The commercial street was brightly lit at night, with shop signs and lanterns along both sides of the street reflecting each other, making the entire street seem like a dream.
Lin Guang followed closely behind Lin Xia, his tone filled with confusion:
"Sir, although Roger is a pirate who has gained some fame in recent years, with Vice Admiral Garp here, he should be able to take him down easily."
He had originally reported that Garp was also on the commercial street because he didn't want to disturb Lin Xia's rest, but unexpectedly, his superior rushed over after hearing it.
Lin Xia quickened his pace, gritting his teeth as he replied:
"The point isn't who wins or loses between Garp and Roger; it's that if those two really start fighting, this island will be crippled, if not completely destroyed!"
Red Feast Island—he had spent three years building up his shadowy forces, coordinating with Marine methods, and working both the underworld and the establishment, finally transforming it into a "Peaceful Anchor Point" of the West Blue.
Here, whether pirates, the Mafia, nobles, Marines, or commoners, all could conduct fair transactions.
It was precisely because of this that the West Blue gradually became peaceful, at least no longer experiencing incidents every other day.
If it were to be destroyed by Garp and Roger, and he couldn't even offer their heads as atonement, then the rules of Red Feast Island would be completely broken.
—I just want to live a peaceful life until retirement!
The commercial street was right next to the Song and Dance Street.
The closer they got, the more they could hear waves of exclamations:
"Wow~! Is that the most beautiful woman in the world!?"
"Wow~! I can't take it anymore, even if I die here today, it's worth it."
"Wow~! So beautiful... I'd give her my heart!"
When he reached the street entrance, Lin Xia realized that it was completely blocked by a crowd of onlookers, not even leaving a single gap.
His eyebrow twitched; things had become even more troublesome.
He looked up, intending to jump onto the rooftops, but saw that the roofs on both sides were also covered with people—among them were even many familiar faces, members of his exclusive personal guard, the Muguang Squad.
"These guys, on their perfectly good vacation, are hanging from rooftops making a spectacle of themselves just to see a pirate."
Lin Guang's entire face turned dark.
As the Captain, seeing his subordinates in such a state, and with his superior witnessing it, he felt like killing someone.
Lin Xia waved his hand: "Since it's a vacation, as long as they don't engage in arson, murder, or robbery, they can do whatever they want."
The problem was, he couldn't get in, nor could he get up. What should he do?
"Hey! Roger, you little brat, you dare to swagger through the street, you're quite brave!" Garp's familiar roar cut through the crowd's noise, echoing through the night sky.
"Don't bother me, Garp! I'm not in the mood to fight you today!" Another powerful voice, equally deafening, refused to be outdone.
"When did you start joking around? What, trying to show off in front of a woman?" Garp's laughter was extremely penetrating.
Damn it!
Lin Xia's heart trembled—this bastard was clearly trying to provoke Roger into fighting.
He immediately spoke: "Lin Guang, clear the way!"
"Yes, Sir." Lin Guang strode forward, raising his right hand, and flames burst forth with a boom.
The high temperature washed over them, and the crowd quickly retreated.
Some people were still dazed: "What's happening?" Upon seeing Lin Guang in the firelight, they immediately shrank back and hid by the street.
"It's Lin Guang, the Flame Demon! What does he want to do? Isn't he afraid of breaking the rules?"
"He wouldn't be trying to capture Boa Hancock, would he?"
"Impossible, even the Flame Demon wouldn't be that bold. This is a neutral zone... if he acts recklessly, he could disappear into the night."
Despite the discussions, these onlookers, who were already not considered "clean," quickly cleared a wide path.
Lin Guang, feared by all sorts of dubious characters, pirates, and gangs, turned and respectfully reported: "Sir, the path has been cleared."
Lin Xia said nothing, striding quickly inside.
He hadn't wanted to be so high-profile, but the situation no longer allowed for slow action.
