LRAB Page 86
Page 86
Kuina sheathed her sword, her tone resolute: "We need a new ship. A sturdy enough sailing vessel to carry us across the Grand Line."
Robin nodded: "According to the sea charts I took from those two pirate ships, it was marked right up that there is a final supply point before entering the Grand Line, near the nearest entrance to Reverse Mountain. We should be able to find a suitable shipyard and merchants there."
"A supply point like the one in Loguetown in the East Blue? I really miss it!" A hint of excitement flashed in Sabo's eyes. "I hope there will be more delicious food, and maybe... I can bring some local specialties for Laboon."
With the destination set, the small boat adjusted its direction, billowed its sails, and sped toward the supply point.
This town is much larger than an ordinary port, with buildings standing side by side in a mixed style.
It features both the common white stone buildings found in Xihai and unique, distinctive styles.
The streets were bustling with noise and jostling with people. Pirates dressed in various styles, merchants hurrying by, local residents with an extremely superior attitude, and even some intelligence agents who seemed to belong to different organizations were mixed in.
The air was filled with the aroma of wine and the smoky scent of roasted meat... everything else could be ignored.
Sabo and his crew's small boat slowly entered the harbor without attracting much attention. In such a place, all sorts of strangely shaped boats were commonplace, and an ordinary small boat was hardly worth mentioning.
They casually moored the small boat at a secluded berth, and the four of them stepped onto the sturdy wooden planks of the dock.
Sabo took a deep breath and grinned: "Quite a few people! This is much more interesting than those two pirate ships."
Kuina's hand remained on the hilt of Ziyun's sword, her sharp gaze sweeping across the surroundings like a wary mother leopard. She whispered, "The people here vary in strength, but there are many hidden talents. I sensed several powerful auras."
Robin remained calm and said softly, "To be precise, this town is the intelligence hub of the West Blue, and also an arena for various forces to contend with. The World Government, the Navy, the underworld, and countless pirate crews with dreams or ambitions all have spies here. We need to be careful."
Liu Jiu remained silent, following behind the three like a shadow. These children had grown up and were now capable of doing many things independently.
The four walked along the noisy street with a clear goal—to find a dock where they could buy or customize a boat.
Shops lined both sides of the street: weapon shops, bars, hotels, general stores—you name it. The sounds of hawking, haggling, and drunken shouts filled the air.
"Look! It's the 'Black Tulip'! Didn't they say they were going to enter the Grand Line last week? How come they're back so soon?"
"I heard they encountered trouble at the entrance to Upside Down Mountain, losing a lot of men, and came back to rest and resupply..."
"Tsk tsk, the Grand Line is indeed not so easy to traverse."
"Those unfamiliar faces over there seem to be more than you think..."
"That blond kid in the hat, and that woman with the knife... they're not weak."
Occasionally, whispers would drift into my ears, mostly about the movements of various pirate crews and speculations about the newcomers.
Sabo ignored the surrounding chatter, his attention drawn to a particularly lively place ahead.
It was an open-air tavern that also served as an information board. Many people were gathered there, looking at the latest wanted posters and the newspapers delivered by the newsbirds, and discussing them animatedly.
Suddenly, the crowd erupted into an even louder uproar.
"It's gone up! It's gone up again!"
Chapter 101 ["Empress" Angelica Ishtar]
The commotion was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, quickly creating ripples among the crowd.
"Who? Whose bounty has gone up again?"
"Is it 'Black Lion' Tristan? Or 'Blood Countess'?"
People were talking excitedly, craning their necks to look at the wall covered with wanted posters.
Sabo's ears twitched, drawn by the noise. He was naturally curious, especially interested in bounties that directly reflected the extent of the "trouble."
"Oh? Has there been any change in the bounty for a big shot? Let's go check!"
He walked towards the crowd first, and Kuina and Robin exchanged a glance and followed.
Liu Jiu quietly found a shady corner not far away and stood there without participating.
In the center of the crowd, a brand-new wanted poster was firmly nailed to the most conspicuous position.
The paper was snow-white, and the portrait on it stood out even more—
She was a woman who looked to be in her early twenties, with long, flowing silver hair like moonlight and rare amethyst eyes that were so deep they seemed to contain stars.
Her appearance was extremely beautiful, yet she showed no signs of fragility. Between her brows was a cold and domineering air that looked down upon the world, and the slight upturn of her lips carried a hint of mockery, as if she were looking at an ant.
Most striking was the uniquely shaped crown she wore, crafted from some kind of dark metal and inlaid with several large, seemingly burning, deep red gemstones. The crown was not a traditional circle, but rather resembled outstretched bat wings or entwined thorns, exuding a powerful and ominous beauty.
Below the bounty poster was a string of heart-stopping numbers.
[Empress Angelica Ishtar]
Bounty: 290 million Berries!
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, then erupted into an even more frenzied roar.
"Two hundred and ninety million?! Are you kidding me! It's only been a short time, and it's increased by another ninety million?!"
"The highest bounty in the Western Sea... no, this is an extremely high bounty that is rare even in the entire Four Seas!"
“‘Crown of the Abyss’ Angelica… what earth-shattering thing has she done this time?”
