Kingdom of Oykot!
On the pier, Norn's expression turned strange as he glanced at Luwell.
He whispered, "Don't you know it's the Celestial Dragons and the World Government who want to capture the slaves?"
Kuro's face remained calm, Leno and he could, of course, guess it. How can ten thousand slaves be hidden away without raising suspicion?
Celestial Dragons, World Government!
However, since the abolition of slavery, countries all over the world have condemned such practices. If exposed, it would be a massive scandal. Some things are known to all, but they cannot be publicly revealed. The World Government will surely distance itself, and the Kingdom of Oykot won't want to get involved, which is why it holds the value of extortion.
Elegia needs money, food, and materials to rebuild. The newly established Hunter Guild is poor and struggling. As the big country of East Blue, is it too much for Oykot to support it?
Too much?
Expose themselves!
Although Oykot is the largest country in East Blue, it is not without rivals. A few years ago, they launched wars and annexed nearby island nations, provoking armed interventions from countries like Corkia. Oykot was nearly crippled until Germa 66 descended from the sky and invaded Corkia, resolving the crisis. In the end, the World Government mediated, leading to a more peaceful Oykot.
The one-eyed pirate captain had recorded everything, secretly keeping photos and evidence involving the nobles. He kept this information to protect himself, fearing that the kingdom might abandon him. Now, this evidence was in their hands.
Leno and Kuro had pinpointed Oykot and the World Government—they would never allow the truth to be exposed.
Norn sighed, seeing Luwell and Kuro's insistence on meeting the king.
"Alright, I'll take you to the king!"
Time flies!
Leno and his team had been in Elegia for six days. Leno had Buggy clear the outer city ruins and start building their own residence. A broken city doesn't mean everything needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Gordon handed over the original urban design plans, which Leno passed to the designer from Glass Ball Island.
While designing the Hunter Guild banner and badge, Leno had met many designers from Glass Ball Island. Professional matters should be left to professionals. He invited them to Elegia for a survey and to design a new city blending old and new.
Things were going smoothly for Kuro and Luwell. Initially, King Oykot had been arrogant, but after Kuro easily defeated what he claimed was the kingdom's strongest fighter and showed some photos, King Oykot bowed his head. The king gathered the nobles behind the Scarlet Fleet for a closed meeting.
In the end, they collected a billion Belly and handed it to the Hunter Guild under the guise of "supporting the reconstruction of Elegia." Moreover, Oykot promised full support for Elegia's restoration, not just financially but also in providing food, building materials, and craftsmen. However, Hunter Guild would pay 80% of the purchase price for these resources.
In other words, Oykot's support funds were indirectly returned to them. The king, however, didn't lose anything—most of the burden fell on the nobles behind the Scarlet Fleet. Not only did the king not lose money, but he also profited. Everyone earned—a win-win situation!
As soon as the news broke, the East Blue nations were stunned. Island nations often bullied by Oykot were left in disbelief.
"The Kingdom of Oykot has turned over a new leaf?"
"It used to be a thief, now it's a benefactor?"
"I heard that the Hunter Guild blackmailed the Kingdom of Oykot hard!"
"Yeah? Well, my friend from Oykot says…"
The East Blue countries and noble circles were abuzz, enjoying the downfall of Oykot and its nobles. For some, the kingdom's pain was a reason to celebrate.
"The Hunter Guild really isn't simple!"
"My friend said that Kuro from Hunter Guild punched the kingdom's number one warrior unconscious!"
"Hundreds of soldiers couldn't touch him!"
"And the Hunter Guild President single-handedly destroyed the legendary Scarlet Fleet!"
"So strong!"
"Well, duh. He's the guy who beat a Marine Vice Admiral! The World Government fears him!"
"Let's get Hunter Guild as our guards!"
The Hunter Guild was suddenly in the spotlight, with East Blue nations taking keen interest in this new force.
Shimotsuki Village!
One Heart Dojo.
Apprentices trained intensely.
"Hey, the newspaper's here—it's about Leno and Hunter Guild!" Saka ran in, holding up the paper.
"Huh? Leno did something big again?"
"Let me see!" The apprentices crowded around Saka, scrambling for the paper.
