The Strange Forest (1)

Wang Yan was immediately displeased when he saw that the other party had attacked him without his permission.

She scoffed inwardly, then reached out and slapped the lewd man across the face, disfiguring his features. Not only that, she used her power—molten lava, hotter than boiling water. With one slap, his face was instantly burned.

The lewd man covered his face and rolled on the ground, looking as if he was in excruciating pain.

The tall man's face darkened when he saw his subordinate injured. He stared at Wang Yan and said, "Hey, did you get my permission to lay a hand on my man?"

"Hmph, who do you think you are? Do I need your permission to hit someone? What a joke," Wang Yan said dismissively.

The tall man was furious upon hearing this; he had been completely ignored by a woman.

"Fine, very well. You dare to target me? Looks like you won't know how powerful I am until I teach you a lesson." The tall man said angrily.

After saying that, he swung his broadsword and slashed at Wang Yan.

The store manager looked worried, but he dared not show himself, because these guys were too ruthless; he couldn't handle them.

However, the tall man's subordinates were excited; they were all thugs who had a particular thrill in killing.

Ren Fang and Bingfeng calmly sipped their tea, ignoring Wang Yan's fight with the tall man. They both knew Wang Yan's strength; although the man looked imposing, it was absolutely impossible for him to injure Wang Yan.

Wang Yan could easily subdue the tall man if he used his abilities. Therefore, they had no need to worry.

The tall man's broadsword quickly reached Wang Yan's neck, which Wang Yan easily seized.

Wang Yan used two fingers to firmly clamp the tall man's broadsword, making it impossible for the man to move an inch.

Wang Yan glanced at the man, then used her ability to melt his large sword. The molten iron slowly dripped onto the floor, hissing and emitting a plume of black smoke. This was because the molten iron had ignited the wooden floor.

The tall man was startled to see his broadsword inexplicably melt. He glanced at Wang Yan, a sense of fear creeping into his heart, for he realized that he might have run into a brick wall this time.

He quickly took a few steps back, preparing to leave the coffee shop.

However, Wang Yan, enraged, was not about to let them off easily. She made her move, unleashing her power Magma Rain, to attack the group.

The scalding lava struck the people, causing them to cry out in pain and writhe on the ground.

Wang Yan gave the tall man special care, as his hands and feet were covered in large blisters from the lava.

"Let's go!" Wang Yan clapped his hands and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Ren Fang and Bingfeng nodded slightly, immediately stood up, and followed behind Wang Yan.

Wang Yan walked straight out of the coffee shop without paying. Ren Fang and Bingfeng found the owner and paid for the coffee.

Bingfeng glanced at the shop owner and said, "You can deal with these people yourself! They shouldn't have any chance to resist. Whether you hand them over to the Navy or take care of them yourself is up to you."

After saying that, Bingfeng pulled Ren Fang out of the coffee shop.

The shop manager stared blankly at the departing figures of Ren Fang and her two companions, unsure of what to say. Then, he stood up, glanced at the despicable creatures, and immediately took out a Den Den Den Mushi) to contact the Navy.

He dared not deal with these guys on his own, even though they were bad people. He was an honest and law-abiding man who had never committed murder.

After contacting the navy, he immediately called out all the shop assistants and had them bring chains to tie all the people up.

More than an hour later, the navy arrived.

Seeing the people on the ground, his eyes lit up. He then called the shopkeeper over and said, "Sir, congratulations! You've done a great job. This guy is a bandit we've been trying to catch. However, because they are very cunning, it's difficult for us to track them down. So, we haven't been able to catch them yet. You've really helped us a lot this time."

"They're bandits? No wonder they're so vicious. They'll beat you up at the slightest provocation. Look at my coffee shop, it's all ruins now." The shop owner broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. Bandits are incredibly ruthless; if he had been a little more assertive, he would be dead.

"Well, but don't worry, after we capture them this time, they won't be free again," a naval captain said. "Oh, by the way, do you have time? Come with us!"

"What are you doing?" the shop owner asked, puzzled.

"Heh, they're wanted criminals, the bounty is a whopping ten million gold coins, don't you want it?" The naval captain said with a smile, "Come with us to the branch office, sign the papers, collect the money, and you can come back."

Upon hearing this, the shop owner froze on the spot, unable to recover for a long time. This was truly an unexpected stroke of good luck; all he really wanted was to save his own life.

Seeing the shop owner's stunned expression, the captain smiled helplessly. He knew the shop owner was frightened by the ten million.

Without further ado, he sent men to escort the bandits and take the shopkeeper back to the naval branch.

Ren Fang and the others were unaware of what was happening here. However, even if they did know, they wouldn't care too much, because they didn't care about the eight million anymore. If they wanted money, they would just rob someone; they wouldn't bother going to the naval branch to collect it.

The three returned to their lodgings.

At this moment, Fanxin, the Little Black Cat, and Langyue were eating. They had ordered a lot of dishes, and the table was full.

"Have you eaten yet?" Fanxin asked. "If not, go downstairs and order some dishes!"

Ren Fang nodded, immediately went to a nearby small restaurant, got some dishes, and returned to her room.

Everyone gathered together and had a nice dinner.

"We'll set sail tomorrow at noon, so everyone can get a good night's sleep," Fanxin said.

"Yes, we're getting closer to the Grand Line. We need to buy enough food on the next island, otherwise we'll run out of food once we enter the Grand Line," Ren Fang nodded and said.

"That's true. I just looked at the map, and there are a few islands ahead of us. But most of them are too remote, and we'll have to take a detour. There's only one island right on our way. It seems we have no choice but to go there," Fanxin said.

