"No, no—you've got it all wrong! Look at the guy in the middle, he's clearly some spoiled noble kid. The real muscle's those two in suits! Look at those builds, they're obviously trained fighters!"
The bounty hunter had sharp eyes, immediately seeing through Turkey and Water Duck's physical prowess. As for Rosinante, dressed in an elegant tailcoat with a refined face and lean frame, he looked every bit the frail young master—handsome, yes, but clearly lacking strength.
The true powerhouses were Turkey and Water Duck—both towering close to two meters tall, broad-shouldered, and built like seasoned warriors.
Just as the bounty hunters were whispering among themselves about which of the trio held the real strength, the plump clerk behind the counter suddenly let out another cry of shock.
"Good heavens! T-this one here is Flying Boulder Bemira—the pirate with a 55 million Berry bounty!"
"Bemira?!"
At the mention of that name, every bounty hunter in the hall sucked in a sharp breath. Flying Boulder Bemira's reputation far exceeded that of Wildman Taro. His name carried a curse in the Bounty Guild—because three separate attempts to bring him down had all ended in complete annihilation.
The first time, when Bemira's bounty was 22 million, the Guild sent out ten hunters. None returned.
The second time, when his bounty rose to 40 million, fifty hunters formed a special squad to bring him in. Again—total wipeout.
The third time, when the bounty reached 50 million, the Guild assembled a hundred-man strike team. Every single one perished.
Since then, "Flying Boulder Bemira" had become the Guild's nightmare—a target that no sane hunter dared touch again. The bounty was tempting, but no one was suicidal enough to try.
So when word spread that Bemira had been slain, the entire hall erupted in chaos—murmurs, gasps, and disbelieving laughter filling the air.
The fat clerk, after verifying the head against the bounty poster, cautiously asked Rosinante's group,
"How… exactly did you manage to kill both Flying Boulder Bemira and Wildman Taro?"
Every bounty hunter turned their ears toward him, curious to hear the answer.
Rosinante simply smiled.
"It was all luck, really. I was just out for a stroll near Flevance with my two bodyguards when we stumbled upon Bemira and Taro fighting each other on a deserted island. I quickly hid us away to watch."
"They fought for half a day and beat each other nearly to death. That's when I told my bodyguards to finish them off—each of them took down one, easy as that."
Rosinante chuckled lightly as he finished his story. Turkey and Water Duck nearly rolled their eyes out of their heads. Their boss, Blue Eagle, really was a master liar. If they hadn't known the truth themselves, even they might have believed him.
The surrounding bounty hunters, on the other hand, all bought into Rosinante's tale. Many groaned and slapped their thighs in frustration.
Why couldn't I have been the lucky one?
It made sense to them, after all. Three seemingly ordinary men couldn't possibly have defeated those monsters head-on—but stumbling upon them after they'd nearly killed each other? That, they could believe.
"Well? I'm not trying to scam you with fake heads, am I? Hurry up and pay us our bounty—we've got places to be."
Rosinante's calm tone snapped the clerk out of his daze. Muttering about the man's incredible luck, the clerk still went ahead with the formal declaration:
"Flying Boulder Bemira—confirmed dead. Wildman Taro—confirmed dead. Bounties revoked. Reward authorized!"
THUD! THUD!
At his signal, two staff members brought out large leather cases and set them heavily upon the counter. The sound of money—a fortune in Berries, instantly drew the eyes of every bounty hunter present.
Dozens of pairs of hungry eyes—predatory and calculating, turned toward Rosinante's group. Turkey and Water Duck exchanged wary glances. The way those hunters were looking at them, it was as if a pack of starving wolves had just scented blood.
"Count it." Rosinante said evenly. "Once the sum checks out, we leave."
"Yes, sir."
Forcing themselves to stay calm, the two men counted the money carefully.
105 million Berries. Not even a coin missing.
"Confirmed, sir." Turkey reported.
"Good. Pack it up. Let's go."
Rosinante turned and walked toward the exit. Turkey and Water Duck followed immediately, each lugging a heavy case of cash.
"Follow them!"
The moment they stepped outside, several bounty hunters exchanged looks—and then began to tail the trio, scar-faced men among them.
Rosinante's group led the way down the dock. Behind them, the number of pursuers grew rapidly—first a dozen, then fifty, then over a hundred. Within minutes, nearly two hundred bounty hunters were shadowing them.
Greed could drive men to madness, and 105 million Berries was more than enough to make these scavengers risk everything.
"Damn it," a voice hissed. "you can't start a fight on the bounty island! The Marines will show up!"
Scarface barked at one of his impatient subordinates, keeping him from drawing his weapon.
"Boss, are we gonna make a move?" Turkey muttered nervously, sweat forming on his forehead as the tension built. The hostile stares from behind made his knuckles whiten.
"Not yet." Rosinante said calmly. "We'll deal with them after we leave the island."
His tone was so composed it bordered on unnerving, like a lion casually ignoring a growing flock of sheep.
"Boss, you're really too calm about this." Turkey whispered through gritted teeth.
"There've gotta be at least two hundred hunters on our tail by now!"
Rosinante smiled. "Relax. You've got me, don't you? You two handle ten each—the rest are mine."
"Uh… isn't that… unfair?" Turkey said weakly.
Water Duck shot him a glare. "Fine then. How about the boss and I take ten each—and you get the rest?"
"Ah—no, no, never mind! The boss' plan sounds perfect!" Turkey laughed awkwardly, his tension fading a little.
Once they reached their small boat, Rosinante gestured toward the open sea.
"Find a deserted island nearby."
"Understood."
Turkey responded, and together with Water Duck, they began rowing.
Behind them, dozens of bounty hunters jumped into their own boats to give chase. Their intent was obvious—robbery.
As the two rowed, Rosinante closed his eyes, sinking into thought. Then, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
Ding! Congratulations, host—system mission completed: Rescue Spandine.
Reward: Burning Gem ×1. Would you like to claim it now?
Claim.
A second chime followed immediately.
Burning Gem obtained.
+200 HP.
+10% Cooldown Reduction.
Then came another notification—
System Notice: Host has now collected Crystal Bracer, Giant's Belt, and Burning Gem.
Eligible for free synthesis of Divine Armor: Madman's Armor.
Proceed with synthesis?
(End of Chapter)
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