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Chapter 111 The Intruder
Chapter 111 The Intruder
The fog hadn't completely dissipated on the dock in the early morning, and Jinbe had been standing there for a while.
Behind him were more than five hundred fishmen, all of whom were slaves rescued from Sabaody Archipelago.
Looking at these people, Jinbe suddenly remembered many things.
I remember those years in Fishman Town, the days when I led a bunch of mischievous kids and caused all sorts of trouble. I remember when Tiger was still alive, he would always bring candy for the children whenever he came back. I remember the light in the eyes of the fishmen and mermaids when Queen Otohime gave her speech in the square.
Those lights eventually went out.
Tiger is dead.
Princess Otohime is dead.
Fishman Street became a breeding ground for hatred.
Jinbe, caught in the middle, could do nothing.
"Boss Jinbe?"
Jinbe snapped out of his daze and realized that everyone was staring at him.
"It's alright," he said. "Let's go."
The sun was just rising above the horizon when the fleet left the port.
Jinbe stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the island that was getting farther and farther away, the newly built wooden houses, the wall that wound along the forest of beast-driving trees, and the chimneys that had begun to smoke.
It's been two months.
He followed the fleet for two months, from Fishman Island to Thunder Island, and from Thunder Island to this nameless island. He watched them land, watched them die, watched them bleed, and watched them build the town bit by bit.
He didn't help.
It's not that I don't want to help, it's that I don't know in what capacity I should help.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea? The boss of Fishman Island? Or that defeated general who was knocked out by Norton with a single punch on Fishman Island?
neither.
He simply followed, watched, and waited.
Waiting for an answer.
Now we have the answer.
Norton tasked him with leading a team to deal with the Misra Island, entrusting him with the management of the merfolk.
The meaning couldn't be clearer: since you're following along, don't just watch. It's time to get things done.
Jinbe took a deep breath and turned to look at the vast ocean in front of him.
"Full speed ahead."
Meanwhile, the cadres on the island also set off one after another.
Akin led thirty men westward. Their destination was a deserted island fifty nautical miles from the main island, marked on the map, but no one had ever been there.
Kro said the island had fresh water and was suitable for building an outpost.
Moriah sat at the bow of his boat, chuckling as he instructed his men to row slowly.
El, with twenty Aivenki warriors, mounted Ruhanna and galloped north along the coastline. The giant reindeer ran faster than the ship and soon disappeared into the morning mist.
Sanosuke spread his black wings and flew south. He glanced back in mid-air before disappearing into the clouds.
Norton stood at the entrance to the council chamber, watching their retreating figures.
Steel Hand walked out from inside.
"They've all left?"
"I'm gone."
"Aren't you going to see them off?"
"What's there to send?" Norton said. "It's not like I'm not coming back."
Steel Hand took a swig of wine.
"So, kid, what are your plans?"
"Who?"
"Jinpei."
Norton didn't say anything.
Steel Hand looked at him, waited a while, and seeing that he didn't speak, she didn't ask any more questions. She turned around and walked back, but stopped after a few steps.
"That merman has been following us for two months. It's not right to leave him hanging like this."
"I know," Norton said.
Steel Hand nodded and left.
Norton stood at the doorway, gazing at the distant sea illuminated by the morning light.
Jinbe's fleet was no longer in sight.
After the cadres went out to sea one after another, chaos suddenly broke out in the town in the afternoon.
Norton was looking at a nautical chart on the second floor of the council chamber when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. He put down the chart, went to the window, and looked down.
A crowd had gathered at the port, some trying to squeeze in, others running out, creating chaos.
Nami ran from the street corner, looked up and saw him, shouting, "Norton! There's trouble!"
When Norton came downstairs, someone had already run over to deliver the news.
"Admiral! A group of people have arrived at the port! The leader is a huge guy!! He's riding some strange thing and he's attacking anyone he sees!"
"One of our brothers was knocked unconscious! They were thrown into the sea!"
"We can't stop him! That guy is too fierce!"
Norton didn't say anything and continued walking towards the port.
Nami followed behind him, her heart pounding a little fast.
