"You shouldn't have come to this island at this time. There are ruthless pirates here. These pirates have no humanity. Our town was just recently ransacked," the woman explained, her voice full of concern.
"If you need water and food, there are still supplies left in the town, but I strongly advise you to leave this island as soon as possible."
Since Robin had saved the woman's child, her favorability towards Wood's group was significantly high. Upon learning that Wood and his companions had just arrived on the island, she kindly advised them to leave quickly.
"If pirates attacked your town, why didn't you ask the Navy for help? There should be a Navy branch nearby, right? After so many days, even if they were scared, they should have crawled their way here by now, no?" Wood questioned.
To avoid any misunderstanding and potential conflicts, Wood and his group had changed out of their Navy uniforms before arriving in town. As a senior Navy officer, Wood had the privilege to wear civilian clothes, so he simply removed his "Justice" cloak. Russ and the others donned the clothing taken from the One-Eyed Pirate Crew members.
"Hah, the Navy? They wouldn't dare provoke the One-Eyed Pirate Crew. When the old mayor was still alive, he managed to keep the peace on Asuka Island by offering supplies to the pirates who landed. Moreover, his son was a Navy lieutenant at the branch, which also helped maintain the island's safety," the woman replied with a sigh.
Wood couldn't help but feel some admiration for the old mayor. If the mayor hadn't been just an old man without combat abilities, he might have been considered quite the figure.
Balancing the situation by leveraging his son's position in the Navy and offering "protection fees" showed the mayor's shrewdness. As long as the pirates weren't overly aggressive, they generally accepted the goodwill.
However, this time, the One-Eyed Pirate Crew that came ashore was a rare breed of ruthless thugs. They didn't care about the mayor's lieutenant son and demanded an exorbitant sum. When the mayor tried to negotiate, they killed him on the spot.
After the mayor's death, the townspeople had indeed sought help from the local Navy branch. Unfortunately, the Navy captain stationed there was a coward. Upon learning that the attackers were the infamous One-Eyed Bebbart and his crew, he not only refused to intervene but also placed the mayor's lieutenant son under house arrest, choosing to turn a blind eye to the situation.
"Now that the old mayor is gone, this town is no longer safe. If we had a ship to sail away, we would have left this place long ago," the woman continued, her voice tinged with resignation.
In this world dominated by oceans, most people lived their entire lives on a single island. It wasn't that they didn't want to see the world outside, but rather that the world beyond was simply too dangerous.
Building a seaworthy ship was expensive, and not everyone could acquire one as easily as Luffy. Moreover, venturing out to sea required extensive navigational knowledge and some level of personal strength, given the unpredictable dangers of the ocean—treacherous weather, pirates, and sea kings among them. As a result, most ordinary people wouldn't dare to venture out to sea unless absolutely necessary.
"If you're thinking of leaving this island because of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, I believe that might no longer be necessary. Both that guy called One-Eyed Bebbart and the rest of his pirate crew have already been dealt with by us," Wood said calmly.
When the woman heard this, her initial reaction was one of joy, but she quickly realized how impossible it sounded.
The One-Eyed Pirate Crew was a massive group of 500 pirates, a force that even the local Navy branch couldn't handle. Wood looked so young, and there were just a few of them—how could they possibly have taken down such a formidable crew?
"I'm not lying to you. If you really want to leave this island, we can give you our old ship. The One-Eyed Pirate Crew's ship belongs to us now, so we can trade our old ship for some supplies," Wood offered, his tone sincere.
Seeing that Wood wasn't joking and noticing the commotion they had caused in the town, many of the remaining townsfolk began to gather around, eager to hear more about this astonishing claim.
Still skeptical, the townspeople struggled to believe the incredible news. To earn their trust more quickly, Wood reluctantly pulled out a small Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
"Buru Buru Buru..."
The blue, small Den Den Mushi, looking as though it had just woken up, quickly assumed Russ's facial features in Wood's hand.
It didn't take long before Russ's deep voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Russ, what's the situation on your side?" Wood asked.
"Just as you predicted, Captain. Some of the pirates who escaped tried to flee using their ship, but we've caught them all. There were about forty to fifty of them who had either escaped or stayed behind on the ship. What do you want us to do with them?" Russ reported.
Russ initially intended to kill all of the pirates, but knowing that some of them might have bounties and considering Wood's plan to establish his own pirate crew, he refrained from executing them immediately.
"Bring those people to the town, and bring Bebbart's body too. If you don't know the way, I can send someone to guide you. Make sure to leave one or two men to guard the ship," Wood instructed.
About an hour later, when Russ brought the tied-up pirates into town, the residents of Asuka Island were stunned.
And when they saw the body of One-Eyed Bebbart tossed before them, they didn't feel any fear—only a profound sense of vengeance fulfilled.
The captured members of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew fared no better. The townspeople, overcome with a mix of rage and relief, picked up stones and began pelting the tied-up pirates.
Realizing that the situation was about to get chaotic, Russ and his team wisely stepped away from the crowd to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
For the people of Asuka Island, the One-Eyed Pirate Crew was an enemy they loathed with every fiber of their being. These pirates had taken their homes and the lives of their loved ones.
Though they didn't know who Wood and his crew truly were, it didn't matter. The fact that they had wiped out the One-Eyed Pirate Crew made them the greatest benefactors of Asuka Island.
When they learned that their benefactors needed water and food, the residents voluntarily brought supplies to Wood and his team. No matter how much Wood insisted on paying, the townspeople refused to accept any money.
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.