Authors note: Donate power stones guys so we can climb up the rank!
Read 10 advanced Chapters ahead on P@t
Patroen.com/ Hunchovroy848
....
"Hey, Jake, how long until we reach the nearest island?" Gojo hummed, deploying a look of puppy-dog eyes that radiated a thirst for adventure.
"A few more hours. So, hold on and stop being a crybaby."
Gojo grumbled, waltzing his way to the kitchen to prepare an omelet rice—a technique he had mastered during his time in Jujutsu. The rich aroma circulated throughout the kitchen's confines, causing both Jake's and Ryuken's stomachs to grumble in unison.
When was the last time they had eaten? Well, I just remembered: it was back at Traders Haven. Lol.
If it were Luffy—I mean, Monkey D. Luffy—he would have waddled his way to the kitchen and devoured anything in sight, be it raw or cooked.
This is because he lives by that great proverb: "If you're hungry, eat!"
An individual with that kind of insatiable appetite should probably be permanently restricted from the kitchen.
But how do the Straw Hats manage to humble him? Someone of that caliber should be chained down; otherwise, you might fall asleep and wake the next day only to discover your entire month's supply of food has been digested in a single night by one person.
Gojo served the food and distributed it among themselves; they ate while the ship sailed calmly upon the tranquil waters.
"This is incredible. How did you make this?" Ryuken managed between eager bites.
"Call it… Gojo's magic."
"What's that supposed to mean? How lame."
Gojo had retained a small portion on his own plate. "Hey, Rio, come eat some of Gojo's special."
He called the parrot over and offered it the smaller portion he had saved. "Now, time for some snacks."
He brought out a freshly baked chocolate cake, which was his personal favorite due to his profound love for chocolate.
They ate until they lay on the floor, their stomachs stretched to the absolute limit, incapable of ingesting another morsel without consequence. "Thanks for the food, Satoru."
"You are welcome, but that will be one hundred beli each."
"Eh?"
Gojo's comment made Jake and Ryuken choke as they tried to suppress their laughter. After a while, driven by curiosity, Ryuken picked up the spyglass to scout the horizon before catching a tiny glimpse of an island up ahead.
"Hey, guys—an island spotted in five!"
"Really?" Jake used the scope, also taking a glimpse. "Full speed ahead; island in sight!"
He steered the ship at full throttle, while Ryu and Gojo stretched their muscles, preparing for another great adventure. Little did they know what was about to befall them.
Jake spotted a nearby dock and maneuvered the ship so they could anchor and depart. As the vessel slowly arrived safely at the dock, Ryuken lowered the sails while Gojo dropped the anchor.
"All set!"
The trio ensured everything was secure before leaping from the deck onto the solid surface.
This was the rear of the island, making it impossible for the townsfolk to witness their entry. As pirates with substantial bounties, they were bound to cause chaos—or so most civilians believed.
The only justice in which they believed was that administered by the Marines, and certainly not that of pirates.
Well, not all pirates are villainous; simply consider the Straw Hat Pirates, who serve as the very representation of freedom. I would even argue that pirates are the true heroes, while the Marines are the pirates. Lol.
Pirates execute justice according to their own moral code, but the populace remains blinded by the fact that they are labeled as wanted criminals. Consequently, the people only believe in the justice executed by the Marines, and any methodology the Marines employ is invariably accepted by the world.
So, fuck the Marines and the World Government.
The trio landed on the soil, pausing to cast one last glimpse at their ship before they embarked on their journey.
Jake felt something was odd; a sense of dissonance had nagged at him since he had acquired the vessel, but only now did he truly understand the feeling.
"We have got to name the ship!"
"A nice idea."
"Sorcerer. Let us go with that," Gojo declared, snapping his fingers with a characteristic smirk.
"Sorcerer, huh? That sounds rather nice."
They turned and waltzed their way into the island's forest, having deliberately arrived at the rear to circumvent any unnecessary confrontation.
Birds flapped their wings frantically at the sound of approaching footsteps, ascending into the sky. The forest was profoundly thick, the trees immensely tall, and the plants… strangely aberrant.
The flora was enormous, nearly as huge as a car, and adorned with strange features—most resembling fangs or something equally precise.
Gojo, who had been trailing behind Jake, vanished all of a sudden, a fact to which Ryuken, who trailed behind Gojo, only just came to his senses.
Where did that airhead run off to?
"Jake, did you see where Gojo went?"
"No, and do not tell me you are thinking what I am thinking. We must find him immediately."
"Hey, Gojo!" Ryuken exclaimed, his voice echoing ominously throughout the dense forest. "This forest genuinely creeps me out."
"Gojo!! Where the hell are you? Say something!"
They heard a loud scream emanating from an adjacent direction and immediately sprinted toward the source of the voice.