She's not someone who's never seen the world, but to scare so many pirates like this, the person who came is definitely not an ordinary character.
The crowd automatically parted to make way.
Norton walked to the edge of the harbor and finally saw the situation there.
A huge pirate ship was moored on the shore, its sails bearing the flag of the Beasts Pirates—a skull with two bones crossed behind it.
The sides of the ship were lined with cannons, and the deck was crowded with people.
Dozens of people were standing on the shore.
The leader was enormous, with a braided hairstyle, ivory-like ornaments, and two huge, upturned tusks in his mouth, just like a mammoth.
He was wearing a fur coat and had two sickle-shaped weapons connected by chains hanging from his waist.
He was standing on the dock, one foot on an unconscious pirate, looking down at the people surrounding him but not daring to approach.
"That's all? Is this all the Norton Pirates are capable of?"
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the trembling figures.
"Get Norton out here and face me!"
As Nami stood behind Norton, the moment she saw that face, something she had seen in the newspaper flashed through her mind.
Drought Jack.
One of the three main members of the Beasts Pirates, with a bounty of 1 billion Berries, he is said to be a ruthless madman who kills without blinking an eye.
Her face was slightly pale.
Norton continued walking.
The crowd parted in front of him, then gathered behind him. He walked through the terrified pirates, through the wounded lying on the ground, step by step toward that enormous figure.
Jack's gaze fell on him.
That head of silver hair was so striking. That face was exactly the same as the one on the wanted poster.
Jack had heard of all sorts of ridiculous titles, such as King Killer, Silver-haired Demon, and Fifth Emperor, but he never took them seriously.
"Oh? You're Norton?" Jack grinned, revealing his two enormous fangs.
Norton stopped three meters in front of him and looked up at him.
"What's up?"
Jack withdrew his foot from the unconscious pirate and took two steps forward. With each step he took, the thick wooden planks on the dock creaked and groaned.
"Brother Kaido sent me to this island to find something," he said. "A Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit."
Norton remained silent.
"This wasn't urgent; we just wanted to take a look. But you guys took over the island first and blocked the road."
Jack looked down at him, his tone carrying a condescending casualness.
"It's alright, we Beasts Pirates aren't unreasonable people. Move aside and let your people help us find that fruit."
"We've found it, so we're leaving. The island is still yours; we won't take it."
He paused, then grinned.
"How about that? Pretty respectful, right?"
There was silence all around.
The pirates who witnessed this scene thought this guy was incredibly bold.
How dare you speak to the Admiral like that?
Norton remained silent, and Jack's smile gradually faded.
"What? You don't want to?"
His voice deepened, and something began to stir in his eyes.
"Are you done talking?" Norton finally spoke.
Jack paused for a moment.
Norton took half a step forward.
"First, this island is mine."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
"Secondly, everything on the island belongs to me."
He looked up at Jack's increasingly gloomy eyes.
"third-
'
A slight smile curved his lips.
"You stepped on my men on my docks and demanded I come out and face you. Who gave you the audacity?"
The dock fell completely silent.
The silence felt heavy, pressing down on everyone.
Jack's expression changed.
His face, which had previously held a hint of casualness, now turned completely somber. He looked down at Norton, his massive body leaning forward, his two fangs gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
"Do you know who you're talking to?"
His voice was so deep it seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his chest.
"I am Jack the Drought! The top commander of the Beasts Pirates! A subordinate of Kaido!"
He raised his hand, and the two scythe-shaped weapons connected by chains spun half a circle in his hand, the chains rattling loudly.
"You think you can just swagger around after winning a few battles, you little brat who's just entered this new world?"
He took a step forward.
The moment he took that step, the wooden planks on the dock suddenly sank with a loud crack. Cracks spread from his feet outwards, stopping just three inches in front of Norton's toes.
Jack looked down at Norton.
"I'll ask you one more time—to let or not to let?"
The dock was deathly silent.
The pirates had retreated more than ten meters away. Some were clutching their weapons, some were swallowing hard, and some had already begun to shrink back.
Norton glanced down at the crack beneath his feet.
Then he looked up at Jack.
"let?"
He smiled.
The smile was faint, but the moment Nami saw it, the fear in her heart suddenly disappeared.
