INIIDF-Chapter 25 The Bounty has Arrived, Come Collect it Tonight!

In the early morning, Robin woke up on time.

Opening her eyes and contemplating her surroundings, she felt a sense of relief.

After a simple wash-up, Robin heard a commotion coming from the street outside while standing at the door.

She glanced back into the room; Liam hadn't come out of his room yet.

Robin decided to put on the butterfly mask, grabbed a chair, stood on it, and tiptoed to observe the situation outside.

On the streets, early risers were still in their pajamas, exchanging hurried conversations with anxious expressions on their faces.

The Kingdom's guards were maintaining order, loudly talking to the residents. Robin could vaguely hear words like "pirate," "kill," and "calm down."

"It's those from the criminal organization..."

Robin caught sight of a person in a black suit passing by at a distant street corner, startling her. She quickly pulled her head back, jumped off the chair, and carried it back.

As she returned, Robin saw Liam, who had finished washing up, lazily sitting at the dining table, tearing pieces of bread to amuse the green Den Den Mushi on the table— named "Little Green."

"There seems to be something happening outside. Pirates appeared last night..." Robin said, climbing onto a chair and sitting down.

Liam poured them both a glass of milk and placed a plate with a bit of bread in front of Little Green, saying, "Yeah, I know. 17 million, all adult heads, the same price as Creek! It's even 10,000,000 more than Hundred Plans Kuro."

"Creek? Hundred Plans Kuro?" Robin asked with a puzzled look. "Did you handle the pirates that appeared last night?"

Liam chuckled, "Not me, it was Little Black! I'm too lazy to go out and mess around in the middle of the night."

With that, a humanoid battle armor made of pitch-black energy flew out of him. Little Black took out a chip with red flame patterns from the inverted triangle on its chest and implanted it into Liam's body.

Little Black... Robin nodded silently. Liam had given many names to his ghost— Little Black, Old Black, Ah Black, B, Ah B, Little...

Liam regained the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) ability. He lightly flicked his fingers, and pink flower petals bloomed at the rim of their milk cups, gently falling onto the milk's surface, creating faint ripples.

Ripple after ripple...

[Last night, South Chicago Island, a small coastal town at the port.]

[Sudden gunshots shattered the tranquility of the small town.]

"Pirates! Pirates are here!"

"It's the Gale Pirate Crew!"

In an instant, cries of panic echoed throughout the entire town, mingled with screams and weeping.

No one expected the Gale Pirate Crew, believed to be absent, to appear on such an ordinary night without any warning.

Arrogant pirates from the Gale Pirate Crew brandished guns and knives, smashing doors from house to house. Upon entry, it was either a gunshot or a straightforward slash through the door.

"You fools, get out!!"

Captain Rocchia, a robust figure clad in a dirty cloak, walked with an indifferent stride in the center of the town's empty road, shouting loudly to the houses on both sides.

Behind him, two teams followed, pushing large barrels with wheels, creating booming sounds as they moved. Occasionally, sea water splashed out from the barrel mouths.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"...

Gunshots forced the residents of the entire town to come out of their homes in disarray, disheveled, and in their sleepwear.

"Where are the Marines? Why aren't the Marines coming!" A woman cried, holding her child.

The pirates laughed maniacally, "Marines? They're probably still fast asleep!"

"The Kingdom's guards won't let you off! They will definitely come after you!" An elderly man in the town shouted angrily, only to be struck by a slash, spewing blood onto the dimly lit ground.

The pirate with blood on his blade sneered, "Guards? Dream on! Hā hā hā!"

"You fools, instead of hoping for the Marines and guards to save you, why not ask for the help of that legendary spirit Roger?" Another pirate suggested mockingly.

"Hā Hā Hā!"...

"Don't babble. Hurry up and hand over all your money and food!"...

Under the dim moonlight, the faint glimmers of the pirates' gun barrels and swords looked like the fangs of devils. The residents, whether angry or frightened, all had pale faces.

Under the threats of knives and guns, the young men trembled, gritting their teeth. "If you can defeat these pirates, whether they're spirits of the pirate king or whatever, come quickly!"

"Hā Hā Hā! Do you really think we're afraid of the so-called spirit of the pirate king?" Captain Rocchia of the Gale Pirate Crew laughed loudly. "It's probably just a trick from some Devil Fruit Ability user who popped up somewhere! Oh, by the way, you fools probably don't even know what a Devil Fruit is, right? Hā hā hā!"

Seeing the confident and utterly fearless demeanor of this notorious pirate from the West Blue, the residents couldn't help but feel even more terrified and anxious.

"Let that guy bring out the spirit of the pirate king. Watch how I..."...

Suddenly, a cold wind blew through.

