Chapter 63: Razor Gang
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The artillery roared, sending splashes of water into the air.
"Hahaha! Blast them to hell!"
On the boundless azure ocean, a medium-sized three-masted ship adorned with a black pirate flag vigorously shelled another ship with crossed cigarettes and whiskey bottle flags.
The middle-aged pirate captain, clad in a "Roger-style red coat," stood on the railing of his pirate ship, one foot planted firmly. In his left hand, he held a wooden wine glass, while a curved sword gleamed in his right hand. He laughed wildly, "Hahaha! All the treasures are mine! I am the next Pirate King!"
The merchant ship on the other side was not without any counterattacks, but most of the people on board were just honest businessmen. In terms of sea combat ability, they were still no match for pirates, and most of the time they were in a passive state of being beaten.
In the air,
Adrian looked down at the pirate ship and merchant ship that were exchanging fire. He held a copy of the World Economic Journal that he had recently purchased from a news bird. The front page featured two prominent headlines.
Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, has been executed. The era of pirates is about to end!
World Recruitment!
"Tsk tsk, is this the era of pirates that is about to end?" Adrian chuckled. He looked down at the two sides that were fighting, shaking his head. "It's really a drama, both sides playing their own tune."
Undoubtedly, Roger's execution did not mark the end of the pirate era.
Instead, under the encouragement of his last words, who knows how many people who were originally not very honest started to rush to the sea, dreaming of grabbing the "legendary treasure" a wealth that could rival that of a country, and becoming the next Pirate King.
In fact, the World Government and the Marine have already seen it very clearly. Otherwise, they would not have launched a world recruitment drive as active as ever in this so-called "about-to-end" pirate era!
After leaving Loguetown, Adrian flew slowly towards the West Blue. Along the way, he witnessed countless sea battles.
Compared to when he went to Loguetown, the frequency and number of pirates appearing have increased by more than one level!
The Great Pirate Era has begun!
"However, how can I allow you to disturb my subordinates so casually?"
With a light laugh, Adrian's figure instantly disappeared into thin air.
The next moment, he appeared on the surface of the sea, just a few centimeters away from the gently rippling blue water below. From a distance, it looked like he was 'stepping' on the surface of the water.
"Speaking of which, the first time I used this technique, it was unexpectedly on a group of unknown pirates in the West Blue!"
Adrian reached his hand into the sea, closed his eyes slightly, and felt the ghosts that were invisible to ordinary people in the water.
A maxed-out Ghost Domination allows the user to awaken the simple consciousness of spirits within a certain range and gain control over them.
This also means that the boundless sea has unknowingly transformed from Adrian's 'Natural Enemy' to his 'Home Court'!
In the countless years of the past, how many innocent souls have died on this vast sea?
Even if only a small portion can be preserved after the erosion of time, it is already enough for Adrian to use.
"Taste the fear..."
Ocean Ghost: Furious Tides!
The once-calm sea abruptly transformed into a series of giant water pillars, as thick as a man's embrace. They resembled a group of giant water snakes writhing and twisting, patrolling and weaving beneath the sea surface, turning the seawater into vortex shapes.
If there were people under the sea at this time, they would even be able to see the half-transparent 'ghostly monster faces' that looked like scales on the surface of those giant water snakes!
Thump thump…
"Captain, captain…!" A pirate responsible for lookout rushed to the ship's deck in a hurry, shouting in horror, "A large whirlpool suddenly appeared near us! A giant whirlpool!"
"Idiot! Are your eyes covered in seagull droppings? How could a whirlpool possibly appear in this area!"
The middle-aged pirate captain's mouth curled up in a cruel smile. Just as he was about to draw his pistol to teach this incompetent subordinate a lesson, the hull beneath his feet suddenly began to shake violently.
Dense and fragmented sounds emanated from the pirate ship's hold. Every creak and crack in the hull felt like a blow to the pirates' hearts.
"It's the whirlpool! The whirlpool has struck our ship!"
The pirate who reported it lay on the deck, already terrified, resembling a stray dog with a broken spine.
"Hold steady! We—"
The middle-aged pirate captain shouted, attempting to bolster his crew's morale. However, he didn't anticipate the sudden, ominous creaking of the ship's hull exploding.
The next moment, the surging Ghost Vortex swallowed the medium-sized three-masted sailing ship like a snack.
The people on the merchant ship in the distance could hardly believe their eyes. What was going on? Why did a huge vortex suddenly appear on the sea? And it seemed to be deliberately targeting the group of pirates on the other side?
Arthur, the captain of the merchant ship, had never seen such a strange looking vortex in his life.
At this moment, a figure jumped out from the center of the vortex and landed on the deck of the merchant ship, and the sea water vortex below finally calmed down.
"Is this a Shelby Company merchant ship?" With the respectful gaze of the merchant ship's people, the newcomer had a gentle smile on his face, "Can you give me a ride?"
...
Otefi Island.
In a brightly lit building, Tommy Shelby sat in his office, handling various matters—both public and private, commercial and gang-related.
In the absence of the man behind the scenes, Tommy Shelby was the supreme leader of Shelby Company Ltd. and the Razor Gang, with the authority to handle all matters on his own.
A knock sounded at the door.
Tommy rubbed his tired eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "I said not to disturb me at this time," he grumbled.
"Tommy, it's been a while," a voice said.
"Your Excellency, it's you!" Tommy Shelby snapped back to attention instantly.
"That's right, it's me."
Adrian smiled slightly and observed Tommy, who had begun to mature.
He wore a dark brown newsboy cap, a black tweed overcoat, a Marine blue tie tucked into a gray vest with a brass chain, and simple black trousers paired with brown brogues.
He exuded the air of the most fashionable gangster in history.
Adrian said in a gentle voice, "I've also heard some things about the Shelby Company recently. It's said that you've expanded your business to most parts of the West Blue. You've done well, Tommy, both in the open and in the shadows."
"This is what I should do, Lord." Tommy said respectfully. "Everything is thanks to your guidance."
"Now, I have a task for you," Adrian said, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Purchase as much weapons and ammunition as you can. I will collect them from you periodically."
Although Tommy was somewhat puzzled as to why Lord White Ghost would need these weapons that were useless to him, he nodded earnestly.
"If this mission goes smoothly enough, Shelby Company might be able to overcome its bottleneck," Adrian encouraged again, "the West Blue is still too small, isn't it?"