Elqi Pirate Gathering (Please Bookmark, Please Vote)

Amid everyone's stunned gazes, Zhong Hao finally stopped after eating every last prepared ingredient.

The cooks had already collapsed all over the ground, too exhausted to even catch their breath.

When Zhong Hao finally let out a satisfied burp and stopped, Mishan stammered, "B-Benefactor Brother, how can you eat so much?"

Zhong Hao stretched lazily and replied with a smile, "Eat more, train more, and you'll become stronger. Only with strength can you protect your family and friends."

Mishan asked excitedly, "Then I can become as amazing as Benefactor Brother?"

Zhong Hao placed both hands on his shoulders, bent down close to him, and smiled. "Of course." Of course not. Training diligently could improve one's strength, especially in this uniquely blessed world, but growth rate and ultimate achievements still depended on one's innate talent.

What he had not expected was that these words would spread among the townspeople. The adults' lectures to their children became, "Not eating? Don't you want to become a hero like Brother Zhong Hao?"

"Not training? Your idol is only that amazing because he trains all the time."

After hearing such words so often, even the adults began to believe them. Gradually, the islanders took pride in being able to eat, and every day they stood before Zhong Hao's bronze statue, laughing "ha ha ha" as they practiced their punches.

Several years later, the children gradually grew up, and the island's people became exceptionally fierce. They respected neither the Marines nor the World Government, feared neither pirates nor criminals, and were completely independent. Only the bronze statue in the center of the square remained their eternal faith.

That night, the feast ended and the guests dispersed.

After the day's slaughter, fright, and wild revelry at the banquet, everyone was tired and returned home to rest. The mayor invited Zhong Hao to stay at his house, but Zhong Hao declined.

Lying on Genghu's soft fur was the most comfortable place to sleep. Of course, the main reason was that Zhong Hao was extremely attached to his bed; he slept terribly in unfamiliar beds.

One by one, the town's lights went out. The pale moonlight poured down, casting a hazy glow over the wheat fields and illuminating Zhong Hao and Rudifen at their edge.

Zhong Hao's voice rang out. "Tell me. What was that invitation from Wildcat Tabor you mentioned during the day?"

Rudifen snorted coldly, shot Zhong Hao a disdainful glance, and kept his mouth shut.

"Awoo—" Seeing him mock his master, Genghu let out an angry growl and raised a massive paw to smash down on his head.

Zhong Hao pressed one hand against Genghu's other paw, calming him down, then praised Rudifen. "Not bad. You've got guts. But I have thirty-six methods of torture for extracting confessions. How many do you think you can endure?"

Rudifen spat and said, "What kind of bullshit torture is that? I've already fallen into your hands. I'm not even afraid of dying, so what do I have to fear?"

"Let me give you a brief introduction." Zhong Hao's face turned grim. Under the ghastly moonlight, he looked especially frightening.

"The first punishment: I'll hang you upside down from a rack, spread your legs apart, then take a steel saw and begin at your crotch, slowly sawing downward. Since you'll be hanging upside down, most of your blood will rush to your head, giving your brain plenty of oxygen. Even when the saw reaches your abdomen, you'll remain perfectly conscious..."

"I'll talk!" Rudifen roared, interrupting Zhong Hao.

"Uh..." Zhong Hao was somewhat surprised, but he did not continue frightening him. As long as he achieved his goal, that was enough. Besides, even he felt creeped out while describing that punishment. He had only heard of such torture secondhand and had not expected it to work.

Seeing the surprise on Zhong Hao's face, Rudifen said, "Either way, I'm dead or going to prison. I have nothing to do with Wildcat, and we even have some bad blood between us. There's no need for me to suffer that torture for him. If you can kill him and send him down to keep me company, that'd be even better."

Zhong Hao nodded, secretly amused. He could not possibly inflict such perverse torture on him for real. It was best if he could scare him into talking.

He raised a hand, signaling him to continue.

Rudifen let out a heavy breath and said, "Wildcat Tabor is the captain of the Wildcat Pirates, with a bounty of 55 million. They're one of the top pirate crews in West Blue. Two days ago, he suddenly sent someone to find me. He wants to seize the Lofix Grand Trading Company, the wealthiest and most powerful trading company in West Blue, and invited me to attack its headquarters with him. Once it's done, I get twenty percent of the spoils. The time and location will be announced later on Elqi Island."

