Chapter 49 : Siblings!!

The Winged Dragon ship slowly docked at the pier of Beehive Island.

A staircase was lowered from the deck, and Ian and Yamato descended side by side from the ship.

Jack and Black Maria followed closely behind Ian. Black Maria gazed at the bustling island and said, "There are so many people here. Where do we start looking for the person that Mr. Kaido asked us to find?"

"Just ask around. It shouldn't be too hard," Ian replied.

As Ian stepped onto the ground of Beehive Island, he looked around.

It should be said that the Beasts Pirates truly lived up to their reputation as one of the New World's most well-known pirate crew. Their arrival attracted the attention of many pirates from small and medium-sized crews around them, who couldn't help but come over to watch.

The pier was surrounded, almost completely packed with people.

Fortunately, none of the small-time pirates looking to make a name for themselves jumped out this time—probably because they knew Ochoku hated troublemakers causing disturbances on his territory.

Seeing Ian and his companions, the surrounding pirates began whispering among themselves.

"Brats?"

"They're all brats?"

"Are they really members of the Beasts Pirates? I've never seen them before. Could they be fakes?"

"Are you out of your mind? What kind of lunatic would dare to pretend to be from the Beasts Pirates on Boss Ochoku's turf?"

Ian paid no attention to the pirates' chatter. His mind drifted to what Babanuki had relayed about what Kaido had said earlier.

After the collapse of the Rocks Pirates, one of Kaido's old comrades had formed his own pirate crew, just like Kaido and the others did.

However, unlike Whitebeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin, his strength fell a bit short, making it impossible for him to establish his own territory.

So, he settled on using Beehive Island as his base. Ochoku didn't mind other pirates operating on the island as long as they paid protection fees on time. Thus, he was able to survive here.

This was the old friend that Kaido had mentioned—someone who had "settled down and established himself" here.

Ian felt somewhat conflicted about it.

In a way, his old friend had indeed found a place to settle down.

Not long ago, however, this old friend of Kaido had encountered a powerful enemy during an expedition. He barely escaped with his life, but he was gravely wounded and wouldn't survive much longer. It was only then that he made the call to Kaido.

He had two young children who would have no one to care for them after he passed.

After living on Beehive Island for decades, asking any elder on the island should reveal the siblings' whereabouts.

But before Ian could start asking around, the pirates in front of them suddenly parted, creating a pathway, accompanied by sounds of exclamations.

A tall, slender man emerged from the path.

Ian observed him carefully.

With a height of over three meters, he wasn't particularly imposing among the many pirates present. However, his body was unusually thin—almost like a bamboo stick—making it seem as if a gust of wind could blow him away at any moment.

His cheeks were long and narrow, almost unnaturally so—not just horse-faced but resembling a stick insect.

The man, who looked to be under forty, scrutinized Ian and his group without uttering a word.

"Hey, what are you planning to do?" 

Yamato stepped forward, her tone aggressive and her aura imposing. "Don't tell me you're looking for a fight, too?"

I don't think that's the case. 

Ian's face remained expressionless.

On this island, anyone who could command such respect from the pirates had to be affiliated with the Ochoku Pirates. Ian couldn't think of another possibility.

And the Ochoku Pirates were probably the last group on this island likely to pick a direct fight with them.

Sure enough, the cold-faced man finally spoke, his tone detached. "Boss Ochoku sent me to deliver a warning: he doesn't care what you want to do, but remember—don't cause any trouble on this island."

After that, the man turned and left without another word or the slightest hesitation.

Whoa, what a cool guy.

So, does this mean Boss Ochoku's already been informed by Kaido? Otherwise, how would Ochoku even know we're here? 

I'm almost touched. Kaido-sensei, you're being so considerate right now.

"That guy! So arrogant!" 

Yamato fumed. "He didn't even acknowledge my presence!"

"Alright, let's go." 

Ian grabbed her hand and led her forward. "Let's find someone to ask for directions first."

Who's being arrogant here, really?

Wasn't his attitude perfectly normal?

If uninvited guests show up at your home, a verbal warning like that seems pretty mild to me. 

Anyway...

"Can someone answer a question for me?" 

Ian scanned the surrounding pirates, raising his voice.

...

Ulti dashed anxiously through a narrow alleyway.

