Golden Lion Pirates

"Ahhh!!"

Blood splashed onto Louis's face. The knife in his hand wasn't particularly sharp, but combined with Louis's immense strength, it could still sever an opponent's arm in a single strike.

"Hey! What are you doing there! Newbie!"

The glint of a blade flashed. The screaming man's head instantly flew off. "Isn't it more energy-efficient to aim for the neck?"

"Hahahaha! Don't mind him, Baro,"

Wearing steel gauntlets on both hands, Rhode, whose ten fingertips were sharp and keen, could easily pierce human flesh and then tear people apart with his immense strength. This was the origin of his title, the Ripper. Rhode laughed heartily, "Mario, this is your first kill, isn't it! Take your time. If you're going to be a pirate, it's not just about romantic adventures; bloodshed and fire are also essential! Hahahaha, if you want to be a pirate, you can't do without learning this!"

"Ah, I understand."

Louis grinned, a slightly forced smile on his face. "Of course, of course!!!"

"Pfft pfft pfft pfft pfft pfft!!"

The blade flashed rapidly. Several guards who lunged at him were instantly killed. Although he wasn't particularly skilled in swordsmanship, Louis was still the top student in combat courses, so his basic sword techniques were extremely proficient. Dealing with these weak guards was very easy.

Doing business in the New World was truly difficult. Luck was especially important. Without luck, unfortunate things like this would happen.

The guards on the merchant ship were quickly wiped out. This was the first time Louis had killed so many people. They were subordinates of the government, yet they were carrying out anti-government activities under orders from their superiors.

Louis could do nothing.

"Hahahaha!! What a haul!!!"

The cargo that merchants risked their lives to transport was certainly not cheap. Most of it consisted of specialties from various islands. Although they looked ordinary, they were actually very valuable items. There was also a small amount of treasure, which amounted to a huge sum. This time, they had hit the jackpot.

"Let's have a feast!!!"

Rhode shouted loudly.

For pirates, holding a feast was a perfectly normal thing. They feasted when they were sad, and they feasted when they were happy. This was the norm for pirates.

"Hey! Mario, why aren't you drinking?"

Rhode, his face flushed red, slung an arm around Louis's shoulder. Seeing Louis just stuffing his face, he chuckled, "As a pirate, how can you not drink?"

As a pirate captain, Rhode was undoubtedly qualified. During the battle just now, he had blocked a few sword strikes for his subordinates, though none of them had actually hit him.

He was qualified in caring for his subordinates, and he was also qualified when it came to killing. He never hesitated when killing.

"No, Captain, uh, I,"

Louis licked his lips, looking hesitant. He gave a wry smile, "I don't feel like drinking right now."

"Hahaha, Captain, don't force him!"

First Mate Baro pulled Rhode away, laughing heartily. "Newbies are all like this. It gets better after a few more experiences!"

"Hahahaha!! Loosen up! Mario!"

Rhode also laughed heartily. "As a pirate, this is only natural! Killing, robbing, victory! Then feasting and reveling, looking forward to the next battle! That's what pirates are!!"

A qualified pirate seemed to be exactly like this.

Of course, the reason Louis wasn't drinking was partly due to the pressure of having killed so many innocent people. But the bigger reason was that he couldn't get drunk.

His face wasn't like this. Louis's original face was much more handsome and much younger.

He had used Life Return. After mastering the muscle control of his arms in the training camp, Louis hadn't focused on other important parts of his body. Instead, he chose his facial muscles. In future missions, the ability to freely change his appearance would surely be very useful.

Therefore, even without the excellent makeup techniques of the CP series, with his ability to control his muscles and skin, Louis's disguise as Mario was flawless. But if Louis got drunk, his control over Life Return would be released, and his face would instantly change, exposing him.

Louis would even wrap himself tightly in his blanket when he slept, remaining extremely vigilant. If he were exposed, he would have no other outcome but death. He was likely no match for Rhode, who had a bounty exceeding 100 million and possessed both types of Haki.

The feast lasted late into the night, but this gave Louis an opportunity. He didn't need much sleep, only about four hours a day.

He took advantage of the pirates' revelry to rest. By the time the feast ended, Louis was already on the deck, exercising.

Whether as a pirate or a CP agent, having strong power was very important. Moreover, Louis felt that creating an image of striving to become stronger in front of Rhode would also be beneficial.

As expected.

"Ow! Ouch ouch ouch ouch! My head hurts so much!"

Rhode, who had come out in the middle of the night to relieve himself, saw Louis, covered in sweat, doing push-ups. He exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! Mario, you kid, you're still training at this hour?"

"Since we've set sail, I must become stronger!"

Louis didn't look up. "I want to be strong enough one day that even Captain will rely on me!"

"Hahaha, you kid,"

Rhode's headache instantly vanished. He laughed heartily, "Good, very good, that's excellent! Mario, you truly are a born pirate!"

"By the way, Captain,"

Louis looked up. "How did you do that in today's battle? That move where your arm turned black and blocked the swords directly, what was that?"

"Oh? You noticed? Hahaha, kid, surprised, aren't you? Although we're in the New World, this is the first time you've seen it!"

Rhode winked mischievously. "This ability is called Haki! It's an ability hidden within everyone's body! It's an ability that we ordinary people can use to fight against Devil Fruit users!"

"Haki?"

Louis tried his best to show astonishment on his face. "So that's what it is? Can I learn it too? Captain, can you teach me?"

"Oh? You're interested in Haki? Hahaha, then come and try it, kid," Rhode said seriously. "This isn't a technique everyone can learn!! Even Baro only has a superficial understanding of Armament Haki."

See, wasn't this an unexpected gain?

Time skipped forward ten days after Louis boarded Rhode's ship. The pirate ship sailed into a certain sea area.

"Wh-what is that!!"

Although Louis's expression was a bit exaggerated, he was genuinely shocked. "A Sky Island??"

Ahead, there was an island, in the sea.

In the sea, above the sea, suspended more than a thousand meters in the air was an island. A massive island, at least ten kilometers in diameter. It wasn't a small island anymore.

"Hahahaha!! Scared, huh, Mario!" Captain Rhode roared with laughter. "We've arrived! The Golden Lion Pirates!!"