! It's 'Madman Ethan,' the one who dared to punch a Celestial Dragon!"
"What? That super rookie who just set sail with a bounty of 650 million berries?!"
"I remember now too! That guy's appearance matches the photo exactly!"
After identifying the man from earlier, everyone present paled in terror, their faces filled with dread.
After all, in Mock Town, the pirate with the highest bounty right now was only 'Executioner' Roshio, at 42 million berries.
And that guy's bounty wasn't even a fraction of 'Madman Ethan''s—one could imagine the massive gap between them.
"Madman Ethan?!"
At that moment, in a nearby alley, a man in a pink vest and white capri pants with short blond hair happened to pass by.
Overhearing the pirates' discussion on the street, a flash of nervousness and excitement crossed his eyes:
"How interesting! This trip wasn't in vain!"
Then, the blond man didn't join the conversation with these weaklings and simply turned to leave.
On the other side.
Ethan continued wandering the town for a few more loops before finally stopping at the entrance of a tavern, his brows slightly furrowed.
"What's going on? I haven't sensed any strong presence at all."
"Could Blackbeard and his crew not have arrived here yet?"
He had originally thought that upon reaching Jaya, he might run into Blackbeard.
Since the man could scar Shanks, his strength shouldn't be weak.
Combined with the Yami Yami no Mi, it should make for another thrilling fight.
However, Ethan had carefully scanned the entire island multiple times with his senses, finding no trace of a powerful or unique presence.
This left him deeply disappointed.
"Either I arrived too early, or too late."
But considering how he'd dealt with Crocodile ahead of schedule, directly preventing the kingdom's upheaval that was supposed to happen,
it was very likely he'd come a bit early, and Blackbeard's crew hadn't reached Jaya yet.
"Whatever, let's eat something here first."
So Ethan set aside his overthinking for now, turned, and walked straight into the tavern.
The three women saw this and had no objections, following him inside.
After they sat at a table, Ethan casually ordered some dishes that sounded decent.
A moment later,
the food arrived.
Ethan took the first few bites, then couldn't help frowning deeply, commenting loudly without restraint:
"Why does this food taste so awful…"
The fried rice was completely undercooked, the green beans were tough as nails, and the meat was half-raw.
The flavor was unbearable—either overly salty or completely bland.
But as soon as he spoke,
a burly man in a chef's uniform strode out from the kitchen, approaching them with a menacing glare.
Reaching the table, the burly chef unceremoniously grabbed a spoon and ate a few bites from their plates.
Then, before even swallowing, he exclaimed loudly with an exaggerated expression:
"Who said this food is bad? This is delicious!"
After saying that, the burly man turned his head and snarled:
"Hey, kid, you're here to cause trouble on purpose, aren't you?!"
"Oh?"
Seeing the man's refusal to admit fault and attempt to flip the script,
Ethan, already in a bad mood from not finding Blackbeard, didn't bother with words. He grabbed the plate of fried rice and dumped it straight onto the burly man's face.
Splat!
"Since it's so delicious, eat it all yourself!"
Before he finished speaking,
the burly man, face covered in the entire plate of fried rice, flew backward—man and rice as one.
Then, with a crash, he was brutally embedded into the tavern wall.
Nami, Robin, and Carina watched without surprise, quietly sitting aside to enjoy the spectacle.
After all, if even Ethan said the food was bad, it was truly inedible.
"Forget it, let's go. We'll eat back on the ship!"
Ethan had no intention of wasting more time here. He picked up a bottle of sherry from the table with his left hand and headed straight out.
The three women exchanged helpless smiles at his words, then stood and followed.
But as soon as Ethan and the others stepped out of the tavern, they saw a group swaggering toward them.
Leading them was a man in a blue coat with blond hair and an extremely arrogant grin.
Spotting Ethan up front, his eyes lit up. He stopped and smirked sinisterly:
"Hey! You must be that 'Madman Ethan,' right?"
"You don't look like much."
With that, he suddenly pointed at himself, boasting arrogantly:
"Remember my name—'Hyena' Bellamy, the man who's about to defeat you!"
In his mind, he simply didn't believe the other's strength matched that bounty.
After all, even his idol Doflamingo had started with only 340 million berries.
How could this guy be stronger than the one he admired?
So, upon hearing the target had arrived on the island, he'd come looking right away.
His goal: use the man as a stepping stone to boost his own fame and bounty.
Hearing this stranger who'd suddenly blocked their path rambling on,
Ethan and the others stopped, all wearing puzzled expressions.
But Bellamy ignored them completely. After finishing his speech, his legs suddenly sank, turning instantly into springs.
Then he stomped the ground and launched forward, unleashing his signature move!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—!!
With continuous rushing sounds, Bellamy bounced like a pinball between nearby buildings and the ground.
"Hahahaha, what do you think? Scared by my ability?!"
"I bet you can't even track my movements!"
As he bounced, Bellamy noticed Ethan's head hadn't moved at all and laughed even louder.
