Chapter 8: First Encounter with Pirates
"Teacher!"
As soon as Apollo entered, Kaya rushed over, hugging his arm tightly and complaining, "Why did it take you so long? I've been waiting for you for ages."
His eyes involuntarily glanced downwards.
The weather was beautiful today, and Kaya was only wearing a blue dress.
He could clearly feel two soft things pressing against his arm, rubbing against him as Kaya twisted her body.
This was truly going to be the death of him.
How could a hot-blooded young man endure this?
Apollo desperately tried to distract himself to avoid making a fool of himself.
Of course, if he were to leave, he would be a little reluctant.
The complexity of his inner emotions was truly not something to be shared with outsiders.
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat, Apollo pretended as if nothing was amiss: "Kaya, how are the preparations coming along?"
"Everything is ready, Teacher!"
Kaya's tone was excited, completely oblivious to her "misdeeds," and her beautiful big eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Then let's set off."
Apollo's tone was pleased.
Today, he was taking Kaya out to play.
Not just outside the villa, but leaving Syrup Village, leaving this small island!
After half a year of arduous training, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.
However, the daily grind of training was incredibly monotonous, and both his body and mind were thoroughly exhausted.
Whether it was studying or training, a balance between work and rest was absolutely essential.
It was time for a break.
"That's wonderful!"
Kaya flitted around Apollo like a happy butterfly.
Over the past six months, with Apollo's companionship, the knots in her heart had gradually unraveled, and her health had improved. She had now almost completely emerged from the shadow of her parents' deaths.
Although her nature was gentle and dignified, she was still a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, and there was a lively side to her deep down.
While she was sick and bedridden, it was fine, but as her health improved, she had long wanted to go out and explore.
"Then I'll leave the young lady in your care, Mr. Apollo," Merry said with a smile.
His attitude towards Apollo grew increasingly respectful, not only because Apollo had cured Kaya's illness, but also for an important reason: he felt that Apollo might become the master of this house!
"Isn't Kuro still here?"
Apollo glanced sideways, his gaze playful.
They hadn't originally planned to bring Kuro, but he insisted on coming along.
"I will take good care of both the young lady and Mr. Apollo," Kuro said softly, pushing up his glasses with his wrist.
"Let's go."
Apollo led the way, with Kaya holding his arm, walking by his side. Kuro followed behind with the other three servants.
Soon after, the group appeared by the sea, where a boat was already docked, golden all over and shaped like a giant conch.
Kaya's mood was slightly downcast: "The Golden Snail was bought by my father when he was still alive."
Apollo said nothing, only ruffled her golden hair.
Kaya was merely reminiscing, and she quickly emerged from her negative emotions, pulling Apollo to explore the ship, introducing everything with great enthusiasm.
The Golden Snail was very luxurious, with an extra-large bedroom, a small swimming pool, a library, and more, all available, and it was also equipped with a large number of entertainment facilities, making it essentially a large yacht.
Under Kuro's command, the ship quickly set sail, slowly moving away from Syrup Village.
After touring the Golden Snail, Apollo moved a lounge chair onto the deck.
Basking in the sun, feeling the sea breeze, with drinks, fruits, and a dazzling array of snacks and treats beside him.
Kaya nestled beside him, occasionally reaching out her small hand to pick up a snack and bring it to his mouth.
Over the past six months, the relationship between the two had subtly changed.
Kaya had become increasingly dependent on him.
Apollo also genuinely liked this gentle, dignified, considerate, and well-behaved young girl.
"They say a gentle embrace is a hero's tomb; the old sayings truly did not lie."
He sighed silently.
This kind of life was truly too pleasant!
In his original world, he wouldn't even dare to dream of it.
He almost wanted to stay forever and enjoy such a life.
Ultimately, it was only by clinging to a glimmer of hope for a better future that he managed to avoid succumbing.
After about half a day, a cluster of islands appeared ahead.
In terms of scale, this island was much larger than the one Syrup Village was on, with a built-up dock, bustling with ships coming and going.
"Teacher, that's White Bird Town ahead, the most prosperous town in the nearby waters," Kaya whispered, introducing it to Apollo.
"We're already here?"
Apollo's tone carried a hint of imperceptible regret.
He had been expecting something to happen, but he didn't expect the journey to be so calm, not even seeing a shadow of pirates.
Before his words had even faded, the situation dramatically changed.
A ship docked next to the pier raised its cannons, aimed at another ship that was just preparing to leave, and brazenly opened fire.
Boom!
The cannon fire was like thunder, and cannonballs the size of basketballs tore through the air, carrying a sharp shriek, and violently slammed into the mast.
A strong shockwave exploded, accompanied by intense flames.
The mast instantly snapped.
With Apollo's eyesight, he could even see the desperate eyes of the crew on the deck.
But before they could do anything, more cannonballs flew over.
Whoosh, whoosh… Boom, boom… Under continuous shelling, a large ship, no less grand than the Golden Snail, was riddled with holes in an instant.
The crew and passengers on board were almost all dead, leaving behind a deck full of severed limbs and blood.
Cruelty, gore, violence, and slaughter were vividly displayed in this short period.
"We succeeded!"
"Quick, quick, quick! Go snatch all the treasure!"
"Haha, it's all ours!"
Wild laughter erupted from the firing ship, and a group of weapon-wielding, grim-faced, bloodthirsty individuals peered out, greedily staring at the broken ship ahead.
They quickly moved closer, scrambling to climb onto the wrecked vessel, swiftly beginning to plunder.
It was clear they weren't doing this for the first time; everyone acted very skillfully.
Apollo hugged Kaya, burying her face in his chest to prevent her from being frightened by the bloody scene.
"It's the Iron Hook Pirates!" Kuro's grave voice sounded.
Apollo turned to look: "You know them?"
Kuro's face was serious: "The Iron Hook Pirates are a very dangerous pirate crew. They are skilled at disguise, often posing as merchant ships to gain the trust of other vessels before launching a sudden attack. Their captain is a notorious pirate with an 8-million-berry bounty!"
"An 8-million… notorious pirate?"
Apollo's tone was inexplicable, and he suddenly felt like laughing.
This was only in the East Blue; in any other sea, such a bounty would be too embarrassing to even mention.
Kuro thought he was scared, his eyes flickering slightly, and he comforted him: "Mr. Apollo, there's no need to worry. Although the Iron Hook Pirates are formidable, from now on, we shouldn't see them again!
They shouldn't have attacked in White Bird Town. There's a Marine base here."
No sooner had Kuro finished speaking than two warships sailed out from the side, chasing after the Iron Hook Pirates.
The warships showed no mercy. Once within range, they raised their cannons and opened fire decisively.
Just as Kuro said, the Iron Hook Pirates' decision to attack here was indeed a mistake.
Whether it was firepower, range, or the speed of the ships, the two warships involved in the encirclement far surpassed the Iron Hook Pirates' ship.
The Marines showed no quarter and seemed to have no intention of taking prisoners. In a blink of an eye, the Iron Hook Pirates met the same fate as the ship they had attacked.
Two consecutive brutal battles, and blood stained the seawater near the pier.
However, after the warships took the pirates away, the pier quickly returned to its busy state.
The two riddled ships hadn't even completely sunk before the incident was forgotten, barely even discussed.
People seemed to have long grown accustomed to such situations.