"Have you heard? A kid broke into the Dog Pirates' headquarters all by himself, killed a lot of people, and still managed to get away unscathed."
"I heard that too. Even the captain of the Dog Pirates, Joan, didn't stay. What was that kid's name again?"
Hermes Jormungandr is a pirate hunter.
"If a brat like this had provoked us, the Octopus Pirates would have taken care of it long ago. I think the Dog Pirates are already finished."
Daybreak.
The whole town started talking about it, and many factions were watching the show.
Hermes became famous, but the Dog Pirates lost all face, and Joa's injuries were aggravated by his anger.
At noon, the Dog Pirates announced that anyone who found Hermes and told them would receive 100,000 Berries. They were desperate and eager to capture Hermes.
Conversely, the pirate crews that were enemies of the Dog Pirates wanted Hermes to join them.
Suddenly, undercurrents surged throughout the town.
one day.
Two days.
Ten days have passed.
Hermes, the main character, has never appeared or been found, which infuriates Joa, as Hermes may have already left the town of Myoto.
How can his shame be washed away?
"Still haven't found it? Those guys outside have been laughing at us for ten days."
base camp.
The entire Dog Pirates crew has assembled, and Joa, sitting in the head seat, is furious.
"Captain, that brat may have already left the town of Myoto."
"They must be afraid of us."
"They've run away."
"Go to the surrounding towns and search for him. I won't rest until I kill that brat. Spread the word that anyone who provides information on that brat's whereabouts will receive one million Berries."
Joa gritted her teeth.
"One...one million Berries?"
"Captain, isn't this too much?"
One pirate swallowed hard, wondering how much a million Berries was again.
If I got this money, I could go back to my hometown and become a local tyrant. Why would I need to risk my life as a pirate, risking my life at any moment?
This is probably what ordinary pirates think.
Those with ambition are already thinking that if they had a million Berries, they could go out on their own, recruit soldiers, and become the boss themselves.
As the Dog Pirates released the news, many pirate crews marveled at Joa's generosity, as the whereabouts of just a kid was worth a million Berries.
If it were them, the bounty would probably be even higher.
After all, when you're out in the world, you're all about maintaining a respectable image.
"Ha, one million Berries?"
On a rooftop, Hermes munched on his bread, listening to the chatter below. He tossed a stray hair from his forehead, realizing he was only worth a million.
To be honest, he was a little annoyed.
But it doesn't matter, his stage is still in the future, he's just in the beginner's village right now.
"Now that our injuries have healed, let's wipe out the entire Dog Pirates this time!"
With one hand supporting him on the roof, Hermes shrank by five millimeters in mid-air, then leaped and quickly disappeared into the street, heading straight for the Dog Pirates' headquarters.
During this time, Joa was furious and had sent his men to other towns to inquire, determined to capture Hermes, otherwise he would have a knot in his heart until his death.
Even the widow next door had never made him think of her like this.
"Damn brat."
After gulping down a mouthful of strong liquor, Joa felt a burning hatred for Hermes at the mere thought of him.
Suddenly.
A familiar scent wafted into my nostrils.
This smell.
Following the scent, I looked up and saw a figure standing swaggering on the roof beam, looking down at me like a king looking down on his subjects, exuding contempt and indifference.
Hermes never intended to hide from the beginning.
After all, his opponent had a keen sense of smell, and moreover, he was so courageous that he disdained to use underhanded methods such as sneak attacks when the two sides were evenly matched.
Unless the other party is a level stronger than him.
"Kid."
Joa, who should have been furious, was unusually calm.
Hermes leaped lightly and landed on the ground facing Joa. He was still dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, looking simple, capable, and bright.
"You have courage."
"One million Berries, plus your dog's head, that's a total of thirty-nine million Berries. You don't mind if I take it, do you?"
"It all depends on whether you have the ability."
Hermes' arrogance made Joa's eyes turn cold. His body began to grow larger and enter a human-beast form, his sharp claws extending and gleaming coldly.
unnoticed.
A sense of oppression enveloped the entire house.
Hermes tensed up, lowered his breath, and stared intently at Joa. When the tension reached its peak, the two sides suddenly charged out, completely in a desperate stance.
Swish! ! !
The gleaming claws slashed towards her neck, but Hermes immediately shrank, dodging the attack while simultaneously expanding to five meters in size. Hermes then unleashed her finger gun, which she had prepared beforehand, aiming straight for her neck.
However, Josiah was prepared and had already taken a step to dodge when making the first attack, causing Hermes' attack to miss and the dog's tail to lash out at Hermes with a whistling sound.
Danger.
Hermes shrank once again, and Josiah, as if he had expected it, immediately spun around and swept across the air, already pinpointing the spot where Hermes would land after shrinking.
It was a hit, but the feeling wasn't what I imagined.
Hermes, now only five millimeters in size, managed to grab Joa's trouser leg, greatly mitigating the immense force. Before Joa could react, Hermes grew to five meters again, grabbing Joa's thighs with both hands and swinging him away.
boom! ! !
The ground within a five-meter radius cracked, and fissures spread outwards. Joa spat out blood, and before he could catch his breath, he lost his balance. Hermes grabbed his foot and threw him over his shoulder.
In the nick of time, a dog's tail wrapped around Hermes' neck and, as Joa crashed to the ground, also flung Hermes away.
A series of seats shattered, Hermes crashed into the wall, and landed on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"captain."
Just then, some pirates outside heard the commotion, but they were stopped by Joa before they could come in.
"No one is allowed to enter without my order."
"Captain, is that brat here?"
"I don't want to say it a second time."
Joa stared intently at Hermes, his tone gradually becoming more agitated and fierce.
"Yes!"
The pirates outside looked at each other and ultimately gave up the idea of going inside; their captain could be terrifying when he got angry.
"Now you can rest assured, only one of us will get out of here alive today."
Joa feared that his men entering would cause Hermes to leave, which was not what he wanted.
"Then enjoy it!"
Hermes cracked his neck, a sound that earned him credit; he was a real man.
"kill!"
A strong wind was blowing in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, Joa was in front of him. Hermes, maintaining his five-meter height, punched the claw, causing him to stagger backward and slam his back against the wall again.
In a contest of strength, he was no match for his opponent.
Click.....
A wisp of hair floated in the air as Hermes shrank and landed on the ground. Three claw marks appeared on the wall behind him; he had almost ascended to heaven, but thankfully he reacted quickly.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hermes braced himself with one hand and swept his right leg out horizontally.
In response to the attack, Joa leaped high into the air and swiftly stomped on Hermes' head. The counterattack was so fast that Hermes could only roll on the spot, using his hands to push himself up and perform two backflips to create distance.
Looking at the ground, a footprint was deeply imprinted, with cracks spreading all around. If someone were stepped on, they would either die or be severely injured.
Without exchanging a word, the two clashed again.