Chapter 41: Rescued

Ian couldn't help but wonder if his bad luck was a result of not praying to the gods before setting sail.

Just as he left the port, he encountered a storm, then while fishing in the sea, he ran into pirates who stole his belongings, and now, he woke up from a nap on the boat only to find it gone. Was there anyone in the world more unfortunate than him?

Sighing, he looked at the corpse of the Sea King under his feet. The fresh blood flowing from the body had stained a large area of the nearby sea, and the intense bloody smell attracted numerous circling sharks. However, these sharks seemed hesitant to approach, perhaps because of the imposing aura emanating from the massive body of the King.

Nevertheless, this was just a temporary situation. Once these sharks realized that the Sea King was dead, they would swarm in to feast on its flesh.

Seeing the shoals of sharks in the distance, Ian knew that time was running out. If the Sea King's body was devoured, leaving only the bones, he would lose his footing on the remains, and once he fell into the water, he would undoubtedly have to fight these sharks for survival.

But wait, was the Sea King really this big?

Although an estimate, its length was approximately a hundred meters, or maybe a bit shorter. However, regardless of the exact size, it was still huge. Could this creature be a mutant?

Shaking his head, Ian dismissed the thought. There was no use speculating. He stood up and scanned the surrounding sea, hoping to spot a ship that could save him.

To his surprise, he did find something in the distance. A mast emerged from the sea's horizon.

Since the planet was round, when one saw a ship approaching on the sea, the mast was usually visible first before the rest of the vessel, as the curvature of the Earth caused a slight bend in the line of sight.

However, just the sight of a ship was a good thing. Ian hurriedly rummaged through his belongings and found a few distress signal flares that Koby had bought for him before they departed.

In this world, maritime accidents were common, so people who set sail often carried distress signal flares to mark their location and request rescue in case of danger. These signal flares were similar to fireworks, using gunpowder inside. Once they got wet, they would become useless. In such cases, the stranded person had to resort to other methods of seeking help, like setting up bonfires or sending smoke signals.

Ian found the signal flares, and fortunately, they weren't wet. He couldn't help but give them a grateful kiss. Koby had thoughtfully prepared these for him.

The signal flares didn't require any special ignition tools; you only needed to open the lid, and the gunpowder inside would ignite.

With a muffled bang, a burst of force pushed the signal flare into the sky, leaving a straight red smoke trail that persisted even in the wind.

Thank heavens for technology in this world!

After sending out the distress signal, Ian could only hope that the ships in the distance would see it and come to his rescue. When he took another look, he realized that there were not just one but three ships approaching. The other two seemed to be lagging behind, which was why he hadn't noticed them earlier.

However, at this distance, he couldn't make out what kind of ships they were or even the flags on their masts. He didn't know if they were merchant ships, pirate ships, or naval ships. If they were merchant ships, they would probably come to his rescue after seeing the signal. If they were pirates, he hoped they wouldn't ignore the signal. He didn't fear facing pirates; he would gladly take them on and reclaim his boat. But he was worried that they might not respond to the distress signal.

While scanning the horizon, Ian suddenly heard the sound of rushing waves around him. He looked down and saw that the shark group had already started tearing into the Sea King's corpse. In addition to sharks, other fierce carnivorous fish were joining in the frenzy. These predators were fighting fiercely over the Sea King's flesh, stirring up the sea surface with splashing waves.

Ian realized he had little time left. He crouched down and tried to stay close to the sea surface. When sharks approached, he struck them down with his blade. In just a few minutes, he had killed several sharks.

While this number was insignificant compared to the entire shark group, it did delay the speed at which they consumed the Sea King's corpse. Ian now hoped the three ships would arrive soon.

He lost track of time and couldn't even remember how many sharks he had killed. To his surprise, the blood from the dead sharks made the sea smell even bloodier, attracting more carnivorous fish. The Sea King's corpse was about to be devoured entirely.

During this period, he was too busy to look up and see the three ships. But he had no other choice; he couldn't let these carnivorous fish feast freely. He had to kill as many as he could to buy time.

As the Sea King's body lost a significant amount of flesh and blood, it started sinking, and Ian could now reach the sea surface without any problem. In a few minutes, he might have to accept the fact that he would fall into the sea.

However, at that moment, he heard several "whoosh" sounds.

Ian was familiar with this sound; it was the whistle of flying cannonballs.

But he didn't hear any cannon firing!?

Before he could figure it out, several cannonballs landed near him on the sea surface and exploded, creating huge splashes. The nearby shark group, disturbed by the blasts, quickly retreated, tails flapping as they dived down.

These cannonballs were precisely targeted, hitting the densest area of the shark group. The effect was astonishing, and the predators in the sea quickly reduced in number.

Ian then finally saw the three massive ships coming closer.

They were indeed enormous, and their blue and white color scheme, along with the seagull pattern on the billowing sails, indicated they belonged to the high-ranking Marine!

Ian was taken aback. He had considered the possibility of the ships being merchant vessels, mail ships, or pirate ships, but he had never thought they were naval warships!

He realized these ships were no ordinary fleet; otherwise, Buggy wouldn't have been able to penetrate deep into the 153 Marine Branch. With such a formidable group of sailors, it was impossible for Buggy to reach the base.

One of the naval officers, dressed like a spy with a white coat, sword, and hat, appeared on the deck and scrutinized Ian's appearance. He had one hand gripping a long sword and the other holding a package, with a barrel-shaped object tucked under his arm. He didn't look like an ordinary traveler or fisherman at all. Naturally, the spy-like naval officer kept his hand on the weapon, prepared to draw it at any moment. He asked Ian coldly, "Did you send the distress signal just now?"

"Ah yes!" Ian responded, "Did you see anyone else is here besides me?"

"Then who are you? A pirate ?" The spy-like naval officer observed Ian's attire, which included a long blade in one hand, a package in the other, and a shape resembling a barrel of wine under his armpit. None of these made him look like an ordinary traveler or fisherman. Thus, the spy-like officer tightened his grip on his weapon, ready to draw it if needed.

"I'm not a pirate!" Ian hurriedly shook his head. He would never admit to being a pirate, especially not in front of the Marine. That would be suicidal. Instead, he quickly clarified, "I'm a pirate hunter!"

The Marine officers seemed to relax slightly upon hearing the words "pirate hunter." But their guns remained pointed at him, a sign of their disciplined training.

Before the spy-like officer could say anything else, a hearty laugh came from one of the other ships.

"Ahahaha! Bogard, don't be so tense. Even if he's a pirate, are you afraid? Let him come aboard!"

Upon hearing this voice, Ian almost bit his tongue. The person who jumped from the other ship and landed in front of him was none other than... Garp!!

Vice Admiral of the Marine, Fist of Iron Garp!!

Ian immediately remembered what Morgan had said back in Base 153; he had mentioned that Garp might come for Buggy.

Back then, Ian had assumed it was just Morgan trying to scare Buggy. But now, it seemed like it was true!

Ian was astonished. He was moving towards Rogue Town, while Garp came from there. As long as neither of them deviated from their course, they would meet. It wasn't surprising at all...