"Hey, hey, hey, what day is it today?"
On one of the ships on the sea route, a vessel with a prow shaped like a spider, sat cross-legged on the deck, a man with a long neck, long arms, and long legs, resembling a bamboo pole, snickering at two other ships sailing alongside him.
"It's rare to run into fellow inmates. Are you here to resupply or to play games?"
One of the two ships was modeled after a warship, with sturdy ships and powerful cannons but no other fancy features. There were many pirates on board, numbering about several hundred.
The other ship has a figurehead statue holding a thunderbolt, and a small crew of only about thirty people; it is a fast ship.
"This is none of your business," a man in a black cloak sneered from the ship that resembled a warship.
The word 'Evil' was written in large white letters on the back of the cloak. He himself was very muscular, with a slicked-back hairstyle and a sinister appearance, looking like a warlord.
He once held a high position in the Navy, was a former Vice Admiral, and was known as "Dog Bite" Feigel, codenamed "Black Dog"!
On the other speedboat, a man with an eye patch over his left eye also remained silent.
"Tsk tsk tsk."
The pirate, who looked like he was growing from head to toe, twisted his neck, his head moving strangely as if shifting horizontally. After making a few noises, he rolled his eyes and said, "I want to participate in this treasure hunt. Don't try to take it from me! I haven't been active in a long time. It's rare to encounter a scene like this, so I should make some noise and show the world my presence."
This person, "Insect King" Rhodes, was a great pirate with a bounty of 276 million. He was a hybrid of the Long-Necked Tribe, the Long-Armed Tribe, and the Long-Legged Tribe, and he looked just like a stick insect.
"Looking for a sense of existence in a place like this?"
The one-eyed man wearing an eyepatch glanced at Rhodes and said indifferently, "Well, you really do have ambition."
"Moshi moshi!"
Suddenly, a loudspeaker blared from the highest point.
On the highest platform on the island, a fat man in a pink tuxedo walked out holding a microphone. His other left hand was also wrapped in machinery, and his right leg was attached to a wooden stick. He was clearly a disabled old pirate.
"Have you had some fun, pirates?!"
He was holding the microphone and shouting.
"oh!!!"
His response came from countless pirates who were sightseeing on the island.
"Yes, the Pirate Expo, the Pirate Expo that has finally been held again after many years. Although so much time has passed, the rules of the Expo will not change. Robbery, kidnapping, and cheating are all allowed. You can do whatever you want here because we are pirates! But there is only one thing that cannot be violated, and that is that the Navy must never find out about this festival! Anyone who dares to inform on us... will be hunted down by all the pirates here!"
"Oh!!!" Cheers erupted again.
"I forgot to introduce myself..."
The fat man in pink shouted, "I am the master of crowd control, Donald Modirat! And then..."
Despite his obese body, he was able to jump up and, with agility that seemed incongruous with his stature, spun around on the wooden stick supported by his one leg before stepping to the side. From behind, emerged a beautiful young girl with green hair, wearing a green and white striped tutu.
"Our famous singer, Miss Anne!"
On the big screen, a young female singer with freckles on her face was also displayed.
Is it very famous?
Kuro had already boarded the ship. The appearance of this host meant that the 'game' was about to begin. He stared at the girl on the screen and asked curiously.
“Very famous.” Chloe nodded. “She’s a super popular singer.”
"roar!!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a huge red dragon appeared on the sea lane, spewing flames that startled the pirates nearby, making them nearly jump up.
“Anne is a ‘phantom person’ who ate the ‘phantom fruit’ and can project any pattern she touches into the form of a phantom.”
"Nice to meet you!" the girl waved.
Kuro completely ignored this small prize.
He could tell at a glance that the red dragon was fake because it had no signs of life.
"Where's Smoker?" he asked, glancing around the ship.
"They haven't arrived yet; it seems they're still investigating," Kro replied.
"Forget it, let's just ignore him."
Kuro lit a cigar and said, "We can send orders over there to have them come over."
“Yes…” Kro took out a Den Den Mushi and started dialing a number.
"Before that..."
Kuro looked at the screen. "Just play around with it."
On the screen, the host continued, "There's a reason why this year's Pirate Expo, after so many years, chose this location as its venue. Back then, when the Great Pirate Era was about to begin, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger discovered this island, buried extremely valuable treasure here, and left these words: 'In the deepest and highest darkness lies our answer. Now, it's time for us to unravel this mystery!'"
Rumble...
The seaway was shaking. Kuro glanced ahead and saw a large whirlpool in the center of the three-way intersection, causing seawater to flow continuously into it.
"Oh? It's quite lively..."
Apart from Kuro's ship, the sea route was packed with pirate ships both in front and behind.
There are pirate ships of all sizes here, ranging from a few million to hundreds of millions.
Kuro roughly estimated that, including those on this island who didn't participate, there were at least twenty or thirty thousand pirates here.
"Hey, Kuro, did you cause this current?" Lida asked, looking at the whirlpool ahead.
“How could that be? If it were me, it would be the entire island, not the center.” Kuro said, biting his cigar. “Something is coming.”
As he spoke, he clenched his fist, and the pirate ship rose slightly off the surface of the sea. It seemed to be moving with the help of the water, but in reality, it was under his control and gradually moved forward.
boom!!
Suddenly, a massive column of water erupted from the central whirlpool, blasting the ships that had been caught in it to pieces. Within that column, a huge bubble rose, and inside the bubble...
"An island! It's an island!"
The host shouted, "There are bubbles in the towering ocean currents, and inside the bubbles is an island! There it is, the treasure island has appeared! The treasure hunt officially begins!!"
"That's really interesting..."
On a ship with two katana flying on its pirate flag, 'Water Warrior' Austin touched the hilt of his sword and grinned maliciously, "Let's go have some fun!"
"Hey, Austin! I won't lose to you!"
The one speaking was a boat next to him; 'Living Ghost' Taught Locke smiled at Austin.
At the very front of the two ships, a man walked to the stern and suggested to the two men, "Let's decide the outcome of the last battle this time. Whoever gets the treasure first wins, what do you say?"
Macaulay Warner, the "Near God".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