It was as if something had touched their necks…

Goosebumps instantly rose on their skin!

Rocchia's words were abruptly cut off. He unsheathed the longblade from his waist, grinned, and said, "Is it here? Hā Hā Hā! Come! Come!"

He swung his sword toward the empty air. Suddenly, screams came from his subordinates behind him.

"Boss..." A pirate suddenly started bleeding from his nose and mouth, pupils dilating, collapsing weakly.

The pirates nearby were frightened, shouting while pulling out their guns, "It's a spirit! The spirit is here! Quick..."

Mid-sentence, one pirate's face twisted into a crazy expression. He spewed blood frantically, and his entire face, soaked in blood, collapsed backward.

The scene fell into silence for a few seconds.

This eerie scene not only shocked the pirates but also left the local residents, who had heard about the ghost of the Pirate King and even witnessed the events at the bar that day, gaping in astonishment.

No one expected that the so-called ghost could possess such an invisible and instantaneous ability to kill.

The pirates went mad, roaring into the air, firing guns, and swinging their blades at what they believed to be the ghost. However, it had no effect whatsoever.

How could a ghost be hit by guns and blades?

With each scream suddenly cut off, a pirate would fall, bleeding profusely from all seven openings, lifeless.

The pirates were terrified!

The destructive power was so terrifying; was this a ghost or a ferocious beast?!

This was nothing like the scary tactics of ghosts from legends!

Why did an intangible and formless ghost possess such destructive power?!

Taking advantage of the chaos among the pirates, the terrifying spirit invisible in the air silently killed them one by one, causing the residents to panic and hide in haste.

It was too frightening, too terrifying.

They helplessly watched as the pirates, seemingly insane, fell one by one, silently bleeding to death.

"What the hell!!" Captain Rocchia of the Gale Pirate Crew roared furiously, "Pour seawater! Devil Fruit Ability users are like ducks on land, they fear seawater! As long as they are drenched in seawater, their abilities become ineffective!!"

He strode toward one of the large water barrels, gave a low shout, and unbelievably lifted the hundreds of kilograms heavy water barrel!

Rocchia's muscles swelled, his face turned red, and his veins bulged, resembling a terrifying demon!

The residents watching from various places couldn't help but feel frightened. Rocchia carrying the barrel was indeed awe-inspiring. This terrifying strength could probably bind them all together and knock them out with a single punch!

"Stop with the ghostly acts here!" Rocchia roared, lifting the barrel towards one of his subordinates who had just collapsed, bleeding from all seven openings.

Bang! 

A torrent of seawater poured like a waterfall.

"Boss..." That subordinate was washed away by the small waterfall. However, everyone despaired when they discovered that there was no sign of the ghost in the rushing water.

"Ah!!" Another pirate fell weakly, convulsing, bleeding from all seven openings on his face, mixed with a thick white substance.

A cold wind blew through the streets of the small town. Under the dim moonlight, the bodies of the pirates lay scattered everywhere. Among those who could still stand, only Captain Rocchia, who could punch a dozen people to death with a single blow, remained.

Rocchia's eyes were bloodshot, almost spewing fire.

He faintly heard the sound of teeth chattering, filled with anger. Who lacked the guts to be so scared, reducing themselves to this pitiful state?!

Soon, he realized that the sound was coming from his own mouth—.

"You damned 'gunpowder'!!"

Rocchia roared, flipped over, and fled into another large water barrel. 

Splash! 

A row of seawater splashed out.

He held his breath and sank to the bottom of the barrel. His robust body was trembling.

He couldn't believe he was afraid, actually trembling?!

But submerged in seawater, that spirit wouldn't pursue him, right...? Just as he thought so, Rocchia suddenly felt a cold hand gently reaching into his head.

The hand was so soft as if caressing, gently stirring his brain.

"Woo, Woo, Woo..."

Rocchia widened his eyes in the seawater, struggling incessantly, but his strength grew weaker.

Threads of blood, mixed with white, flowed out from his eyes, nostrils, and ears, all dissolving into the water...

After a long time, the hidden residents hesitated to come out.

"Is it over?"

"Hey, don't go out. Beware of that spirit..."]

"Did that pirate just say 'You damned 'gunpowder'?"

"Anyway, these pirates have been dealt with..."

The residents looked at the gruesome scene on the street, each pale with fear. Women hurriedly hugged their children and ran into their houses, frightened to tears.

At this moment, everyone saw ripples forming in a puddle of blood around a corpse, and a splash of fresh blood rising into the air, falling onto the outer wall of Rocchia's water barrel.

Splash, Splash, Splash...

That smear of blood moved on the water barrel, writing a line of blood characters: "The bounty has arrived, come collect it tonight!"

End of this chapter

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