Chapter 3: 2700 bellies

Looking around, everyone had changed into pirate clothing, expect the veterans Kayla Markle and Joel Marks, who were now wearing wearing a white prince cota with a sash on the back over a frilly shirt, frills on his shoulders, and a high collar.

"Um... Big sister Kayla, why is your dress different from ours?" Sophia Cox, one of the two female newcomers, asked curiously.

"Don't worry, little sister! Our outfits are based on our different missions. This is actually our fourth mission world!" Kayla replied, a hint of pride in her voice as she adjusted her attire.

"Then..Then how would we survive?" Another newbie girl, Lara Doyle said while clutching the axe in her hand harder.

At this moment the rock like silent Joel Marks said, "Don't worry, new players participating in the first mission are under the protection of the novice system for the first five days of the mission and you will not die from within the mission but you will still feel the pain and their would be a huge reduction in your reward points!"

Kayla interjected, offering further reassurance, "And since this is your first mission, the money you have should easily help you survive for ten days."

"Then is your mission difficult than ours?" Hikari asked quickly, as this was the only right moment to ask this question for now.

"Yes, the more missions you do, the harder it gets, of course the difficulty of your future mission also depends on the previous mission rewards!" Kayla said while stretching her body.

"Seizing the opportunity, Hikari quickly asked, "Is your mission more difficult than ours?"

Kayla nodded, stretching her body as she explained, "Yes, the more missions you undertake, the harder they become. The difficulty of your future missions also depends on the rewards earned in previous missions."

Innocently intrigued, Lara asked, "So, what is your mission, big sis?"

Kayla's voice carried a note of confusion as she replied, "Well, our mission is to assassinate the royalty of the Goa Kingdom during the arrival of the world nobles. Although I must admit, I'm not sure where the Goa Kingdom is or who the world nobles are."

….

"Haha, did you hear? The World Nobles are coming!" a bearded man exclaimed, his voice tinged with contempt as he took a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, those fat bastards!" another person chimed in, raising his beer in agreement.

Amidst the shouting and laughter, a lonely boy sat quietly, sipping his beer. It was Hikari, lost in his thoughts.

"Hey there, young man. Where are you from? Your face doesn't exactly scream 'pirate,' but your clothes tell a different story," a drunken old man inquired, his words slightly slurred.

Hearing this Hikari remembered his last encounter with Kayla and her group.

…

"Seriously, little brother, have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea how dangerous those divine missions can be?" Kayla practically shouted at Hikari, her concern evident, but he remained resolute.

Divine missions are a special type of mission that only appear after completing Special missions. Hikari found out about them through a conversation with Kayla, who was a chatterbox and liked to brag a lot.

However, divine missions are tens of times more dangerous than special missions. The rewards for completing them are great, but they only become available once all the special missions have been completed.

Joel interjected with a sigh, "Come on,lets go, Kayla, we can't change his decision."

Kayla persisted, "But…But only people related with powerful factions stand a chance at completing a special mission on their first mission."

Joel countered, his voice calm yet firm, "True, but let's not forget that those who have completed the first special mission alone have become legendary. What if we're witnessing the rise of a new Kyros?"

"Fine! Take this. It's a laser gun. I'm sure it will be of great help, but be cautious, there are only three bullets left, and also take this gps tracker it will help us track your location and vice versa!" Kayla said, departing with the rest of the group who had chosen to follow Joel

….

Hearing this, Hikari's face transformed into a cheerful expression as he took a sip from his drink. "I am a bounty hunter," he proudly proclaimed.

His words instantly grabbed the attention of everyone in the bustling bar. Laughter subsided, and a silence fell over the once-vibrant establishment. Makino, who had been busy cleaning beer glasses, glanced at Hikari with a hint of concern on her face.

Unfazed by the sudden shift in atmosphere, Hikari approached the counter with a beer bottle in hand, chuckling. "How much is it?" he casually asked.

"2700 bellies," Makino replied hesitantly, sensing something unusual. Hikari, however, showed no signs of worry and paid without hesitation.

With the bottle in hand, he strolled out into the night, the shadows trailing behind him. Alone in the darkness, Hikari made his way towards Mt.Colubo. The forest enveloped him in its deep, foreboding darkness. After a while, he stopped and turned around.

"You can all come out now," he called out.

At his words, numerous figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding him. One of the bandits who had been present at the Party's Bar stepped forward, dagger glistening as he spoke. "Bounty Hunter, you're a fool for messing with the Dadan Family."

Hikari smirked, unfazed by the threat. "Oh, really? Then why hasn't your leader, Curly Dadan, shown up?"

"You bastards! If it weren't for those two scoundrels and that blackmailing Marine!" One of the drunken bandits wailed, cursing vehemently.

As Hikari observed the drunken Dadan Family members, he felt disappointed. It had taken him four days of planning and preparations to reach this moment.

Yes, the entire act he was witnessing was a setup. After parting ways with Kayla and her group, Hikari had immediately headed to Foosha Village. He knew that the regular customers at Party's Bar were members of the Dadan Family gang. However, he never anticipated that their leader wouldn't show up on the day of action.

"Everyone, charge!" the bandits roared and rushed forward. However, due to their intoxicated state, they failed to notice that the ground beneath their feet was unstable.

"Hado number 1: Sho!"

"Hado number 1: Sho!"

"Hado number 1: Sho!"

"Hado number 1: Sho!"

Boom!

One by one, the bandits fell into a hole, approximately 10 meters in diameter. Although the fall didn't cause them any serious harm due to the enhanced physical abilities of the natives in the One Piece world, it did manage to sober them up.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!"

"Hado Number 31: Shakkaho!"

In an instant, a large red ball of pure energy emerged from Hikari's hands, hurtling towards the hole and creating a fiery explosion upon impact.

But it didn't end there.

"Hado Number 4: Byakurai!"

This time, a powerful and concentrated beam of electricity shot from Hikari's hand, striking the nearly lifeless bandits within the hole.

But Hikari wasn't finished.

"Hado Number 4: Byakurai!"

"Hado Number 4: Byakurai!"

"Hado Number 4: Byakurai!"

Hikari continued to unleash his spiritual power until he had depleted 80% of it. By the time he finished, all the bandits within the hole were either charred meat or reduced to ashes, none left alive.

After checking that none were alive, Hikari turned around and vanished. With a blast, the hole collapsed on its own.