Another Kind of Mantra, Teach's Whereabouts

Several sailboats cut across the sea, heading for the Rossini Archipelago.

At the top of the mast, a crewman lowered his telescope and shouted down at the deck:

"Captain, White Shell Town is up ahead. We can already see the outline of the docks."

The scene on deck was completely unlike that of an ordinary merchant ship.

Several rows of captives, bound with hemp ropes or shackled in iron cuffs, sat slumped against the railings.

A thin man with several strings of keys hanging from his waist toyed with a pair of handcuffs as he moved among the captives.

Hearing the call, Walker raised his head. "Got it!"

He shouted upward in a shrill voice, "Keep your eyes open. Make sure the people meeting us at the harbor are from the Boxing Emperor's crew."

"If you see the Marines, signal us immediately."

"Understood, Captain," the lookout replied.

Walker nodded and continued his inspection.

When he reached the end of the line of captives, his gaze fell on a mother and son who had not been restrained.

When Walker approached, Teach shrank deeper into Alice's arms.

Alice watched Walker with guarded eyes, though she did not seem overly afraid.

Walker crouched down and shook the shackles in his hand, his tone helpless. "Oh, little Teach, don't be scared."

"Uncle doesn't want to make things hard for you either. Really."

"But we're almost at White Shell Town. How to deal with you two... well, that won't be up to a little captain like me anymore."

Alice pulled Teach farther behind her and held out her slender wrist. "If you want to make things hard for someone, make it me. Let Teach go."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Walker shook his head and let out a strange laugh.

"Listen to yourself. Haven't I treated you well this whole trip? You got fed and kept warm, and you were even allowed to walk around on deck."

"Compared to these people, your treatment has been worlds apart."

"What exactly do you want?" Alice asked coldly.

Walker licked his lips. "What do I want? Heh heh... simple. Before the handoff, we've got to unload the cargo and inspect the quality first."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "During that time before delivery... it'll depend on Miss Alice's performance."

"If you can satisfy me, then if I'm in a good mood, maybe I can find a way to spare Teach's life?" he said with a grotesque grin.

"After all, once you fall into those people's hands, who knows what will happen to you..."

Alice's body tensed, fury blazing in her eyes.

But when she looked at Teach, she forcibly suppressed that anger.

She turned her head away, refusing to look at Walker's revolting face.

Walker stood up smugly and walked away whistling.

White Shell Town.

Residential district.

Lin Nuo, Rosin, and Bepo walked side by side down the road.

"By the way, how much do I owe the clinic in medical bills?"

Lin Nuo asked, calculating what kind of jobs he would need to take to earn money.

"One hundred Beli," Rosin answered casually.

"How much?" Lin Nuo stopped short, thinking he had misheard.

"My medical fees for three days of unconsciousness cost less than a newspaper?"

Rosin and Bepo both laughed.

Bepo explained, "Mira's clinic has always charged that price. She says medicine is meant to save people, not make money."

"Poor people can pay later, or even get a discount, but for crooked merchants and bad guys, the price goes up more than tenfold."

"I see..." Lin Nuo felt a little more respect for her.

"We're here. That's my house." Rosin pointed at a walled estate ahead and broke into a jog.

Bepo cheered and followed him.

"Wait, this is your house?" Lin Nuo had barely asked when the two had already rushed to the front gate.

Servants appeared at the entrance and stopped the two reckless boys.

"Welcome home, Young Master Rosin." A servant bowed with a smile.

"Young Master?" Lin Nuo walked closer, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Bepo chuckled. "That's right. This is Rosin's home. His dad is the mayor of White Shell Town."

Rosin casually slapped Lin Nuo on the shoulder. "That's right. A-Fu, A-Gui, this is my new little brother, Lin Nuo."

"Take him inside and get the food ready!"

"So you're Young Master's friend. Please, come in." A-Fu stepped aside and led the way.

A little embarrassed by the reception, Lin Nuo followed them into the estate.

"So that's why you keep saying you want to become a great pirate. Your family has some influence too."

"That has nothing to do with it," Rosin retorted seriously.

Just then, A-Gui came over.

"Mr. Lin, lunch is ready."

"However, would you like to change into something more comfortable first?"

Lin Nuo looked down at his hospital gown. It really was not presentable.

"But you don't have clothes that would fit someone with my build and wings, do you?"

A-Gui answered calmly, "Please rest assured, we do."

"Young Master often brings guests home, so we have casual clothes in all kinds of sizes. There will certainly be something suitable."

Lin Nuo: "..."

He could roughly imagine what kinds of oddballs Rosin usually brought home.

Just as they were about to head for the dining room, Lin Nuo caught a faint sound in his ears.

Big brother... Dad... where are you...

