Chapter 56: No Bounty, No Thanks
Walking down the street, Ian had no idea that he and Ace had just pulled off another dine-and-dash. He was more focused on the massive commotion in the town. Children who had been playing outside were being forcibly dragged home by their parents, every shop had its doors bolted shut, and the streets—while not completely empty—were filled with people lugging suitcases, desperate to flee. Their faces were etched with panic, and it was common to see someone trip and get trampled by the crowd. Loguetown was now in complete chaos.
It was only then that Ian truly understood the havoc pirates wreaked on this world. The mere reputation of the Krieg Pirates was enough to spark terror in people’s hearts. He could only imagine the horrific scenes they left behind during their raids and massacres.
There were differences between pirates. From this perspective, Ian felt that Luffy’s Straw Hat Pirates couldn’t really be considered true pirates. More accurately, they were an adventure crew—wanted by the World Government and carrying bounties, but adventurers at heart.
Yes, adventurers! Luffy and his crew were just a bunch of explorers, not real pirates.
Real pirates were like the Krieg Pirates—reckless, burning, looting, and committing every atrocity imaginable.
Ian hadn’t expected that the Krieg Pirates would capture Johnny and Yosaku. From the fleeing traveler’s account, the two had likely suffered quite a bit.
As for why the Krieg Pirates would appear so brazenly in the square, dumping the bloodied Johnny and Yosaku on the ground as a display, Ian quickly pieced it together after a moment’s thought: they were trying to lure him out.
But what puzzled him was why they didn’t just come straight for him. Why use this method? Was it just to make an example of him and intimidate other bounty hunters?
Or had Johnny and Yosaku refused to reveal his name and location, forcing the Krieg Pirates to fish for him this way?
Ian couldn’t figure out the details, but regardless, he decided to take the bait.
It wasn’t just about saving Johnny and Yosaku. If someone came knocking at your door, shouldn’t you hit back hard?
Besides, Krieg’s head was worth a pretty penny. For Ian, who had been turned into a money-grubber by the system, that guy was a walking, human-shaped Berry symbol.
As he hurried toward the square, he heard Ace’s voice from behind: “Ian! Wait up!”
Turning around, Ian saw Ace running up with his shoulder bag slung over his back.
“What are you doing here?” Ian asked in surprise. “This is my business. Why are you tagging along?”
“Haha, don’t be stubborn!” Ace grinned, holding his hat as he spoke. “If I’m not mistaken, that flame coming from your sword drains your stamina, right? You used it once yesterday, and again today to break the handcuffs. The tired look on your face doesn’t lie. Do you even have the strength to fight now?”
Fatigue was there, sure, but it was mental exhaustion, not physical. The aftereffect of depleting his Nen energy lingered—though it was much milder than the intense headaches he’d had the first time, it still couldn’t be shaken off.
Ian considered explaining it to Ace but decided against it. If Ace wanted to think that, let him. His offer to help came from good intentions, and Ian didn’t want to refuse.
Plus, Ian realized the Krieg Pirates had too many members. Most were small fry, easy to deal with, but their sheer numbers would be a hassle. Having someone to help was a good thing.
“Alright, let’s go!” Ian said without thanking him, cutting straight to the point.
The two sprinted toward the square and soon returned to the execution platform from the day before.
The Krieg Pirates had likely chosen this spot because of the platform’s symbolic meaning. They probably planned to execute the one who had challenged their crew’s authority right here, using it to intimidate other bounty hunters.
When Ian and his companion arrived, they saw a large number of Marines surrounding the area, rifles raised, encircling the Krieg Pirates at the center.
No ordinary civilians were in the square now. Even the boldest could only watch from a distance, hiding. The tense standoff between the Marines and pirates was a sign that a major battle could break out at any moment. Getting caught in the middle would be suicide.
The Marines aimed their guns at the pirates, and the pirates readied their weapons in return, but neither side dared to start a fight.
On the Marine side, they still hadn’t figured out the Krieg Pirates’ intentions. The pirates didn’t seem to be there to rob anything. Even though Marines had a duty to capture pirates, they had to assess the situation. With their strength inferior to the pirates’, how could they make the first move?
The Krieg Pirates were in a similar bind. Before arriving, Krieg had warned them to avoid fighting the Marines if possible. If Marine casualties were too high, Vice Admiral Garp—still in the East Blue—would chase them to the ends of the earth to wipe them out.
Though Krieg was arrogant, he still feared the legendary Marine.
Unable to act, the Marines opted for a verbal warning. A Marine captain, holding a megaphone, shouted at the pirates: “You’re surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!”
Ian arrived just in time to hear this, and it struck him as oddly familiar. In movies, cops always said that to criminals, but he’d never seen any criminal actually surrender after hearing it.
Sure enough, as soon as the words were out, the Krieg Pirates erupted in jeers.
“Get lost! We’re not here for you!”
“Yeah! If you value your lives, clear out!”
“Marines? So what? The Krieg Pirates have never been afraid!”
The pirates weren’t buying it, and the Marine captain looked troubled. The head of the Loguetown base had just been transferred, and his replacement, Captain Smoker, hadn’t arrived yet. Now, with this big incident, the highest-ranking officer at the base was him, but he had no plan. He wanted to order an attack but feared the consequences, so he hesitated.
In this tense atmosphere, Ian and Ace pushed through the Marine soldiers, heading into the encirclement.
A Marine soldier spotted them and grabbed Ian’s arm. “What are you doing? Get out of here! This isn’t something ordinary people should be involved in! Are you trying to get yourselves killed just to watch the excitement?”
“Don’t worry,” Ian said, patting the soldier’s shoulder. “These pirates are looking for me. And we’re not ordinary people.”
Under the stunned gaze of the Marine soldier, Ian and Ace pushed through the crowd and stepped into the center of the square.
All eyes immediately locked onto them.
“Who are you?” a pirate asked stupidly.
Ian tugged his hat down to secure it, then smiled. “Aren’t you looking for me? So here I am.”
“Looking for you? You…” The pirate was still processing, but something about Ian’s smile sent a chill down his spine, and he couldn’t finish his sentence.
Ignoring the dumbfounded pirates, Ian walked over to Johnny and Yosaku, who were lying on the ground, and crouched down to check on them.
They had been beaten badly. If not for their faint breathing, Ian would have thought they were dead. As he gently tapped Johnny, he heard him mutter, “I won’t tell… won’t tell…”
He was completely unconscious, yet still saying that. Ian’s eyes grew darker.
Seeing Ian’s actions, the pirates finally realized that this newcomer with the bear-ear hat was the third bounty hunter Krieg had ordered them to find.
“Get him! Kill him!”
The pirates erupted, charging at Ian with shouts.
But just as the nearest few reached him, several flashes of blade light cut through the air. In the next second, those who had rushed forward were suddenly torn apart.
Some were split in half from head to toe, others separated at the waist. Regardless, they all shared one thing: Ian had sliced them in two with a single stroke.
Blood sprayed out only after their bodies fell apart, raining down like a crimson shower. Standing in the blood, Ian raised his longsword, looked at the remaining pirates, and smiled.
“I’m in a really bad mood today, so… your bounties? I don’t want them anymore.”