Chapter 9: Players Enter Battle
Storoberry glanced at the Den Den Mushi on his wrist.
The navy, which was just responsible for monitoring the sea, has discovered the Sun Pirates' ship and expects it to dock today.
Stolberg, now in his naval uniform, tensed his jaw as he looked at the fully armed young naval personnel behind him.
Strawberry: "You've all seen the wanted posters. Today's target is the Sun Pirates, life or death!"
Navy: "Yes, sir!"
"Set off!"
——
Just as the Sun Pirates, completely unaware of the danger, were about to break into the Marines' encirclement, Violet received a new mission notification.
[You have triggered a new side quest]
[You have accepted a new side quest: The legendary fish-men in crisis have sent you a distress signal. Please lead the Sun Pirates through this crisis. Quest Reward: Fish-man faction favorability +20]
Yay, it's a new mission!
But then again, is a battle about to begin? And if I remember correctly, the Sun Pirates are pirates. If she helps the pirates, will she be automatically assigned to the pirate camp?
But she doesn't want to choose a side so soon!
Violet looked down at the crumpled newspaper in her hand and had a good idea.
——
The Sun Pirates' ship docked at the shore, and Tiger and Jinbe took Koala aboard to search for her family.
The moment she set foot on Forchart Island, some blurry images flashed before Kerr's eyes—in an old but cozy house, her father carried his catch of fish to hang outside the window to dry, she sat beside her mother and cleaned the fishing gear with her, and free white wildflowers were tucked behind her mother's and hers' ears, trembling gently with their smiles.
Following the guidance of fate, Koala ran quickly in a certain direction. Tiger and Jinbe, who were originally following behind her, exchanged a glance and slowed down a few steps to catch up.
"Whoosh—whoosh—" Kera felt her lungs burning, and the blurry house from her memory appeared before her eyes. Wisps of smoke were still rising from the chimney, and the old wooden door was slowly pushed open under her gaze.
Everything seemed to be playing out in slow motion, like a film reel.
"..." Kella opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Who's behind the door? Father, Mother? Are they alright? Do they still remember me?
"Ah!" Overly excited, Kera didn't notice the pebbles under her feet, slipped, and fell straight forward to the ground, her knees scraping and bleeding from the rough ground.
Kerla quickly stood up, looking annoyed at how her already worn clothes had been torn even more after the fall.
Wait, wait, she can't just meet her parents like this!
Kerla frantically brushed the dust off her body, then ran her hands through her hair, pulling hard to try and comb her messy hair.
Squeak—
The wooden door opened completely, and Kella froze on the spot as if under a spell, staring straight at the dark doorway.
A familiar figure emerged from within, carrying a wooden basin. She looked much more haggard than Kera remembered.
"Mother……"
Like the tender chirping of a fledgling bird, it dissipates with a gust of wind.
But no mother can forget the voice of her child. Muti turned around blankly, and the wooden basin in her hand fell to the ground.
"K...Kella!"
She caught her daughter who was running towards her and held her tightly in her arms. Large scalding liquid soaked through her rough, washed-out clothes on her chest.
"Kera, Mama's Kera."
Koala snapped out of her daze, looked up at her mother, and introduced herself: "Mom, I'm from the Sun Pirates. Mr. Tiger and Mr. Jinbe brought me back!"
For a moment, Mti's expression panicked, and pain and self-blame flashed in his tear-filled eyes.
Kerla: "...Mom?" Her life as a slave had made Kerla very sensitive to people's emotions, and she sensed that something she couldn't understand and didn't want had happened.
A white coat of justice flashed by, and Storoberry looked at the mother and daughter embracing each other, instructing the navy beside him to take them to a safe place.
Koala: "Mommy, Mommy, what happened? Why, why are there so many Marines here?!"
Mti: "I'm sorry, Kerla, I'm so sorry..."
Koala: "The people on Forshat Island and the Navy betrayed us, didn't they? No, I'm going to tell Mr. Tiger and Mr. Jinbe!"
Kerla struggled desperately in her mother's arms. Mti closed her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face, but the woman's thin arms were like steel at that moment, holding Kerla firmly in her embrace.
Kella glared angrily at Storoberry: "Why, why arrest Mr. Tiger? Mr. Tiger did nothing wrong! It's clearly those slave traders who captured civilians and enslaved them, those who took pleasure in oppressing the people..."
Mti: "Kerla!"
Mti: "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Mr. Navy, please, just pretend you didn't hear anything."
Storoberry looked at Kerla: "Do you know what happened to most of the slaves that Fisher Tiger rescued?"
Strawberry: "Aside from some fishmen who were taken in by him into the Sun Pirates, the rest of the slaves either resold themselves or died in poverty in foreign lands. But many more chose to take up arms and, under the guise of following Tiger and seeking revenge, plundered and killed on various islands."
Kella: "...This is not Mr. Tiger's fault."
