Chapter 342: Chapter 343: This Is a Warning!
Creak!
The coffee shop door swung open again, and this time, many people entered, dozens of them, immediately making the interior feel crowded.
Hiss~ Hoo~
"What a strange day! So many important figures arriving all at once." Shyarly took a deep drag from her pipe, then exhaled a smoke ring.
Aeridar and Oliver’s group turned their heads, curiously looking over. Among the new arrivals, the most prominent were the leading Fish-Man and a burly man.
The Fish-Man appeared to be a shark Fish-Man, with teeth protruding from his jaw like Jinbe’s, though smaller and in rows of three. He was short and stout, with spiky hair that somewhat resembled Moria’s garlic head. An ’8’ tattoo was on the left side of his neck. He wore a blue-sleeved white shirt, seemingly from the recently popular Fish-Man Island clothing brand, ’Convict Brand.’
As for the burly man, he was tall and exceptionally strong, clad in sleeveless grey-gold armor and a grey helmet adorned with ox horns. His beard resembled an animal’s mane, and his long black hair extended all the way to his waist. He had two walrus-like tusks, and each of his arms bore the Whitebeard Pirates’ mark. The two large swords on his back seemed to be as tall as Aeridar himself.
"You must be Aeridar of the Golden Ring," the Fish-Man and the burly man said as they approached Aeridar.
"Well, well~ Whitebeard Pirates Eighth Division Commander, Fish-Man Namur, and Thirteenth Division Commander, Water Buffalo Atmos, both important figures! Do you need something from me?" Aeridar asked curiously, holding his wine glass, unfazed by their tone. He couldn’t recall having any past grievances with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"As a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, even if you’re heading to Paradise, you could use the Holy Land Mariejois as a transit point. Why bother coming through the troublesome Fish-Man Island? Regardless of your purpose, you are not permitted to cause trouble on Fish-Man Island. This is a warning! Because this place... is protected by the Whitebeard Pirates’ flag, and absolutely no one is allowed to run wild!" Atmos stepped forward, his face stern as he issued the warning to Aeridar.
In the years following Aeridar’s kingdom-destroying incident, countless reckless and insane pirates appeared across the seas, leading to numerous pirate attacks on nations. Fish-Man Island itself had been attacked many times. Even with the deterrent power of the Whitebeard Pirates’ flag, the strength of Jinbe the Knight of the Sea, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Ryugu Kingdom’s army, it was still impossible to prevent or deter those rampant, mad pirates.
In desperation, Jinbe had no choice but to seek aid from Whitebeard. Upon learning of the situation, Whitebeard, of course, would not let it slide. His protected island and nation being attacked was equivalent to a slap in the face. So, Whitebeard sent several of his Division Commanders to suppress these pirates.
Even now, while there are still a few reckless rookie pirates causing trouble, the situation is largely under control.
However, today, members of the Whitebeard Pirates stationed at the port discovered Aeridar’s group’s arrival.
After all, the matter of the Seven Warlords Alliance was too secretive, and Jinbe and Neptune hadn’t informed the Whitebeard Pirates. Thus, they were unaware of the relationship between the two parties.
On the contrary, Aeridar, a renowned great pirate of the New World, a monster among monsters, inexplicably arriving on Fish-Man Island naturally put them on high alert, prompting them to rush over to issue a warning.
As Atmos’s words landed, the expressions of Oliver and the others, and Shyarly, instantly changed.
"Hmph~ A warning! What a terrible personality!" Oliver’s eyes narrowed, his left hand already resting on the hilt of Nagamitsu. The other crew members also gripped their weapons tightly.
At this moment, the customers in the coffee shop, sensing the volatile atmosphere, feared getting caught in the crossfire. They scrambled from their seats, rushing out.
"HAHA HAHA HAHA..." Aeridar rubbed his forehead, laughing uncontrollably, so hard he was gasping for air. "Warning me~ Hahahaha... I’m so angry, I’m actually laughing out loud~ Hahahaha..."
Beneath the hand covering his forehead, veins bulged. Aeridar’s laughter grew colder, and the aura around him became increasingly chilling.
"Oh no! The Captain’s angry!" The members of the First Division nearby started sweating profusely, their calves trembling as they heard Aeridar’s increasingly cold laughter.
Suddenly~
Aeridar abruptly raised his head, his face disdainful, his eyes coldly fixed on Atmos. He mocked, "What right do you have to warn me? Is it your strength? Or the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates? Don’t think just because you’ve gained some recent notoriety that you’re already something special."
Recently, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates had several significant clashes. Water Buffalo Atmos had led the charge in several of these conflicts, being exceptionally active. It could be said that he had gained considerable fame in the New World. It seems there was a reason Doflamingo recognized him at the Battle of Marineford years later.
"You bastard, Aeridar! Are you looking down on the Whitebeard Pirates?!" Atmos’s eyes widened, glaring furiously at Aeridar.
"Looking down on the Whitebeard Pirates?" Aeridar raised an eyebrow, disdainfully saying, "No, I’m just looking down on you. Who do you think you are, warning me? Or has Marco arrived? Or perhaps Whitebeard himself? Is that why your crew is so confident talking to me?"
Clang!
Atmos instantly drew the two large swords from his back and roared at Aeridar, "You damn bastard! Just a mere Warlord, a World Government dog! Don’t get too arrogant!"
Whoosh!
As his words fell, Atmos brought one sword down. The sharp blade ripped through the air, as if to cleave the man before him in two.
Clang!
A figure blocked Aeridar. Almost simultaneously, a loud clash of metal rang out.
Whoosh!
First, the scene went silent, then a surging wave of air spread outwards, knocking over vases and other unsecured items in the coffee shop. When the air currents stopped, the entire coffee shop was already in disarray.
Shyarly, hiding behind the bar, nearly went insane seeing the wrecked interior.
"Well, well~ A mere Thirteenth Division Commander isn’t qualified to fight my Captain." Oliver stood in front of Aeridar, his Nagamitsu deflecting Atmos’s large sword. He looked up at his opponent.
"Oliver the Slayer, Head of Combat and First Division Commander of the Chris Pirates!" Namur, standing behind Atmos, recognized Oliver’s identity.
"I didn’t expect a Division Commander-level executive to be stationed on Fish-Man Island during this time of constant conflict between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates." Aeridar licked his lips, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. "If two commanders were to die, I wonder if the Beasts Pirates would seize the opportunity to expand the front lines and directly declare war!"
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