As the Merchant's Island began to gradually gain fame and Marine Admirals visited frequently, pirates didn't even dare approach. I also began utilizing my spare time to go to an uninhabited island and start training. It was to learn Ryuo and Haki, which I hadn't been able to do until now. And I started receiving instruction in Rokushiki from Hina.
"Hina is surprised. It's my first time seeing someone improve this fast."
Hina said, amazed at my learning speed. It was a natural result since my physical abilities were good and I had [Martial Arts], [Genius], and [Eyeballing] abilities. Since Rokushiki is a martial art created by the World Government to awaken Haki, it was even easier for me who already had Haki. But unfortunately, Hina didn't know all of Rokushiki. So I only received instruction for what she knew.
After a few months of making deliveries and training, I was able to learn Conqueror's Haki Emission, Haki, Ryuo, and the Tekkai, Geppo, and Rankyaku of Rokushiki. Ryuo didn't take that long, perhaps because of my [Control] ability and having already handled [Armament Haki] a lot. Through this, [(D) Martial Arts] rose to C and I could obtain [(C) Rokushiki]. I also awakened the [Dark-Dark Fruit] and [Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire].
After a while of deliveries going well and employees getting accustomed to work, I was living without incident when a problem erupted near Loguetown.
"Boss Taejin! A merchant ship coming from Loguetown was attacked by pirates, and all the ordered wooden barrels were burned!"
The items ordered from Loguetown were considerable. Clothes and books for orphans, daily necessities, wooden barrels for liquor, and many other goods were going back and forth between Loguetown and the Merchant's Island.
"Do you have information on the pirates who attacked?"
"According to a survivor, the Jolly Roger had a skull pattern with hourglasses on both sides..."
"Were there such guys in East Blue? Anyway, got it. Do we still have spares?"
Honestly, I had little interest in East Blue pirates. What interest could I have in guys who don't even know how to handle Haki? And because of the Marines, they didn't bother me anymore, so I'd almost completely ignored them.
"Yes, we have about 1000 barrels."
"Then there shouldn't be a problem. Since something like this might happen again, always order other goods with spare capacity."
"Understood."
Since they caused us damage, I couldn't just let it be. First, I needed to find out who did it, so I decided to go to Loguetown and ask Smoker.
"Yo~ Smokey."
"Every time you come, you call me Smokey; can't you stop!"
Since I came to Loguetown often, I'd become quite friendly with Smoker. I'd even gifted him top-grade Cuban cigars.
"Hahaha, it's a term of endearment. Think of it positively."
"Sigh... I get a headache every time I see you. Anyway, what brings you here today?"
"Pirates are appearing near Loguetown waters and burned goods coming to the Merchant's Island. You know about it?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know which guys they are?"
"It's the Krieg Pirates. They have a large fleet of about 50 ships, so we're also tense and strengthening our guard."
"I see, thanks for the info."
I handed Smoker a fancy wooden box containing top-grade Cuban cigars.
"Thanks. I sometimes thought about it because the aroma is good. I should save and smoke them this time. But don't you sell them?"
"It's not something I sell. I sometimes make them as gifts, but the unit cost doesn't work out, you see. I gave up on mass production."
"That's unfortunate."
Actually, I was too lazy to make them. I got the information, but since these guys are related to the original work, I shouldn't kill them all but should give them some education. And also experiment with my awakened fruits.
"In the original, the Krieg Pirates were about 1000 people, right?"
I immediately took out [Jack Sparrow's Compass], boarded the Talaria vehicle, and started looking for the Krieg Pirates. The Krieg Pirate fleet was anchored at some uninhabited island. Since it was such a large fleet, it was easy to find. I immediately teleported to the island and started killing the visible pirates.
Swish! Slash! Thump!
"Gah!" "Arg!" "Keuk!"
Seeing that, pirates shouted loudly.
"Enemy attack!!"
In an instant, pirates numbering in the hundreds surrounded me with swords and guns. Actually, I was waiting for this.
"Dark Veil"
Starting from the ground where I stood, darkness began to spread across the ground to where the surrounding pirates stood. The pirates panicked as darkness covered beneath their feet. Some sensed something strange and tried to run, but it was already too late.
"Life Harvest"
The pirates instantly began to wither.
"Argh!" "Save me!" "Mom!"
This is my original technique created by linking the [Dark-Dark Fruit] and [Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire] to easily absorb lifespans. Instantly, 300 pirates died, turned into mummies. Just from this one technique, the lifespan gained amounted to thousands of years. The pirates watching were horrified.
"Ah! It's a monster! Run away!"
The Krieg Pirate crew members began frantically running to their ships. I wasn't about to just let that happen. I immediately used the [Gura Gura no Mi] ability to reverse gravity and lift the anchored ships.
"Gasp!!"
Seeing that, the pirates froze in place as if unable to move. Some even wet their pants. Then a guy wearing something like a white jersey with a headband approached, knelt, and bowed his head to the ground, speaking. This guy was definitely 'Gin'.
"I don't know why a strong person like you is attacking us, but isn't killing this many enough? Please spare us."
"I'm Taejin. You attacked a merchant ship coming to the Merchant's Island, right?"
"Gasp! Could it be 'Merchant King' Taejin!"
