Chapter 63: Looking for the Sea Restaurant Baratie!

The blue sea stretched endlessly, with the blood-colored black dragon flag fluttering in the wind.

Swing the sword!

Swing the sword!

Swing the sword!

Kuina persisted in her daily training, swinging the sword 10,000 times. She used Leno's Dragon Sparrow, a heavy blade—an impossible feat for ordinary people, let alone swinging it with precision.

"Barati, a restaurant on the sea!!!" Leno read from the newspaper.

This was something he had come across.

Sanji? Of course not. Sanji, who was still just a kid, wasn't worth Leno's attention. He was looking for Red-Leg Zeff instead. When the East Blue Hunter Headquarters and Elegia were rebuilt, there would be a grand banquet, and they would need a top chef.

"Hey, Leno, does this Barati restaurant you mentioned really have a lot of food?" Uta asked, bouncing on Leno's legs.

Leno smiled, rubbing her head. Uta's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.

This time, Leno had brought Kuina, Uta, Buggy, and an old ship doctor named Cole with him. Cole was the ship doctor of the Scarlet Fleet. With his exceptional medical skills, he had earned his freedom. Of course, this "freedom" simply meant not having to wear shackles anymore.

It was a significant moment for Uta, finally returning to the sea. Leno believed that the vast sea and the open world would broaden her vision and mind. It was essential for Uta to see the world, especially at her age when her views were still being shaped, requiring proper guidance.

The adults in the Pirate World weren't exactly the most responsible individuals, Leno mused.

"Perhaps, after the East Blue Hunter Headquarters takes shape, a hunter academy could be built! There are still many good seedlings in East Blue,"

Leno thought aloud as he watched Uta running around on the boat, having a great time. Meanwhile, Buggy sat cross-legged at the bow, brooding.

"Why?" Buggy muttered to himself.

"Why did you have to bring me along? What a missed opportunity!" The more Buggy thought about it, the angrier he became.

A month had passed since the construction of Elegia, and with Leno back at sea, Buggy had seen a chance to steal the ship and escape. Unexpectedly, Leno had chosen him to come along.

So angry! It was infuriating!

Buggy couldn't sit, lie down, or stand still. He felt uncomfortable all over.

Leno had brought him along because of his luck and comedic history. On a ship, a mascot was necessary to lighten the atmosphere, otherwise, the environment would become too oppressive, leading to psychological problems.

Well, Buggy was more or less a mascot.

While Buggy was contemplating whether he should wait for an opportunity to escape, he noticed black smoke in the distance through the corner of his eye.

"What's that?" Buggy's upper body flew to the mast's pedestal, picking up the binoculars.

"Hey, Buggy, anything interesting?" Leno asked.

"A ship... a wrecked ship!" Buggy reported.

A shipwrecked vessel at sea.

It's an unwritten rule to save those who can be saved, even in this era of great pirates. No one knew if they might need rescuing one day themselves.

Of course, some pirates took advantage of this, but even among pirates, such acts were despised as they broke the unwritten rules. Pirates, after all, could also end up in distress, with the odds even higher than those of a merchant ship.

When Leno and his crew arrived, half of the burning ship had sunk into the water, with only one person lying on the upturned end of the bed. He was severely injured, covered in blood.

Leno jumped onto the wrecked ship. The injuries were severe.

Buggy, who followed, gasped. "Hiss... Who did this?"

Awful. Terrible. Sword marks and bloodstains covered the deck, with corpses piled up as the ship tilted. Men and women, old and young—a massacre.

Seeing this, Buggy felt a chill run down his spine.

"Hey, Buggy, he's still alive. Take him to the ship's doctor," Leno instructed.

"Huh? Why me again?" Buggy pointed to his nose.

Leno responded, "Do you want Kuina and Uta to do it? How can you let children handle this kind of thing?"

Leno continued, "Buggy, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

"Hurt? It hurts! But what does this person have to do with me? I didn't do it!"

