Chapter 124: Unpleasant First Impression

Sabaody Archipelago, also known as the Bubble Archipelago, marks the end of the first half of the Grand Line—the Paradise. It's the convergence point for the seven routes that set off from Reverse Mountain.

After bidding farewell to Water 7, Adrian continued his journey, to the Sabaody Archipelago. The island seemed like something out of a dream—a bubble paradise straight from a fairy tale. Adrian couldn't help but be moved by its beauty.

However, beneath the enchanting surface of Sabaody Archipelago lies a darker truth. Sin thrives here, hidden in the plain sight.

Under the forced intervention of the Celestial Dragons and the deliberate negligence of the World Government and Marine Headquarters, sins such as abhorrent practices like slave trading and human trafficking flourish openly as normal business activities on this island!

In a twisted sense, Sabaody Archipelago is thoroughly decadent.

What's more is that the normal people in this island know that there will be Celestial dragons trolling from time to time, and even killing wantonly. One day they can be taken in as slave, which the World Government and Marine approve of.

Why don't they just leave this island? Are they that blinded by the money working in these auction hall and gangs that they are not even willing to think about their future?

After a brief moment of reflection, Adrian continued on his way to Sabaody Archipelago.

As the gateway to the New World, Sabaody attracts ships from all seven routes. Consequently, the waters around it are far from deserted as when sailing on the route here.

As Adrian sailed closer, he encountered a bustling scene: countless ships dotted the sea, with over a dozen in plain sight. Most of them bore the ominous black skull flags of pirates.

Adrian's modest two-masted sailing ship, devoid of any flags, stood out conspicuously amidst the menacing pirate ships.

It was like a husky that had snuck into a pack of wolves. Or should he call himself, a hunter disguising himself as a sheep?

These pirates, having survived the relentless pursuit of the Marines and braved countless dangers to reach Sabaody, were already among the elite. Weaker groups had been weeded out along the treacherous journey.

However, it was precisely because they were about to reach Sabaody Archipelago that many pirates had begun to become reckless, not understanding the value of life.

And so it was that Adrian found himself facing a group of such pirates.

His ship, which didn't fly any flag puzzled them. To the pirates, he appeared no different from an ordinary merchant.

Suddenly, a nearby pirate group carelessly swung its rudder, veering recklessly toward Adrian's two-masted ship.

"Hahaha! Impressive, kid, to have come this far," bellowed a burly man who posed as the captain, standing atop the ship's bow statue. His voice carried down to Adrian from a lofty vantage point. "But if you want to survive, swim to Sabaody Archipelago!"

Adrian regarded the pirate captain with a disdainful gaze, his hand instinctively reaching for the [Hero's Dagger] at his waist.

At this distance, the small sword as such should be enough…

To the pirate captain's surprise, Adrian remained calm, his expression unwavering. The captain, unworthy even of a name, seethed with anger. Through clenched teeth, he issued a furious command:

"You lot! Attack!!"

Adrian stood resolute, eyes fixed on the approaching pirate ship. His fingers tightened around the hilt of the Hero's Dagger, its blade gleaming in the harsh sunlight.

The pirates, their swaggering confidence on full display, believed they had silenced the other crew into submission. Their raucous laughter echoed across the salty sea air.

In an instant, a violent, ear-splitting crash echoed from their own ship. Before they could comprehend what had occurred, their massive three-masted vessel split neatly in half, right down the middle!

Adrian sheathed the Hero's dagger, not even sparing a glance. "Rumi!" he called out, his voice steady. "Pay attention to the front. Stay away from trash"

"Oh my, no problem! Watch this!"

A crisp voice came from the direction of the ship's helm.

Looking closely, a gray pocket watch was floating above the rudder. The pocket watch was adorned with intricate Gothic motifs. Silver diamonds sparkled like portholes, and a sea-blue sapphire adorned the upper left corner, casting an ethereal glow akin to a midnight moon.

Rumi jumped out from the pocket watch, manipulating the small double-masted sailboat, skillfully maneuvering through the center of the pirate ship that had been cleaved into two.

Adrian reveled in the gentle sea breeze that swept across his face

Sure enough, this automatic one is more comfortable than manual operation!

And after witnessing that massive slash, any pirate ship on the nearby sea dared not linger any longer.

Who knew if this evil person might suddenly decide to dispose of them on a whim?

The waters ahead were suddenly clear and unobstructed. Under Rumi's skillful manipulation, the brigantine(Two-masted sailing vessel) docked safely.

Adrian raised his right hand and deftly caught the lead-gray pocket watch as it sailed through the air. He nonchalantly slipped it into his pocket.

Thump, thump...

However, before he could even reach the shore, an uninvited group approached with an air of authority. They brandished long swords and carried pistols at their waists.

This group of people were a slave-catching team, specifically targeting pirate captains.

Within the slave market of the Sabaody Archipelago, pirate captains from various crews were highly sought-after commodities. Upper-class nobles and Celestial Dragons held a particular penchant for these unruly pirates, often indulging in their mistreatment.

Typically, the slave-hunting teams target pirate captains with bounties below 100 million berries, maybe even 500 million berries.

After all, the members of these teams are not professional fighters. If the bounty is even slightly higher, the other party's strength will exceed their capacity to handle.

The nefarious slave-hunters were in high spirits, and their first action was to scrutinize the flag fluttering from the sail.

"No pirate flag? What bad luck!"

"The selling price of a regular human slave is a mere 500,000 berries. What can you accomplish with such paltry funds?"

"Only one person? Isn't this a walking 500,000? Profit, profit…"

The seasoned members of the slave-hunting team were immediately disheartened, while the newcomer couldn't contain their elation.

However, the captain of the slave-hunting team, who was tall and well-built, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.

"The White Ghost with a bounty of 381 million berries?!"

Adrian raised his brows and lightly flicked his dagger. 

Before anyone could even croak the man lay on the ground with his body dismembered.

"It's your bad luck." Adrian whispered.

"Captain… dead?"

"The captain who could hold his own against a 50 million Beri pirate… killed with a single stroke?"

Adrian paid no heed to this disheartened group; he coldly swung his sword, dispatching them all.

After completing all of this, Adrian lifted his eyes to look at the nearest Yarukiman Mangrove tree marked with a number. There, etched into the rough surface, was 13!

"It's really lawless here!"