The voice was childish, trembling with tears and fear.

At the same time, he could hear the sound of water flowing and a heartbeat.

Lin Nuo stopped and looked suspiciously at Rosin, Bepo, and the servants before him.

They were all talking normally. No one had said those words.

He looked around again. Aside from them, the only people in the courtyard were gardeners trimming flowers and trees in the distance.

"What's wrong?" Rosin noticed Lin Nuo's wary gaze and asked curiously.

"Didn't you hear anything?" Lin Nuo asked.

Rosin and Bepo looked at each other, then both shook their heads.

The servants also said they had heard nothing.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Lin Nuo realized that perhaps he was the only one who could hear the voice.

The sound seemed to be coming from the southwest.

The sensation reminded him of Enel's Mantra, which could monitor an entire island.

But the problem was, he had not even trained Haki yet.

Could it be the Voice of All Things?

He recalled that in the system space, that was precisely the ability he had chosen to sense special things.

He had not expected it to take effect so quickly.

Lin Nuo quickly closed his eyes and tried to catch those faint signals.

Sigh, this is troublesome...

Those damned bounty hunters were completely unreasonable. They had occupied the entire southwestern harbor and even injured our people...

"Dad, what's wrong?!" Rosin cried out beside him.

Lin Nuo immediately opened his eyes and turned to look.

Several people had entered through the side gate of the courtyard.

At the front was a middle-aged man with graying hair, though he looked rather disheveled at the moment.

There were obvious bruises on his face and arms, and most of the guards following behind him were injured as well.

"Xiao Xi, you're back." Seeing his son, the mayor forced a smile, then his gaze fell on Lin Nuo. "This is..."

"He's a friend I just met." Rosin ran to his father's side. "Dad, what happened to you?"

The mayor rubbed his son's head. "Just a minor matter. It's already been handled."

He turned to the servants. "A-Fu, is lunch ready? Take our guest to eat first. I'll change clothes and join you shortly."

"Wait, Mayor." Lin Nuo stepped forward, stopping him with a serious expression.

The mayor paused and looked at Lin Nuo in confusion.

"Did you just mention that something happened at the southwestern harbor?" Lin Nuo asked directly.

The voice he had sensed just now seemed to have come from that direction as well. He needed to find out more.

The mayor frowned. "There is a little trouble, but I've already sent people to contact the Marine branch."

"Mr. Lin Nuo, you're a guest, and Xiao Xi's friend. You don't need to worry about this."

"Right, the food should be..."

He did not get to finish.

Because in the next instant, Lin Nuo's black wings, which had been folded away the entire time, suddenly spread open.

Immediately afterward, Lunarian flames coiled around his wings and blazed fiercely.

A scorching yet sacred presence instantly swept across the entire courtyard.

"Wow—!!!"

Rosin and Bepo cried out in excitement at the same time, their eyes wide as they hopped around Lin Nuo.

"That's amazing! So cool! Flaming wings!"

The mayor and the injured attendants behind him all stood frozen, mouths hanging open in speechless shock.

Lin Nuo stared intensely at the mayor, speaking faster. "Mayor, I only have two questions."

"Has the southwestern harbor been occupied by bounty hunters, and are they causing trouble and hurting people?"

Intimidated by his presence, the mayor nodded.

"Yes. Their leader is called Boxing Emperor Hans. He's a ruthless man. They say he's captured pirates with bounties as high as thirty million Beli."

"Do they have any Devil Fruit users among them?" Lin Nuo continued.

The mayor thought carefully, then shook his head with certainty. "No, but they have strength in numbers."

"You look very strong, but you're only one person. There's no need to fight them head-on. Once the Marines arrive..."

"As long as there are no ability users, that's enough." Lin Nuo steadied himself inwardly.

They had captured a pirate worth thirty million, so they were probably around Arlong's level.

As long as they were not Logia users, taking them down would not be a problem with his physical abilities.

"Wait here a little while. I'll be back before the food gets cold."

Before his words had even faded,

Lin Nuo shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of fire as he raced toward the southwest.

The courtyard fell silent.

After a long while, the mayor finally came to his senses and grabbed Rosin, who was still looking up at the sky.

"Xiao Xi! Where did you find this friend of yours?!"

Rosin scratched his head, looking innocent and confused.

"I-I don't know either! He was a patient the clinic found by the seaside a few days ago. He'd been unconscious the whole time and only woke up today."

"He said he was hungry, so I brought him home for lunch."

The light in Rosin's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"I never expected him to be such an amazing ability user."

"And he can fly. He must be a real great pirate!"

The mayor looked at the two excited children, his expression complicated.

He touched his still-throbbing cheek.

"Something big is about to happen in White Shell Town."