In Konosuba, I was called 'Silver Flash', in the MCU 'Magician', but here it seems I'm called 'Merchant King'.
Bang!
Then a bullet flew from behind. I just caught the flying bullet with my hand. Looking at the direction the bullet came from, it was Krieg who had sniped from a tree.
"That guy hiding behind his subordinates and sniping is pathetic."
I immediately flicked the bullet back with my finger.
Ting!
The bullet flew at a terrifying speed and pierced Krieg's shoulder.
"Gah!"
Krieg screamed from the impact and fell from the tree. I immediately teleported, grabbed Krieg's head with one hand, and dragged him to the front of Gin. Krieg, seemingly in pain, tried to pry my hand off with both hands grabbing my wrist and using strength, but it was futile.
"Grrk. Please let go. My head feels like it's going to burst."
I let go of his head without a word.
"Keuk... thank..."
Before Krieg could finish speaking, I began mercilessly beating him in front of the pirate crew.
Thump! Thump! Crack! Thump! Thump! Splurt!
"Gaaaah stop! Stop! Gah!"
When it seemed Krieg might die from being beaten too severely, Gin again bowed his head to the ground and spoke.
"Please stop! Spare the captain. I'll give my life instead. And I'll compensate for the merchant ship too."
I stopped beating for a moment and looked at Gin with cold eyes.
"With what?"
"I'll give all the treasure we've collected so far. And we won't even approach near the Merchant's Island from now on."
"I don't need your life. I'll decide after seeing the treasure."
I never intended to kill them from the start, but because their actions were so detestable, I did beat them quite severely. I lowered the ships and sat on the unconscious Krieg, who had been beaten too much, and waited. Following Gin's instructions, the pirates busily moved treasure before me. As expected of a large fleet, the amount of treasure was considerable.
"This is all. Please spare the captain."
"This isn't all, is it?"
Gin flustered and said to me.
"It's not a lie. This is all..."
"You have captured women, right? Bring them all."
"Ah... understood."
While moving the treasure, I had read Krieg's memories with [Mental Intrusion]. The Krieg Pirates had attacked villages and captured pretty beauties suitable to be sold as slaves, imprisoning them on their ships. Gin urgently gave orders to his subordinates again.
After waiting a bit, 7 beauties with tattered clothes and handcuffs, trembling, were dragged before me.
"Now there's really nothing left. Please hand over the captain."
"Wait."
I freed the women's handcuffs with [Matter Conversion] and pointed at the unconscious Krieg, saying.
"If you have anything you want to do to this guy, do as you wish."
Hearing that, the women hesitated for a moment, then one came forward and started kicking and hitting the unconscious Krieg. Starting with that, other women also joined in beating Krieg. Some cried while hitting, as if they had built up a lot during that time. Seeing that, Gin couldn't say anything.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
"Our village burned because of these guys!"
"Bring back my parents!"
Suddenly, one woman went to a pirate, snatched a knife, and tried to stab Krieg.
"Die!"
"Ah! No!"
Gin urgently shielded Krieg and blocked, so the knife stabbed his back instead.
Stab!
"Keuk..."
The woman dropped the knife from her hand and slumped to the ground, crying bitterly. Seeing that, other women also stopped beating and shed tears.
"Now take him and get lost."
"Understood."
Gin, bleeding, supported Krieg and took him to the ship. Other subordinates, who had been watching cautiously, seeing that, returned to their ships and hastily left the island. I gave the women time to compose themselves and fed them first. This time too, they all began eating ravenously.
"Do you all have somewhere to go?"
"My village burned down, so..."
"I was forcibly taken on the condition they wouldn't attack my village..."
"My parents both died and my house burned down..."
This time too, they told various stories. I felt again how the One Piece worldview is hell for powerless civilians.
"Then let's go to the Merchant's Island. We were short on hands anyway."
"Understood. I'll work hard."
"I'll work hard too."
"I really want to repay the favor of saving us."
This time too, I read their memories, and since there seemed to be no particular problems, I put the treasures in my inventory and teleported back to the Merchant's Island with everyone. The employees were surprised when I suddenly brought women and said.
"Boss, who are these women?"
"I rescued them from pirates. Help them all adapt here."
"I see. Understood."
Hina, who was watching that, said to me.
"Hina is flustered. Doing good things is good, I see. But why are there only beauties?"
"What can I do? It just turned out to be only beauties while rescuing. Are you jealous by any chance?"
I said it jokingly, but hearing that, Hina's face rapidly turned red.
"Hina... doesn't know!"
Hina said that and suddenly went somewhere. Although Hina spoke in a fourth-dimensional way, she was quite a gal crush. That Hina suddenly acting like that was bewildering. Then an employee said with a laugh.
"Pfft! Boss doesn't understand women's hearts well."
"Ahem..."
Anyway, since people were gradually increasing and there were orphans, I decided to build a large bathhouse next to the building, worried about hygiene issues. Since there were eyes watching and things to do, I started building it, commissioning Loguetown to make it sturdy with stone and paying attention to the view so one could enjoy bathing while looking at the ocean scenery.
And there was also the safety issue of people coming from Loguetown to work, and it seemed we needed a few ships to transport goods, so I departed for Water 7 to order large ships.