Chapter 105: White Horse Cavendish
“Captain, how much longer can we live?”
“Sigh! I feel like we’re going to be done for this time!”
“Damn it! I haven’t even been to the Red Light District in the New World yet!”
On the pirate ship, a group of people wailed in unison. Escorted by more than ten warships, they were sailing towards the Capital Island of the Eckmond Kingdom. Looking at the cannons that were constantly locked onto their pirate ship from all sides, their mood was utterly dejected, feeling that their journey ahead was dim and their life’s voyage would likely end here.
Although they had been prepared to die in the vast sea from the moment they set sail, the thought of not having experienced the joy of the renowned Red Light District made them feel a sense of unwillingness. Especially since they had planned to rely on their captain’s beauty to try and get some freebies…
However, it was impossible to talk about anything now. Falling into the Black Prince’s hands, there was no way they would get off lightly.
As everyone knows, the Black Prince has been relentlessly cracking down on pirates for the past two years, and there has been no news of any pirate escaping alive from the Black Prince’s grasp.
As for escaping before meeting the Black Prince in person… looking at the heavily guarded fleet surrounding them, and the Whale Shark Fish-Man standing on the deck of the flagship’s bow, even though he had been defeated by Fire Fist once, that didn’t mean anyone could underestimate the famous Sea Knight.
On the contrary, after Fire Fist transformed and became the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and repeatedly made everyone on the sea realize with his scorching fists that it wasn’t that the Sea Knight had weakened, but that Fire Fist had grown so strong that he was second only to the Pirate Emperors.
Jinbe’s three-day and three-night fierce battle with Fire Fist, on the other hand, caused the Sea Knight’s reputation, which had declined after he abandoned his Seven Warlords identity, to rise again.
The crew members of the Beautiful Pirates did not have the confidence to escape from this Fish-Man’s pursuit in the vast sea.
“…”
Cavendish looked at his subordinates who were sighing, remaining silent. He was also unsure of what kind of outcome awaited him. One of his purposes for setting sail was to challenge the “Beautiful Sword” in the Eckmond Kingdom, but he had never imagined meeting the strongest person in their lineage of swordsmanship in such a situation.
“Quiet down, everyone. The situation might not be as bad as you say.”
Cavendish endured for a long time, but finally couldn’t help but speak up to quell the restless hearts of his subordinates. They exchanged glances, and seeing their captain’s displeased expression, they all shut their mouths. However, they did feel slightly more settled in their hearts than before.
Their captain was a narcissist, but aside from being overly narcissistic and loving the spotlight, he had no major personality flaws. He possessed a ‘gentlemanly’ spirit that favored women over men, and he never lied, so the crew members still trusted their captain a great deal.
“It’s not that extreme… If they just wanted to kill us, they wouldn’t have made such a big fuss.”
Cavendish’s gaze stretched towards the flagship, and he could vaguely see the back of the Whale Shark Fish-Man. “Not only did they send out the Sea Knight, but they also helped us block Zephyr’s pursuit. Although I don’t know how they managed it, this matter is by no means easy to accomplish.”
His explanation was logical and convincing.
When matters did not involve his narcissism, this Pirate Noble Son, who had received a good aristocratic education since childhood, had a very sharp mind. Moreover, these matters were not difficult to figure out; it was just that everyone’s spirits were shaken by the Black Prince’s reputation, which caused them to panic.
The sea breeze was humid but not cool. The dazzling sun released too much heat, making the sea breeze also feel scorching.
In the distance,
the calls of seagulls could be heard.
These beautiful white birds spread their wings and circled and soared above the fleet. From their appearance, they were not afraid of the people below at all, clearly accustomed to human presence, meaning they were very close to the island.
As expected,
not long after, the edge of the island appeared at the horizon where the sea met the sky. The continuous, boundless snow-white sails converged into a white ocean. From large galleons to small sampans, tens of thousands of ships gathered in the port. At this moment, more ships were arriving from different directions, anxiously searching for available berths in the port.
“Amazing!”
someone on the pirate ship exclaimed involuntarily, their eyes wide.
They had never seen such a prosperous harbor before! Even Sabaody Archipelago wasn’t this exaggerated. However, this was also partly due to Sabaody Archipelago having too many ports, and as pirates, they didn’t dare to dock at those large ports, so this was truly their first time witnessing such a scene.
“This is Bikahi Island… the Capital Island of the Eckmond Kingdom. It’s a nice place!” Cavendish habitually began to survey the island before him, giving it a ‘nice’ rating based on his aesthetic judgment.
However, under the current circumstances, Cavendish and his crew could not land here. The Eckmond Kingdom’s Navy had its own dedicated military port; this was a civilian port.
Thus,
the fleet gradually turned away from the largest port of Bikahi Island, avoiding it, and landed on another heavily guarded military port. The Beautiful Pirates’ ship was also forcibly impounded at the port. Cavendish did not draw his sword against Jinbe; he disembarked with his partners and, led by Jinbe, Isca, and Hoshigaki Kisame, proceeded inland.
Strictly speaking, Cavendish was not a captive of the Eckmond Kingdom Navy.
However,
it was clear that White Horse was not a brainless fool. Even though Jinbe had escorted him and his partners to Bikahi Island with the attitude of treating them like captives, he didn’t feel much anger. After all, without Jinbe’s assistance at sea, he would likely have been captured alive by Zephyr and sent to Impel Down to eat prison food.
If one were to be precise, the Eckmond Kingdom Navy fleet led by Jinbe was the savior of him and his partners.
“This is…”
Cavendish stood on the empty training ground, looking somewhat bewildered.
“Jinbe… senior.” Cavendish called out to Jinbe, who was about to turn and leave. “May I ask where this place is?”
“This is where you will challenge me.”
A voice came from outside the training ground’s gate. Cavendish turned his head and saw the man entering from the doorway. He had dark brown curly hair, blue eyes, a handsome face like a marble sculpture, and wore a neat and aesthetically pleasing military uniform, exuding a gentle and elegant aura that involuntarily evoked a sense of goodwill.
Even the narcissistic Cavendish, upon seeing this man, instinctively nodded. He was indeed a handsome man, only slightly inferior to himself… Narcissism is an incurable terminal illness.
The moment he saw the man and marveled at his handsome face, a realization dawned on Cavendish: this must be the challenger he had anticipated.
The man opened his mouth and began to introduce himself: “I am…”
At this moment,
a sudden, thunderously loud voice echoed across the training ground.
“So you’re that White Horse? You really have a white horse! And that face… quite handsome. Kurosel, does your lineage only take these pretty-boy apprentices? I thought you were joking before!”
This was a very ugly man, not because Kurosel and Cavendish, two exceptionally handsome men, made him appear ugly by contrast, but because he was inherently ugly. The smiling man looked like a bulldog grinning foolishly.
“Bassa, why are you here?”
Kurosel sighed, looking helplessly at his colleague who was circling Cavendish.
Bassa, the “Fighting Dog,” a man with an ugly smile, was, along with Kurosel, the “Beautiful Sword,” considered the two pillars of the kingdom’s defense. Before Elus grew up, these two steadfastly stood behind His Majesty the King, helping the Eckmond Kingdom repel countless invaders.
“I heard you were going to spar, so I came to watch the excitement since I had nothing else to do,” Bassa said, stating the honestly speechless reason of watching the excitement.
“What about His Majesty? If you leave, there will be no one by His Majesty’s side,” Kurosel frowned.
Bassa waved his hand and casually explained, “Prince El is here! And in the New World, besides a select few, who can harm His Majesty in front of Prince El? If an assassin can get within ten meters of His Majesty, I’ll rip off my head and let you use it as a ball to kick!”
The words were crude, but the meaning was sound.
Kurosel shook his head and glared at the stubborn old fool, who, despite being over forty, spoke as carelessly as he did twenty years ago. “Just shut up! If you’re bored, go away.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll stand on the side and watch the show.”
Bassa observed Cavendish twice, understood the situation, and then chuckled as he retreated to the side of the training ground. He pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds from his pocket and began to crack them open, his bright eyes looking like a child eagerly awaiting the latest episode of an anime.
He was indeed here to watch the excitement.
Jinbe found it awkward to leave at this point, so he and Hoshigaki Kisame also retreated to the side of the training ground, becoming spectators.
Isca stood unobtrusively in a corner of the training ground, her eyes fixed on the two swordsmen on the field. Some of Cavendish’s companions, possessing keen observation, pulled their companions to another side of the training ground, leaving the wide open space in the center for the two swordsmen.
“It’s probably a bit late to ask now, but who is your teacher?” Kurosel, no longer paying attention to the idle onlookers at the training ground’s edge, continued to speak to Cavendish.
Cavendish hesitated for a moment before uttering a name.
Then Kurosel asked his second question, “Are you here in the New World to challenge me for the title of ‘Beautiful Sword’? If you don’t have that intention, then fleeing to Black Swan Island was just to save your life… For the sake of your teacher, you don’t need to worry about the fact that I saved you. Take your companions and leave the Eckmond Kingdom. I guarantee no one will trouble you before you leave the kingdom’s borders. Of course, don’t expect the Eckmond Kingdom to save you a second time.”
“I am here to challenge you, the eleventh Beautiful Sword!”
Cavendish drew his sword.
The Famous Sword Durandal was tightly gripped in his palm, its sharp and gleaming blade pointed at Kurosel standing opposite him. “I will repay the favor of being saved, but that will not stop my determination to challenge you. I will snatch the title of Beautiful Sword from you.”
“You have guts!”
Kurosel looked at the dazzling Famous Sword, a slight smile appearing on his lips. Seeing such an outstanding junior made him feel quite good. Although Elus’s swordsmanship was also learned from Kurosel’s teacher, Elus’s swordsmanship was not limited to the Beautiful Sword style; instead, it drew from various strengths, surpassing its origins and transcending the Beautiful Sword style. Furthermore, Elus was not purely a swordsman, and strictly speaking, not a successor of their lineage.
Cavendish, whose every move from drawing his sword to his stance showed the style of the Beautiful Sword school, was indeed a successor of their lineage.
“Clang—!”
Kurosel also drew the sword hanging at his waist.
It was a Famous Sword no less impressive than Durandal. Its slightly transparent blade shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight. This sword was named “Moonlit Beauty,” a Famous Sword passed down through generations of their school, wielded only by each generation’s Beautiful Sword.
“Moonlit Beauty… Too bad there’s no moon.”
Cavendish’s eyes gleamed. As a swordsman himself, he was naturally filled with admiration for this Famous Sword so closely related to his own sword style.
He had heard the story of this sword from his teacher. Legend had it that this sword, under the moonlight, was so beautiful it could captivate the soul. The founder, with his appreciation for beauty, was so attracted to this Famous Sword that bloomed with astonishing beauty in the moonlight that he designated it as the sword for all successive Beautiful Swords.
“Once you defeat me, you’ll have plenty of time to admire the sword under the moon,” Kurosel said with a slight smile. He looked at Cavendish and suddenly shouted, “Attack, kid! If you keep dithering like this, I’ll be the one to draw my sword.”
And the answer was—
A flash of brilliant sword light.
“Beautiful Sword: Blue Bird!!!”
Cavendish lunged forward, Durandal’s blade creating gusts of whistling air. The thrust attack, fierce enough to pierce reefs, probed forward.
“Your speed is passable, but your strength is insufficient.”
Having trained in the same swordsmanship and possessing twenty years more experience than Cavendish, Kurosel effortlessly blocked the imposing thrust, assessing Cavendish’s swordsmanship as he spoke.
He stepped forward and, with a reverse grip, delivered a diagonal slash. This was “Beautiful Sword: Azalea.” The sharp and swift blade sliced through Cavendish’s shoulder, and fresh blood gushed from the open wound.
This challenge had finally begun.
