Natsu led Enel, Kumo, and Gin to the town on the island.
The atmosphere was not as lively as expected; the streets were deserted, and there were no stalls selling goods. The eerie silence made Natsu uncomfortable.
"Enel, use your Haki to check if there are any people on the island," Natsu said after walking for several hundred meters without spotting anyone.
"Leave it to this god!" Enel replied cheerfully, full of confidence in his mastery of Observation Haki. He quickly summoned a dazzling display of lightning, enveloping the entire island in a fierce electromagnetic aura as he began to scan.
"Natsu, I found them! The people are on the other side of the island, along with three enormous warships."
"Let's go take a look!" Upon hearing this, a gust of wind howled around Natsu as he leaped into the air, a pair of beautiful wings unfurling from his back, propelling him swiftly toward the other side of the island.
Enel smirked, transforming into a bolt of lightning and following closely behind.
Akin remained silent, but his fiery red wings were already out, ready to take flight. However, he was grabbed by Kumo's chubby little hands. Looking down, he saw Kumo gazing up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
"Gin, can you take me with you? ◉‿◉" Natsu said with a pleading expression, eager not to be left behind while everyone else flew. As the vice-captain, it felt wrong for him to run on the ground alone.
"Got it!"
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, the red figure darted off, leaving a long trail of wind behind them, accompanied by Natsu's excited cheers.
Before long, Natsu and the others arrived at the opposite side of the island. What they saw was a crowd of islanders standing helplessly on the shore, while a gigantic warship loomed over the sea. Several hundred soldiers stood ready, weapons drawn, while a plump nobleman with a fat head and ears was arrogantly scolding the islanders.
From the shore came the cries of children, while treasures and food were being loaded onto the ship.
"Captain, is that the army? What are they doing?" Kumo asked curiously.
"It seems like they're collecting tribute," Natsu replied.
"Heavenly Gold!"
After a moment of silence, Natsu looked ahead, his lips parting to utter those three words, his tone grave and serious, his eyes revealing a glimmer of murderous intent.
The Celestial Dragons claimed to be the gods who created the world. As world nobles, they demanded tribute in the form of Heavenly Gold from the allied nations of the World Government to assert their status, which plunged many nations into dire poverty, leading to starvation among their people.
Just like the infamous Yonko, Whitebeard Edward Newgate and Kaido of the Beasts, both had suffered from the burdens of Heavenly Gold in their youth, left homeless and eventually turning to piracy, seeking dominance over the seas.
Natsu explained the significance of Heavenly Gold to the others, and both Kumo and Gin displayed angry expressions, wishing they could immediately tear the Celestial Dragons apart.
Enel, however, wore his usual apathetic expression, having once been regarded as a god himself in Skypiea.
"Captain, what should we do next?" Kumo rubbed his hands together, eyes blazing with excitement as he looked at the warship. Knowing Natsu, he could tell there was a deeper reason for all this talk; the captain was clearly interested in the Heavenly Gold.
"Generally, the royal families of the allied nations are responsible for collecting the Heavenly Gold. After it's collected, the Navy transports it to Mariejois, the Holy Land. So our plan is…"
Natsu briefly outlined his strategy, and both Kumo and Gin nodded vigorously. Enel showed a hint of excitement, eager to test his own strength against this challenge.
I hope they're not too weak!
Akin and Enel followed the warship in the sky toward the next collection point, while Natsu and kumo returned to the Smile to inform Pock and Karina of their observations and Natsu's plan.
"Natsu, help me!"
Upon hearing about the collection of Heavenly Gold, Karina's face turned pale, her body swaying as she sat on the ground. She struggled to lift her head, her large eyes shimmering with tears as she pleaded.
"What happened?"
"I don't know!" Pock shook his head, clearly confused as he had just seen her fine moments ago.
"This place belongs to Cardili Kingdom, one of the allied nations of the World Government. Because of poverty, they often can't pay the Heavenly Gold tribute, resulting in many islanders dying each year. My father, Carter, was one of the royal family of Cardili, but because of his good heart, he opposed paying the Heavenly Gold and was betrayed by other nobles, ultimately assassinated by the World Government. My mother committed suicide after giving birth to me. I grew up relying on others, and to repay their kindness, I went out to sea alone at the age of ten, becoming a thief and treating money as my life, knowing that paying the Heavenly Gold is the only way for everyone on the island to survive…"
Karina poured out her entire story, her desperation clear. She had no treasures to offer to help the island pay its tribute, and all her hopes rested on Natsu, especially after he suggested seizing the Heavenly Gold.
"Don't worry, you're my crew now. As comrades, your issues are our issues," Natsu said, reaching out to pat Karina's head. In that moment, he felt a sense of reliance he had never experienced before.
