As soon as the group arrives at the port of the small Baroque Works settlement, Menchi lets out a loud yawn as she briefly glances at the newly arrived pirate crew. "I've seen enough. I'll return to cooking. See you guys later."
Surprisingly, she simply turns around and wanders off without another word.
"What the fuck?" Alex mutters. "What's wrong with her?"
He shakes his head, then turns his attention to the surprisingly large pirate ship docked nearby. Alex estimates that at least 30 Pirates have arrived at Whiskey Peak. A large group of men is already drinking on the deck, while others mingle with the cheerfully acting bounty hunters, who put on the act of celebrating their "Heroes of the Grand Line."
Alex narrows his eyes and activates Gyo. By now, his mastery allows him to roughly gauge the physical stats of a person by studying their innate Aura. Even with their pores closed, Aura leaks faintly from their bodies.
Through his training in Nen, along with his rapidly growing skills and stats, Alex has grown confident in judging an enemy's strength, especially if they are weaker than himself.
"They're not weak..." he finally says.
The others look at him in confusion, but Jewel finishes his sentence.
But they're not strong either! Princess Jewel could finish them off by herself!
"How accurate is your judgment, Alex? Is the little one right about their strength?" Benezia asks, rubbing her chin as if already calculating their next move.
"No, she isn't," Alex protests firmly. "They're pretty strong. Any pirate who survives long enough to make it to the Grand Line is bound to be a monster compared to average humans. These ones are no exception. An average human has about five points in most stats. These people are at least three to four times stronger than that. Of course, that doesn't mean they all have 20 STR since the stats scale differently, but I'd place them somewhere between eight and fifteen, at least their STR, PHY, and AGI."
Alex's gaze lingers on several pirates. One is almost comically large—three times the size of a normal man. A few others carry decent-looking weapons and stand out from the rest. One in particular has a striking katana, and the way the others defer to him marks him as someone of note. Despite the celebratory mood, Alex notices a few of them keeping a cautious eye on their surroundings.
"Some of these pirates are extremely strong, at least in one aspect," Alex continues. "They aren't just brutes either—they know how to use their weapons. If they surround one of us, even we could get in trouble if we take a blade or a bullet to the face. And that massive one... he's stronger than me, I can feel it. Some humans in One Piece defy logic. His SPD might be lacking, but judging his STR and PHY alone... he's dangerous."
Tereza snickers. "We need to be careful, sure. But Jewel is right—these people are still considered mediocre. We can take them down easily enough."
Princess Jewel can kill that big one in a single attack if she uses her Ultimate Secret Technique...
"No!" Alex snaps. "Stop it—don't even think about it."
Princess Jewel could also use her Royal Ruby Teeth to kill him. It would just take a few bites... she would require ten, maybe twenty seconds.
"Okay, enough!" Benezia cuts in, putting an end to the squabbling. "They're decently strong opponents and shouldn't be underestimated, but they're not a serious threat if we act carefully."
Alex exhales, his shoulders loosening a little as he can't help but agree with her. "Fair enough, I guess."
"We'll act according to the plan," Benezia says. "Do not engage them; let the Bounty Hunters do their job. Let's stick nearby and blend in. Little one, you can fish at the pier for now if you're bored."
❤️
The group lingers by the docks while the pirates visibly relax, laughing and drinking with the townsfolk.
Benezia, uninterested in fishing, hands her rod to Tereza and wanders into the settlement. Meanwhile, Tereza, Alex, and Jewel quietly fish by the pier, sneaking glances at the pirates from time to time. Everyone looks excited from time to time when one of them lands a Gray Quality catch.
Jewel leads the score, proudly hauling in two Gray Quality fish. Alex has caught one. Tereza, however, looks irritated—every fish she pulls up is looking grotesque and, of course, unrecognized by the system.
This is so much fun!
Alex suddenly notices a ruckus further down the street. Frowning, he stores his fishing rod in his inventory.
"I'll take a look myself," he says, heading off.
Alex quickly makes his way toward the centre of the settlement and spots Benezia lingering near a cluster of food stalls.
He slips beside her, close enough to be concealed by the stands as well. Without turning her head, she whispers, "They're called the Blood-claw Pirates."
Despite his best effort to focus on the threat, Alex gets slightly distracted as he hunches so close next to her. His eyes wander to the line of Benezia's neck above the sleek black dress she wears, and he becomes uncomfortably aware of her scent as he's lingering right next to her.