"I heard that last week she single-handedly destroyed the Navy's 44th Division Base in the West Sea. The base commander, the vice admiral known as the 'Iron Wall,' couldn't even withstand a single move from her!"
"More than that! Rumor has it that she found the legendary treasure left behind by the 'Abyss Pirates' and obtained the crown that symbolizes 'domination of the deep sea'! Her power is now unfathomable!"
"The true uncrowned queen of the West Blue... all pirates can only bow down and submit before her!"
The discussions were filled with awe, fear, and even a hint of fanatical worship.
In this dog-eat-dog world, absolute power is a fascinating force in itself.
Sabo stroked his chin, looking at the wanted poster with excitement in his eyes: "Wow! 290 million! What an amazing 'lady'! She looks like she can fight!"
There was no fear in his tone, only the pure excitement of encountering a strong opponent.
Kuina stared at the pair of amethyst eyes on the wanted poster, her hand on the hilt of her sword unconsciously tightening.
That gaze... cold, arrogant, and containing an unimaginable sense of power.
She could sense that this was a powerful figure who had reached an extremely high level in the art of swordsmanship.
“‘Empress’…a fitting title.” She murmured to herself, the dormant sword intent within her seemingly stirred, emitting a barely perceptible hum.
Robin frowned slightly; her access to information was far broader than that of ordinary people.
"'The Abyss Pirates'...that was a powerful pirate crew that was active a hundred years ago, and it's said they challenged the world order at the time. Their captain was known as the 'Lord of the Abyss.'"
"If she really obtained that inheritance, it's probably not just about increasing her strength; it might also touch upon some buried history..."
The hustle and bustle of the port town seemed to be shut out by an invisible barrier.
Liu Jiu remained standing in the shadows of the corner, silent as a reef, completely out of place with the restless crowd around him.
His gaze swept calmly over the faces of those who were going crazy over the bounty posters, then fell back on Sabo and his two companions who were browsing the posters in the distance. Like a silent guardian, he observed but did not intervene.
However, in the next moment.
Without any warning, he suddenly felt a weight in his arms.
A warm, soft body, carrying a faint scent of blood and a strange, cold fragrance, crashed into his arms.
With his perception and strength, he should have noticed the other party before she got close, but the woman's appearance had an indescribable sense of abruptness, as if she appeared out of thin air.
She wore a large, dark cloak of a special material, which was indeed similar in style to a raincoat, covering most of her figure.
The hood of the cloak slipped down slightly, revealing a few strands of silver hair that looked like they were woven from moonlight.
She tilted her head back, her face pale to the point of being almost transparent. Her eyes, which should have been deep amethyst, now appeared somewhat unfocused, yet still carried a pride and stubbornness ingrained in her bones.
"Sir, save me." Her voice was extremely low, filled with suppressed weakness and breathiness, like a candle flickering in the wind.
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from not far away, mixed with undisguised fierce whispers.
"Split up and search! She's badly injured; she couldn't have gone far!"
"They're definitely still in this area! Seal off all exits!"
"Check every corner carefully! We can't let her get away!"
Several men dressed in matching black outfits, with sharp, hawk-like eyes, moved swiftly along the edge of the crowd. Their movements were agile and their aura was calm, clearly indicating that they were well-trained and not ordinary pirates or thugs.
Their gaze swept over every suspicious figure like a comb, gradually approaching this corner.
A resolute glint flashed in the woman's eyes. Before Liu Jiu could react—and he seemed to have no intention of reacting—she suddenly stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her pale yet still beautiful lips to Liu Jiu's.
Her movements were fierce and desperate, her lips were cool and soft, with a faint, sweet taste of blood.
In an instant, the surrounding light seemed to undergo an extremely subtle distortion.
To the searchers and passersby who occasionally glanced at the scene, the couple huddled together in the shadows of the corner were just an ordinary couple passionately kissing.
The man's figure was mostly obscured by the woman and the shadows, while the woman's cloak concealed the details of her figure, making everything seem normal and unremarkable.
The men in black glanced around without lingering, then quickly turned away in another direction.
"Not here!"
"Let's go take a look over there!"
The footsteps gradually faded away.
Only after confirming that the danger had temporarily passed did the woman, as if utterly exhausted, release her arms from Liu Jiu's embrace, and their lips parted. She was slightly panting, and an unnatural flush rose on her pale face from the violent movements and lack of oxygen.
Without a word, she grabbed Liu Jiu's rough hand with unexpected force and dragged him into a darker alleyway filled with discarded wooden crates and other debris.
The alley was narrow and damp, filled with the smell of mildew and the salty tang of the sea.
"Huh...huh..."
She leaned against the cold brick wall, her body trembling slightly beneath her cloak, as if enduring immense pain.
Those amethyst eyes looked at Liu Jiu again, a fleeting vulnerability in them replaced by scrutiny and wariness. But compared to before, there was less of the despair of impending death, and more... perhaps an exploration of the silent man's reaction.
Liu Jiu remained silent.
He remained an outsider throughout, his expression unchanged.
However, when the other person kissed me, their skin was very soft and their breath smelled wonderful…
Chapter 102 Doing one good deed a day
Just then, another commotion came from outside the alleyway.