OPTC Chapter 166 Nightmare
Skipping out on the bill was impossible. In this lifetime, it would never happen. Fighting Artoria was hopeless, so the only option was to pay quietly and complain about it from a distance afterwards.
Would they come back next time? Of course. Here they could see the magical Tom, even if he hadn't played the piano in a while due to laziness. They could see big figures like Vice Admiral Tsuru, Vice Admiral Gion, and the Warlords of the Sea. And now, there was another reason: the possibility of seeing a mermaid.
Since then, almost every day, someone would ask Zhang Da Ye the same questions: "When will Camie-chan come back?" "When will Mr. Jinbe bring his companions?"
Zhang Da Ye could only brush them off, saying that these people were busy and nothing was guaranteed.
He wondered if they would try to fight him once they knew the truth. Not that they necessarily could win.
Word of a mermaid appearing at the tavern spread quickly. So besides the usual visitors hoping to see Jinbe and Camie, some people quietly lingered nearby, waiting for Camie's return.
Zhang Da Ye's solution was simple: dress Tom in a wig and false lashes, add lipstick and eyeshadow, put on a mermaid tail, and escort him to the seaside before leaving.
Tom acted excellently, waving a white handkerchief to say goodbye. Once they were out of sight, he hopped toward the water.
Given a bit more time, Tom could even shed a few tears of farewell. Even though he was just a cat, he took acting seriously and never used a stunt double for dangerous moves.
Unfortunately, some people weren't going to let Tom have his performance. Ten large men with nets, sacks, and ropes charged at him.
What they encountered was the most elusive mermaid in history. To dodge attacks, her waist twisted almost impossibly.
When their assault slowed, she didn't run but stuck out her tongue to mock them.
One man, having just fallen flat on his face from overexertion, got up angrily. "Damn it, just a mermaid, and she dares…"
He couldn't finish because a sword was pressed to his neck, and the others were down, tied up with their own ropes.
A man, two women, and a robot—familiar faces. These were the same people who had been spying on them daily. The man with the sword realized they might have been fooled.
Zhang Da Ye addressed them: "You have two choices: sink into the sea or get cut down. Choose."
"I choose the sea! I'd rather go under than be cut!"
Several echoed the sentiment, thinking the sea still gave a chance to survive, whereas a cut meant certain death.
Some cowardly ones begged, asking Zhang Da Ye for another option.
Just what he was waiting for. He said, "Fine. Another option, but with a condition: all ten of you must name one accomplice each, their address, and then obtain forgiveness from one person. After that, I won't interfere."
They heard this and thought, "A deal? Little boss must think we're close comrades."
Zhang Da Ye ended up with over twenty pieces of information, from those living in lawless areas to those hiding in ordinary neighborhoods.
For them, betraying a comrade to save themselves carried no guilt. One for one, anything went.
"Since you're cooperating, now just seek God's forgiveness. Don't know God? No worries, we'll take you to meet Him shortly."
From that day, nighttime operations to rescue slaves resumed. Using the information provided by captured traffickers, their strikes were precise.
Shark Chili usually stayed behind to guard the tavern. Not only was it necessary, but he was too easy to expose. Tom could disguise himself as a dog; would Shark Chili pretend to be another robot?
As they acted, one trafficking hub or slave shop after another was destroyed. Word spread in some lawless areas: "The Nightmare is back!"
They operated only at night, striking terror into traffickers' dreams, hence the name Nightmare.
From last month, shops had been destroyed repeatedly, forcing traffickers to increase vigilance, hire guards, and relocate slaves, until the Nightmare disappeared.
Now, less than a month later, the Nightmare had returned.
And this time, their actions seemed even more relentless. Life was unbearable for the traffickers.
For the rescued slaves, however, these people were beacons of hope in the night. Because the benefactors refused to reveal their names, the rescued called them "Heaven's Light."
Days were busy for Zhang Da Ye: run the tavern during the day, catch bounty criminals, and punish traffickers at night to free slaves.
Some suspected the Nightmare was the recently famous bounty hunter tavern, but according to the sheriff, Zhang Da Ye was always in the tavern at night catching thieves, so no one could confirm.
Everything went smoothly until one day, Zhang Da Ye and Artoria eliminated the guards at a slave shop, both visible and hidden. Upon entering, Zhang Da Ye noticed an elderly man with glasses sitting by a display case, holding a large broadsword.
"It really is you guys, young man." Rayleigh immediately recognized Zhang Da Ye, Artoria, and Rui Meng Meng, even with masks and cloaks.
And that peculiar cat—or dog? Looking at Tom, Rayleigh doubted his own judgment. Was it a cat or a dog?
"Hey, old man, what are you doing here?" Zhang Da Ye asked, feeling a bit annoyed. He looked at Artoria, silently asking if she had noticed in advance.
Artoria shook her head. Rayleigh must have a way to mask his presence, appearing as an ordinary old man.
"Ha, I lost all my money gambling and had to sell myself to pay my debts. Never expected to meet the Heaven's Light that same day." Rayleigh smiled, unsure if it was from discovering the secret or his luck.
"Hey, sir, do you know these benefactors? Who are they?" asked the nearby slaves, already excited from the previous commotion and aware of their rescuers.
"My head hurts." Zhang Da Ye patted his forehead. Should he silence Rayleigh? Too difficult.
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