MTLNOVEL Chapter 36: Welcome to Cactus Island
Hearing this, everyone looked over. Massive, cactus-shaped peaks suddenly appeared before them, and the Going Merry, carried by the current, gradually approached. At the same time, a faint mist drifted over, obscuring their vision. But one thing was certain: this was indeed an island.
"Great! An island! We have to get enough supplies!" everyone immediately grew excited. An island meant food, which was a welcome sight after their recent ordeal. Finally, they wouldn't have to starve.
"I want meat! I want meat!" Luffy, also excited, cheered. His once-distended belly had, at some unknown point, returned to its normal size, and as he looked at the small island before them, his hunger returned with a vengeance.
"Luffy, what kind of stomach do you have?" the others asked, stunned. "You just ate, and you're already hungry again?" His appetite was truly on another level.
"Is it a side effect of the Gum-Gum Fruit?" Moonlight wondered. It was the only explanation for Luffy's incredible elasticity.
At that moment, the fog dispersed, and the small island was revealed. Everyone's eyes lit up. But as they got closer, a group of villagers suddenly appeared on the shore, their gazes fixed on the approaching ship.
"No, it's an ambush!"
"Where did they come from? Are they going to kill us?"
"Of course! We're pirates! Everyone wants to kill pirates! Let's get out of here!" This sudden development shocked them all. Nami and Usopp subconsciously assumed that the villagers had spotted their jolly roger and were preparing to drive them away. Only Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, and Moonlight remained calm, their expressions unchanged.
"Welcome! Welcome, pirates from afar! You're finally here!"
"Hahaha, great pirates, come on! We have fine wine and delicious food! I promise you'll have your fill!"
"Long live pirates! Long live pirates!"
The crew was stunned. They had never expected this. The villagers were cheering, waving their hands, and welcoming them to the island.
"This is..." Nami was at a loss for words.
"Am I dreaming? Or did they make a mistake?" Usopp pinched himself. It wasn't a dream. But this was all wrong. Couldn't they see the big pirate flag on their ship? Didn't they know what pirates were?
"Is this for real?" Sanji said, exhaling a series of smoke rings, a look of disbelief on his face. Zoro said nothing.
"They're welcoming us!" Luffy jumped up and down, a bright smile on his face.
"So they are," Moonlight said with a faint smile. In this world, no one welcomed pirates. If they did, then something was not right. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. This was an eternal truth, especially here in the Grand Line. But it didn't matter. He was hungry, and he was going to eat. That idiot Luffy had eaten his last meal.
After they had docked and come ashore, a middle-aged man in a formal suit with a long face and strange, curly hair introduced himself. "Pirates from afar, welcome! I am the mayor of this island, Igaram."
"Hello, Mayor. I'm Luffy, and these are my companions," Luffy said, shaking his hand.
"The sea is vast, and your journey must have been long," Igaram said with a warm, inviting smile. "You must be hungry. Please, come and feel our hospitality."
The surrounding villagers were also extremely enthusiastic, and it was impossible to refuse. Hearing the mention of food, Luffy was already sold, and though Nami and the others felt that something was off, their hunger won out. Whatever was going on, they could figure it out after they had filled their stomachs.
Under the mayor's guidance, the group was led to a luxurious room, where they found a feast of fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women waiting for them.
"Guests, this is all for you. Enjoy!" Igaram said with a smile, but he didn't need to. Luffy had already launched himself at the food. Zoro's eyes lit up at the sight of the wine, and Sanji and Usopp were quickly surrounded by a group of beautiful women. Soon, they were all happily eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves. Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Nami's worries were put to rest. It seemed there was nothing strange going on after all. Moonlight also began to eat. Though he didn't have Luffy's appetite, he was still starving.
They partied late into the night, and soon, they were all drunk and fast asleep.
"Are they asleep?" Igaram asked a woman with a joyful expression, who was standing outside the house. Though she was a woman, she was incredibly muscular and strong. She nodded. "Yes, they're asleep."
"Those guys can really eat," one of the villagers who had gathered outside said, a look of disgust on his face. "They almost ate all our food in one sitting."
"What kind of monsters are they?" another asked, looking at Igaram with a puzzled expression. "And boss, why did we do this? Wouldn't it have been better to just capture them directly?" Under the moonlight, their welcoming smiles from the day had been replaced by hideous, murderous expressions.
"There was no other way," Igaram replied, taking out a wanted poster and pointing to Luffy's picture. "These are pirates with a bounty of 30 million Berries. If we had fought them head-on, even if we had won, it would have been a pyrrhic victory. The cost would have been too great. It was better to outsmart them. A small sacrifice of food for an easy victory... isn't that a better trade?"
"A bounty of 30 million Berries! They're really not simple," the others said, surprised. They hadn't expected this group to be so valuable.
"On this sea, you can't judge a person by their appearance," another added. "Just like us. Who would know that we're bounty hunters?"
"That's right. In order to return to Baroque Works and get the president's approval, we followed Mr. 8 and Miss Monday."
"Alright," Igaram said, a cruel smile on his face. "Now that they're all asleep, take their heads. Those Berries are ours."
The others' eyes lit up with excitement. The head of a 30 million Berry pirate...
"So you are assassins, after all," a cold voice suddenly said from the rooftop.
Under the bright moonlight, Zoro sat on the roof, leaning on his sword, his gaze fixed on the group below.
