19 Charter 19: Sniper
After a minutes of walk and consumed every littered body of dead monsters along the way. I can't help but grin from ear to ear.
This island is a paradise for me.
I hadn't done anything so far but I've already eaten lots of mutated monsters without breaking a sweat. In short, I gathered more skills now.
Not letting any pieces slip passed, I even used my slime like a vacuum cleaner and search for every dusts of monsters littered on the field.
Either its their blood or flesh meat, I'd never let anything go. As long as I hasn't yet to devour any of their kind, I can take their skills without fail.
Of course I can't take any if it is just blood. Just that, I've been too absorb of delicious food that's been freely served.
In this island, we've found nothing but dead body of monsters other than the herbs and planted Green Drafts.
To think I even find some unused SIQ and IQ's drugs inside the laboratory. The same formula that mutates monsters from its base form.
Who knows, I might be able to use it later. But well, I'm not planning to create a pirate crew with bunch of wild animals in the first place, but I'm sure this discovery will be useful in the near future.
Originally, I only thought this island is nothing but a small one. But other than this. There's an underground facility in one place and that's where I found the said drugs. Most part of it are Prison Cell of monsters they've experimented. But just like I said. Everywhere is littered with nothing but dead bodies.
If my speculation is correct. Mai's lover original plan is to kill every last bit of monsters in this island, maybe for the simple reason of delaying Shiki's plan. After all, they're original plan is...once they've successfully finish their preparation. They'll let every mutated monsters run havoc in every part of the world which is, in some point never happen thanks for messing the Strawhat Pirate's navigator that his ass has been kicked.
That monkey might happens to know their plan thus his last dying goal is to annihilate every mutated monsters in this place then rest in peace.
And after finally decided that this island won't bring us to anywhere anymore, Jiyah and I returned back to the Dreadnought Rotor.
After all, I still have an appointment meeting to attend to. And if I missed the timing, I can't recruit this third member of mine and its a waste of time if I let that opportunity slide.
I decided to acquire at least two more members before going deep into the grand line, and my 'third' member happens to be inside the marine ship. To be precise, he's been captured.
When we finally arrived near the Calm Belt area, sound of falling, splits the wind as the sound is getting closer──
iiiihhhhhhng─!
At first, I thought its just a weird sound of sea or a flying creatures such as bird but...
BOOM---!
"What the!"
The Dreadnought Rotor wildly shaken and smoke emerged on its right flank.
"Jiyah! Vision!" I frantically ook into the crows nest. Asking for Jiyah's help.
Because the ship's crows nest is a concealed circular room. It officially became Jirah's own room and anonymously become our ship's Scout thanks to her inherent ability of far-sight and good sense of hearing. But I feel like she's sleeping before this event fully unfolded. There's no way this occurence would slipped passed from her sight, right? I don't want to reproach her lack of awareness as our journey has just begun and instead, I decided to focus of what's going on in front.
But, to think we've receive this much damage!
"R-right. From afar, there's a small island!" she said
I don't want any more damage inflicted on my ship so I remotely control the wheel and moved where the fire is coming from. Then I climed up at the very front of the ship.
"Tell me everything you've seen" I said.
No matter how I adjusts my eyes, I'd see nothing but a vast sea in front. According to the damage received by the Dreadnought Rotor. Its attack is from the cannon. I don't know why but my hostility has risen yet at the same time, restless.
: : :
"W-what are you doing Yasopp-san. Who you're firing with!? And more than that, where'd the cannonball go?" Three men, along with the man with dreadlocks brown colored hair with an headband with the character 'Yassop' on it, resting in one side of the cliff of the island with rusted cannon in place. The man known as Yassop fired the cannon without warning.
"You didn't see? There's a pirate ship from afar. I used the highest trajectory according to the air current. Sadly, it suddenly changes and didn't destroy the ship completely. How about firing another one?" Yassop said so confidently with grin.
