Chapter 170: Red-haired Pirates
The table remained intact, and Shanks raised his sword again.
“Shanks, what are you doing? Don’t damage Sister Makino’s things.” A six- or seven-year-old kid blocked in front of the Red-Haired Pirates, puffing out his cheeks and glaring at him.
The kid’s voice caught the attention of the boss lady who was washing cups. The beautiful boss lady turned her head and saw Shanks pointing his weapon at her bar table.
Makino tilted her head slightly, looking at Shanks in confusion.
“Aha ha ha, I wasn’t trying to damage anything, Makino. Don’t listen to this kid Luffy’s nonsense.” Shanks hurriedly sheathed his sword and gave an awkward laugh.
“I clearly saw it!” Luffy said unconvinced.
Shanks hurriedly shoved a cup of juice to Luffy’s mouth to block it.
“I believe Mr. Shanks isn’t that kind of person.” Makino glanced at the completely undamaged table and showed a sweet smile.
“Hey, boss, wanna try again?” A pirate asked, holding back laughter.
“Of course.” Shanks raised an eyebrow and walked out of the tavern.
The coverage of the supernatural energy was very wide, not limited to inside the tavern.
Several pirates followed him out of the tavern together. Luffy downed the juice in one gulp, set down the cup, and hurriedly followed.
“Take me with you next time you set sail, Shanks. I want to become a pirate too.” Luffy shouted while chasing after him.
“Ha ha, Luffy, can someone like you even become a pirate?” Shanks laughed once and said perfunctorily.
“Why not? I’m very strong!” Luffy swung his fist.
“You’re too small right now. Wait until you’ve grown a bit more.” Shanks didn’t even glance at Luffy, found a wooden stake, and drew his sword again.
This time, using twenty percent strength.
Thirty percent strength, forty percent strength.
The supernatural energy still showed no sign of collapsing.
Covering such a large area with such strong defense, the user’s strength is probably at least not inferior to Ben Beckman.
The strength Shanks used grew stronger and stronger. From his tense posture and the speed of his swing, it was clear he was approaching full power.
“Shanks, your strength is so weak, you can’t even chop a wooden stake. I don’t want to go to sea with you anymore.” Little Luffy’s eyes gradually turned to disdain: “Unless you let me be captain.”
“Ha ha ha ha~” The watching pirates burst into laughter.
“The boss is so lame, actually looked down on by little Luffy.”
“Can’t even break a wooden stake, isn’t that super lame?”
“Boss, how about giving the captain position to Luffy?”
“…”
Shanks didn’t mind the crew’s joking mockery, his expression completely serious.
The previous assessment was way off; it wasn’t just not inferior to Ben Beckman—it should be stronger than himself. Could it be a strong person on the captain’s level?
However, even if it’s a strong person on the captain’s level, his strongest attack shouldn’t fail to break even a ranged defense, right?
Shanks’s competitive spirit was ignited.
A flash of lightning crossed Shanks’s eyes. Terrifying Conqueror’s Haki was firmly controlled by Shanks within Gryphon in his hand, without the slightest leakage.
“Divine Departure!”
“Bang!”
The wooden stake stood there like an indestructible rock. Shanks’s arm jerked back, and he retreated several steps with ‘thud thud thud’!
If not for Shanks and Gryphon both being protected by Stelle’s Preservation Power, this blow would have at least split Shanks’s palms open.
Beckman frowned tightly. He knew the captain’s strength better than anyone, yet even at full power, this layer of protection remained unscathed.
Could it be the legendary Barrier-Barrier Fruit?
Aside from the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, Beckman couldn’t think of any other Devil Fruit that could do this.
It’s said that as long as the Barrier-Barrier Fruit user doesn’t exhaust their stamina, the barrier won’t be broken.
The performance doesn’t quite match the description in the book. Could it be awakened?
Shanks was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: “Ha ha ha, I really am lame. I thought I was pretty great, but turns out I’m still far off. Ha ha ha.”
A group of people dressed as bandits approached from afar. The leading bandit king disdainfully glanced at Shanks and his group.
“You guys are those so-called pirate types, right? Saw you swinging your sword with such momentum from far away, thought you were someone, but you can’t even chop a wooden stake. What trash. Ptoo~”
Bandit King Sig spat a mouthful of saliva on Shanks, then glanced at the wooden stake beside him and instantly drew his sword.
Shanks was about to watch this bandit’s joke when he keenly noticed that the supernatural energy covering all surrounding objects had disappeared!
“Sizzle~”
The eight-million bounty Bandit King Sig still had some skill. The wooden stake split in two, with a smooth cut surface.
“With your strength, you dare to mess around as a pirate? Better hurry home to drink milk, trash.” Sig pinched Shanks’s face and tugged.
“Ha ha ha, the boss actually got outdone by a bandit.”
“What do we do if the boss goes home to drink milk? Everyone go back to our own homes and find our own moms?”
“What, you wanna go home to drink milk too?”
“Ha ha ha ha~”
“What’s so funny?” Sig glanced at the Red-Haired Pirates’ crew: “If trash like him can be your boss, you’re even more trash.”
The Red-Haired Pirates instantly stopped laughing, looking at Sig with some ill intent.
“Wanna fight? If you fight, be prepared for it. I can kill 56 like your boss with one sword.” Sig sneered condescendingly at the pirates.
Without Shanks speaking, the pirates didn’t make a move.
Thinking the pirates had chickened out, Sig grew even more arrogant: “Be grateful. We’re not here to cause trouble, but to buy booze. Otherwise, none of you would survive.”
With that, he walked past Shanks and entered the tavern.
The rest of the bandits swaggered in arrogantly, shoving past Shanks and his crew.
Shanks wiped the saliva off himself and smiled: “This is too fun. Actually treated like small fry from some third-rate pirate crew.”
The pirates burst into laughter again upon hearing this.
Luffy shouted angrily: “How can you still laugh? Don’t you think that’s embarrassing? Fight them…”
Halfway through shouting, he suddenly realized: “I get it. Your strength is too weak; you’re no match for them, so you don’t dare fight. Shanks, you’re not fit to be a man or a pirate. You’ve really disappointed me! But you’re my friend Luffy, so I won’t let you get bullied. I’ll make them apologize to you!”
Luffy marched boldly into the tavern.
Shanks chuckled and shook his head. Go ahead if he wants; anyway, with him there, nothing will happen.
“You jerks, apologize to Shanks and them! Even though they’re really weak, you can’t look down on them!” Luffy looked up angrily at Sig.
“Weak and I’m not allowed to look down? I’m so strong, if I can’t look down on them, what’s the point of being stronger? Hilarious. Get lost, kid.” Sig kicked Luffy aside and muttered: “What a buzzkill. No booze left at all. These pirates suck at fighting but sure can drink. A bunch of boozehounds.”
Luffy crashed into the counter, tears welling up in pain, but he still wanted to stand and argue.
Makino hurried out from behind the counter, hugged Luffy, and covered his mouth.
“Sorry, sorry. Please don’t stoop to his level. I’ll buy more booze as soon as possible.” Makino apologized somewhat panicked.
“Let’s go, lads.” Sig shook his head and turned to leave with his little brothers.
A fruit rolled down from the counter and hit Luffy on the head.
Luffy pried Makino’s hand away and viciously bit into the fruit that hit him, as if venting.
Sig walked out of Windmill Village and spotted a group of handsome men and beautiful women appearing on the suburban path ahead.
Sig’s bandit little brothers stared wide-eyed, all frozen like statues.
Himeko, tender and delicate.
Stelle, tender and delicate.
Su Xiaoli, tender and delicate.
…
Dan Heng, tense… dripping tension.
“Gulp, boss, they’re even prettier than noble misses in the city. Let’s rob them?” A bandit couldn’t help saying.
Sig wasn’t into women, but the train crew—whether looks, attire, or aura—outranked those noble misses by miles. Even gays couldn’t help but look twice.
Even if not as camp wives, selling them as slaves would fetch a fortune.
None of this group was holding weapons…
“Rob them!” Sig decided. They were bandits; not robbing good goods would violate professional ethics, right?
The bandits quickened their steps toward the train crew.
“I opened this mountain, I planted this tree. If you want to pass, leave toll money!”
“Pah, leave all the people too!”
March 7th looked around. This was a field, no mountain or tree in sight.
“These bandits don’t seem very smart.” March 7th whispered in Meng Huaifeng’s ear.
Meng Huaifeng wordlessly stroked March 7th’s pink hair; she shook her head and dodged.
“If they were smart, they wouldn’t rob us.”
“You guys, are you tired of living?” Himeko asked.
“Tired of living? We’re living free and easy, big bro. Be smart and come with us, or don’t blame us for getting rough.” Sig grinned ferociously.
“Sigh.” Himeko sighed helplessly.
“How long have you been bandits? How many innocent people have you killed?” Su Xiaoli blinked and asked, as pink mental energy silently invaded the bandits’ bodies.
“I’ve killed countless; can’t even remember.”
“I killed six!”
“Fifteen.”
“Three.”
“I just joined; haven’t killed anyone yet…”
The bandits, as if entranced, boasted about their exploits one after another.
“Leave it to me.” Zhu Zhuqing said, turning into over ten afterimages.
In an instant, only the one who said he hadn’t killed anyone was left alive.
For such existences who would clearly harm more people if left alive, since they’d encountered them, the train crew wouldn’t go easy.
They’d dealt with plenty of interstellar pirates and the like.
“Be a good person from now on.” Himeko said.
“Thud!”
The bandit immediately knelt on the ground, hurriedly saying: “Yes yes yes, this little one will definitely be a good person and never be a bandit again!”
Meng Huaifeng pointed a finger, warping the bandit’s corpses into the forest to avoid scaring the villagers.
Windmill Village wasn’t big, with only one tavern, very conspicuous.
Upon arriving in the New World, tasting local delicacies and booze first wasn’t bad, and they could gather info too.
So the train crew entered the tavern, where the Red-Haired Pirates were still eating and drinking heartily.
Seeing so many beauties in the train crew, a few pirates whistled, but no one spoke up to hit on or trouble them.
The partners Shanks had chosen were decent in quality; at least not the burn-kill-loot-lawless type.
That kind of pirate wouldn’t catch Shanks’s eye.
“Welcome. What would you like? Sorry, no booze left, only juice.” Makino came over.
“No problem, juice is fine.” Himeko said.
“This way please.” Makino cleared two tables in the corner.
Shanks looked at the train crew. At first glance, they seemed like ordinary people, but the more he looked, the more off it felt.
Cat-Cat Fruit ability user, Fox-Fox Fruit ability user?
The others probably weren’t simple either.
Seeing the train crew had ordered, Shanks enthusiastically came over.
“Hello, I’m Shanks, captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. Friends?”
“Pirates?” Most people frowned slightly, looking at Shanks unkindly.
Invisible pressure fell on Shanks, making his breathing difficult.
This was… way too off.
Just looking at him unkindly set off crazy warnings from his Observation Haki. What monsters are these people?
Cold sweat beaded on Shanks’s face. He gave an awkward laugh: “I think this is our first meeting, no grudges. No need to be so hostile, right? At least get to know me, give me some face.”
“The pirates in this world are somewhat different from the conventional pirates we understand.” Meng Huaifeng spoke up.
Everyone’s hostility eased slightly. March 7th asked: “What’s different?”
“While most pirates kill, rob, and commit all evils, some just adventure to various places, free and easy, seeing the world’s diverse beautiful sights.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Which kind is Mr. Shanks?” Himeko looked at Shanks.
“We’re the second kind.” Shanks said honestly.
“Isn’t that just adventurers? Why call it a pirate crew?” March 7th asked puzzled.
“On the seas, besides merchant fleets, Navy, and bounty hunters, there are only pirates. No fourth kind. Even if not now, you’ll soon become pirates.” Shanks said.
“What kind of logic is that?” March 7th was full of question marks.
“Of course, because this world’s government is already very corrupt.” Yan said faintly. The over 7,000-year-old Yan had seen countless civilizations rise and fall, life and death struggles, and wasn’t too moved.
“Since you’re the second kind, you haven’t harmed innocent commoners, right?” Meng Huaifeng asked.
Though the Red-Haired Pirates had a good reputation, it was only from animation, extremely one-sided.
Due to censorship, animations couldn’t and wouldn’t show many things.
So what the real Red-Haired Pirates were like, Meng Huaifeng couldn’t be sure.
“Of course not. What money do commoners have? We usually rob other pirate crews, black-on-black. Occasionally hit corrupt nobles, but let the people go safely.” Shanks said.
After speaking, Shanks keenly noticed the heart-pounding feeling had vanished.
This means… they’ve acknowledged us?
