Chapter 65: Special-Grade Assassin? I'm Probably a Hundred Times Stronger Than Him
In fact, with the World Government ruling the world for eight hundred years...
Except for the mysterious final island, Laugh Tale, which only the Pirate King had ever set foot on...
Almost all other natural islands were recorded in various nautical charts to some extent.
Even the final island of the Grand Line, Lodestar Island, was no exception.
But there were always exceptions.
There were always some islands erased from all charts for various reasons, making them impossible for people in the normal world to find.
Most of these islands belonged to the dark Underworld, engaged in illegal industries.
Like this island floating somewhere in the Grand Line, shaped like a coffin.
Coffin Island. That was its name.
In the center of the island was a bustling town.
The entrance to the town featured a grotesque, smiling face wearing a clown mask with hair like a lion's mane.
"Submission. This is the head of the mob boss from the Vok Kingdom, as per the contract."
Inside a tavern in the town, an assassin wearing a hood and sporting a purple beard tossed a blood-stained package onto the counter.
"Understood. Please wait for verification."
Behind the counter was a lady wearing a spider mask. The words 'Drug Peclo' were visible on her hairband.
Beside her, several masked guards picked up the package and began to inspect it.
A moment later...
"Identity confirmed."
The lady nodded with a smile, then picked up a ledger. "Assassin Codename: 'Purple Beard'. Current Rank: 'Gold'. This mission is worth 10 points. The reward is 1,000,000 Berries. Cash or transfer?"
Hearing this, the assassin looked annoyed. "Transfer... And my codename is 'Purple Whiskers'. Miss Spider, haven't you corrected it yet?"
"I apologize. Once a codename is registered, it cannot be changed unless you are a 'Diamond' rank Special-Grade Assassin."
"Diamond!?"
Purple Whiskers became even more annoyed. "How could I possibly reach that rank? The last person to be promoted to Diamond was Daz Bonez from the West Blue a few years ago, right?"
He shouted discontentedly, attracting the attention of others in the tavern.
"Rules are rules. And please, do not shout in the 'House of Death'."
Miss Spider remained polite, but her tone had turned cold.
"Or do you have a problem with the rules set by the 'Major Undertaker'?"
"Th-this..."
Purple Whiskers didn't dare speak again.
He knew the consequences.
This was Assassin Town, built by Drug Peclo, the 'Major Undertaker.'
Elite assassins from all over the world could come here to take contracts and earn commissions.
But they also had to follow the rules here.
Just then...
BANG!
The tavern door burst open.
A person wearing a Rat Mask walked in.
"A Sea Beast Head Mask... Another rookie with a death wish."
In the tavern, many assassins looked at the figure.
Noticing the mask was a common South Blue souvenir, disdain appeared in their eyes.
True—wearing a mask here wasn't strange.
In their line of work, hiding one's identity was paramount.
But the 'Sea Beast Head Mask' was special.
Recently, the organization known as 'The Zodiac' had gained fame across the seas.
Stealing the Celestial Tribute and killing a Warlord had thrust them into the global spotlight.
It was no secret that their members wore Sea Beast Head Masks.
Naturally, anyone wearing such a mask now would draw attention.
Instead of hiding one's identity, it did the opposite.
So to these assassins, wearing that mask meant the person was inevitably a rookie, and an idiot at that.
The figure in the Rat Mask walked to the counter.
"I'm here to take a contract."
He spoke openly, without hiding his intent.
"Of course. Please state your codename. I will arrange a suitable commission based on your rank," Miss Spider said with a smile.
"No. I don't need you to arrange a commission. I want to choose my own target and specify my own reward."
Hearing this, the assassins confirmed their earlier guess.
"Kid! You're a rookie, right?"
Purple Whiskers spoke up directly.
"Specifying the target and choosing the reward? Only a Diamond-rank Special-Grade Assassin has the right to do that!"
"Diamond rank?"
The Rat Mask seemed genuinely unaware.
"You dared to come to Coffin Island without knowing that? Who gave you the coordinates?"
Purple Whiskers seemed surprisingly willing to mentor a newbie. "Assassins here are ranked by points: White Jade, Gold, Crystal, Diamond, and the highest, 'Seastone'."
"To become a Diamond rank, you need 1,000 points... that means a cumulative assassination value of over 100 million Berries. A rookie like you should just register a codename first."
He spoke eloquently, but halfway through, the 'rookie' interrupted him.
"I heard you mention Daz Bonez earlier. He was a Diamond rank assassin?"
"That's right."
Purple Whiskers nodded. "Daz Bonez successfully assassinated a Marquis in the West Blue, earning his promotion to Diamond."
It was a legend in the industry.
"Then there's no problem."
The Rat Mask said softly.
"If he was a Special-Grade Assassin... I'm probably a hundred times stronger than him."
At these words, some assassins were about to burst into laughter.
"Is this rookie drunk? What kind of nonsense..."
But they couldn't finish their sentence.
Because in the next moment, they saw the Rat Mask raise his hand.
He reached into thin air and pulled out three blood-stained bundles.
"If we're talking 100 million Berries value... this is the head of the King of the Drum Kingdom, a World Government member nation."
He tossed one bundle onto the counter.
Before Miss Spider could speak, he added, "If that's not enough, here are two more."
He tossed the other two. "These are Blueno and Fukurou, agents of the World Government's intelligence organization, CP9... I'm not sure how much their heads are worth here, but the total value should exceed 100 million, right?"
Silence fell over the tavern again.
But this time, no one dared to laugh.
"Hey, hey... you're kidding, right?"
"The Drum Kingdom? That medical superpower?"
"CP9 agents were killed... Impossible, right?"
Even the whispers sounded harsh in the quiet room.
Gulp.
Purple Whiskers was trembling.
He swallowed hard, looking at the Rat Mask beside him.
His reason told him this was impossible.
Assassins were vicious executioners—but ultimately, they took jobs to make money, not to die.
Assassinating a World Government member king?
Any assassin who dared to do that would be marked as a top-priority criminal by the World Government, with a bounty easily exceeding 100 million.
Except for those lunatics in the Revolutionary Army, who would do such a thing?
As for CP9 heads, that was even more ridiculous—everyone knew CP9 agents were top-tier assassins themselves.
And killing agents of a direct government organization was basically slapping the World Government in the face.
So Purple Whiskers didn't dare to believe it.
But...
His intuition told him... the guy was telling the truth.
And in that moment, a terrifying guess instinctively rose in his mind.
This guy was wearing a 'Sea Beast Head Mask'!
If he wasn't a rookie, but a powerhouse who dared to and could kill CP9 agents and a King...
Then didn't that mean he was likely...
"Also, Mr. Purple Whiskers here said I should register a codename."
"Please register me... My codename is 'Nezumi' (Rat)."
A real member of 'The Zodiac'!
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