Unexpectedly, Karina turned out to be a royal princess!
"Mmhm!"
"Brubru, brubru…"
At that moment, the Transponder Snail rang, showing Enel's usual indifferent face.
"What! The islanders are fighting with the soldiers on the warship?!" Natsu's expression darkened, and Karina looked at him anxiously.
"Enel, deal with all the soldiers on the warship, but don't harm the civilians. We're on our way!" natsu instructed with a serious tone.
"Smile, full speed ahead!"
"Whoosh!"
The rear of the Smile erupted with thunderous energy, sending the ship soaring forward, leaving behind a long trail of lightning. The sea beneath them parted, huge waves rolling outwards.
Before long, Natsu and his group reached the outskirts of Sound Island. On the shore, Enel floated lazily in the air, while Gin sat on a rock. Around them lay the soldiers of the Cardili Kingdom, defeated and sprawled everywhere. The once arrogant nobleman was now on his knees, frothing at the mouth, trembling in fear as he begged for mercy.
Unfortunately, two cold-hearted beings ignored him, despite his continuous kowtowing.
Meanwhile, the islanders had gathered, their faces filled with terror, standing in place unsure of what to do, too frightened to approach or leave.
"Captain!"
Seeing Natsu arrive, Gin's indifferent expression finally showed some emotion as he leaped down from his perch.
"Go ahead! Say your goodbyes," Natsu turned to Karina and said.
On their way, Karina had made up her mind that once Natsu helped resolve the Heavenly Gold issue on Sound Island, she would officially become a member of the Smile Pirates, wholeheartedly serving Natsu in whatever way she could.
"Mmhm!" Karina nodded firmly, rushing forward to speak with the group of islanders. She also made sure to ask about the whereabouts of the sniper, Nikolai Ilin.
"My lord! My lord, please spare me! I beg you, please let me go!" The plump nobleman crawled on his hands and knees towards Natsu, his forehead knocking against the ground repeatedly.
"Spare you? Of course! You should know where the Navy's fleet collecting the Heavenly Gold is, so take us there, and I'll let you live!" Natsu said, a faint smile on his face, his tone calm.
"I know! I know! I know!" The nobleman clung to the last shred of hope, speaking rapidly, terrified Natsuwould change his mind.
"Gin! Take him onto the ship! We're about to make a big score!"
"Understood, Captain!"
"Gahaha! Finally, I can stretch my legs!" Kumo let out an excited laugh.
"Yehahaha! Am I finally going to witness the top-tier power of this world?" Enel chuckled, thrilled at the thought of what seizing the Heavenly Gold might bring, especially if it attracted a Marine Admiral.
Under the guidance of the nobleman, the Smile sailed swiftly across the sea, following his directions. After ten hours of sailing, they reached a vast, open sea.
Ahead, three Navy warships stood silently, while around them, a dozen ships from the Cardili Kingdom were queuing to transfer the treasures.
"Captain, should we strike?"
"Let's wait a bit longer. We'll act after all the Heavenly Gold has been transferred!"
"Mmhm!"
...
On Sound Island, the town chief, Kage, saw Karina's return and, despite his previous sorrow, a smile broke across his face. But when he learned that she intended to become a pirate, his expression darkened again.
"Karina, did they force you into becoming a pirate? If that's the case, I'll do everything I can to get you out of this," Kage said with genuine worry. The villagers around them voiced their support, waving their weapons and echoing his sentiment loudly.
At the same time, their eyes turned to the side where Hiro was diligently studying medical texts. If looks could kill, Hiro would have been struck down a thousand times over.
Hiro: "Who is plotting against me? Why do I feel a chill down my spine?"
"No one forced me into this. Uncle Kage, everyone, don't worry. This is my own decision. Natsu and the others have treated me well," Karina quickly reassured them, waving her hands to prevent Kage from doing anything rash. After witnessing the battle between Natsu and Enel, Karina had come to a stark realization.
She thought to herself, "If things really came to blows, even Uncle Kage and everyone here wouldn't stand a chance against Natsu. One move, and they'd be wiped out!"
Even Hiro, with his Devil Fruit abilities as a doctor, wasn't someone ordinary people could defeat.
"Really? That's a relief! Karina, you've done so much for us over the years. Even if you're becoming a pirate now, as long as it's what you want, Uncle Kage will support you," Kage said, confirming once more. He had raised Karina like his own daughter, and the bond between them was deep.
"We all support you, Karina!" The villagers' voices rang out in unison, filling the entire space.
"Thank you, everyone! Karina is truly grateful for all the care and support you've shown me over the years!" Karina said with a deep bow, expressing her heartfelt gratitude.
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