Slap! Slap! Slap!
The crisp sound of open-handed strikes echoed repeatedly at the bakery entrance,punctuated by the tearful pleas of two pirates.
"Boss! Boss! We were wrong! We'll never dare to collect protection money again!"
"That's right!Just let us go, we'll leave right now!"
The baker hid behind his counter, staring dumbfounded at the two pirates dancing and slapping themselves in front of his shop. Moments ago, they had been arrogantly threatening to smash his store; now they were shamelessly begging for their lives. He swallowed hard, stealing a cautious glance at the instigator: the tall, handsome blond man who had just entered.
"Alright, Linlin, stop staring and buy what you want. We still have things to do." Oro glanced at the two pirates by the door, then stepped behind the counter. He opened his hand, revealing a marble-sized nugget of gold. "Is this enough? Let the girl take what she likes."
The baker stared fixedly at the gold. In his five years running a shop on Beehive Island, the most extravagant pirates had paid in silver. He'd rarely seen gold, let alone a piece this large.
He nodded hurriedly,then shook his head just as fast, his voice trembling. "Enough... No, no! Too much! Sir, this is far too much! Even if this young lady took everything in the shop, it wouldn't cost this much!"
"Then it's settled."With a gentle toss, the gold nugget traced a graceful arc through the air.
The baker shuddered, fumbling to catch it. The moment the cold, heavy metal touched his palm, a shiver ran through him. He quickly stuffed his hand into his apron pocket, then shot a wary look at the two pirates by the door.
"Don't worry.They're just puppets on strings now. They can't see a thing." Following the baker's gaze, Oro offered a casual reassurance.
"Y-yes!Thank you, sir! Thank you!" The baker nodded so vigorously he nearly hit the counter. He then pulled a fine linen bag printed with a bread pattern from beneath it. "The young lady can have anything in the shop! If it's not enough, I'll bake more right away!"
Oro took the bag, waved off the baker's concerns, and walked over to Linlin, who was still hovering indecisively before the display case.
He saw the chocolate cakes,too. They did look tempting. The caramel-colored crusts still steamed slightly, and rich dark chocolate syrup oozed slowly down their sides, gleaming with a silken sheen under the glass lights.
The entire case was filled with a sweet,rich cocoa aroma, mingled with the buttery scent of caramelized sugar from the oven—enough to make anyone's mouth water.
We should buy plenty. It's a flavor Galz likes too.
Handing the bag to Linlin, his tone softened. "Take whatever you like. The bag is big enough."
"Really?!"Linlin's eyes sparkled. She immediately opened the display case and carefully lifted the largest molten chocolate cake, mindful of the dripping syrup. She also grabbed several iced cookies and two bags of chocolate truffles, muttering to herself, "This one's for Gerd, this is mine, this is for Oro, and I'll save that one for a snack on the road..."
Oro stood beside her, helping pack the pastries one by one. The sweet fragrance filled the air, washing away much of the annoyance from dealing with the pirates earlier.
A shame it was interrupted.
"Which blind fool dares lay a hand on my men?!"
A rough,furious roar erupted from the shop entrance. A tall, green-haired man, nearly four meters tall, now blocked the bakery doorway.
The man, Wang Zhi, wore a black vest that revealed muscular arms sheathed in a thick layer of Armament Haki, making them look brutishly powerful. His eyes swept over the giant axe embedded in the floor, estimated the wielder's size, then landed on Linlin. His gaze turned vicious, predatory. "You did this?"
As he spoke,Wang Zhi raised his right arm. His powerful fist, cutting through the air with a whistle, hurtled toward Linlin.
Linlin paid no mind. She was carefully placing a chocolate truffle in her mouth, squinting with pleasure at the sweet taste.
Oro flicked his wrist.Golden threads instantly poured from all corners of the shop, wrapping around Wang Zhi's arms in a flash and yanking him violently upward!
"Urk—!"
Wang Zhi was hoisted into the air,his arms painfully constricted. Under the pressure of the golden threads, even his jet-black Armament Haki developed fine cracks. He struggled desperately, legs kicking wildly, trying to break free by brute force. But the seemingly delicate threads were impossibly tough, unmoved by his efforts.
"I said, this 'small fry to big boss' escalation tactic is way too cliché." Oro sounded genuinely displeased; the pleasant mood had been thoroughly spoiled. "So, where's your boss? When's he showing up?"
"You're dead when my boss gets here!"
Oro rolled his eyes,tightening his fingertips slightly. The threads constricted further. A sickening creak came from Wang Zhi's arms, as if bones were on the verge of snapping. Wang Zhi's face flushed purple with pain, his features contorted, yet he stubbornly refused to beg. At least he had more spine than his lackeys.
Just as Oro was about to ask where he could buy an Eternal Pose, a deep, resonant laugh rolled down from the port lighthouse.
"Hahahaha!"
The laughter,brimming with arrogant, unrestrained dominance, blanketed the entire street—including the bakery—like a thunderhead.
"Interesting kid——"
Atop the lighthouse, a man clad in black leather armor leaned against the railing. His gaze swept over Wang Zhi, suspended mid-air in the bakery, then settled on Oro and Linlin. A meaningful smile played on his lips. His voice, carried clearly by the sea breeze, reached everyone's ears:
"You dare cause trouble for Rocks's men on Beehive Island? You've got more guts than I imagined."
Oro looked up at the mysterious, blue-and-white-haired man on the tower, then down at the still-struggling Wang Zhi, then thought of the two pirates who had just been dancing and begging for mercy.
This is so cliché!
Oro was speechless.Was today some kind of "Classic Trope" holiday?
"Villain Family Bucket"Festival?
How could he run into such a textbook scenario on a simple trip into town?First the underlings, then the mid-boss, and now the big boss himself...
He'd seen this old,predictable plot a thousand times in novels and comics before he transmigrated. And now he was living it.
Did the original story even have this kind of plot?