Chapter 213: Don Quixote Pirates
Chapter 213: Don Quixote Pirates
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Aoki looked at them calmly. "Are you trying to stop me from going to Barabio?"
Obi sneered. "I've already warned you, but you refused to listen. Since you won't take my advice, we have no choice but to use... special measures."
Aoki didn't seem angry. Instead, he asked with genuine confusion, "Why? Isn't Barabio a pirate town? Why would you stop me from going there? Was everything you said before a lie?"
One of the men standing next to Obi grumbled impatiently, "Why are you wasting time talking to him? Just finish this already! I just hooked up with a girl, and I'm trying to get a room!"
Another man chuckled as he looked at Aoki. "Heh, judging by his fancy appearance, he's probably loaded."
Obi's greedy expression surfaced. "If he can afford wine that costs 100,000 berries a bottle, he's definitely rich!"
"One hundred thousand berries a bottle of wine?"
Everyone's eyes shifted, their gazes filled with predatory greed as they sized Aoki up like a plump sheep ready for slaughter.
"You had the chance to walk away, but you chose death. Don't blame me for what happens next," Obi said coldly.
A murderous glint flashed in Obi's eyes as he raised his pistol, pointing it directly at Aoki. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A burst of flame erupted from the muzzle, and the bullet tore through the air, hurtling toward Aoki with a sharp whistle.
Phew!
The bullet struck Aoki squarely in the face but didn't even leave a mark on his skin.
For a moment, the air stilled.
From their vantage point in the dimly lit surroundings, the other three didn't see what had happened clearly. They simply wondered why Aoki hadn't fallen.
Obi, however, saw everything. His expression shifted rapidly from confusion to shock, and then to abject terror.
"What... what are you?" Obi stammered.
Aoki smiled faintly. "Since you won't tell me what I want to know, I'll just find out myself."
Before anyone could react, Aoki's figure disappeared.
A dark blur flashed past, and in an instant, the three accomplices froze where they stood.
Plop!
Three severed heads hit the ground, followed by their headless bodies collapsing with loud thuds.
Blood gushed from the open necks like fountains, staining the ground a vivid crimson.
The tranquil night returned, broken only by occasional bird calls from the nearby jungle. The soft breeze carried the scent of flowers and grass, an eerie contrast to the gruesome scene.
Obi stood frozen, his body cold and trembling as sheer terror consumed him. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened, and that only made the fear more unbearable.
This was no ordinary man. Aoki was a monster—something Obi and his crew were utterly unprepared to face.
Suddenly, Obi's vision darkened as Aoki's hand gripped his neck. Struggling for air, Obi felt his feet leave the ground as he dangled helplessly in Aoki's grasp.
His body convulsed, his limbs cold as death stared him in the face. Despite his panic, Obi forced himself to remain calm, clinging to the slim chance of survival.
"Wait! Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything—everything I know!" Obi pleaded, his voice hoarse.
Aoki raised his free hand, his expression indifferent. "No need. I'll see for myself."
"Wait! You... you can't kill me!" Obi screamed in terror. "I... I'm a member of the Donquixote Pirates!"
"The Donquixote Pirates?" Aoki's hand paused.
"Yes!" Obi exclaimed, seizing the moment like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline. "I was sent here by the Donquixote Pirates! Barabio... Barabio is part of their territory!"
"Their territory?" Aoki repeated, his gaze sharp.
"Yes, that's why we stopped you!" Obi blurted out, his voice trembling. "There's a very important operation for the Donquixote Pirates on Barabio!"
"Then why are you here?" Aoki asked coolly.
"We... we were sent to gather intelligence!" Obi stammered.
"I see." Aoki nodded, his tone calm.
Without warning, his fingers pierced Obi's forehead with a sickening crunch.
As blood trickled into Obi, his eyes gradually turned ferocious, and his body began to twitch uncontrollably.
Though he rarely used it, Aoki hadn't forgotten the magical skill he possessed for extracting information. Without hesitation, Aoki grabbed Obi and vanished in a flash.
---
Within a Separate Dimension
An invisible vortex formed in Aoki's hand, and Obi's figure slowly dissolved into it. After a brief moment, Aoki clapped his hands, his expression thoughtful.
He had unraveled the truth behind the matter. Obi's words were a mix of truth and lies.
Most of the information Obi provided in the bar was accurate:
Barabio was indeed located at the junction of three countries. It had been a lawless region and a haven for pirates.
But that was a year ago.
A year earlier, Robin's whereabouts had been exposed, prompting a naval assault. As the saying goes, when the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer.
While Robin escaped capture, Barabio was reduced to ashes in the chaos.
As for the claim that Robin had recently been spotted in Belesla, that was entirely fabricated. Robin had never set foot there.
Obi's assertion that he was a member of the Donquixote Pirates was also a lie.
However, he did have some association with them—albeit tenuous. At best, he could be considered a fringe operative, working indirectly for the group.
Obi wasn't sent to the area; he was a local who had been bribed by a Donquixote Pirates member to gather intelligence.
According to Obi's fragmented memories, Barabio was now under the control of people affiliated with the Donquixote Pirates. However, Aoki suspected these so-called "official members" were little more than unaffiliated agents acting in the Pirates' name.
Moreover, Obi had deliberately provided false directions to Barabio.
The truth? Barabio was much closer than Obi claimed.
---
"Doflamingo's reach really is long," Aoki muttered to himself.
In the original timeline, Doflamingo had sold weapons to the enemies of the Flower Kingdom, leading to their crushing defeat.
It was clear the West Sea fell firmly within the Donquixote Pirates' sphere of influence.
However, the current year was 1506.
Doflamingo wasn't yet the king of Dressrosa, nor was he one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. At this point, he was still on the run, hunted relentlessly by Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Yet, even at this stage, Doflamingo's influence had already extended into the West Sea.
Aoki thought for a moment. "But this might not be bad news for me."
Doflamingo, also known as Joker, was a major player in the underworld.
If Barabio was under the control of the Donquixote Pirates, then its inhabitants were likely tied to the underworld as well. This meant they could potentially provide information about Robin's whereabouts.
Of course, this all hinged on the accuracy of Obi's memories.
After all, Obi had never been to Barabio himself. All his knowledge came from the recollections of a low-ranking Donquixote member.
---
Aoki spread his wings and soared into the sky, following the trail left in Obi's memory.
---
Two Hours Later
An island appeared on the horizon. Hovering above it, Aoki surveyed the terrain below.
The northern side of the island bore heavy scars of battle, with craters and scorch marks from recent artillery fire.
In the center, the ruins of a large, collapsed structure stood as a silent reminder of what had once been Barabio.
Aoki shifted his gaze eastward.
The rest of the island was cloaked in darkness, but the eastern side was illuminated by faint lights.
As Aoki inhaled, he detected a faint, acrid odor carried on the wind.
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