"Hey, Chief! You said that brat would protect the village, but where is he now that it actually matters?"
"Yeah! He probably ran off already."
"That guy was just freeloading this whole time. Total scammer!"
At that moment, even Farmer began to waver. He had placed all his trust in Kurou, had even promised his daughter to him, and now that things had come to a head, the boy was nowhere to be seen?
If Kurou really had abandoned them, then it meant Farmer had judged him terribly wrong.
Farmer turned to Veildan. "Veil, go check the back mountain again. If you find Kurou, tell him what's happening right away."
Veildan nodded and ran toward the mountain path...
By now, Anderson's crew had already landed on the island.
Though Anderson wasn't as tall as his younger brother, he still stood at a solid 1.9 meters. With his bulging muscles and status as a Devil Fruit user, he looked terrifying enough that the villagers feared today might be their last.
Worse still, Anderson's force was more than double the size of the villagers'. Even if he didn't fight, the villagers wouldn't stand a chance.
The two sides stood across from each other. Anderson glared viciously.
"Farmer, you killed my brother while I was gone. Did you really think I'd let that slide?"
Farmer remained silent.
Some villagers couldn't hold back anymore. "Anderson! We didn't kill your brother, it was a foreigner, a boy named Kurou!"
"Yeah! It had nothing to do with us!"
Anderson's eyes darkened. "Then where's this little brat now?"
Everyone looked at each other, unsure what to say. "That kid... probably ran off already..."
To their surprise, Anderson burst into laughter. "You think I'm that stupid?"
The vice-chief stepped up. "No, it's true! That boy really did kill Anderlin!"
"Hmph. And I'm supposed to believe some no-name stranger killed my brother and then conveniently vanished? If I told you something like that, would you believe me?"
His words left the villagers speechless. As true as their story was, it sounded completely fabricated.
At this point, there was nothing more they could say. Judging by Anderson's tone, he wouldn't leave until he got vengeance.
Farmer asked, "Then what do you want, Anderson? What will it take for you to spare us?"
Anderson grinned and laughed again. "Yahaha... Now you're talking sense. I knew the village chief would be more reasonable than the rest of you. Fine, I'll let the matter of Anderlin's death go, but only if you meet two conditions."
The villagers perked up. There was still a chance!
Farmer's tone was bitter. "Let's hear them."
Anderson raised one finger. "First, the protection fee increases to 50,000 Berries per person, per month."
Fifty thousand?! That was five times the original amount. The villagers immediately looked dismayed.
Farmer took a deep breath. "And the second?"
A lascivious gleam shone in Anderson's eyes. "Second, I'm taking your daughter Veildan, and the vice-chief's daughter Jenny, with me."
"What?!"
Farmer exploded with rage. "They're just fifteen! You think I'd hand them over to you?! And five thousand per person?! Even if we starved ourselves, we couldn't save that much in a month!"
Anderson chuckled. "Not my problem. I've had my eye on that spicy little minx Veildan for a while now. And that Jenny girl's shaping up to be a real beauty. You killed my brother, you gotta pay the price."
At that moment, Farmer understood everything.
Anderson hadn't come to avenge his brother at all. He didn't feel the slightest grief over Anderlin's death. No, this was just a chance to extort the villagers for more money, and for women.
What a heartless bastard.
If he actually handed over his daughter, wouldn't he be throwing her into hell?
Farmer would rather die at Anderson's hands than let his daughter suffer such a fate.
Gripping the sword at his waist, he pointed it directly at Anderson.
"You bastard! Don't even dream of it! I'd rather burn in hell than let you lay a finger on my daughter!"
Farmer may not have been a great fighter, but he was brave, upright, and deeply devoted to his daughter. It was that courage and sincerity that made him such a respected leader among the villagers.
Anderson sneered. "You've got guts, old man. Fine, then I'll just kill all of you and take Veildan for myself!"
What?!
They'd been hoping that dying in battle might at least spare Veildan. But Anderson wouldn't let her go, even in death. All because... she was too beautiful.
Just as Anderson was about to give the order to attack, three ships appeared from the port,
Could it be Kurou?
No… it wasn't.
It was reinforcements from West Village.
West Village had received the news and come to help.
East and West Village had always been united. They understood the principle: if East Village fell, West would be next.
Their arrival evened out the numbers on both sides.
But… it wouldn't change the outcome.
Everyone knew that numbers alone wouldn't save them. It would just increase the number of casualties.
The West Village villagers surrounded the Evil Wolf Pirates.
Anderson smirked. "So now there's even more people to send to their deaths?"
The battle broke out in an instant.
Shouts, screams, and the clash of blades filled the air.
The villagers had never dared confront the Evil Wolf Pirates before, but now that they had nothing left to lose, they fought with all they had.
Anderson dove into the fray, only for Miller to block his path.
"Your opponent is me!"
Anderson sneered. "So, you're the famous 'Guardian'? Let's see how long you can protect them."
And with that, the two clashed in a fierce melee.
At that moment, Veildan returned from the back mountain. She stopped in her tracks, stunned by the chaos before her.
They'd already started fighting...
Then she shouted into the crowd with all her might.
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter