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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Twelve: Pirates
As February of the year 1511 in the Sea Circle Calendar approached, the tropical region remained warm.
The sun shone down, and everyone felt pleasantly warm; even in short-sleeved shirts, there was no chill in the air.
On the beach, Eli, Angelo, and Leah were playing. Angelo and Leah sat together building a sandcastle while Eli collected seashells and starfish with a basket nearby.
It had been a month and a half since the Navy's attempt to capture Black Fish. Although the mission had failed and a lieutenant commander had lost his life, Black Fish had vanished without a trace.
After a month of observation, the villagers of Narl Village felt safe enough to come to the beach.
"I found so many!" Eli exclaimed as he returned to the two, grinning widely.
"Really? Can I have one?" Leah asked, looking at the shells in the basket with a smile.
"Of course," Eli replied, glancing at her, his face turning slightly red.
"Can I have one too?" Angelo chimed in from the side.
Eli immediately scoffed, "You can go find your own."
"Fine," Angelo said with a shrug.
Angelo lowered his head, wondering if Eli was upset with him. Why was Eli's attitude towards him so different from that towards Leah?
At that moment, Leah stood frozen, staring into the distance, murmuring, "The sea, pirates."
"Huh?"
Eli and Angelo immediately turned their gaze toward the horizon, where they spotted a ship flying a Pirate Flag approaching them across the water.
"It's pirates! Run!"
Eli shouted, tossing aside the basket and turning to sprint back toward the village.
Leah and Angelo quickly followed suit, racing back to the village to spread the news.
...
"A Pirate Ship?"
Behind the Pirate Ship, a massive Black Sea Fish slowly emerged from the Surface of the Sea, its eyes fixed on the distant vessel.
The Pirate Ship had an unusual design; it resembled a pig and boasted two Masts, significantly larger than an ordinary double-masted Merchant Ship.
As it gazed in the direction of the Pirate Ship, the Black Fish observed a moment of silence for Narl Village.
The Black Fish was now known as Xiaqiu. At this moment, he measured about fifteen meters in length and weighed around thirty-five tons.
In just a month and a half, he had grown from around two tons to thirty-five tons, a rate that was somewhat astonishing.
However, this level of growth was still within the realm of possibility for Xiaqiu.
In his previous life, a Blue Whale could grow from seven meters at birth to fifteen meters in just eight months.
In the world of One Piece, with his increased food intake, faster digestion, and higher conversion efficiency, he had significantly shortened that time frame, achieving it in just a month and a half.
Now, Xiaqiu had a massive head, with a prominent bulge on his forehead made of hard bone that could be used to ram into enemies.
He possessed an enormous mouth filled with seven rows of sharp teeth; the front teeth were serrated while the back teeth were molars, perfect for crushing food more effectively.
Eight long whiskers sprouted from the sides of his mouth, the longest measuring about four meters and as thick as a thigh.
His eyes were enormous with thick eyelids; when closed, even his sharp teeth could not break through.
Xiaqiu's body was massive and robust, shaped like a spindle, resembling a giant battering ram.
His fins had also grown tremendously; while the dorsal fin remained relatively unchanged, his Pectoral Fin and Pelvic Fin had developed hard spines.
The Pectoral Fin and Pelvic Fin now featured a hard spine along their front edges for added protection and striking power.
As for the tail fin, it resembled the second dorsal fin, separated by several hard spines yet still connected.
Xiaqiu's scales had undergone another transformation, growing larger with the biggest scales being as large as washbasins and extremely thick.
The transformed Xiaqiu, due to its massive size, could no longer approach the islands too closely.
This was also why the villagers of Narl Village had seen less and less of Xiaqiu during this time.
Xiaqiu gazed at the distant Pirate Ship, a hint of bloodlust flickering in its eyes. It opened its large mouth, revealing menacing teeth that glinted ominously in the sunlight.
These were pirates, who plundered wealth and took lives.
Although in this comic, some pirates pursued strength and the Great Treasure, and some powerful pirates even protected villages, flying their own Pirate Flag, there were also those who had their own territories and enterprises.
However, it must be acknowledged that many pirates were ruthless villains who disregarded the lives of others.
As a fish that had consumed humans, Xiaqiu rarely empathized with human feelings. It felt disgust towards the evil of pirates but did not possess an overly righteous mindset.
Yet, Xiaqiu regarded the Pirate Ship before it as a target, contemplating methods of attack.
The unique and powerful Evolutionary Energy from human flesh could help enhance its strength without altering its size.
This way, it would not merely grow larger and bulkier but would gain combat power that matched its size and weight.
To validate the effects of human flesh, it needed to prey on humans.
However, being constrained by its size made it impossible to approach Narl Village, and it was unwilling to harm innocents indiscriminately.
The Pirate Ship before it would be the best choice.
"Come down."
The Pirate Ship approached the shallows, but the water was too shallow for them to get close to the island.
So they lowered two boats, and twelve pirates jumped into them, rowing toward the island.
The boats crashed onto the beach, and they leaped out, brandishing firearms and cutlasses as they charged toward the village.
The water was about the same depth.
The Pirate Ship stopped at a distance where it could still approach the seabed.
Xiaqiu slowly sank down, moving closer to the Pirate Ship. After getting within a certain distance, he paused and continued to dive, waiting quietly.
...
"Get out of Narl Village."
The residents of Narl Village had prepared in advance due to Eli and the others' warning. All the men gathered together, armed with harpoons, spears, bows and crossbows, and shotguns, aimed at the pirates before them.
"Boss, what should we do?"
Seeing the thirty or so burly men armed with weapons in front of them, the First Mate stood there, looking somewhat troubled.
With such numbers and equipment, they could already pose a significant threat.
"Do you really think you can stop us with just a bunch of people like you?"
The leader of the Pirate Crew, wielding a massive Mace, suddenly swung it horizontally.
Crack.
A tree thick enough for a person to embrace was severed in half, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"This..."
The villagers of Narl Village watched this scene with worried expressions.
However, the village chief stepped forward and said, "Our Narl Village is under the jurisdiction of Navy Division 154. We have already notified the Navy via Transponder Snail, and they should be on their way now."
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing this, the leader of the Pirate Crew narrowed his eyes.
An island under Navy jurisdiction was indeed not easy to deal with.
The Pirate Crew leader snorted coldly and said, "So you want us to make this trip for nothing?"
The village chief quickly replied, "As long as you are willing to leave, we will prepare food, water, and a reward for your crew."
"Fine."
The Pirate Crew leader pondered for a moment. If they insisted on fighting, their side would undoubtedly suffer losses. Moreover, if they injured or killed any villagers, they would be pursued by the Navy.
It was one thing for his Pirate Crew to bully a village, but taking on a Branch Base, even if it was just a single Battleship, would be beyond their capabilities.
As long as they could receive their payment, that was enough.
The Pirate Crew leader agreed to the deal. The village chief handed over several cattle and sheep, along with Fresh Water. They sent some crew members to transport the goods onto the ship while slowly retreating under the watchful eyes of the villagers, eventually stepping aboard and sailing towards the Pirate Ship.
In the distance on the sea, seeing two ships returning, the impatient Xiaqiu transformed into a shadow and dashed toward their direction.
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