The next second,
he suddenly twisted mid-air, charging straight at Ethan while clenching his right fist.
"Got him!"
But just as Bellamy brimmed with confidence,
Boom!
A massive sound echoed.
Bellamy's subordinates thought their boss had landed the hit.
But looking closer, they all froze in shock.
The one struck wasn't the tall man—it was their boss, Bellamy.
Somehow, Ethan had already thrown his right fist, now nearly buried in Bellamy's face.
Then, with a casual swing of his right hand sideways, Bellamy was hurled away, flying sharply to the side.
Boom!
With an explosive crash, a nearby tower shattered under the impact, slowly collapsing.
Bellamy passed through it, continuing to soar into the distance.
At that moment, the five pirates who'd come with Bellamy stood dumbfounded, cold sweat pouring down their faces.
Looking at them, Ethan didn't bother attacking again. He simply walked forward slowly and said casually:
"Robin, I'll leave these guys to you."
Nami and Carina quickly followed, glancing curiously at Robin beside them. Hearing this, Robin raised her hands slowly and smiled:
"Yes, Captain."
Then, walking leisurely, she crossed her arms and murmured:
"Ten-Wheel Bloom: Twist."
As soon as the words left her mouth,
slender arms suddenly sprouted on the bodies of the five terrified pirates who'd already backed away.
Then, the arms on each moved.
One pressed the lower back, the other hooked the neck—both pulling at once.
Crack!
Several sharp bone-cracking sounds rang out. The five pirates' bodies twisted ninety degrees backward, pain sending their eyes rolling back.
Once the arms vanished, the five collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated.
"So amazing, Robin—you took down five pirates instantly."
Nami's eyes sparkled as she couldn't help praising.
Carina nodded in agreement:
"Indeed, directly affecting the opponent's body makes combat so efficient."
A few days ago on the ship, they'd only known she'd eaten the Paramecia-type Hana Hana no Mi, allowing her to sprout multiple arms.
But they hadn't expected her ability to be so clean and ruthless in a fight.
Hearing their praise, Robin smiled humbly:
"Oh, my ability only works on ordinary pirates like these; it's useless against true powerhouses."
Saying that, she glanced at Ethan walking ahead and thought to herself,
Even using Thirty-Wheel Bloom on him probably wouldn't budge his body an inch.
Another ten-plus minutes passed.
Ethan and the others bought some fruits and local liquor along the way, then returned straight to the ship.
Issho, initially puzzled by the situation,
learned Ethan's visit wasn't for information but to find someone, and asked no further.
By nightfall,
the women on the ship voluntarily cooked a delicious meal.
Then everyone gathered on deck, eating, drinking, and chatting happily.
They weren't worried about sudden pirate attacks.
At that point, Nami finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked again:
"Ethan, you mentioned earlier finding a way to the sky. What is it?"
As a professional navigator, she desperately wanted to know.
"No rush, Nami."
"Don't worry—if the guy I'm looking for hasn't shown by tomorrow, we'll head out."
Ethan smiled, devouring a large steak and sipping sherry:
"You'll see then. It's actually pretty simple."
Issho, eating a big bowl of noodles nearby, seemed to recall something at those words, a faint smile on his lips.
Nami, hearing this, didn't press further.
Since he'd said so, tomorrow would reveal everything.
After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms.
Ethan returned to his, leaning against the headboard, and couldn't help releasing his Observation Haki again to scan the town.
Still nothing.
Bored, he opened the System panel and spent another 10,000 Purity Points on a ten-pull.
[Obtained a slight mental enhancement]
[Obtained Talent: Resilient Body]
[Resilient Body: The body naturally possesses extremely high resilience, making it less susceptible to damage and abnormal effects.]
"A solid talent—defensive-oriented."
Seeing the result, satisfaction flashed in Ethan's eyes.
He felt the subtle changes in his body and thought secretly:
"My physical strength has increased again."
"And my resistance to status effects should be higher too."
With that in mind, he checked the System panel once more.
[Purity Points: 4000 points]
[Talents: Iron Will, Born for Battle, Natural Divine Power, Steel Bones, Humanoid Weapon, Muscle Control, Breath of All Things, Resilient Body]
[Skills: Language Proficiency, Explosive Clothing Amplification, Ogre Back Muscles]
Glancing at the talents and skills listed, Ethan's eyes shifted, new ideas forming in his mind.
The next day, early morning.
Ethan and his crew gathered supplies on the island while waiting until noon.
But still no sign of Blackbeard's crew.
So he decisively gave up, unwilling to waste more time.
"Fine, I'm done waiting."
Ethan retracted the gangplank, turned, and said seriously to everyone:
"Let's go—to our next destination, the island in the sky!"
"Nami, take us out first."
"Yes!"
Hearing this, Nami, curiosity burning, turned and rushed to steer the ship away.
The others cooperated.
Once the ship was far from the island's dock,
Ethan ordered it stopped, then turned to Issho beside him with a smile:
"I'll start, then it's your turn, Issho."
--
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