Buggy complained inwardly. But under Leno's stern gaze, he reluctantly picked up the injured man and returned to the ship, handing him over to Doctor Cole.

Leno leaned on the ship's side, observing the tilted ship that was about to sink. He squinted slightly, examining the wound on the ship.

"The bite marks... they don't look like they were made by humans!"

Leno made his way to Cole's infirmary. "How is he?"

"Hopeless. Half of his stomach was bitten off by some monster. It's a miracle he's survived this long," Cole replied.

"Give him an injection. Maybe he'll wake up for a while."

"Alright." Cole took out a dark blue injection and administered it. The medicine worked quickly, and the comatose man opened his eyes, becoming excited when he saw another human being. "Save... save the ship..."

"The ship has sunk, and you're dying. Tell me who your enemies were, and maybe I can help you get revenge," Leno told him bluntly.

The man realized his situation, and after a moment of silence, said, "Monsters... A group of fish-like monsters attacked us from beneath the sea."

Leno raised an eyebrow. "Fish-like?"

The man shook his head. "I don't know. They were cruel... and the leader... he was called...." His eyes suddenly turned bloodshot as he gritted his teeth in rage. "Revenge... please, help me get revenge!"

Leno replied calmly, "I'm Leno, the President of the Hunter's Guild. If you want to commission our services, you'll need to pay something."

The Hunter's Guild wasn't a charity, it needed to generate income somehow. They couldn't survive on extorting Oikot forever—eventually, the sheep would revolt.

The Kingdom of Oikot had always been closely tied to the World Government.

"Hunter's Guild?!" The man was surprised. "I've heard of you!" His breathing grew rapid, knowing his time was running out.

"Give me a pen and paper. I have a large piece of land in the Conomi Islands! I'll use that land as my commission. Give the letter to my steward."

Leno nodded. "I have Den Den Mushi here. You can dictate directly—it's more reliable than a letter."

"Alright," the man agreed.

"Hurry... they took our chart and may head there..."

After recording the video, the man left his pocket watch as a token and closed his eyes for the last time.

Leno and his crew held a sea funeral, allowing his body to sink into the depths of the sea.

"Hey, Leno, are all pirates really vicious?" Uta suddenly asked, her thoughts drifting to Shanks and his crew.

"Huh? The cruel ones are the pirates!" Buggy said.

Boom!

Leno punched him on the head, leaving a lump. "Ah, pain, pain, pain! What was that for?" Buggy crouched down, clutching his head.

It really hurt!

Leno gently ruffled Uta's hair and said, "Not all pirates are evil. People are complicated, Uta."

"Complicated?" Uta asked, tilting her head.

Leno smiled warmly. "Yes, Uta. Just try to be the right person. As long as you follow your own beliefs, choose what's important, and live by it, you're the hero of your own story."

He continued, "But remember, no one can do everything alone. Power has limits, and that's why you need partners and friendship. Bonds, memories, and friendship—they aren't as fragile as they seem. Even when people part, those connections remain."

Leno's words flowed like a comforting melody, resonating deeply with Uta.

Uta looked out at the sea, her eyes reflecting the fading sunlight.

Her thoughts drifted back to Shanks, recalling the night he left her behind. The smell of salt and sand from the day they played on the beach lingered in her mind.

"When I sing the same song, it feels like I'm bringing back those memories. Do you believe it? Do you believe it?"

Her voice, sweet and clear, carried across the sea.

New World

Shanks held the newspaper in his hand, his expression darkening. "Leno from the Hunter's Guild? Why did he go to Elegia?"

News from the New World traveled slowly to East Blue, and information from East Blue took even longer to reach the New World. Shanks and his crew were currently being pursued by the Four Emperors, constantly on the run.

The Red Hair Pirates, still reeling from their recent battle, stood somberly beside him. The weight of the news settled heavily in their hearts, evoking memories of the child they had once known so well—Uta.

Her laughter and her songs were unforgettable.