"Hack? That's the same name as that fish-man from the Revolutionary Army." Zhong Hao pondered briefly. "If you only get twenty percent while he takes eighty, there's no way you'd agree. You're a pirate with a 40 million bounty, after all. So there's only one possibility: he invited other pirate crews too."

Since Rudifen had already started talking, he might as well go all in. "There's the Iron Hand Pirates, with an 80 million bounty, led by Iron Hand Hack; the Gunnery Pirates, with a 50 million bounty, led by the sharpshooter Kur; the Sawblade Pirates, with a 100 million bounty, led by Sawblade Kili; plus the Wildcat Pirates with a 55 million bounty and my Quick-Quick Pirates. Five pirate crews in total."

Hearing this, Zhong Hao could not help falling silent. Smacking his lips, he said, "That's quite a lineup. The five crews together have bounties totaling over 300 million. How does Wildcat Tabor compare to you in strength?"

Rudifen said, "He's an Ancient Zoan-type Wildcat Fruit user. He's only slightly slower than me, but his physical skills are formidable, and his claws are as sharp as blades. He's much stronger than I am. Most importantly, he's extremely cunning. He loves plotting behind people's backs and using others to kill for him, and he rarely fights anyone head-on."

Zhong Hao could not help complaining, "The Quick-Quick Fruit has really been wasted on you. Such a powerful fruit—if any remotely capable person had it, they could easily reach a bounty of 100 million."

Rudifen's face turned livid. He wanted to retort, but with his life in Zhong Hao's hands, he had no right to make a fuss. He simply shut his mouth.

Seeing that, Zhong Hao no longer felt like talking either. He wrapped the chains around the wooden barrel several times, secured it to a stake for tethering livestock, then lay down against Genghu's neck and closed his eyes to sleep.

The next morning, at the docks.

Everyone had gathered there.

Zhong Hao handed Rudifen over to the mayor and let them decide how to deal with him. In the end, the mayor suggested hanging him at the docks, using his corpse as a warning to other lawbreakers.

The proposal received unanimous approval from all the townspeople.

They first built a stone platform. Then townspeople with carpentry skills hurriedly made a frame and erected it atop the platform. They placed the barrel beneath it, looped the chain around Rudifen's neck, and hoisted him up.

Here, on the island he had once ravaged, his wicked life came to an end. After his death, even his skeleton would hang at the docks, deterring criminals.

Ten minutes passed. Zhong Hao searched through every fruit nearby but still failed to find the possibly reborn Quick-Quick Fruit. He sighed in disappointment. As he had said, the Quick-Quick Fruit was absolutely a Devil Fruit with extraordinary potential. Rudifen had not developed its abilities at all. After all, there had never been a precise limit to speed. The speed of sound and the speed of light were both fast.

After saying his farewells, Zhong Hao took Genghu and "set sail" under everyone's watchful eyes.

Watching his retreating figure, Mishan sat on the ground with tears and snot smeared across his face. His cries echoed through the docks, and no matter who tried to console him, he would not listen.

Seeing everyone's dejected expressions, the mayor clapped hard to draw their attention. He pushed away Regan's supporting hand and shouted, "Zhong Hao is our hero. We are all saddened by his departure, but a hero's stage is the vast and turbulent sea. He cannot remain on this tiny island forever."

Mishan cried even louder.

The mayor swept his gaze over everyone, raised his clenched right fist high, and said solemnly, "Will he only live in our hearts? No! I will build him a bronze statue, right in the center of the square where he saved us, so that he can always live together with us."

Hearing this, Mishan stopped crying and stared blankly at the mayor. The crowd fell silent at first, then erupted into cheers that rang across the docks. Even Zhong Hao, speeding away in the distance, seemed to sense something and turned back in confusion for a glance.

Shaking his head, he took out a Den Den Mushi and called Zephyr. He was preparing to ask Zephyr for help. After all, he definitely could not handle four pirate crews with bounties exceeding 50 million by himself.