Chapter 176: The Astronomically Priced Mermaid Princess
While Luo Han and the others were heading to the Sabaody Archipelago, on the opposite side of the Red Line, on an unknown island in the New World—
Over a dozen pirate ships were anchored along the island's coast, each at least 800 meters apart. Judging by the various flags flying on each vessel, they clearly belonged to different pirate crews.
At that moment, deep in the island's dense forest, a temporary clearing had been made. In the center, a bonfire burned, and around it stood over a dozen figures of varying height and build.
One of them, a burly man over five meters tall with bulging muscles and a massive bull-headed hat, exhaled a stream of hot air as he stared intently at the thin man opposite him.
"Hey! Fast Blade Mike, you're the one who gathered us all here—aren't you going to say something? My Iron Hooves are getting restless." The bull-hatted giant stomped the ground, producing heavy thuds.
"Uhehehe! As expected of the Iron Bull Fruit user with a bounty of 330 million berries. Your temper's as wild as a bull's too, Captain of the Iron Hoof Pirates, Kaine 'Iron Hoof'!" Mike grinned, holding twin blades. At three meters tall, his body seemed like it was made of steel rods. Scanning the other captains, he smirked and said in a low voice, "Each of you is known throughout the New World. But the fact you've all come here—doesn't that mean you've chosen to retreat from the New World?"
Clang! Shing…! The sound of weapons being drawn rang out instantly. Mike's words clearly touched a nerve, and a heavy tension surged in the air.
"Uhehehe! No, no, don't get riled up!" Mike quickly waved his hands, then his smile faded. "If you think I'm wrong, you're free to leave now."
Hmph! A low grunt came from the crowd. Surprisingly, none refuted Mike's words. Weapons were sheathed, but irritation was plain on their faces.
"Hey! Cut the crap, Mike! You and I both know—after the Navy hero Garp defeated Rocks and the Rocks Pirates disbanded, the Navy is going to start cleansing the New World!"
"Exactly! Only monsters like Blue Demon, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion can survive the Navy's onslaught. As for us, the New World's losers—if we want to live, we've got no choice but to retreat!"
"So stop wasting time. I just want to know—where is the treasure you mentioned?"
The captains, gathered from across the New World, one after another revealed the purpose of the meeting.
Not having participated in the God Valley Incident, they were unaware that the Navy had also suffered great losses and lacked the strength to focus on the New World for now.
But with the New World soon to become a battlefield of powerhouses, their options were limited: join a major figure, flee constantly, or die. They were not strong enough to hope for a miracle.
Some of these captains realized that the New World was no longer for them unless they pledged allegiance to a major player. It would be better to leave, train for a few years, grow stronger, then return to challenge the monsters. For that, they needed a large sum of money to support their growth.
Of course, some were simply here for the treasure. But regardless of their reasons, all were after the same thing—the treasure Mike claimed brought them together.
"Hahaha! Then let me tell you," Mike laughed maniacally, "everyone passed a certain island when entering the New World, right?"
"You mean… Fish-Man Island?" someone asked, confused. Was the treasure there?
"That's right!" Mike's eyes gleamed wildly. "Rumor has it a Celestial Dragon took a liking to the mermaid princess of Fish-Man Island and placed an astronomical bounty to have her captured—as his slave."
"Celestial Dragon!" The name alone made many pupils contract. Dealing with a Celestial Dragon meant potentially facing an Admiral—definitely not something to take lightly.
"How insane. Fish-Man Island is a member nation of the World Government. Placing a bounty on a princess just to enslave her… tch, only that kind of trash would do it," Kaine-Iron Hoof scoffed, casting a sideways glance at Mike. "So what's the 'astronomical' figure that made you call us all here?"
"Yeah!" Everyone echoed, staring at Mike.
Facing their gazes, Mike's lips twitched slightly.
"…hundred million berries!" Mike said.
"What?!" Everyone leapt to their feet, eyes gleaming with greed and disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Incredible bounty. Not even Rocks' bounty was half that!" Iron Hoof muttered in awe. It was hard to tell if this was an honor or a tragedy for the mermaid princess.
"Haha! It's true. The info came from a slave trader in Sabaody Archipelago. Word is, every trafficker there is already going mad!" Mike said with a twisted smile. "But most of those traffickers are too weak to even enter Fish-Man Island. They're all trash waiting on the shore, hoping to get lucky!"
"So, you want us to take action, huh, Mike?" said a sky monk wielding an iron staff.
"Exactly! Captain of the Monk Pirates, Black Dragon Monk – Sanlong! Bounty: 400 million berries!" Mike looked at the tattooed, muscle-bound man with a trace of caution in his eyes.
"But even with all of us gathered, storming Ryugu Palace and capturing the princess still seems unlikely," Sanlong said with a frown.
"Don't forget—King Ryugu is still there. Those idiots who attacked the palace before—you haven't forgotten how they ended up, right, Mike?" He stressed the last few words, and tension filled the air again.
Everyone frowned. That man was no joke. A headache to deal with. For a moment, silence fell, broken only by the crackling of fire.
The mention of King Ryugu brought back memories.
When the Rocks Pirates first declared their conquest of the New World, hordes of fanatical pirates gathered at Sabaody. They were shocked to learn that a single young female mermaid slave could sell for 500 to 1,000 million berries. Over fifty pirate crews assembled to invade Fish-Man Island. But none of those who stormed Ryugu Palace returned. Later, the world learned Fish-Man Island's king had strength comparable to a Vice Admiral candidate.
And that level of power was the obstacle they couldn't overcome. Among them, only Black Dragon Monk was near elite Vice Admiral level; the rest were ordinary Vice Admiral-tier at best. It simply wasn't enough.
Mike clearly understood this too. After a pause, he smiled mysteriously and said, "That king of Ryugu will be handled by a major figure. Our job is just to play support—clear the small fry."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Once again, the air grew tense. Everyone braced themselves. They had left the New World to avoid monsters—and now Mike said a major player was involved?
"Uhehehe! Don't worry! I'm not one of that big shot's men," Mike said hastily, looking stunned. "Honestly, I was shocked when I got the call from that monster. His greed makes us look like saints!"
Phew! Hearing he wasn't the big shot's underling, everyone relaxed again. Then curiosity took over: "Just how greedy is he?"
Mike's expression turned reflective. Even now, thinking of the plan that major figure had shared left him shaken. In a trembling voice, he said to the group, "You'll never guess—he wants to rule all of Fish-Man Island. Then raise the merfolk and fish-men like pigs, selling them off to slave traders and nobles for massive profits…!"
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10