OPTC Chapter 169 The Final Payment for Buying the Ship
"How long are you two going to keep chatting up there?" Shark Chili, already in the water, shouted.
Zhang Da Ye and Tom glanced at Shark Chili, then at the water below. Tom even poked the bottom with half of his tail, then the two exchanged a look and fell together.
Splash! The water erupted.
The rest of the battle was predictable. Not everyone could be blown away like Zhang Da Ye and still have time to chat mid-air with Tom.
Not everyone could endure a close-range explosion like Tom, losing just a bit of fur and feeling aggrieved.
Even Shark Chili was dizzy from the shock, let alone the smaller pirates.
The only one who held up was probably the captain. But Shark Chili, having recovered quickly, delivered a crushing two-thousand shark slaps, knocking him out completely.
Everyone regrouped on the ship where Rui Meng Meng was, with Artoria and Shark Chili each dragging a pirate captain aboard. Zhang Da Ye carried Tom up as well.
"Is it just my clothes that are soaked?" Zhang Da Ye put Tom down and wrung his shirt's hem, squeezing out a handful of water.
Tom imitated him, wringing his fur, and also produced a small clump of water.
The difference? Tom's fur dried instantly, while no matter how much Zhang Da Ye wrung his clothes, they stayed wet.
"My clothes are wet too, just changed into these," Shark Chili said. Since Zhang Da Ye gave him a martial arts outfit, he had a few more made and kept in his shark head storage for spare use.
"Doesn't the boss always carry backup clothes too?" Rui Meng Meng said. She knew Zhang Da Ye had something like a storage space, always carrying food, drinks, clothes, and other necessities—prepared for anything.
"Alright, I'll change too." Zhang Da Ye went into the cabin and returned in fresh clothes.
He then noticed the afro-haired captain lying on the deck. "Did you use a cannon on him?"
Rui Meng Meng shook her head. "Nope."
"Then why is he like this?" Zhang Da Ye frowned, noticing smoke still rising from the man's mouth.
"I was fighting him, and suddenly a cannonball exploded on his head. That's how he ended up like this. I originally thought he was strong—much stronger than that twenty-million-Beli pirate we met a couple of days ago."
Zhang Da Ye looked at Tom. Today, only Tom could have caused an ammo explosion.
Tom tilted his head, seemingly pondering whether his shot had actually fired.
Shark Chili then confirmed the identities of three captured pirates: "Captain of the Firearm Pirates, worn-out Atos, bounty fifty million Beli. First squad leader, straightforward Portos, bounty thirty million Beli. Second squad leader, lucky Aramis, bounty twenty million Beli. Total, one hundred million Beli. That should cover our ship purchase."
"Ha? That's already a hundred million Beli?" Zhang Da Ye was delighted. A pirate crew with three ships was clearly not small-time.
Rui Meng Meng asked curiously, "Why did the captain of the Firearm Pirates use a sword when fighting me?"
Zhang Da Ye glanced at their outfits. "They're essentially musketeers. Like knights in a way… A musketeer doesn't have to use firearms; being skilled with a sword is normal."
"Oh," Rui Meng Meng nodded, then asked, "Usually, the captain is on the largest ship in the middle. Why was he on the smallest ship?"
"You can ask him yourself." Zhang Da Ye kicked the prone Atos on the deck. "Eyes open. Answer."
This man had a strong life force—an exploded cannonball hadn't killed him, perhaps also because it was fired by Tom.
Atos tried to resist with his sword, but three swords were quickly pressed against his neck.
He immediately dropped his sword and obediently said, "It's because if we encounter the Navy, they focus on the middle ship. So… I chose the least conspicuous one."
"…Makes sense." Zhang Da Ye thought, fitting the pattern of villains he often met.
After a few questions, he confirmed Shark Chili's intelligence report was accurate. They called the Navy base to come pick up the pirates.
When Lieutenant Colonel T Bone arrived with a warship to collect the pirates, Zhang Da Ye and the others followed to the Navy base to claim the bounties and called Uncle Goodman to pick up the pirate ships.
One ship had been blown to pieces, one cut in half, and one had its mast chopped.
They hadn't thought about damage during the battle, but reflecting on it now, it hurt to see the destruction.
"Thanks again to Mr. Da Ye. Recently, the total bounties of pirates you've captured have exceeded two hundred million. On behalf of the locals, thank you!" Lieutenant Colonel T Bone saluted formally and bowed.
"No need for such formalities. We were just out fishing and hunting sea beasts. Didn't expect such a coincidence."
For almost a month, they had been busy capturing pirates, fighting human traffickers, and running the tavern. A rare day off was ruined by this unexpected encounter with the Firearm Pirates.
Still, they had gathered enough to buy the ship—a bittersweet feeling.
Major Kuro, responsible for exchanging bounties, twitched when seeing Zhang Da Ye's face. Seeing everyone at the tavern, his smile faded further.
Not surprising—the tavern had been visited almost daily this month. Sometimes Rui Meng Meng ran an errand, sometimes Artoria did. Now that everyone was present, Kuro expected a high bounty.
But seeing Lieutenant Colonel T Bone there, he brightened. There was someone to share the credit. No problem.
With the bounty successfully claimed, Zhang Da Ye looked back at the Navy base with mixed emotions.
"What's wrong?" Artoria asked.
"I was thinking… we came here so many times without any trouble, and no bounty hunters showed up to challenge us. It feels… a bit regretful."
Artoria: ?
Isn't smooth sailing a good thing?
Rui Meng Meng asked, "Boss, should we get ready to buy the ship and set sail?"
"Yeah. Let's talk to Uncle Goodman about our requirements. Even if they build fast, it will take at least half a month to a month. Not every shipwright works as fast as Esbago or Franky." Zhang Da Ye estimated.
"Good time to prepare, like buying record logpose and permanent logpose, plus other necessities. Might as well make a life card for everyone too. Can Shark Chili make one?"
Life cards are made with a piece of one's nail embedded in special material, resembling paper but resistant to water and fire. They grow or shrink with the owner's vitality and can indicate the owner's location regardless of distance.
Now the question was: does Shark Chili have nails? Do these people from another world even have nails?
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