"Where?" Ren Fang asked curiously.

"Loguetown, I heard it's where the Pirate King was born, and where he ended his life," Fanxin said. "It's a very famous place. Even if it's not on our usual route, I'll still make a detour to see it."

"Pirate King? Heh, that's certainly a famous place. Okay, let's go there." Ren Fang nodded and said.

"Well, the food we bought today should last us until we reach Loguetown. Once we get there, we'll buy more. Then, we'll enter the Grand Line," Fanxin said.

"Okay." Ren Fang hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Fanxin, didn't you want to find your parents? I think searching like this isn't a solution at all. I believe you should change your approach."

Finding someone on a vast ocean is no easy task. Ren Fang felt that Fanxin's chances of finding his parents this way were slim.

"Oh, you have a better idea?" Fanxin asked immediately upon hearing this.

Fanxin was also very frustrated. He had been searching for so long without any news. He really didn't know how much longer it would take to find his parents. He even thought that he might never find them in his lifetime.

"Yes, but I need your permission first," Ren Fang nodded and said.

"Go ahead and tell me! If it's feasible, I don't mind giving it a try," Fanxin nodded and said.

If he could find his parents as soon as possible, he wouldn't mind making the whole world know, even if he was hunted down by the navy every day, he wouldn't be afraid.

"I think we can form a pirate crew. Once we make a name for ourselves, your name will resound in every corner of the world," Ren Fang said. "That way, you won't need to look for your parents. If they hear about you, they'll definitely come looking for you. What do you think?"

"A pirate crew?" Upon hearing this, Fanxin did not answer immediately, but fell into deep thought.

He was weighing the pros and cons of forming a pirate crew. Becoming a pirate crew would mean being completely opposed to the Navy, and he would be hunted down by the Navy every day. Without a strong mentality, it would be difficult to endure that kind of life.

Ren Fang and the others did not disturb Fanxin, as this matter was of great importance. Fanxin needed to think things through carefully, otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain the status quo.

After pondering for a long time, Fanxin looked at Ren Fang and said, "Alright, let's form a pirate crew then!"

He decided to form a pirate crew because that way, his parents would know where he was. If they were still alive, they would definitely come looking for him themselves. That way, he wouldn't have to run around anymore.

"However, this can only be done after I obtain a physical body. My current strength is greatly reduced, and if a powerful navy comes to hunt me down, it will be troublesome," Fanxin said.

He can only use the power of the Wind and Sand Tower now, having lost all other abilities, which is not a good thing for him. However, if he regains his physical body, he will be able to hone his Taijutsu to the extreme. In this way, his abilities will become even stronger.

"Alright, I'll take this time to think carefully about our pirate flag and the name of our pirate crew." Ren Fang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Fanxin agree. She had seen Fanxin looking worried all the time and couldn't bear it, so she wanted to help Fanxin. That's why she came up with this idea.

This method is dangerous, but the results are obvious. If they become famous worldwide, Fanxin's parents, unless they are already deceased, will almost certainly find out.

"Hehe, count us in! Being a pirate sounds like fun," Wang Yan suddenly said. Bingfeng nodded, ready to join.

"Hmm, didn't you only want one body?" Fanxin paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "I didn't force you; it was all voluntary."

"We know this is something we chose to join," Wang Yan said. "And we're not just joining as a couple, but as a group of four. You should be prepared."

"Hehe, that's true, alright!" Fanxin nodded and said, "Since it's voluntary, then I won't say anything more."

These two are experts, and since they're willing to join, Fanxin naturally welcomes them with open arms. With them joining, he'll have two more combatants on his side.

"Well, we have everything, except a navigator. It seems we still need to find one!" Ren Fang said helplessly. They had originally chosen Nami, but Nami had already joined the Straw Hat Pirates, so they had to start looking again.

"There's no other way but to keep searching." Fanxin pondered for a moment and said, "This can be done slowly. Now that Bingfeng has joined us, even if we encounter a storm at sea, we won't be in too much trouble."

Bingfeng's power is ice; she can freeze a large area of the sea in an instant. No matter how strong the storm is, it is impossible for her to overturn a large block of ice.

"That makes sense. We'll have to trouble Bingfeng for now," Ren Fang said, agreeing with the suggestion.

"No problem, leave it to me!" Bingfeng nodded and said.

After the discussion was settled, everyone felt relieved. They then quickly finished their dinner and went to rest.

The next day at noon, they all got up, had lunch, and then left the village, heading towards the sea.

Upon reaching the seaside, the Little Black Cat summoned the boat, and then everyone boarded it.

The Little Black Cat hoisted the sail, and the boat began to move. Their destination this time was Loguetown.

The island is quite a distance from Loguetown, and they rely on wind power. Therefore, it will naturally take longer to reach it.

They weren't too worried anymore, because they had more helpers now and would be safer in the future.

The ship drifted leisurely on the sea.

Five days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the sixth day, they stumbled into a forest, a very gloomy and eerie place that gave off a chilling feeling.

"Damn it, what is in here?!" Fanxin was a little frustrated. They had planned to rest on land for a while, but as soon as they got ashore, they were attacked. Countless vines rushed over, bound them, and threw them into the middle of the forest.

Of them, only Wang Yan and Fanxin were not affected.

Because Wang Yan is Explosive Flame Beast, she can transform into magma and burn away the vines. The vines can't do anything to her.

Because Fanxin was a soul, the other party was unaware of his existence and therefore did not attack him.