Their jaws dropped in unison as they witnessed a massive plant opening its mouth, attempting to swallow Gojo whole, until Jake immediately fired two decisive shots.
Viscous purple blood spilled across the immediate area as the carnivorous plant fell down. "What in the hell are these strange plants?"
"It looks rather amazing. Hey, do you think we could eat this?" Gojo inquired, his eyes gleaming with unbridled joy.
"Do not even try to think of anything that weird right now. We have undoubtedly caused a scene, so it is about time the islanders come to investigate," Jake uttered urgently.
"Let us just fucking get the hell out of this creepy forest," Ryuken said, hugging himself in a futile attempt to maintain his confidence.
After several more minutes of wandering through the oppressive forest, they spotted a break in the light—a beacon of hope—as they rushed out of the treeline, only to run directly into a squad of Marines.
"Eh? Marines?!"
They startled the Marines at first, but the soldiers quickly broke from their stunned misery, leveling their guns at the trio.
"Freeze!"
"It is far too soon to be killing the fun," Gojo hissed, as the three of them charged at the Marines, instantly and efficiently immobilizing every soldier.
"Damn, they truly did startle me. But how did they manage to get here?"
"Do you perhaps think they followed us all the way from the dock?"
"I sincerely doubt that scenario. I believe it was the unusual commotion we caused that attracted their attention."
"We can figure that out later. Anyway, let us get these guys hidden for a while before they inevitably wake up."
They dragged each of the unconscious Marine soldiers deeper into the forest to conceal their bodies for the main time, since they were not here to deliberately cause trouble or run into any further trouble.
"This island might prove to be rather troublesome; I am feeling something profoundly odd about its atmosphere," Gojo stated in an uncharacteristically calm and serious tone.
"Then, should we perhaps head back to the ship now and simply set sail?"
"No, I say we push forward regardless."
Finally getting into the city, they surged forward with each of them carrying a small backpack. Jake lit a cigarette and took a long puff of smoke to calm his frayed nerves.
"First, we should either find a place to camp or look for a proper hotel."
After securing themselves a reservation for the day, Jake brought up the idea of going to a public bath, receiving an immediate and enthusiastic thumbs-up from the other two.
"A public bath? That sounds crazy and genuinely exciting."
After asking several people for directions, they were successfully guided to the public bathhouse and surged inside the steamy structure. They immediately stripped off their clothes and jumped into the large pool of warm, inviting water.
Each of them let out a deep, contented sigh of relief, feeling every bit of the hot water soak into their muscles while they simply enjoyed themselves for a peaceful while.
"First time here? Are you gentlemen enjoying yourselves?" a deep, unfamiliar voice broke through the silence, startling the trio.
They tilted their heads sideways and saw a huge, imposing figure also enjoying himself in the water. His face was remarkably large, and his jaw appeared to be entirely covered in a sheath of iron.
"Yeah, it is our first time in a public bath," Gojo replied, digging himself deeper into the water and swimming backwards.
The man, whose jaw was covered with iron, possessed spiky black hair, piercing black eyes, and a prominent scar running down between his lips; he was none other than a Marine Vice Admiral. However, despite him currently enjoying his leisure time, he failed to recognize them as wanted pirates and simply exchanged pleasant stories with one another.
"Please do not swim, young fellas. Why do we not hit a proper swimming pool after this if you really wish to swim? The bill is on me."
"Eh? Really?" Gojo, being his usual airheaded self, nearly agreed to the unknown man's generous request.
"Yeah, absolutely. I am a man of my word; you can trust me."
"We are deliberately sorry, but we unfortunately will not be able to accept your kind offer since we had already made other plans for immediately after this," Jake interjected smoothly.
"Oh, is that so? Then that is perfectly fine. I do hope you enjoy the remainder of your time, since I am about to leave now."
"Leaving so soon? Well, have a great day, mister."
The man, known throughout the Marines as 'Iron Jaw Mordock', stood up from the water, revealing a well-developed and powerfully built body, undoubtedly sculpted from years of intense training, and he waved amiably to the group of young people.
As they glanced at the man properly, they noticed he was a truly gigantic figure, probably standing around seven feet tall.
Why are all these people so freaking tall?
Gojo wondered to himself privately as he subsequently washed his body thoroughly. Now, getting out from the bath, their stomachs growled in unison, anticipating that they needed to eat something substantial first before starting off their day with adventure into the town.
After getting high-quality food from a highly recommended restaurant, they surged out of the building with satisfied smiles. Now it was finally time to go around and explore the town.
Now, it was also the precise time that Iron Jaw found out his scout fleet, which he had sent to investigate the forest, had not returned for several hours.
"Something is decidedly fishy here," he growled low in his throat, dramatically draping his stark white 'Justice' coat over his broad shoulders.
....
Read 10 Chapters ahead on P@t
patreon.com/Hunchovroy848