Attack
Following the current down Reverse Mountain, Yang Ning's ship did not encounter the whale Laboon that blocked its way and smoothly entered the waters of the Grand Line.
However, this also resulted in them lacking something very important on the Grand Line—the Log Pose.
Without this, even the most skilled navigator cannot sail the Grand Line.
At this time, apart from Yang Ning, the other four on the ship were unaware of this. Nami was even trying to use the navigation methods she used in the East Blue to locate the New Windbreaker.
Her actions were swift and decisive, but the more she tried, the angrier she became, until finally, Nami broke down and smashed the compass on the deck.
"What a terrible place! It changed locations three times in two minutes!"
Yang Ning, however, remained unhurried and casually pulled out the new newspaper he had bought in Loguetown, showing it off to everyone:
"Look! My bounty has increased again."
"Now please call me the great pirate with a bounty of 50 million Berries, Mad Sword Yang Ning!"
His interruption successfully drew Nami's attention, much to the little thief's surprise:
"So much taller than Arlong."
Sylvester, who stayed on deck to work, also craned his neck to get closer:
"Captain, Captain, is there any for me?"
Yang Ning pushed away Sylvester's large face and said irritably:
"No, you two brothers didn't even show your faces, so how could you get a bounty? But Esdeath does."
"Hm?"
Esdeath, who was engrossed in meditation, finally opened her eyes and looked over.
Yang Ning unfolded the wanted poster as if presenting a treasure:
"Look, the bounty is 24 million, and the silver-haired Esdeath is here."
"Oh."
After glancing at it, Esdeath closed her eyes again and continued meditating.
He didn't care, but Sylvester was filled with envy, his face flushed red and two puffs of white breath coming out of his nostrils:
"Esdeath is amazing, Captain! Please let Willie and me join the battle next time!"
Yang Ning patted Sylvester on the shoulder:
"I'll definitely do it next time."
With that assurance in hand, Sylvester became overjoyed, and the deck erupted in laughter. ...What a load of rubbish!
Nami's smile turned to anger, and she slammed the nautical chart heavily onto the deck.
"Captain!"
"Huh?"
Yang Ning, who was arm in arm with Sylvester, turned his head blankly to look at Nami, who had a serious expression.
"Captain, we've lost our bearings!"
"Oh."
Yang Ning's nonchalance almost broke Nami's defenses.
What does "oh" mean?
In fact, it's not that Yang Ning and the others weren't paying attention. Before Nami came along, their daily routine consisted of getting lost at sea and then going to whichever island they found.
Esdeath, the ship's cook, has learned how to cook dozens of types of fish because she has been at sea for a long time and can only eat fish.
Seeing that her captain and crew didn't seem to care about getting lost, Nami covered her face with one hand and fell into deep reflection.
"We've boarded a pirate ship..."
Just then, Willie, who was on the high lookout tower, suddenly shouted down:
"There's a ship ahead!"
Nami's eyes lit up. Ignoring Yang Ning's thoughts, she shouted at Willie:
"What kind of ship, and how far?"
A moment later, Willie's voice came:
"I don't know. It's a very large ship, not a warship and it doesn't have a pirate flag."
"Look up and see how far it is."
"Huh?"
Upon hearing this, Nami's face lit up with a series of question marks, and she looked up.
"Holy shit!"
The little thief cat wanted to curse and had already cursed very loudly.
A ship at least twice the size of the New Windbreaker was hurtling straight toward the New Windbreaker at great speed, seemingly intent on sinking it.
Before she could say another word, Nami ran at the fastest speed she had ever seen, nimbly rushed to the bridge, and turned the rudder low.
"Willie, turn the sails around and give way!"
The simple-minded Willie only realized to turn the sails after being yelled at. With the sails turning and the tail rudder twisting dramatically, the New Windbreaker quickly achieved a small right-angle maneuver at an astonishing speed.
Rumble!
Just as the New Windbreaker completed its turn, the large ship also crashed into it. The two ships narrowly missed each other, and the huge impact drenched Yang Ning and the others on the deck of the New Windbreaker with seawater.
"Damn bastards, how dare they hide! Ellis, do it again, run them over!"
Just as the stern of the large ship brushed past, Yang Ning clearly heard this sound coming from the ship.
He wiped the seawater from his face, his expression turning incredibly grim.
Damn it, is this a sign of disrespect for the pirate flag flying above his head or a sign of disrespect for him?
Esdeath, who was also soaked, looked even worse. She drew her greatsword and placed one foot on the railing at the edge of the deck.
However, Esdeath was ultimately able to distinguish between primary and secondary matters; she tilted her head to look at Yang Ning:
"Alley?"
Yang Ning gritted his teeth so hard his cheeks twitched up and down.
"Alley!"
"Sylvester, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Come with us later, and I'll see which bastard is so arrogant."
On the large ship, a snotty-nosed boy with a bubble-covered head and oddly dressed was throwing a tantrum. He kicked the person kneeling in front of him hard, yelling incoherently:
"None of your kind, you're just a piece of trash!"
"Why didn't it hit? Why didn't it break? I want to see it shatter into pieces, with a loud crack!"
The black-clad man who was kicked trembled back and forth with each kick, not because he was kicked, but because he was afraid that if he didn't move, the impact would backfire on the bubble-faced man in front of him.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, I will smash that ship to pieces immediately."
"Hmph, go now! I want to see!"
In their question-and-answer session, the two decided the fate of the New Windbreaker, but none of the people present thought about what would happen to the people on board.
The large ship drew an arc in the distance, adjusted its angle, and once again rammed into the New Windbreaker at full speed.
Even if Yang Ning and the others were incredibly stupid, they would now realize that this guy was after them.
"Bounty hunter?"
Since it wasn't a warship and didn't have a pirate flag, Yang Ning could only guess that.
Whatever it is, it came at the perfect time.
Yang Ning was so angry he laughed; he was actually worried that this guy would run away after the crash.
Just as the two ships were still quite a distance apart, three dark figures leaped off the large ship and, using the momentum of the air, instantly arrived on the deck of the New Windbreaker.
These men were all dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses; their appearance alone suggested that the organization behind them was quite powerful.
The leader held his head high, looking down at Yang Ning and his companions with disdain.
"Little pirates, stay still and let the adults' ship smash you to pieces. You might survive if you fall into the sea, but if you dare to resist, you'll die right now."
Yang Ning was so angry he laughed. Are all the people on the Grand Line this rude?
He's only been here for less than three days, and this is what he's done to him?
He turned his head away, and Esdeath understood.
"Greatsword Style: Mountain Breaker."
The black greatsword sliced horizontally, drawing a black arc in the air, the arc aimed directly at the three men in black.
"Iron Block!"
"Clang!"
There was no sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh; the greatsword struck the man in black with a metallic clang.