Drifting through the mist-shrouded waters heavily obscured their vision.
Looking from afar, the faint outlines of cacti even larger than mountains slowly came into view. The spectacular scenery evoked a sincere sense of wonder.
"How magical! Is this Whiskey Peak?"
Ace adjusted the brim of his hat with a look of pure surprise.
Lius nodded with a smile. "Ah, this is one of the starting points of the seven routes of the Grand Line!"
"Don't let your guard down once we enter the town."
Nami furrowed her brows at the gradually approaching island, unable to hold back another reminder.
Whiskey Peak.
On the surface, it was a town that welcomed pirates. In reality, it was a gathering place for bounty hunters. Many young and inexperienced pirates would end up as dead souls at the hands of these hunters upon arrival.
At the same time, these people possessed another layer of identity.
They were branch members of the secret criminal syndicate known as Baroque Works. They specialized in covert criminal operations.
Lius naturally understood this.
Therefore, he had specifically reminded Nami after determining their sailing route before setting out to sea.
However, the current Lius was confident in dealing with almost anything as long as a marine admiral did not show up.
Soon.
Breaking through the heavy layers of mist, the ship entered the mouth of a river and slowly sailed inward.
As they ventured deeper along the riverbanks, silhouettes faintly emerged.
"Didn't they say they would welcome us?"
Nami turned pale from fright.
The town hidden in the white mist was filled with a bizarre atmosphere.
But in the next moment.
The ship finally broke through the mist, and their line of sight immediately cleared up.
Before anyone could clearly make out the situation, bursts of cheers erupted from the shores.
"Welcome to the Grand Line!"
"Welcome to our town, Whiskey Peak!"
"Wow, great heroes of the sea, welcome!"
Passionate town residents gathered on both sides of the river, waving their hands and cheering at Lius's ship.
They looked exactly like they were welcoming guests from afar.
The atmosphere was so lively that even those who knew of their malicious intentions couldn't help but feel a surreal sense of wonder.
"Hey, did you guys make a mistake? Are these residents really bounty hunters?"
Ace was the first to doubt himself.
That passionate and unrestrained enthusiasm!
The cheers coming from the bottom of their hearts!
They completely looked like ordinary residents without any combat power!
Every single detail indicated that this was a town that truly welcomed pirates.
"Who knows, but we should definitely be careful!"
Nami was also caught by surprise.
However, the vigilance in her heart did not relax at all. She actually became even more cautious.
"Aha, what an Oscar-worthy performance from everyone!"
Sweeping his gaze around, Lius laughed with profound emotion.
Their exteriors looked completely flawless, but his Observation Haki could sense the malice radiating from the depths of everyone's hearts.
The ship soon slowly approached the pier.
As the trio disembarked, an older man with curly blond hair and dressed in a formal suit stared at them with burning intensity.
Beside him stood a young girl with flowing blue hair who looked even younger than Nami.
Pouting her lips, her large eyes were brimming with watery mist.
"Hmm?"
He looked over with a strange glint in his eyes.
However.
Before the three of them could react, the blond man pulled the blue-haired girl down. They slammed their knees onto the ground and began kowtowing to the crew.
"My lords! No matter the cost, I beg you to save my country!"
The mournful cries echoed into the clouds.
It also reverberated throughout all of Whiskey Peak.
The originally cheering crowds on the pier instantly fell silent, and their eyes all turned toward the pair.
Confusion was written all over everyone's faces at this moment.
They seemingly had not yet processed why the newly appointed mayor was not acting according to their plan.
In reality.
Let alone these bounty hunters.
Even the captain himself couldn't help but feel slightly stunned, freezing in place for a moment.
He naturally recognized the two people in front of him.
The princess of the Alabasta Kingdom, Vivi, and her Royal Guard Captain, Igaram.
It was precisely because he knew them that he was even more stunned and surprised.
Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom wanted to save her country, and her Royal Guard Captain Igaram wanted to protect his princess.
Ace stared with wide eyes. "Is this another trick?"
"But it doesn't look like one!" Nami furrowed her brows. Staring at the two kneeling figures, she was unsure for a moment.
The surrounding bounty hunters disguised as residents also finally snapped back to their senses.
"Mr. 8... No, hey Mayor, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Someone reacted and loudly questioned Igaram.
The others chimed in one after another.
Up until this point, they all still thought that this newly arrived mayor was simply senile.
However.
Igaram completely ignored the discussions and questions behind him.
He raised his head to stare at the trio. Gritting his teeth, he shouted with resolute determination.
"The three of you must think I'm crazy, but I'm not! This so-called Whiskey Peak isn't a town that welcomes pirates at all. It's a..."
"Booger Bomb!"
A cold and ruthless shout interrupted his words.
Outside the crowd, a man dressed like a rock star dug a black speck out of his nostril. With a flick of his finger, it flew straight toward Lius and the others.
"Ahhh! That's so disgusting!"
Nami screamed in fright at the sight. Her instincts kicked in as she reflexively threw out a kick. The completely bewildered Ace was booted forward, colliding right into the incoming black speck.
In the next moment.
Boom!
A massive explosion shook the ground as flames shot into the sky.
The violent shockwave from the blast forcefully pushed away the crowded mob, completely clearing out the entire pier.
"Ahhh, I'm dying! Did I get hit by a booger? This is too disgusting..."
Billowing dust swirled at the center of the explosion, where Ace could be faintly seen rolling on the ground and wailing in agony.
Upon seeing this scene.
The bounty hunters disguised as residents all gasped in horror, shocked beyond belief.
He was actually completely uninjured under the might of that terrifying explosion! He was rolling on the ground simply out of disgust!
"What are you waiting for? Kill these two traitors, or they'll leak the boss's information!"
Although shocked by the fire user's abilities, Gem did not forget his mission as an agent of Baroque Works.
It was just that even he had not expected this.
He had originally only come here for a routine inspection, yet he ended up encountering Igaram's abnormal behavior.
The only downside was that the background of these three pirates was simply too formidable.
Therefore, immediately after blurting out those words, Gem exchanged a glance with his partner Mikita. They turned around, wanting to quietly slip away and notify the boss of everything that had happened here.
However...
"Hahaha!"
Lius threw his head back and laughed loudly. "I don't know what just happened, but things seem to have gotten more interesting."
He then turned his head and shouted to his crewmates. "Since we've already been exposed, what are we waiting for? Make sure none of these guys leave!"
Buzz!
As his words fell, an ocean-like wave of Conqueror's Haki violently erupted.