2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
All interested readers can read advanced chapters on:
[email protected]/Heroicverse
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"Lord Soul King, have some fruit!"
On the ship, Matsumoto Rangiku held a slice of cantaloupe between two fingers, offering it to Auguro's mouth. Her black swimsuit highlighted her skin, making it look bright white and luminous. The action of bending over outlined a perfect, breathtaking curve.
Just as Auguro was momentarily stunned, a pair of hands pressed onto his shoulders. Nami smiled and said, "Lord Auguro, allow me to give you a massage!"
Without waiting for Auguro's acceptance, her hands immediately began to rub and knead with firm pressure.
Kuchiki Rukia watched with unconcealed displeasure. Due to her noble upbringing in the Kuchiki clan, she couldn't be so forward, but she remained seated right next to Auguro, imparting her knowledge of Kidō techniques to him.
"Lord Soul King, an island is in sight!"
At that moment, Yamada Hanatarou's voice rescued Auguro from his "entrapment." He walked to the bow of the ship. Matsumoto Rangiku, behind him, remarked in surprise, "What a strange island! It looks like a giant cactus!"
The island before them had no mountains, or rather, the massive cacti were the mountains!
"Cactus Island? So, this must be Whiskey Peak town, then?" Auguro instantly recognized the island's unique shape.
When Matsumoto Rangiku and the others changed back into their normal clothes, countless residents surged out from the small town lining the riverbanks. They cheered loudly as the ship slowly sailed in.
"Welcome, great pirates, to Whiskey Peak!"
"Heroes of the Sea! Greetings!"
This scene completely bewildered the crew. Nami looked bewildered.
"Lord Auguro, is the Grand Line really this welcoming to pirates?"
Auguro snorted and replied coldly, "Nami, remember this saying: 'Unsolicited devotion means treachery or theft!'"
Nami nodded thoughtfully.
Soon, the ship reached the dock. A man with curly blonde hair smiled and hurried over to greet them.
"Greetings, Heroes of the Sea! I am Igaram, the mayor of Whiskey Peak! Welcome! We have the best wine and the most delightful music here! Please enjoy yourselves fully!"
Kuchiki Rukia and the others exchanged glances but did not refuse. Since they already knew the intentions were hostile, they were less worried.
Igaram led the group to the largest pub in town and hosted a grand feast. Countless dishes and drinks were brought to the table. Yamada Hanatarou needed only a glance to confirm that the food and wine had been laced with a sleeping drug!
Auguro subtly nodded to the others. They feigned ignorance, drinking the wine and eating heartily.
The banquet continued until past midnight. Auguro was the first to succumb, slumping onto the table. As if a chain reaction had begun, the others dropped one after another, and soon the entire crew was "out of commission."
"Heh-heh! A Great Pirate with a 100-million-Berry bounty turns out to be nothing but a rookie fresh out of the gate!"
A mocking voice rang out as several figures slowly emerged from the back of the pub. Seeing these people, the residents of Whiskey Peak immediately adopted respectful expressions, parting to clear a path.
"Take them to the interrogation room! The President said we must interrogate them to get the City of Gold's location! Afterward, we'll hand them over to the Marines for the bounty!"
"These guys are worth over 200 million Berries. We can't let that go to waste!"
But just then, a soft laugh interrupted the speaker's boast.
"So, it was for the City of Gold! I knew there had to be a reason for such an elaborate display, even though we haven't even raised a pirate flag yet!"
The group was startled and quickly turned around. They saw Auguro and the others standing up, showing no sign of having been drugged or drowsy!
"You figured it out! It seems I truly underestimated you!" The speaker slowly said, showing no panic whatsoever.
Auguro quickly scanned the individuals who had come out. They were all familiar faces! The entire crew of Baroque Works agents stationed at Whiskey Peak had turned out!
Mr. 8, Mr. 9, Miss Monday, and Miss Wednesday!
The person who spoke was Mr. 9, who liked to call himself a prince. In reality, it was his partner, Miss Wednesday, who was the true princess!
Standing behind Mr. 9, the long, blue-haired Miss Wednesday pretended to look coolly at Auguro's group. Nefertari Vivi, the First Princess of the Alabasta Kingdom and a descendant of the Nefertari family, one of the twenty founding families.
If her ancestor hadn't refused to move to Marie Geoise, she would be a legitimate World Noble (Celestial Dragon)!
She had gone undercover into Baroque Works, hiding her identity to investigate Crocodile's plot to usurp the throne. She was a strong and deeply responsible young woman.
Unfortunately, her strength was lacking. Even if she had uncovered the truth, she wouldn't have had the power to stop it.
Mr. 9 swung his hands, gripping two steel baseball bats, and sneered.
"You could have suffered less agony, but since you insisted on waking up, we'll just have to subdue you by force!"
With that, Mr. 9 leaped forward, violently swinging his bat towards Auguro's head.
"Persistence Bat!"
Clang!
However, just as Mr. 9 took off, a flash of blade light met him head-on. The baseball bat in his hand was effortlessly sliced in half like tofu, and the frigid blade savagely sank into his chest.
Pfft!
A gaping wound that ran across his chest sprayed dark-red blood. Mr. 9 instantly collapsed. Kuchiki Rukia calmly flicked the blood from her blade and said with disdain, "Too weak."
This single strike completely terrified the remaining people present. While Mr. 9 wasn't the top tier of Baroque Works, only the President and Mr. 1 could have killed him with one blow! The strength of this group was far beyond their expectations!
"Attack together!"
Miss Monday reacted the quickest, roaring as she charged towards Kuchiki Rukia. Mr. 8 (Igaram) immediately activated the machine guns hidden in his curly hair, unleashing a hail of bullets toward Auguro and the others.
Auguro threw an arm around Nami's waist and used Shunpo several times, blinking out of the pub. The other three, whose power was far superior to Auguro's at the moment, managed to dodge without even getting a speck of dust on them.
"Super Strength!"
The moment Auguro stopped, the tall, muscular Miss Monday leaped down from above, aiming a punch at Auguro's head. Miss Monday was extremely confident. Though female, her physical strength surpassed most men. Hitting him with this punch would definitely incapacitate her target!
However, facing Miss Monday's attack, Auguro didn't even bother to move his feet. He raised his left fist, and an invisible layer of Armament Haki immediately wrapped around his arm.
"Armamen Haki: Coating!"
Meeting Miss Monday's Super Strength punch, Auguro swung his fist out, choosing a head-on collision!
"Bring it on! I'll crush you!" Miss Monday roared, the power in her fist surging even higher.
Bang!
The two fists slammed together—no flashy tricks, just a pure contest of power! A massive shockwave instantly burst forth, kicking up a plume of dust several meters high.
When the smoke dissipated, Auguro was standing exactly where he was, unmoving. Miss Monday, however, had her eyes rolled back and was thrown far into the distance like a kite with a broken string.