Stop fooling around. I'm not a creep.
He shakes his head hard, forcing his thoughts back on track, and studies the pirates. One in particular draws his gaze: a tall man, still just within human limits, wielding a brutal iron claw on his left hand. Three long metal spikes jut from it, each as large as the head of a small axe.
"I see," Alex mutters, eyes narrowing. "That has to be their captain."
"I've heard whispers," Benezia continues, her eyes sharp on the scene. "He carries a bounty of thirty-four million. He's from the South Blue and his crew is somewhat successful, despite their lack of experience. It seems they formed less than a year ago, successfully built up their crew, and headed for the Grand Line after receiving their first bounties. His second mate is a swordsman with a bounty of fourteen million. And the helmsman, that giant human from earlier, has eleven million placed on his head. They have a reputation for kidnapping civilians and... entertaining themselves until they get bored, then killing them. Not just women, Alex. Men, the elderly, and even children. The helmsman is infamous for crushing his victims' skulls with his bare hands. You were right—they're dangerous."
"The bounty hunters dug up all that already?" Alex says, sounding impressed.
"They did," Benezia nods. "Also, they acknowledge our position and are more than willing to listen to our orders and opinions. However, even if they're strong, that doesn't change the plan—we avoid an outright battle. I doubt the hunters can handle those three. The others, probably yes, since they don't even have bounties, but not them. Our focus should be only on those three."
"Sounds like a plan," Alex agrees, his tone turning serious. "Jewel can handle the fat helmsman. He doesn't look attentive, so she can maybe really sneak up to his neck and take a few bites. I'll take the captain—I've experience with claws and want to broaden my horizons."
Benezia gives him a short nod. "I'll deal with the swordsman then. I've been meaning to test my sword skills properly. Tereza can stay back and support. I've heard she has healing spells—those might come in handy if things go wrong."
Hey... so do I... well, whatever.
Alex heads back quickly to where Jewel and Tereza are waiting and lays out the plan.
"I feel left out," Tereza complains.
"You can step in if things get rough," Alex says. Then, remembering his quest, he adds, "Actually, there's something else. Think you can sneak onto their ship with the Disillusionment Charm? Grab all the gunpowder you can find and stash it in your inventory. I'll owe you one."
Tereza smirks faintly. "I'll circle around. When I see an opening, probably after they relax a little more, I'll do it."
Princess Jewel wants to continue fishing!
"So you don't want to ambush that giant with grenades?" Alex teases, a sly grin on his lips.
!!
Jewel drops her web-rod into the ocean and spins toward him.
Princess Jewel will reluctantly follow the plan.
"Don't overdo it, okay?" Alex warns. "Also, hand me and Tereza a few grenades—don't hog them all for yourself. Three each."
Jewel freezes, eyes wide, like a child told to share her toys. After a long moment, she finally relents, handing over three grenades apiece while keeping nine clutched protectively for herself.
Alex gives her a firm look. "Do your best. I'm counting on you."
Of course, Soulmate! Princess Jewel will fulfill her duty without any issues.
"Jewel scares me from time to time," Tereza admits, watching the purple spider leap onto Alex's head and perform a little dance, her abdomen swaying in slow, melodic arcs.
"Let's get serious now," Alex says in a serious tone.
The group splits. Tereza circles the area at a casual pace, taking a stroll through the town, while Jewel vanishes into the crowd, with Zetsu hiding her presence, making her disappear almost instantly, ready to stalk her target. Alex, meanwhile, trails after the captain, who leads several of his men into a nearby bar.
Acting carefully, Alex takes a seat at the far edge of the counter, positioning himself close enough to observe but out of the main commotion. His massive sword is hanging on his back, making him look like a lone and dangerous mercenary, one that most people would avoid.
The captain and his crew waste no time, loudly drinking and feasting, their laughter echoing through the tavern. Female mercenaries flutter around them, refilling mugs and setting out platters of food. They put on cheerful faces, tolerating groping hands and silly drunken boasts, playing their part.
These people are pros. They can remain calm even when treated like that.
Alex sees a hint of rage and bloodlust in the faces of the females, figuring they can't wait to return the favor.
Things will start soon. I'm ready as well... it's been a while.
Alex then carefully rubs the hilt of his sword.
Things will get violent... again... and I'm strangely craving some action. I need to stay calm... it won't be long.
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