"Prey?"
The billionaire elder was overjoyed and turned around, spreading his arms to his subordinates, laughing heartily:
"Guys! Put on a good show for these distinguished guests! Let these sea rats see what a professional 'port welcome ceremony' is all about!"
"Ohhhhh!!!!"
With thunderous responses, the hunters dispersed like receding tide.
Some dressed as civilians to greet at the port, while others arranged ambush positions along the banks.
This was their specialty, their usual approach was to act as if this was a town welcoming pirates.
When these rookies from the Four Seas believed it, relaxed their vigilance, and steered their ships into the dock, laughing and joking as they disembarked.
Then, suddenly attacking from both sides with cannon fire, catching the pirates off guard.
Due to the limited communication between the Grand Line and the Four Seas, this trick rarely backfired, and it worked like a charm every time.
"Tch, looks like we came just in time, to witness a grand show firsthand."
Mr. 5 spoke leisurely, "Since that's the case, Valentine, why don't we find a good spot here, grab a coffee, and watch quietly?"
"Who wants coffee? It's bitter and astringent!" Miss Valentine's Day snorted, "Give me a lemon soda, hold the lemon, hold the fizz!"
"We have it, we have it, please follow me."
The billionaire elder eagerly invited the two to sit on the restaurant balcony on the second floor, which offered a great view of the port's scenery.
Then he turned and shouted to the lookout at a higher position: "Hey, the prey should have entered the port's outer perimeter by now, can you see the flags clearly?"
"I can, but...."
The lookout spoke hesitantly, "But their flags look kind of strange; they're white, and the design is somewhat similar to the Navy's.... Wait, I remember now!"
He suddenly widened his eyes, shouting loudly, "It's the Endgame Pirates! It's the pirate crew responsible for the great disaster at Log Town!"
The entire dock fell into sudden silence.
The bounty hunters who had picked up flintlock guns, ready to aim, froze in place.
Even the old hands who were loading cannonballs slipped up, letting the lead balls roll into the sea.
The Endgame... Pirates?
Mr. 5 and Valentine exchanged glances, seeing bewilderment in each other's eyes.
They had been focused on processing their Baroque Workshop job applications, and hadn't paid much attention to external news...
So, is this pirate crew really well-known?
"The plan has changed! High-level special agents!"
The billionaire elder's voice now carried a crying tone, cold sweat pouring down like a waterfall, "These monsters... we can't afford to provoke them! We need to retreat, right now—"
Slam!
Before he could finish, Mr. 5 impassively reached out, grabbed his hair, and lifted him like trash.
"Hey, you fool."
He leaned toward the terrified and twisted face, his eyes cold and piercing beneath his sunglasses.
"A pirate crew just entering the Grand Line scares you this much? Have you forgotten... what those four words, high-level special agent, mean?"
"Of course I know!!!"
The billionaire elder shouted, "But do you guys know what kind of people the Endgame Pirates are?"
"The captain of the Endgame Pirates is someone who dared to attack a Navy Headquarters warship, a ruthless man with a bounty of 180 million Belly, the 'Great Blade Sword Master' Shano!!!"
"And not only that!"
"His subordinates are all formidable people, with bounties of seventy to eighty million Belly aplenty!"
"Altogether, the total bounty for the crew is over five hundred million Belly!"
"Against such a group of monsters, even if we risk all our lives, how could we possibly be their match!!!"
...
He screamed hysterically.
And those bounty hunters who were still frozen in place seemed to awaken with this statement, the crowd suddenly exploded, fleeing wildly.
Some crawled into the tavern cellars, while others screamed as they picked up their flintlock guns, sprinting towards the giant Cactus Mountain range behind.
The billionaire elder, who was being grabbed, also started frantically twisting his body, trying to escape Mr. 5's grasp.
"You useless bunch!"
Mr. 5 kicked the trembling billionaire elder, black smoke puffing from his nostrils, sneering as he twisted his neck.
"No matter what, they're just a newbie pirate crew who has just stepped into the Grand Line! If you can't help, then get lost!"
"Hey, Valentine, today let's put on a reckless performance ourselves, show these useless people what kind of power Devil Fruit Ability Users truly possess!"
"Uh..."
Miss Valentine's Day wiped the sweat from her forehead, smiled sheepishly:
"Actually, well, I think it might be wise to avoid someone with a bounty of 180 million Belly. Speaking of which, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile, active in nearby waters, only has a bounty of 81 million Belly, right?"
"What do you know?"
Mr. 5 snorted, hands behind his back, "That guy Crocodile was invited to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea shortly after he became famous twenty years ago, which is why his bounty has remained at that number!"
"What bullshit Sword Master Shano, you really think a newbie's strength can compare to that old guy?!"
"Ah, that's how it is..."
Miss Valentine's Day realized, seeing her partner brimming with confidence, she suddenly got motivated, raised her head and laughed:
"Hahaha~, in that case, let's go all out. You're right, this is indeed a rare opportunity for us who have just joined the workshop to make a name for ourselves!"
...
On the Endgame.
Seeing the crowd at the port waving at them, Nami exclaimed, "Wow! Brother! Look! So many people are there to welcome us!"
"Looks like the truth about Log Town has spread not only to the East Sea but also here!" She said delightedly, "Everyone knows we're not those bad pirates!"
"Fool, Nami."
A voice came from above, it was Kuina, in the open-air Sword Dao hall, meditating like a grandmaster. She shook her head slightly:
"Seems like you didn't listen to a word the captain said earlier. This Whiskey Peak is a nest of pirate hunters. What they are best at is disguise and deception, catching you off guard to deliver a deadly strike."
"Eh???"
Nami's face was full of disappointment, "Why is it like this..."
"Just be a little cautious."
Kuina murmured, "This time we're docking to record the magnetic force for the pointer. If they really try to hunt us as pirates, we can fight back without hesitation."
It's not just for recording the magnetic force.
Whiskey Peak has plenty of wool to shear, Shano thought, getting up from the recliner, gazing at the increasingly close Whiskey Peak, squinting slightly.
If he remembers correctly.
The Baroque Workshop's "Ideal Country Plan" hasn't fully started yet, the Alabasta Kingdom is still far from a civil war situation.
And Vivi and the Kingdom Guard Captain Igaram wouldn't find out about the Baroque Workshop's existence until at least two years later, infiltrating it as agents to investigate the truth behind the scenes.
So.
There's no need to expect to see Vivi here, she's still doing well as a princess in the Alabasta Royal Capital.
But the remaining special agents with names, he's bound to meet some here; the number is the only question... huh?
Suddenly Shano frowned, why did those people gathered at the dock start scattering and fleeing in panic as soon as the Endgame approached, like they'd seen a ghost?