Chapter 117: Gourmet City
"I really am a responsible captain, leaving the crew to enjoy themselves while I stay behind to watch the ship."
"Ah, aren't I accompanying you? Or is it that—Eric - has some dissatisfaction with me?" Kurumi said, staring at Eric with her enchanting Akame .
"No, not at all!" Eric couldn't help but be drawn into her Akames. How delicate her features were! Ah, God, thank you for bringing me here...
"You two are here." Once again, Esdeath came over and interrupted their gaze.
"Ah... Eric 's scent, how nostalgic~" Without hesitation, Esdeath rushed up to hug Eric and inhaled deeply.
Esdeath activated her taunt skill!
"You already did this this morning! Why come again?!" Kurumi snapped, furious. Esdeath had repeatedly interrupted the good atmosphere between her and Eric these past few days, which made her seethe with anger.
Kurumi activated her rage attack!
"One moment without seeing Eric feels like three autumns."
"That's 'a day without seeing him feels like three autumns!' Ah, enough, it seems I can't get along with you, sadistic girlfriend."
"If the pet doesn't listen, it should be trained properly, right, little black cat?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Only the three of them remained on the ship, along with the ordinary civilians who were hiding aboard, ready to head to the East Blue.
And today was just another peaceful day—so they thought...
...
The people who disembarked were led by Chiron to the gathering point.
"Have they arrived..." Mont Blanc Cricket finished a cigarette, crushed it, and lit another.
"Make sure to use the filter I gave you, or you'll die young."
Hearing that, Mont Blanc Cricket silently inserted the filter. He no longer wanted to test Da Vinci's pressure punch.
"The captain said we can roam around, here's the spending money for us."
"Wh-what? We just got here..." The rescued woman panicked and refused.
Chiron smiled gently, "From now on, we're all companions, no need to be polite. Take it."
The dancer sisters, Carla and Kana, nervously accepted the Berries. The weight of the thick banknotes made them tear up. 'We... we are finally "people" now!'
"Hehe, don't cry, there's a future waiting for you." Chiron turned to the others, "I'll stay and protect these two. You guys can go enjoy yourselves."
Fishman Lant silently approached the sisters. As a former celestial dragon's slave, he could empathize with them.
"Want to go together?"
Lant, as usual, was quiet and just nodded.
Akame, who had been somewhat uneasy, showed a relieved expression. She trusted Chiron greatly.
Having already caught the smell of food in the air, she had already started salivating. If not for her concern about the new sisters joining, she would have already run to the street stalls to feast.
So, she greeted the newcomers, "I'm off," and made her way to the nearby food stall, eager to try the delicious food.
"Hey, wait for me, sis!" Porche, like a little tail, followed Akame.
"Hohoho, I'm going to buy cute doll outfits. Uncle Mont Blanc Cricket, help me carry my things!" Perona tugged at Mont Blanc Cricket, dragging him away.
"Hmm..." Da Vinci, the so-called genius, looked pensive.
"What's up? Is the genius scientist stumped?" Scáthach asked, standing beside her.
"I was planning to buy some advanced items, but looking at it, this island only seems to have food and nothing else worth buying."
"Well, it's a gourmet city, don't get hung up on that. Train when it's time to train, rest when it's time to rest, that's the only way to grow. You've spent enough time in the lab; it's time to move your body."
"True, do you have any recommendations?"
Scáthach 's eyes glimmered faintly. This person had used her clairvoyance [Long-Range Vision] to look for suitable food.
As the red light faded from her eyes, Scáthach said, "All the food here tastes good, so... just pick something."
Da Vinci sighed at her, "Never mind if you're clueless, but to use clairvoyance and still make this decision... You really should listen to Eric and rely less on your foresight. Let's go."
...
In an unnamed alley in Gourmet City, out of sight from the sparkling streets, several bloodthirsty bounty hunters gathered.
"Hey, I've got some good news, not sure if you're interested in joining?" A man with a long tongue spoke, saliva dripping from his slithering tongue.
"What? 'Long Snake,' did you find a big fish?"
"What... How did you know?" The long-tongued man was surprised. He had just seen the big fish at the entrance street of Gourmet City and rushed to the bounty hunters' usual meeting place. He didn't think anyone could have beaten him to it.
A big-bellied man laughed, "Ha, who doesn't know your tongue is long, and you can't keep your mouth shut? Whenever you catch small fish, you eat it by yourself, but when it's a big fish you can't catch, you come looking for help. Am I right?"
The Long Snake man fell silent for a moment before cursing, "Mind your business! Yes, I've found a big fish, so are you in or not?!"
"Of course, why not?" The big-bellied man said, "Even though you're always greedy, when you need help, you pay well. You're much better than that 'Black Scrooge.'"
"Black Scrooge" was a dark-skinned bounty hunter's nickname, and he wasn't here. Otherwise, the big-bellied man wouldn't dare say this.
The "Black Scrooge" was one of the top three bounty hunters in Gourmet City. He often dealt with large pirate crews, and when there were too many low-level pirates, he'd leave them to lesser bounty hunters.
After capturing the main criminals, he would give just a small portion of the reward to those who helped, leaving the bulk for himself, so other bounty hunters called him "Black Scrooge."
Now, a few bounty hunters, who were drinking away the day, joined in, ready to make some hard-earned cash.
"Is this really necessary?" The big-bellied man laughed. "These people? You still don't trust us?"
The Long Snake man, anxious, pulled his tongue back into his mouth and swallowed hard to hide his nervousness.
Seeing his behavior, the other bounty hunters exchanged looks. They sensed that this might be a big deal, but big trouble meant big rewards, so they stayed.
"You guys must know about the big event a few days ago?"
"Huh? What's that?" A drunken man asked. He looked like he'd been drunk for over ten days straight, but those who knew him understood that although he was drunk, his mind was still sharp.
"It's the guy who killed a world noble, killed a celestial dragon..."
Before he could finish, the drunken man immediately sobered up.
"Hey, don't talk nonsense! You know the strength of 'the Wicked Pirate' Darren Eric ! He dared to fight a naval admiral head-on and destroyed five naval ships. How are we supposed to handle that?!"
(END CHAPTER)
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