"W-what? Where?" the second man, squint his eyes while using a telescope. Trying to find where this ship Yasopp is talking about.
"Ha ha hah, see? This rusted cannon here is still working! but you already tested it, how about we load it on our ship?" the third man flaunt his findings which is the said cannon and didn't seem to care how godly Yassop did. Or maybe, he's already used on witnessing it.
"B-but Yasopp-san. I didn't see any ship! How superb is your eyesight!? You're a real monster!" The second man said so with his hand squeezing his telescope. Still looking from afar, until "There, I saw it! W-wait, what kind of ship is that!? I witnessed many kind of ships before but this is the first time seeing that kind of design! specifically the weird cannon in front with long muzzle!" he said so with shaky voice.
The other two, tried to snatch the telescope back and forth as they too, witnessed the look of the Dreadnought Rotor.
"No matter how strong looking the ship is. Yasopp-sama here can still sink it before they knew who attacked them. Now load the cannon, I'll sink it this time" Yasopp said with purely confident tone.
"But wouldn't boss reprimand you the last time not to waste cannonball through senseless means?" the second man complained.
"Kah, what senseless? I'm sinking any ship that's coming near our resting spot. Won't that enough? Now go, put another cannonball. Also, we need to test more shots before taking considerations of bringing this cannon in our ship" Yasopp said as if making an excuse.
"Yasopp-san. You also saw it, right? Look at the one whose facing forward in front of that ship. He's too young! But why do I feel that he's very dangerous?"
"I know. That's why I wanted to sink that ship the moment I met that guy resting on the ship's deck. That boy looks like a beginner because I hasn't seen any members before firing them, but he and the ship looks peculiar and ferocious...You, warn Boss. I have a bad feeling about this..." Yassop with his still current demeanor, ordered one of those three men.
Although far. Yasopp clearly see the ship increases its phase towards them. "What's that. A paddle?" He clearly saw that from both side, three pairs of paddle simultaneously appear from the said ship while the man leading it. Crossed his arms towards their island.
Yasopp couldn't help but smile as his chest started pumped up. "Greenhorn nowadays don't know the real danger, ey? You, get the other old cannon, we can still fire it at least once, I think?" he said and with the cannonball successfully inserted, he fired it up to an angle he wants after few adjustments. Predicting the timing and speed of the said ship.
Boom--!
three seconds
five seconds
More than five seconds after, the cannonball reached the said ship but instead of destroying it. the cannonball trajectory moved to the right before it blasted completely. Not harming the ship.
Yasopp couldn't help but whistle in surprised, "Scary" he said so with grin. "Its been a while since I've felt this urge to satisfy my desire of sniping a ship, nyahaha" and laugh. "Go, insert another cannonball. Ready the others too, let's see what'll he do" he commanded.
"Boss!" Moments later, the man Yasopp commanded to warn their captain is now in front of more than ten men, sitting the shade of the trees. Visible is only their silhouette thanks to the shade of trees, covering them.
One has big physique and belly, eating a big chunk of meat while another is resting the back of his head with hands intertwined.
Another is revolving his gun on his index finger while exhaling his smoke cigar.
But the man at the very center, served a wood carved mug full of water towards the messenger who seemed breathing violently thanks for running from afar.
He gulped and chug the said water in a few seconds before completely emptied it and said. "B-boss, Y-Yasopp found a ship that's sailing towards our direction. He wanted me to warn you that its unusually aberrant one"
"A pirate ship that's unusually aberrant? And Yasopp of all people is the one who complimented it? Hmm anyway, don't tell me the sound we heard before then is from the cannon he fired? Is he wasting our reserve for useless thing again just to relive his boredom?" The man in front, is now exited from the shade tree as his crimson hair is now visible.
Has three scar-like claw on his left face while his body covered with dark coat he is wearing.
He's none other than the captain of Red Hair Pirates, Shanks.
And this island happens to be their resting spot before they finally decided on sailing into the New World.