—Garp, you bastard, please don't cause trouble here!
Just as the thought flashed, Lin Xia saw two figures suddenly shoot into the air, and he couldn't help but raise his hand to cover his face.
"Damn it, this bastard!"
"Boom—!"
The moment the figures crossed paths, a violent shockwave spread in all directions, instantly overturning the street stalls on both sides, and bottles and jars shattered everywhere with a clatter.
Lin Xia gritted his teeth and continued forward.
Fortunately, Garp still knew to take Roger into the air to fight; otherwise, with that last blow, the entire commercial street would probably have been reduced to ruins.
He walked directly beneath the two, glancing at an elegant figure nearby—she was smiling, exhaling smoke rings, and looking up to enjoy the battle in the sky.
Only then did Lin Xia realize: that bastard Garp probably hadn't even considered the safety of the commercial street; it was Roger, fearing to disturb the beauty, who had specifically moved the battlefield into the air.
He couldn't help but take another look—Boa Hancock, the first mate of the Kuja Pirates, truly deserved the title of "world's most beautiful."
With beautiful black hair, eyes like black gemstones beneath long lashes, pink lips, and fair skin, every gesture she made was elegant.
Even more inexplicably, she seemed to exude an invisible allure.
Even though Lin Xia knew that "beautiful women equal trouble," he found himself unable to look away at that moment.
"Bang! Bang!"
With two heavy thuds, Garp and Roger landed back on the street—after all, they couldn't fly; they had only exchanged a few blows in mid-air.
Upon seeing Lin Xia, Garp laughed and greeted him: "Aren't you on vacation? Why did you come here? Are you here to help me catch pirates?"
Roger first glanced at Boa Hancock, seeing her red lips slightly parted, exhaling wisps of white smoke, and his heart skipped a beat. Only then did he turn to size up Lin Xia.
He greatly respected Garp's strength, and anyone he valued must have some extraordinary quality... Uh... Roger scanned Lin Xia from head to toe—this kid with his hands in his pockets and a lazy expression didn't look like a strong person at all.
Those eyes, which seemed to have lost hope in life, reminded him of... what?
A thought flashed through his mind: That's right, like a dead fish! The kind that can't make waves.
It wasn't until he saw Lin Guang behind Lin Xia that Roger's eyes lit up—Oh, so it was this kid.
Garp must have been talking about this blond kid.
He grinned at Lin Guang and said: "This guy has broken the rules, you know."
"Hmph," Garp scoffed, "The word 'rules' coming out of a pirate's mouth like yours is truly ironic."
Roger looked at Boa Hancock again, his cheeks slightly flushed, his breathing a little quick, and quickly turned his face away:
"Who said that! I'm a good man who follows the rules!"
"Bullshit! Wasn't it just because that woman said, 'This place is very important to us, please everyone follow the rules,' that you started acting all proper!" Garp sneered, twisting his head to glance at Boa Hancock, "Although that woman is indeed good-looking, it's not enough to make you lose your mind, is it?"
"What the hell do you know!" Roger roared, "How could a married guy with kids like you understand the hearts of us bachelors!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"That's right!!"
The crowd hiding on both sides of the street, having dodged the shockwave, emerged one after another to support Roger.
"In that case," Lin Xia said slowly, walking up to Boa Hancock and twitching the corner of his mouth:
"I guess I should thank you for helping us Marines maintain order, right?"
Boa Hancock elegantly crossed her legs—in that instant, gasps echoed throughout the entire street.
Her red lips parted slightly, her voice soft and alluring:
"Young man, you're welcome. This concubine is just on the island to buy some things."
...
A/N: The journey continues! If you're eager to read far ahead and support this story, consider joining the Eternal Phoenix community. You can find me on Patreon by searching for "Eternal_Phoenix".
Get access to 50+ advanced chapters.
Membership starts at just $6.
Your support makes a world of difference and helps me write more!
Thank you for reading!