Chapter 138: Threat

Luffy opened the treasure chest, revealing a pile of gleaming gold. Unlike diamonds or other jewels, which didn't interest him, gold was the only treasure he found remotely valuable. As for Beli, it was nothing more than paper to him.

"Wow, all of these are fatal wounds," Bellemere commented, lowering her gun as she tossed the bodies into the sea. She observed the slashes on each body—all were killed with a single strike.

Incredible… so many pirates taken down with just one swing each. As expected from the grandson of a hero—such strength.

Tyson stepped forward, grabbing a few bodies with his bare hands and throwing them into the sea.

"These are… members of the Alvida Pirates," Bellemere noted, recognizing the burning pirate flag on the opposing ship. The heart symbol imprinted on the skull emblem was unmistakable.

"We'll report it to the Navy tomorrow. I'm going to sleep," Luffy yawned.

"Good night," Bellemere said with a smile.

…

The next morning, as Luffy woke up, he heard the girls already talking about last night's events.

"You all slept like logs! This is unacceptable—it's dangerous out at sea! Pirates could board at any time!" Bellemere scolded.

Nami protested, "Tyson only called for Luffy, and he took care of all the enemies anyway! Whether we woke up or not didn't really matter, right?"

"I actually woke up, but it wasn't convenient to get out of bed… so I went back to sleep," Uta added quietly.

"It's alright, Bellemere," Luffy stretched, yawning as he reassured her. "Protecting everyone is my responsibility. It's fine for the girls to get some extra rest."

He casually reached for his straw hat hanging by the door and put it on, still in his red sleeveless shirt with his abs showing as he hadn't buttoned up yet.

"Don't spoil them too much…" Bellemere advised.

The ship continued its journey, stopping occasionally to restock supplies at Orange Town before setting course for Clockwork Island.

"Directly ahead, there's a pirate ship! It's the Tulip Pirates!" Nojiko announced as she peered through a telescope.

With Bellemere around, the little cook had time to kill, so Nojiko amused herself by scanning the horizon, occasionally calling out any pirate ships she spotted.

"They're attacking a town!" Nojiko shouted in alarm. In the distance, smoke billowed from an island under siege by pirates.

"Leave it to me." Luffy, still wearing his shorts and dripping with sweat from his exercises, tossed aside the heavy training weights he'd been using.

Taking up his sword, he stood at the bow of the ship. Once he spotted the tulip-adorned skull flag, he gathered his strength and leapt high into the sky. Like an eagle descending, he plummeted toward the sea, unsheathing his sword mid-air.

A pale slash tore through the air, bisecting the pirates on deck in one swift motion.

"Enemy attack!" A pirate barely managed to shout before clutching his throat and collapsing.

"This guy… he's the kid who's been making waves lately. The Young Swordsman!"

"G-garp's grandson!"

The pirates screamed in terror. With several bounties from the East Blue recently removed and the Navy's lack of secrecy, the press didn't miss their chance to embellish the tale. They reported on the powerful young swordsman sweeping through the East Blue, rumored to be the grandson of the Navy hero, Garp!

"What do we do? Our main forces are all on the island! We can't hold him off!"

"Run!" The pirates, terrified, fled from the ship and scurried toward the smoke-filled town like ants.

With a casual flick of fire, Luffy ignited the pirate ship, calmly driving the pirates ashore, forcing them to gather in the town.

"What?! Garp's grandson is here?" The Tulip Pirates' captain, Yurika, gripped a flintlock pistol, his foot pressing down on a young girl's arm.

Hearing the panicked voices of his subordinates, Yurika scowled.

A boy who was simply a powerful swordsman—that could be exciting prey, a name to conquer. But… Garp's grandson—those three words could break the resolve of any pirate, sending them fleeing in fear.

"Hey there, pirates. Since you know who I am, why not surrender and let me cut you down peacefully?" Luffy said, strolling leisurely behind them. Dressed only in red shorts and carrying a sword that seemed almost oversized for him, he looked slightly strange.

"This kid… he's really that guy from the papers!" Yurika squinted, gripping his pistol tightly, his hands trembling.

The pirates began clustering together, their numbers giving Yurika a sliver of courage.

"Don't do anything rash! We have hostages! Put down your sword!" Yurika grabbed the young girl he'd been holding down, pressing his gun to her temple with a sinister grin.

"Drop your weapon now. As the hero's grandson, surely you wouldn't let an innocent die in front of you?"

"Hahaha—!"

Luffy tilted his head slightly, pressing down his straw hat as he looked up, his scarlet eyes glinting, emitting an ominous glow like molten magma—unnatural, haunting.

The newspapers had missed mentioning these unforgettable eyes—

In that moment, Yurika felt like he was staring at a legendary dragon. If dragons existed, they'd have eyes just like these.

"Is this your last attempt at resistance?"

"Pathetic—"

A powerful gust surged from him, sweeping outwards like the wings of a dragon, raising a tempest on the ground.

Weapons clattered to the ground, as if on cue, as the gathered pirates lost their grip, their bodies collapsing to the ground one by one.

"This kind of scene really makes me happy."

Luffy reached out, catching the little girl who was about to hit the ground—she'd already fainted.

He raised his sword, the "King's Blade," and sent pale slashes cutting through the earth around him.

Having completed this satisfying work, the red glow in his eyes faded, returning to their usual dark color.

In the distance, Bellemere raised a new flag emblazoned with a seagull emblem.

"When a town is under pirate attack, we can hoist the Navy flag. It helps scare off pirates and reassures the townsfolk, letting them know justice has arrived. This flag alone is enough to bring them peace," Bellemere explained.

Amid the flames, the massive pirate ship began to sink into the sea. Seeing the Navy flag, the survivors emerged from the burning buildings, relief evident on their faces.

"The Navy! The Navy's here! They beat the pirates!"

The townsfolk cheered loudly.

"This girl fainted," Luffy said, handing the child to the villagers.

For now, he had only mastered Conqueror's

Haki in close range against beasts. It seemed their keen senses allowed them to feel the aura's intimidation.

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