"King... Captain Purilite, we've arrived."
They still weren't quite used to addressing King this way; Purilite's original crew had long since vanished.
But their faces had also been disguised, and as long as the illusion remained, no one could recognize them.
In an unknown island of the New World, members of the Hundred Beasts had arrived at the trading venue.
Gray kingdoms like Natehuo Kingdom are exceptions; the underground market of the New World rarely comes to the surface and always has reasons to cover itself.
For example, this island was never recorded on any nautical chart, only reachable through a special Eternal Pose.
Though the existence of underground markets is almost tacitly accepted by the World Government, they are also targets for the Navy, as not every gray trade has the cover of being part of an adhering country like Natehuo Kingdom.
They are illegal organizations, and this pirate gathering place has always been a Navy target.
They found a concealed spot nearby to hide their ship. Although, in theory, it wouldn't be discovered here, the pirates cautiously hid their vessel anyway.
Encountering pirates on the sea isn't unusual, nor is meeting a patrolling Navy. To prevent running into some overly righteous Navy officer who wants to capture every pirate they see, no one would blatantly dock their ship in the harbor.
Without an Eternal Pose, it's practically impossible to find this place, yet it's not out of the question for some to stumble upon it by accident.
From the outside, it looks like an ordinary island. Even on landing, everything seems like legitimate business.
Olga ensured team secrecy, while King handled the force aspect; his strength was enough to handle most pirates. Even if something went wrong, he could still get Olga out of there.
A hundred years of pure gold's radiance had caused some side effects; although freed from its influence, their appearances hadn't changed from two years ago when they left the Sea King's stomach.
According to Asie's analysis, this phenomenon might last for quite a while.
They came here naturally with ample information that a town existed on this island. It appeared no different from an ordinary town, but when King uttered a password in a bar, they were led to the underground marketplace.
The people inside had varied appearances. Some concealed their faces with hoods and masks, while others walked openly, wearing the badges of various pirate gangs as their confidence.
Pirates take their flags seriously. If an outsider unauthorizedly uses a pirate gang's emblem, it's considered an act of war.
Few dare to do so, as misusing another's pirate flag demands a price; it might deter weaker pirates but also attract stronger ones.
Pirates not concealing their faces belonged to Great Pirate Gangs. The Golden Lion, Whitebeard, BIG MOM—their emblems could all be seen here.
Nowadays, the flag of the Hundred Beasts also wielded some intimidation, yet to confuse their identity, everyone carried Purilite's emblem.
But this underground market made Olga uneasy.
This place could be said to reflect the world's true darkness or rather, its most real side. During her time in Natehuo Kingdom, she stayed at the hotel and never saw these things, but she did now.
Minerals, timber, gold, and people.
You could see cages with people of various races—Long-armed Race, Fishman Race. Whether minorities or ordinary people, none were uncommon here. There were also some bloody organs that seemed freshly extracted.
Occasionally, screams and moans rang out, but no one paid them any heed, continuing to negotiate with cheerful expressions.
"This is the world's dirtiest, or say, its truest side. These used to be pirates or members of non-adhering countries, even people abducted from adhering countries, but now they're mere merchandise.
This is a cruel world. Since you've embarked on this path, only by becoming stronger can you survive."
Shaina got along well with Olga, and seeing Olga's uneasy expression, King spoke a bit more than usual—not something he'd often do.
Zoroark's collective illusions were incredibly realistic; their expressions' changes were reflected in the illusion. As she mastered her abilities, the illusion's energy consumption grew smaller.
"Hold back your sympathy; you can't help them here. That expression will only draw the dark hounds to you. To have things your way, you need power that matches."
....
Soon enough, King found their trading partner, completely shrouded in a black cloak with no visible face. Even though someone enforced order inside the underground market, exposing too much would get one targeted when leaving—caution was wise.
The transaction was done with real money. This wasn't a one-time deal; a bit of credit mattered here.
If their illusion was discovered, it would be hard to clean up.
Olga's ability had a range limit; using illusion to disguise currency would soon be noticed.
The transaction went smoothly; Purilite's five billion bounty was enough to intimidate some. While some pirates forge their bounties for special purposes, all Wanted Posters reported in the press are genuine.
After settling the accounts, King and others packed their things and left.
Under the illusion's cover, Purilite's people vanished from sight, leaving only Hundred Beasts members. No one guessed they were the ones who made the earlier trade.
Yet they circled back, hid the goods with illusion, then returned this time as members of the Hundred Beasts Pirates.
They used Purilite's identity to purchase special materials, but ordinary ones were as Hundred Beasts. After leaving, Purilite would disappear, so coming and going, the ship bore the Hundred Beasts flag.
Leaving such a place empty-handed defied common sense. Treasure Tree Adam was one of their targets, as Hundred Beasts Pirates lacked a true flagship.
The ship could wait, but good materials had to be stockpiled early.
Besides trading, most of the venue was for entertainment. After shedding their disguises, they faced fewer restrictions and had some free time; prior battles had yielded much loot.
Few pirates like saving money; most seek immediate pleasure, for this job is one where death lurks anytime.
Olga, with Elizabeth, planned to purchase a slave or two for a look; doing nothing would feel awkward to her.
Yet, noise came from afar; among the crowd, a peculiar red-nosed and another red-haired boy seemed to be arguing...