"What right do you have to make me give way?"
The dock fell silent suddenly, and the silence seemed to weigh heavily on everyone.
Jack looked down at the silver-haired man who was much shorter than him, his expression changing several times, from surprise to anger, from anger to ferocity, and finally settling on a twisted, maniacal laugh.
"Hahaha!"
He laughed exaggeratedly, his two huge fangs twitching with each laugh.
"That's interesting! It's really interesting!"
He stopped smiling, and the light in his eyes turned completely cold.
"I, Jack the Drought, have been at sea for so many years, and this is the first time I've encountered someone who dares to speak to me like that." He twirled the two Shortel knives in his hands, the chains rattling. "Since you're so ungrateful..."
He took a step forward.
The moment he took that step, the thick wooden planks on the dock suddenly shattered! Cracks spread from beneath his feet, sending rubble and wood chips flying everywhere! Jack's massive body hurtled towards Norton like a cannonball!
"Then die!!"
The two Shorter knives swept across with a whistling sound!
Norton turned to the side.
The blade grazed the hem of his clothes and struck a wooden stake behind him used to tie a cable with a snap! The stake, which was thicker than a man's waist, broke in two, the upper half flying more than ten meters away and crashing into the sea, creating a splash several meters high.
Jack's first attack missed, but his second strike followed! This strike was a diagonal slash, the blade covered with a layer of jet-black Armament Haki!
Norton did not dodge.
He simply raised his right hand and flicked it gently.
The moment the Armament Haki-covered Shortel knife was deflected, Jack felt as if he had struck a mountain—
No, it wasn't a mountain, it was something even harder than a mountain. The force of the recoil traveled back from the blade, making his hand go numb!
"What?!"
Jack's pupils contracted sharply.
Norton looked at him, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"this one?"
Jack's face darkened completely.
"Stop being so arrogant!!"
He roared and swung his swords with both hands simultaneously! The two Shortel swords drew two dark arcs in the air, one aimed at Norton's neck and the other at his waist!
Norton took half a step back.
Just half a step.
The two swords missed their mark simultaneously, striking the spot where he had just been standing—BOOM! Two huge craters exploded on the dock!
Gravel flew everywhere, and dust filled the air!
Before Jack could sheathe his knife, Norton's hand was already on his face.
"Too slow."
Jack's vision suddenly went black!
The hand pressed down on his face like a mountain. He tried to struggle, tried to back away, but the force was too great. He felt like he was nailed to the ground, unable to move, unable to break free, and even breathing became difficult!
"Kid—!!"
He roared, and his body began to swell!
With fur sprouting, bones cracking, and muscles bulging, in the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a mammoth several meters tall! His two enormous tusks gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and his long trunk swung like a giant python!
Norton released his grip, took a few steps back, and looked at the enormous creature before him with great interest.
"Oh? It can transform?"
Jack the Mammoth looked down at him, his eyes gleaming with an even more ferocious light. He raised his massive forelegs and stomped down hard on Norton!
The force of that stomp was enough to crush a warship!
Norton did not dodge.
He simply raised his right hand and gently lifted it upwards.
boom!!
The deafening roar made everyone around cover their ears! The shockwave exploded from the point of impact, kicking up a cloud of dust!
After the smoke cleared, everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget—
The forelegs of the mammoth, which was over ten meters tall, were held aloft by Norton's hand. Norton stood there, motionless, his expression unchanged, as if he were holding a feather.
Jack's eyes widened in surprise.
"This—this is impossible!!"
Norton looked at him, the smile on his lips deepening.
"Anything else?"
The gift-givers stood at a distance, watching this scene, their faces turning pale.
They came with Jack, initially thinking it would be a simple errand—the people on this island had just arrived in the New World, what skills could they possibly have? With Lord Jack's help, wouldn't it be a piece of cake?
But now—
The silver-haired man held Jack in his mammoth form with one hand, his expression as if he were teasing a child.
"What kind of monster is that—?"
Someone whispered.
No one answered him.
On the other side, outside the port, the Norton Pirates gathered in twos and threes, their expressions completely opposite to those of the Gifters.