Chapter 260: Time to Show Off!
Earlier, while listening to Konenai's account, Ian had been puzzled by one thing.
Why had the residents of this island never discovered the existence of Thunder Stones for so many years, yet only after this pirate king appeared did such things come into being?
Just luck? Don't be ridiculous! Thunder Stones didn't seem to be a directly produced mineral; they were derived from refining. If no one knew such a thing existed, how would anyone think to refine it?
Moreover, from the description, this pirate king's goal seemed very clear. He had seized the throne of this island's kingdom, apparently targeting the minerals here. It was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision or an accidental discovery.
So Ian strongly suspected the identity of this pirate king. Although Konenai had mentioned that this pirate king had a bounty as high as 340 million, making him a major pirate, Ian didn't believe an ordinary pirate would possess such knowledge. This pirate king's identity likely had serious issues, and Ian needed to make contact with him.
After carefully listening to Ian's analysis, Fujitora nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, this king probably has problems. If he were an ordinary pirate with a 340 million bounty, he'd be a renowned figure, capable of joining any of the Four Emperors and being heavily relied upon. Why give up being a pirate to become a king on such a small island?"
This island's economy wasn't developed; it wasn't the kind of scenic place that attracted tourists. Its population was pitifully small. Although there were gemstone veins, they were low-yield and poor-quality. Becoming a king in such a country, aiming to make money, was unrealistic. It couldn't compare to large nations like Dressrosa or Alabasta.
If Konenai hadn't luckily rescued a miner from the island's rebel army and learned the full story, including the existence of Thunder Stones, Ian and the others would have been scratching their heads, puzzled by the pirate king's motives.
"Such a pirate becoming king is a misfortune for the people here!" Fujitora said. "Let's go, Captain. Let's see who this 340-million-bounty pirate king really is!"
Ian smiled slightly, turned around, and shouted, "Port rudder ninety, turn! We're heading to the harbor!"
Ian and his crew had landed on the side of the island earlier, not at the harbor's front. Now they needed to turn to approach the harbor from the other side.
After circling half the island, they finally spotted the harbor. It was small, but now it was packed with pirate ships of various sizes. These ships flew different black pirate flags, all belonging to the pirate mercenaries hired by the king.
Yes, calling them thugs wasn't quite accurate; mercenaries fit better. Real pirates didn't just rob and plunder; they could also act as merchant escorts or such mercenaries. As long as they could make money, they'd do anything. Being hired to suppress locals was nothing, and if willing, they'd even join a real war for cash.
This reminded Ian of Buggy's future pirate mercenary dispatch organization...
At the harbor, some crew members were on duty, drinking on the decks. Although they were all hired by the same boss, pirate crews weren't exactly friendly with each other. Ian and his crew saw a drunken pirate standing at the railing, pulling out his tool and urinating toward a nearby ship tightly moored beside them.
Though he probably couldn't hit the other ship, this act was meant to humiliate the neighboring crew. The drunken pirate and his buddies laughed loudly, flipping off the other ship.
Naturally, the other crew wouldn't take that lying down. An arrow shot toward the urinating pirate's crotch, missing but startling him. Both sides then started cursing each other out.
This commotion attracted the attention of other crews left behind. Bored with their duty, they found the spectacle amusing, laughing and cheering, egging on the quarreling sides to fight.
The most interesting thing in the world was probably watching others' troubles while being a bystander. This spirit of enjoying a good show was universal across worlds...
It was under these circumstances that Ian's ship appeared!
Since the Dragon Hunter Pirates' ship was a converted Marine warship, it was larger than other vessels. Its cannons were especially conspicuous. Pirates, who spent their lives at sea, were highly sensitive to Marine warships. So when Ian's ship emerged from the island's side, the pirates at the harbor spotted it immediately.
"M-Marines!?" A drunken pirate, upon seeing Ian's ship, sobered up in fright, thinking the Marines were attacking. But after rubbing his eyes and seeing the black hull and black pirate flag, he suddenly realized the truth.
As the ship approached, more pirates saw it and exclaimed, "Damn! That's a Marine warship converted into a pirate ship! Which pirate crew is bold enough to do that!?"
On this sea, weak pirate crews wouldn't dare target Marine warships, while strong ones might not care about them. Stealing a warship for a pirate ship was rare, which explained the pirates' surprise at seeing the Dragon Hunter Pirates' vessel.
Due to the wind direction, many pirates couldn't yet see the pirate flag clearly, so they speculated about which crew was so impressive.
The pirates on duty stopped their bickering, standing on their decks, watching the Dragon Hunter Pirates' ship heading toward the harbor. Some quick-witted ones even jumped off their ships and ran into the city to report to their captains.
A side wind finally straightened the pirate flag at the top of Ian's mast. The pattern of a sword piercing a dragon made the pirates freeze in shock.
At first glance, many couldn't recall which crew's flag this was, so they frantically searched their memories.
In the New World, remembering pirate flag patterns was crucial to avoid provoking enemies you shouldn't.
Slowly, as memories surfaced, many pirates' faces turned pale!
They remembered! Damn, wasn't this the Dragon Hunter Pirates that had appeared on TV broadcasts recently!?
Realizing this, the pirates at the harbor gasped. Holy crap! A major figure had arrived!
What was going on with this crappy little island? First, the king hired pirates to massacre his own people, and now a pirate crew capable of matching a Marine Admiral suddenly appeared!?
If they remembered correctly, the captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates had a bounty as high as 650 million!
"They... they seem to be docking at the harbor!" a pirate who snapped out of it said.
Hearing this, the pirates at the harbor froze. Looking around, they saw the small harbor was completely filled with pirate ships. This was intentional, partly to blockade the harbor and prevent people from escaping the island.
But this blockade now panicked all the pirates!
"Quick, untie the mooring lines on shore!" shouted the crew on a ship moored in the middle of the harbor. "We need to move our ship and make room for them to dock!"
Hearing this, the pirates on that ship immediately jumped into the sea, swam to the shore, and frantically began untying the ropes. Not just them, but nearby ships also hurriedly did the same!
Although pirates were rough and violent, they followed unspoken rules at sea. Usually, if two pirate crews had a conflict and were about to fight, the captains would announce their bounties and names. If the opponent's bounty was lower, they'd lose face.
This was the "bounty hierarchy" among pirates!
Clearly, the sudden appearance of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, with their astronomical bounty, made the local pirates look up in awe. To avoid provoking them, these pirates quickly vacated a spot for the Dragon Hunter Pirates' ship to dock.
From afar, the members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates saw the commotion at the harbor. Guessing what had happened, they felt a surge of pride.
Look! This is our Dragon Hunter Pirates, soon to become the new Seven Warlords of the Sea! We are the ones these rough bastards must fear!
Unconsciously, the Dragon Hunter Pirates' members straightened their backs, staring coldly at the approaching pirates with disdain.
Even Ian felt the sudden burst of fierce atmosphere from his crew. Turning to look at their expressions, he understood immediately and smiled slightly.
Hmm, so that's how it is. In that case, it's time to show off a bit...