She was only seven years old, an age that should have been carefree, spent in her parents' loving arms. Yet here she was, dressed in a tattered dress covered in dirt and grime, clutching a wooden stick with nails protruding from its head as she ran through the dilapidated alley.

Her breathing grew labored from the constant sprinting, the strange mask on her face making it even harder to catch her breath. But she didn't slow down for even a second.

Pay-tan! Big sister is here to save you!!

The little girl turned a corner in a flash, only to be met with a heart-wrenching sight.

A small boy, no more than five or six years old, was surrounded by a group of boys around ten years old. One of them had grabbed the boy's head and was pushing it against the rough wall, scraping his face against it. His skin had been torn, blood smearing the wall.

"Run, brat! Why aren't you running anymore?"

"Pay-tan!!!"

Ulti felt like she was going to explode with rage.

The little girl had never imagined that her life would undergo such an earth-shattering transformation.

When her father was still alive, she lived every day without worries, never having to fear anything.

Although her father often went out to sea, whenever he returned, he always spent all of his time playing with her and her younger brother.

So, even though her mother had passed away early on, Ulti never lacked love.

Back then, she would run wild on the island with her brother every day.

But ever since her father's death not long ago, everything had changed drastically.

The pirates who had conflicts with her father came knocking, using various means to seize all of the property he had left behind. Ulti and her brother were forced onto the streets.

But the pirates' revenge didn't end there.

Lord Ochoku did not allow any disturbances on the island, so the pirates sent their own children to continuously bully the siblings.

Today, in a moment of carelessness, her younger brother, Page One, was taken away by those bastards. Desperately, Ulti chased after them.

"You bastards! All of you, go to hell!"

How dare they bully Pay-tan!

Ulti's anger soared.

She had promised her dying father that she would protect Pay-tan no matter what!

The little girl sprinted forward, leapt into the air, and smashed her homemade spiked club down on one of the boys' heads, catching them completely off guard.

"Aaaargh!"

A scream echoed through the air. Despite being only a seven-year-old girl, she managed to crush the skull of that unlucky boy with brute force.

The boy collapsed to the ground with a wretched cry, clearly barely clinging to life.

"You—you—you killed him!!"

The remaining boys exclaimed in shock.

Although they knew she was strong, this was beyond belief! They weren't ordinary kids—they were pirate trainees!

Could wielding a weapon really make such a big difference?

"You all can die too!"

Ulti's eyes were completely red. She wasn't thinking about anything else—she just knew that these scum who had hurt Pay-tan deserved to die!

She swung her spiked club wildly, battering the boys until they screamed in pain and ran for cover. Two more dropped to the ground.

"You just wait and see!"

The boys fled in disgrace.

"Hurry, Pay-tan! We need to run!"

Ulti didn't continue pursuing them. Instead, she hurriedly put her brother on her back and turned to flee.

She was still so young—she didn't know what to do next. She only knew that for now, they needed to run.

"Sis—"

The small boy, covered in bruises and blood, murmured weakly.

"Pay-tan! Big sister will definitely protect you!"

Ulti shouted with determination.

But the moment they dashed out of the alleyway, a large foot came crashing down. Ulti was instantly kicked to the ground.

"You brat! What did you do?!"

Several pirates surrounded the siblings, their expressions twisted in fury.

The group of teenagers who had escaped earlier were now standing behind them.

These kids weren't just random runaways—they were their own children.

And now, this guy had killed their kids!

"I'm going to cut you!"

All of Lord Ochoku's commands were thrown out the window. The enraged pirates were now out of control.

Ulti's first reaction was to—

"Run, Pay-tan! Run!"

The girl shouted desperately as she flipped herself up and charged at the pirates.

"Sister—"

The boy, named Pejiwan, stared blankly. His small face, smeared with blood, looked helplessly at his sister as she was knocked to the ground again by the pirates.

Even with her exceptional talent, there was still a significant gap between her and these elite pirates of the New World.

The pirates drew their swords and pulled out their guns, preparing to kill the siblings.

"Pay-tan—"

Ulti, lying on the ground, stretched out her hand, struggling to reach her brother. But a pirate's boot pinned her down by her back, making it impossible for her to move.

The barrel of the pirate's gun was already aimed at the back of her head.

The next moment, he was about to pull the trigger—

"Bullying kids like this... that's not what adult should do, is it?" 

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