"Elegia... Isn't that place sealed off by the World Government?" one of the crew members asked.

"Leno, what's your plan?" Shanks muttered, clenching the paper. "Why would Gordon rent Elegia to the Hunter's Guild? And what's going on with Uta?"

Beckman, puffing on his cigarette, glanced at Shanks. "You thinking of going back?"

Silence fell over the crew as they watched their captain. Shanks gazed out at the sea, the setting sun casting an amber glow that seemed to transform into Uta's smiling face.

"We made a choice when we left. If we go back, it would only hurt her more. It's better this way," Shanks said, a sad but resolved smile crossing his lips. "Let's believe in her."

He turned to the crew, laughing to lighten the mood. "C'mon, let's have a banquet!"

Conomi Islands, East Blue

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the sea, a large pirate ship with a shark emblem appeared near Kesha Town.

"Pirates are coming! Pirates are coming!" the sentinels shouted, setting off alarms throughout the town.

Men took up arms, women gathered children, and the elderly began to evacuate. With the surge of pirates in the Great Pirate Era, raids on villages had become all too common, and townspeople often had to fend for themselves.

"Scary hahaha! Look at this beautiful island! It's perfect for us to build our paradise!" declared Arlong, standing proudly.

"Paradise! Paradise! Paradise!" the fish-men on board cheered, eyes gleaming with greed. They dreamed of living here, basking in eternal sunshine, far from the oppression of the past.

Having crossed the Calm Belt from the Grand Line, Arlong and his crew, bolstered by their fish-men strength, had been plundering their way through East Blue. They had slaughtered ships and claimed maps of the Conomi Islands.

"Paradise," Arlong sneered. "No, it's not enough! I will use this place to dominate East Blue and build the Empire!"

Suddenly, a cannonball splashed in front of their ship, interrupting his speech. The villagers had mobilized, firing artillery from the shore and brandishing swords, determined to defend their home.

But these pirates were no ordinary foes.

"Brothers, let's show these inferior races the power of the superior!" Arlong roared, and the fish-men surged forward, weapons drawn.

"Kill them!" the fish-men shouted, eyes blazing with violent fervor.

Arlong leaped forward, snapping his jaws around a cannonball, shattering it to pieces. The fish-men's retaliatory fire was far more intense, overwhelming the villagers' defenses and plunging the town into chaos.

As the villagers fled in terror, the fish-men swam ashore, cutting down anyone in their path with brutal efficiency. Arlong, with his jagged nose and cruel smile, tore through their artillery with ease.

"This beautiful place, wasted on weak humans," he sneered.

Unwilling to stop at Kesha Town, Arlong and his crew chased down the fleeing villagers, playing a cruel game of cat and mouse.

Cocoyasi Village

The chaos spilled into Cocoyasi Village, where the rampage continued. Houses burned, villagers scattered, and fear gripped the hearts of the innocent.

In the midst of the destruction, Bell-mère stood her ground, sword in hand, facing down a fish-man pirate.

"You won't harm them!" she shouted defiantly.

Arlong appeared, his sinister grin widening. "You dare to resist, human?" He charged, shattering her sword with a single bite, knocking her to the ground.

"Bell-mère!" Nami and Nojiko cried, rushing to her side.

"Capture them," Arlong ordered coldly.

Two fish-men moved towards Nami and Nojiko, but Bell-mère stood firm, refusing to let them pass. "You will not harm them!"

"Then die, human!" Arlong sneered, his teeth flashing in the fading light.

As Bell-mère was struck down, the villagers could only watch in despair. Arlong's laughter echoed ominously. "Who will save you now? Humans are nothing but cowardly, filthy creatures!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out, clear and mocking. "You talk big for an ugly fish-man."

Arlong's smile vanished as he looked up, spotting a man in a windbreaker perched on the rooftop. It was Leno, his gaze sharp and unwavering.

"You're about to learn what it means to cross paths with a real hunter," Leno said, his voice calm yet charged with challenge.

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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg

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