"What?"
"It's that swordsman!"
"He's not passed out?"
"How is that possible? I made sure he was drunk!"
"He heard us!"
Hearing his voice, the bounty hunters were all taken aback. Their eyes, now filled with a cold, murderous light, all focused on Zoro. Some of them were already preparing to strike.
"So, Roronoa, you're awake," Igaram said, his gaze sweeping over the others before settling on Zoro with a strained smile. He was about to offer an explanation, but Zoro's next words made his smile vanish instantly.
"Baroque Works."
"How do you know that name?" Igaram's body went rigid, and his eyes grew cold. It was their secret. Now that it was out, there was nothing left to say.
"I'm very sorry," Zoro said calmly, explaining the reason. "I received an invitation from Baroque Works once before, so I know about the organization. Unfortunately, I had to refuse."
"So you're an expert," Igaram said, his tone turning to ice as he raised his palm. "In that case, there's no other way."
"Kill him!"
"Yes, sir!"
The bounty hunters, all of them powerful and experienced, rushed towards Zoro, their swords, knives, and clubs raised. But Zoro was no longer the same man he had been before. Every day on the ship, watching Moonlight practice, seeing his terrifying sword skills, had elevated his own vision and spirit to a new level. In his eyes, the movements of these bounty hunters were no different from snails.
He leaped lightly from the roof and, facing the charging crowd, simply walked straight through them. But strangely, none of them could land a blow. By the time he had reached Igaram, all of them had lost their target.
"Impossible! How can this be?"
"I can't hit him!" they cried, their faces turning pale with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Go to hell!" At that moment, a woman who had been standing to the side, Miss Monday, suddenly made her move. She grabbed Zoro, her fingertips shining with a silver light as she slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
The ground within a ten-meter radius of Zoro cracked and shattered.
"She's worthy of being a mid-level agent, Miss Monday! Her power is terrifying!"
"He's got to be dead now!" the others exclaimed, shocked. Could a woman really possess that kind of strength?
"Hehe, is that all the power you have?" But to their amazement, Zoro's soft laugh came from the crater. He was lying on the ground, completely unscathed, a look of pure mockery on his face.
"How is this possible?!"
"He's not dead!"
"And he's laughing!" the others cried, their eyes wide with disbelief. Was this man even human? To withstand that kind of force and still be laughing... he was a monster.
"You're courting death!" Miss Monday roared, furious that he had dismissed her power so casually. She had never met anyone stronger than her. She leaped up, grabbed a nearby tree as thick as three men, and ripped it from the ground, swinging it at Zoro with all her might. The massive tree, weighing at least five hundred pounds, became a devastating weapon in her hands. A direct hit would surely be fatal.
The others couldn't help but gasp, but what happened next shocked them even more. Zoro caught the massive tree with one hand, and with a light shake, he sent both it and Miss Monday flying.
BOOM!
A new crater appeared where she landed, and her fate was unknown.
"Miss Monday!"
"He killed Miss Monday! Let's all go together! He can't beat all of us!" the others shouted, gritting their teeth. Though they were surprised, they were seasoned bounty hunters and wouldn't be so easily frightened. If one of them couldn't beat him, then they would all attack at once.
"Forget it. I'll get rid of you quickly. I have to go back to sleep," Zoro said, looking up at the bright moon. He let out a sigh, as if he were sleepy, and completely ignored the charging crowd.
"Die!" they all roared, their swords and clubs raining down on him.
But at that moment, a sharp glint flashed in Zoro's eyes. In a flash of steel under the moonlight, he was suddenly on the other side of them. He slowly sheathed his sword, and the bounty hunters who had attacked him all froze in place. The next moment, blood spurted from their bodies, and they all collapsed to the ground. Zoro had defeated them all with a single blow.
"You..." Igaram's face grew grim. Heavy machine guns suddenly appeared in his strange, curly hair. They were his secret weapon. Without hesitation, he opened fire on Zoro.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gunfire erupted around Zoro, and the area was filled with smoke. But when the smoke cleared, he was gone.
"Where did he go?" Igaram asked, his eyes darting around.
"Behind you," Zoro's faint voice said. Igaram froze, and as he tried to turn, a deep sword wound suddenly appeared on his shoulder, blood gushing from the cut. He had been struck, and he hadn't even seen it happen.
"When... when did that happen?" he stammered, collapsing to the ground, a look of pure confusion on his face.
"Alright, you can sleep now," Zoro said with a faint smile, his work done. He was ready to go back to sleep.
But at that moment, two figures suddenly rushed towards him, moving with incredible speed.
"Hey, is there no end to this?" Zoro said, impatient. "Can't you two see the huge gap in our strength?" The two of them had thought they were well-hidden, but he had spotted them long ago. It was Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, and Miss Wednesday was riding a giant duck with a cyan hat.
"Damn it! The power gap is this big?" Miss Wednesday gritted her teeth. They had failed. Zoro was too strong. In front of him, they were no different from three-year-old children.
"Mr. 8!" Seeing Igaram on the ground, a look of grim determination appeared on Miss Wednesday's face. She immediately ran towards the room where Luffy was sleeping. If she couldn't beat him, then she would have to play dirty.
"Not good!" Zoro was taken aback and hurried to intercept her.
"Good job, Miss Wednesday! I won't let you be disturbed!" Mr. 9 shouted, rushing to block Zoro's path, his batons flying.