Leno was now a well-known figure in the dojo, and everyone admired him. Zoro leapt up, snatching the newspaper from Saka's raised hand.
"Hey, Zoro! You jerk!" Saka complained as he and the others chased after him. But they stopped when Zoro bumped into someone.
"Sensei!"
Zoro rubbed his nose, realizing it was Koushirou, who calmly picked up the newspaper.
"Hunter Guild rebuild Elegia as the East Blue headquarters!"
"Oykot shows the greatness of a big nation with one billion Belly supporting Elegia's reconstruction!"
Koushirou's eyes scanned the headlines.
Meanwhile, at the Conomi Islands, in Cocoyasi Village, Bell-mère sat in her chair, smoking and reading the news.
"Is it the Kingdom of Oykot again?"
Her thoughts drifted back to her time as a Marine when she was sent to investigate the Scarlet Fleet incident years ago.
But in a small town, there was a fierce battle with pirates.
There were heavy casualties on both sides of the battle, and Bell-mère fell into a near-death state. When she was in despair, the cry of the baby woke her up.
"Nami! Stop!"
"Nuo Qigao, you can't catch up with me, hee hee!"
There was laughter outside.
Two children, running over, interrupted Bellmel's memory.
She looked at Nami and Nojiko laughed. They were the babies who had brought her back from the brink of death.
After that terrible battle, she took the initiative to take responsibility, left the Marines, and returned to her hometown of Foosha Village to raise Nami and Nojiko.
Bell-mère said: "Hey, what are you guys doing?"
"Bell-mère!"
Nami ran over, hugged Bell-mère, and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
She stood on tiptoe, leaned forward, and read aloud, "Hunter's Guild? Bell-mère, what is that?"
Nojiko walked to the side and said, "I heard people in the village talking about it. It seems to be very famous!"
Bell-mère smiled and said, "It seems that it caused quite a storm in the world!"
"Huh? Really?"
Nami tilted her head, full of questions.
Bell-mère laughed and rubbed her head.
Grand Line!
On a small island, the dilapidated villages and towns suffered bloody massacres, and people fled in fear.
"Damn humans!"
The tall blue-skinned fish-man kicked away the man clinging to his feet, then killed his wife.
In Arlong's eyes, the flame of vengeance was burning, and he shouted to his companions, "Kill them all, and avenge Tiger!"
"Oh!"
He was not grateful when Jinbei rescued him from Impel Down, despite the condition of Jinbei becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Arlong even spurned Jinbei for compromising with humans, believing he had forgotten Fisher Tiger's blood feud. Thus, Arlong left the Sun Pirates with other fish-men who, like himself, were filled with hatred for humans.
In the paradise section, they attacked weak villages and killed indiscriminately.
In the world of pirates, there are many non-human and humanoid races, such as fish-men, Mink, long-legged tribes, and more. Among them, fish-men are new humans that combine the characteristics of fish and humans. They are stronger than ordinary humans, and their combat strength in water doubles.
Relying on this, Arlong and the others became elusive in the sea, making it hard for the Marines to guard against them.
As the village burned, a shell suddenly fell.
"Arlong, Marine is here!"
Arlong, who was walking toward a baby, looked back to see a row of warships appearing on the sea, firing at them.
Having been defeated by Borsalino, Arlong had grown cunning. When he met an opponent he couldn't handle, he fled into the sea.
Seeing the large number of warships approaching, Arlong called to his companions, and they quickly jumped into the sea, swimming to the other side and escaping by boat, evading Marine pursuit.
The crew breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Arlong, there are more and more Marines chasing us. If this continues, we'll attract a Marine Vice Admiral!"
"Yeah, and like this, it won't change the Fish-Men Island. We want a life on land."
The crew members voiced their concerns.
Arlong stood on the bow, pondering their next move.
At that moment, a newsbird flew by and dropped a roll of newspapers. Arlong caught it and opened it.
Suddenly, he laughed and said to his partners, "Let's go to East Blue and build a paradise that fits us!"
"East Blue? Yes, that's the weakest in the world!"
"A paradise that belongs to us?"
"But how do we get there?"
"Of course, by forcing the Calm Belt!" Arlong said.
Hearing the Calm Belt, the crew became worried. Even for fish-men, the Calm Belt was an extremely dangerous place.