Strawberry chuckled, whether at Koala's naiveté or her defense of Tiger, it was hard to tell: "Indeed, but even now, there are still people using his name to slaughter civilians, and dealing with the Sun Pirates is the fastest way to eliminate this band of thugs."
Storoberry sighed, "If he's captured by the Navy, he'll just be imprisoned in Impel Down. If he's captured by the government's CP organization, he'll be sent to the Holy Land." For Tiger, that would be a humiliation more unbearable than death.
Storoberry: "Take them away, there's going to be fighting here soon."
"Commodore Strawberry! The civilians have been evacuated. The captain and crew of the Sun Pirates are now in the encirclement!"
“Okay.” Storoberry picked up the Den Den Mushi. “Everything proceeds according to plan!”
——
Bang! Bang!
The sound of gunfire shattered the tranquility of Forsythe Island. Jinbe stood protectively in front of Tiger, watching warily as the marines around them aimed their guns.
Tiger clutched his shoulder with one hand. The Navy was well-prepared, having laid a tight encirclement on Forsythia Island, waiting for the Sun Pirates to appear. Caught off guard, he was shot in the shoulder, and the bullet embedded in his muscle was constantly stimulating his nerves, bringing sharp pain.
Tiger: "Jinbe! You go first and inform the fleet in the port that we are surrounded by the navy. I will stay here to cover the rear."
Jinbe: "No, I'll cover the rear. Tiger, you go and inform the fleet!"
Tiger: "Jinbe!"
Tiger: "This is the captain's order, go!"
Jinbe gritted his teeth and took a deep breath: "Fishman Karate!"
The naval encirclement was breached by this attack, and Jinbe rushed toward the opening, but a figure wearing a cloak of justice blocked his way the next moment.
"Jinbe, a member of the Sun Pirates, with a bounty of 76 million Berries, and the captain of the Sun Pirates with a bounty of 230 million Berries..."
Storoberry looked at Tiger, drew two longswords, and charged at him: "You villain who destroyed the Holy Land, Fisher Tiger, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Tiger lowered his hand from his wound and looked around. Apart from the navy, there wasn't a single civilian in sight. Clearly, the people of Forchart Island had known about the navy's arrival all along and had betrayed him!
The anger towards humanity that had been suppressed by reason for so long burned fiercely in his heart once again. Tiger's muscles bulged, and the wound on his shoulder that had been bleeding profusely closed up directly under the powerful contraction of his muscles.
He is not a coward who fears war!
Tiger stepped forward: "Holy Land, what a ridiculous claim, it's clearly..."
"Hell!"
Tiger brought his palms together and slashed straight down at Storoberry. The clash of his palms and the longsword produced a metallic clang.
“Armament Haki…” Storoberry looked at Tiger’s dark palm without surprise. A guy who could climb the Red Line with his bare hands and challenge the Celestial Dragons’ authority to release slaves must have extraordinary strength in addition to his courage!
"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time!" Storoberry stopped the navy officers who were trying to ambush Tiger and chose to walk into the encirclement to fight him one-on-one!
This might be Tiger's very last battle, and he, Storoberry, will never let this epic story end in a boring and tedious way!
Whether he is portrayed as a villain or a hero, he will always be a worthy opponent!
Tiger threw a punch, and the water vapor in the air condensed into droplets that shot forward with the force of his punch: "Is this the justice of your navy? Slave traders who traffic in people are protected, while those who liberate slaves are wanted?!"
Strawberry parried with his twin swords crossed: "Tiger, are you going to say you don't know that, 'inspired' by your deeds, the fish-men of Fishman Street have started selling humans as slaves, and even directly raiding islands inhabited by civilians?!"
"And of those slaves you rescued, how many chose to go home, how many joined pirate crews, or even became new slave traders themselves!"
Bang! The attack ended, and the two separated. Tiger looked dejected for a moment after hearing Strawberry's words, but soon he raised his head again to look at the Navy in front of him.
"It seems neither of us can convince the other, so let's settle things with our fists!"
Tiger charged at Storoberry again, but Storoberry dodged Tiger's punch and stabbed Tiger in the side with his longsword.
A stone spear blocked his attack.
It was a weapon made of sticks, ropes, and stones, which seemed ridiculously rudimentary to Storobelli.
[Spear Durability -1]
Storoberry looked down along the stone spear and saw a man who was only waist-high. The man had a square box made of folded newspapers over his head, with only two small holes poked in it for his eyes.
Stolberg could still read the report above.
[Incredible! Years after his wife's death, a woman's voice whispering love could be heard coming from his room every night. A curious neighbor peered in and saw a man sitting alone by the bed, talking to the empty white wall!]
[XX brand tape recorder, preserving your unforgettable memories forever.]
Storoberry: "..."
What is all this nonsense? The Navy needs to take action against these guys who are making all sorts of random advertisements!
A note from the author:
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Violet's outfit +1 [rainbow fart]
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