Chapter 170

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] 

[Thank You For Your Support!]

====

Watching the muscular man slide into the restaurant on his knees, Zyhark's eyes remained calm, revealing no particular emotion.

From the massive snake tattoo on the man's arm and the snakehead flag on the twin-masted pirate ship outside, it was easy to determine the man's true identity.

Captain of the Black Snake Pirates, Black Mamba Gino Bailey, with a bounty of 73 million Berries!

Just as the others, he was another supernova of this era.

However, unlike the others, this guy was known for his brutal methods and lack of bottom lines, causing fear among the island's civilians.

"I wonder what a supernova who once slaughtered a kingdom wants from me?" Zyhark asked calmly.

"Huh? You actually know my name?"

Seeing that Zyhark recognized him, Gino Bailey's face, covered with scars, showed a look of immense excitement. "It's truly an honor for me!"

"Compared to your act of killing Celestial Dragons in public, my little skirmishes are nothing!"

After a slight pause, Bailey, still on his knees, looked up and shouted, "Please, accept me as your follower, let the Black Snake Pirates join the Endless Dream!"

"Please, Zyhark-sama!"

A group of ferocious-looking pirate subordinates behind him knelt on one knee, looking at Zyhark with a mix of reverence and excitement.

Indeed, the scene looked quite spectacular.

"Stand up first."

Zyhark waved his hand indifferently, seemingly unsurprised by the situation.

Not far away, Aqua lay on the couch in a slouch, eating fried chicken with Kanna.

Meowth blinked silently, looking at Zyhark with a hesitant expression.

In the corner, King put down his dumbbell, frowned, and looked at the pirates slowly standing up from the ground.

For some reason, he felt something was off. After glancing around, his eyes finally rested on the laid-back Aqua.

'Under normal circumstances, with Aqua's personality, shouldn't she be rushing over with Aqua's church flyers to recruit these new members?'

He had identified the source of the discrepancy.

As the second companion he had spent the most time with, King had gained a fairly deep understanding of Aqua, the water goddess.

Zyhark did not respond immediately. Instead, he walked over to the couch, sat down, crossed his legs, and took the ice cola from a bewildered Aqua, sipping it before saying calmly:

"We are just ordinary restaurant operators at sea and currently have no plans to recruit followers."

"So, I'm sorry, but you should return to where you came from."

Despite the information he had gathered through Observation Haki, he would not take in this group of pirates.

If it were the fearsome Kuja Pirates, known for their strength and ferocity, he might have considered it.

But this group with ulterior motives? No way.

Bailey was visibly taken aback by the rejection. He quickly pulled out a wanted poster he had prepared and, with a determined expression, said, "Please, Zyhark-sama, I'm strong and can help share some of your burdens!"

The surrounding pirate subordinates chimed in to support him.

Seeing Zyhark sipping his cola indifferently, Bailey gritted his teeth, a pained expression on his face, and continued, "To be honest, I was once a slave to the Celestial Dragons. I've long wanted to tear those scum to pieces."

"From this perspective, you are my idol. Please, let me join you!"

He assumed Zyhark was wary of them, so he revealed his motivations.

Zyhark merely glanced at him and continued ignoring the clown.

Realizing Zyhark's firm rejection, Bailey's eyes shifted, and he added, "If you really don't want to accept us, at least let us have a meal here to show our gratitude."

"You could have just said that from the start. Everyone, get to work," Zyhark clapped his hands, signaling his companions.

Surprisingly, the first to react was the usually lazy Aqua.

With a faint smile on her lips, she bounced over to the counter to grab menus.

Meowth served tea to the seated pirates, and King brought over some peanut snacks.

Kanna looked up at the busy scene, her small, socked feet clenching together, unsure what to do.

"Kanna, help me with the chopsticks, meow."

Meowth, seeing Kanna's unease, waved a paw at her.

Though it wasn't necessary, and despite Kanna eating his precious design drafts, Meowth still showed brotherly kindness.

After all, he was an adorable villain~

Satisfied, Zyhark nodded and went to the kitchen to prepare the food.

With the wealth from the Golden City of Skypiea, they didn't need the restaurant business to make money.

Since they were free, and the pirates claimed to be his "fans," cooking a few dishes wasn't a problem.

The more important reason was that Aqua couldn't pass up an opportunity to make money!

As the fragrant dishes were served, Bailey and his pirates started devouring the food.

During the meal, Bailey repeatedly brought up joining them, only to be firmly rejected by Zyhark each time.

"Zyhark-sama, if our joining you is really too much trouble, then at least, please, share a drink with us to show our gratitude!"

Standing up after the meal, Bailey made his final plea.

As soon as he spoke, a pirate subordinate came forward with two barrels of wine.

"Fine wine?!"

The mention of alcohol immediately lifted the spirits of the resident alcoholic goddess.

After sniffing the rich aroma through the lid, she pounced on the wine barrels.

Nothing was more important than openly enjoying fine wine!

Even if she sensed the hidden malice in the pirates when they first arrived.

That explained King's earlier confusion.

"But before that, you need to settle the bill. That'll be 8 million Berries," Zyhark smiled.

Unlike their previous honest business, they were now notorious criminals on the run.

Extorting them didn't come with a heavy moral burden.

Yes, Zyhark's flexible moral compass had lowered once again.

"What? 8 million?! You..."

Bailey nearly jumped at the amount, his mouth twitching violently. "Your food is worth that much?!"

Suppressing his instinctive reaction, he signaled his subordinates with a glance.

As a supernova making waves in the Grand Line, they could afford the amount.

"This is wine from the West Blue, Zyhark-sama, and esteemed guests, let me toast you first!"

After settling the bill, Bailey raised his bowl of West Blue wine and downed it in one go.

Given the atmosphere, refusing to drink would be impolite.

Zyhark thought for a moment, then accepted the wine offered by Bailey, drinking it in one gulp.

At the same time, King and Meowth took the bowls from Aqua and drank as well.

Kanna, wide-eyed, picked up a cup of cola.

Bailey and his pirates watched as Zyhark and his companions emptied their bowls, revealing their true sinister faces and showing their fangs.

Those were genuine venomous fangs.

"Ha ha ha ha! You actually drank the wine laced with the captain's venom!"

"Who would have thought that people who dared to kill Celestial Dragons would be such brainless fools!"

Amidst the pirates' mocking laughter, Bailey's muscles twisted and stretched, his elongated body sprouting black snake scales.

Under his venomous, cruel snake-like eyes were two sharp, curved fangs.

He had eaten the Snake-Snake Fruit, Black Mamba form!

Transformed, Bailey's body grew several times larger, and his triangular head hissed, looking down arrogantly at Zyhark and his companions.

"My venom is potent enough to down even the Four Emperors. The more you struggle, the faster it will act."

"Zyhark-sama, just hand over your head worth 300 million..."

Zzzap!

Before Bailey could finish boasting, a thick bolt of lightning struck him from the sky, hitting his snake body precisely.

In the dazzling lightning, Zyhark, who had just stood up, calmly said:

"Sorry, but I'm done listening."

(End of Chapter)