The Arlong Pirates began heading towards East Blue.
Ellegia.
On the sea!
Boom!
A huge ocean current shot towards the sky.
Then, a giant manatee-shaped Sea King emerged from the sea and slowly approached the island.
Buggy looked on with frustration. These creatures, which they regarded as the "Sea Monsters," had recently become food on the island.
"Damn it, I'm being asked to work as a supervisor every day. I don't even have time to go into the island to find treasure!" Buggy complained.
"Red Nose, is Leno back from hunting?" Uta appeared out of nowhere, startling Buggy.
Buggy quickly recovered and yelled, "You little brat, don't call me Red Nose! I'm Buggy, call me Master Buggy!"
"Ah, sorry, sorry!"
Uta quickly apologized, then squinted her eyes like crescent moons, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Master Red Nose!"
"You little brat!"
Buggy was so angry that he jumped up. If she wasn't a child...!"
"Slightly slightly!"
Uta teased him, sticking out her tongue.
Buggy folded his arms, glaring and sulking. "Humph, really, just like that bastard Shanks!"
"Shanks?"
Uta was surprised and hurriedly asked, "You know Shanks?"
"Of course, I know him. We used to be on the same ship, but he's the person I hate the most. What, do you like Shanks?"
Uta's expression darkened, and she said disappointedly, "No, I also hate Shanks the most!"
"Huh? Really?"
Buggy was delighted and quickly said, "You also hate that annoying bastard who keeps laughing, don't you?"
"Yes!"
Ouch!
A shared hatred!
Buggy became enthusiastic and said, "Uta, why do you hate Shanks?"
Boom!
The ground shook, interrupting their conversation.
They turned to look.
A massive manatee emerged from the sea.
When it fully surfaced, it revealed Leno, holding the Sea King like a hill with one hand, walking towards the shore.
The massive weight was intimidating.
His footsteps shattered the stone bricks, and the ground trembled.
"That guy is definitely a monster, right? What terrifying power!" Buggy couldn't help but complain.
Boom!
Leno placed the Sea King on the ground.
Leno raised his hand and faced the Sea King, cutting it.
"No Blade Flow, Chaos Blade!"
A Sea King, over 100 meters long and weighing 100 tons, was instantly divided into different parts.
Recently, Leno had been hunting the Sea Kings in the nearby waters to prevent them from attacking ships and disrupting navigation.
Perhaps because he ate more fish and Sea Kings, he awakened an E-level talent, Underwater Breathing.
When Leno is in the water, his pores filter the seawater and allow him to breathe oxygen, replacing his mouth and nose.
Currently, he can last an hour underwater.
After an hour, he needs to surface for air.
Although the strength of this talent is low, it is quite useful in the world of pirates.
Moreover, by continuously eating fish and Sea Kings, Leno can evolve this talent to extend his time underwater.
This talent is an accompanying talent of Lord of Gluttony, which made Leno realize that talents can be awakened through training.
People responsible for food, approached and began processing the ingredients.
"Leno!"
Leno looked up and saw Uta running towards him. He smiled and said, "Uta, what's the matter?"
Since reaching an agreement with Gordon, the two often discussed how to rebuild Ellegia.
During this period, Leno told Uta stories, listened to her singing, and they became friends.
Uta was actually very naive, simple, and had no scheming.
Leno, with his talents of Slick Tongue and Infection, could increase affinity and favorability, so he naturally became popular.
Uta said happily, "I wrote a new song! Do you want to listen to it?"
"Okay!"
Leno nodded with a smile and sat on the ground.
Since Leno and the others arrived, Uta was the happiest, as she had an audience for her singing again.
"Thinking of you rings loudly in my heart!"
"Generates infinite power!"
"If you're looking for it!"
"Then wave the bond that never changes!"
The melodious singing voice fluttered with the wind.
Those who heard the singing stopped what they were doing and listened quietly.
Leno squinted slightly.
His aura vaguely captured a special kind of fluctuation, spreading outward from Uta's body.
Then, he saw the people who heard the singing begin to fall asleep, one by one.
Paramecia · Sing-Sing Fruit!
Through her singing, Uta could pull people's souls into the illusory virtual space.
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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