Chapter 6: Encountering Pirates

"Is that the case? I feel like you're hiding something!" the little girl said skeptically.

Qin Ge innocently replied, "Of course, that's how it is. What else could it be? Anyway, let's explore the ship for now. The journey will take three days, and it'll be boring if we don't find something interesting to do!"

"It's okay. I brought some books with me before leaving. They should be enough for three days. It's you, Allen, who might get bored!" Nicole Robin quickly changed the topic and playfully waved the thick books in her hand.

In the original story, Nicole Robin was ostracized by the people in town due to her Devil Fruit power, especially by children who saw her as a monster. She never had a friend her age and was extremely lonely.

Although Qin Ge was mature in his heart, his appearance was similar to Nicole Robin's. Moreover, he showed no signs of excluding her. Naturally, this was a delightful experience for the lonely Nicole Robin. Despite having known each other for a short time, she felt an inexplicable closeness to Qin Ge.

Although Nicole Robin claimed not to be bored, she still accompanied Qin Ge when he decided to explore. The initial fascination with the beautiful sea view during the sea journey gradually turned into boredom over time. The rocking of the ship, especially with the waves, made unfamiliar people extremely uncomfortable.

Qin Ge was fine since he had traveled on cruises in his previous life, but Nicole Robin, who possessed a Devil Fruit ability and had never been to sea before, felt unwell during her first sea voyage.

Starting from the second day, Nicole Robin's face turned pale, appearing weak and listless. She had to stay in her room, lying on the bed.

Fortunately, the merchant ship was equipped with seasickness medication. Qin Ge obtained some from the sailors and gave them to Nicole Robin. It alleviated her discomfort, at least making her complexion less pale.

"Robin, you just rest in bed. We'll reach our destination in one more day. I'll go out and find some food for you!" Qin Ge sat by the bedside, comforting her.

"Mm!" Nicole Robin weakly nodded from under the blanket, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Qin Ge's caring expression.

Qin Ge quickly left the room and headed towards the ship's restaurant. Along the way, he encountered several fellow passengers.

"Oh no! I saw a pirate ship. They're approaching us!" Just as Qin Ge was about to enter the restaurant, a panicked passenger rushed out, screaming in fear.

The nearby passengers were initially shocked, but soon fear appeared on their faces. Some even turned pale, and trembling legs were visible.

"Pirates?!" Qin Ge looked at the screaming person in surprise, then quickly realized the situation and rushed towards the deck, following the corridor.

Upon reaching the deck, Qin Ge saw numerous passengers and sailors, all looking panicked, staring at a ship rapidly approaching from the distance in the sea.

As Qin Ge gazed, he was immediately drawn to the menacing skull painted on the sails of the ship nearby. He also noticed a pirate flag fluttering at the top of the ship's mast.

Without a doubt, the merchant ship Qin Ge was on had encountered a pirate crew and seemed to have attracted their attention. They were now getting closer.

Upon seeing the pirate ship, Qin Ge furrowed his brows. He had initially thought he could smoothly leave Ohara, but unexpectedly, they encountered pirates on the way.

In the world of One Piece, not all pirates were like the Straw Hat Pirates, who fought for justice under the banner of a pirate crew. Most pirates were ruthless and wicked, with the majority being extremely dangerous individuals.

"Quick, turn the helm and leave this area!" The captain of the merchant ship, upon learning of the pirate crew's presence, hurriedly rushed to the deck. When he saw the approaching pirate ship, his face immediately changed color, and he shouted in alarm.

The helmsman of the merchant ship quickly turned the helm, but the ship had not traveled far when the pirate ship unleashed a dazzling burst of flames, followed by a deafening rumble.

Boom, boom, boom~!

Cannonballs flew through the air, leaving dark trails in the sky, constantly falling into the sea near the merchant ship, causing columns of water several meters high to erupt.

The pirate ship's bombardment naturally terrified the sailors and passengers on the ship. Some people were even scared to the point of collapsing on the ground, with dampness quickly appearing in their trousers, indicating they had been frightened to the point of urinating.

"Damn it, this route has been safe for so many trips, and now we unexpectedly encounter pirates. My child is still waiting for me to come home!"

"How could this happen? We won't die at sea, right? If I had known, I wouldn't have come on this trip. Why did we have to encounter pirates!"

Panicked wailing quickly reverberated on the deck, with everyone revealing their fear in the face of danger.

The water spouts caused by the exploding cannonballs stirred up violent waves in the surrounding area. The merchant ship swayed violently, and Qin Ge tightly held onto the railing to prevent himself from being thrown overboard.

"I hope this group of pirates doesn't have any formidable characters!" Qin Ge's face grew solemn as he tried to keep himself calm.

Although the pirates in the Four Blues were far less terrifying than the pirates in the Grand Line, there were still outstanding individuals among them with bounties exceeding tens of millions of berries.

Although Qin Ge now possessed the tenth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art, the power levels in the Legend of the Condor Heroes World were far lower than those in the world of One Piece. Even in the Four Blues, he couldn't be considered a true powerhouse.

If they were just ordinary pirates, Qin Ge would have confidence in dealing with them. However, if they were supernovas or pirates with extraordinary strength, then it would truly be dangerous.

The pirate ship's cannon fire was not meant to sink the merchant ship but to force it to stop.

Of course, this was not out of the pirates' kindness. It was simply to facilitate better plundering. If the merchant ship sank, salvaging the goods would be extremely troublesome.

Under the bombardment, the helmsman of the merchant ship dared not escape and could only helplessly bring the ship to a halt. Then, with apprehension, he watched the approaching pirate ship.

"Hahaha, luck is on our side today. We encountered a fat sheep as soon as we set sail. All of you, charge forward. If anyone resists, kill them on the spot!" The pirate ship quickly erected a gangway as it approached the merchant ship. A pirate wielding a large knife burst into laughter, his face filled with excitement and malevolence.