章 22: 20. The Cowboy Pirates Are Officially Established!
On the Going Merry, Usopp listened intently as Luffy shared his plan to uncover the truth about Al and Tom. Suddenly, he gestured towards the newspaper's headline and exclaimed:
"Hey, Luffy! Look at their bounties first!"
[Wanted, Dead or Alive, Cowboy Tom, 30 million Berries]
[Wanted, Dead or Alive, Al, 50 Berries]
After a moment of thought, Luffy pointed at Al's picture with a puzzled expression and muttered:
"Why is this guy's bounty so low?"
Johnny, joining the conversation, added:
"I find it strange too. Isn't this cat named Tom? I remember it being the little brother's pet."
"Could it be that the Marines and others made a mistake?" Johnny and Luffy pondered, their expressions serious, completely disregarding Usopp.
"Hey! You two, pay attention to me!" Usopp snapped, grabbing Luffy's face to direct his focus back to the bounty.
"This guy's a major pirate with a bounty of 30 million Berries!"
"Crow only has 16 million Berries, and he's already considered strong!"
Just as Usopp was about to continue, Zoro interjected: "Usopp, enough talking."
Expecting Zoro to defend him, Usopp was surprised when Zoro just grinned.
"I'm also eager to take on strong opponents!" Zoro declared confidently.
"Zoro, why do you have to be like this..." Usopp sighed, tears welling up in his eyes as he clasped his hands together, pleading not to cross paths with Al and Tom.
Meanwhile, in another part of the sea,
With Al and Tom's teamwork, the sea beast Momoo was left battered and bruised, with a swollen nose and numerous bruises covering its head!
There was even a deep sword cut, in the shape of a cross, etched into Momoo's chest by Al!
Witnessing the pitiful state of the sea beast, Tom couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Just as it contemplated discussing with Al about releasing the sea beast Momoo,
Suddenly, a vivid image flashed in Tom's mind: himself standing proudly on the bow of a ship, feeling the rush of wind.
Tom vigorously shook his head, casting aside any lingering guilt in an instant!
"Aha!"
With precision, Tom swiftly tossed out a rope, deftly securing it around the horn of the sea beast Momoo.
Simultaneously, he tied the other end of the rope to the boat's pole, forming a secure knot along the way.
With this task accomplished, Tom clapped his hands together, sporting an expectant smile.
"Tom, excellent job!" Al praised as he stood atop the sea beast Momoo, giving Tom a thumbs up. With his western sword in hand, he tapped Momoo's head menacingly, issuing a silent threat:
"Be good, or I'll cook you!" Al threatened, his tone firm.
The sea beast Momoo couldn't help but shed two streams of tears, feeling deeply unjust.
It had always been the hunter, so why was it now being treated like prey?
Yet, it found itself powerless against these two adversaries.
After shedding tears for a while, succumbing to Al's threat, Momoo reluctantly began to pull the boat, speeding across the sea.
Near the shore,
As the silhouette of the boat slowly faded from view, the villagers began to regain their composure, gradually recovering from their initial shock.
In the midst of the crowd, a voice murmured, "So cool!"
Instantly, pandemonium erupted among the onlookers. Eyes widened in disbelief as incredulous shouts filled the air:
"They really defeated the sea beast Momoo?"
"I can't believe it! Pinch me, am I dreaming?"
"Brother, this isn't a dream, they truly vanquished that monster!"
Amidst the commotion,
Genzo, the head guard, removed the windmill from above his head and planted it beneath a nearby tree. He then cast a disdainful glance at the villagers from other settlements who were buzzing with chatter.
"I knew they'd come out unscathed," he scoffed.
Nojiko chimed in, "Genzo, you seemed more scared than them just now."
Genzo retorted, "You must be mistaken. How could I possibly be concerned about them?"
...
Al stood atop the sea beast Momoo, arms outstretched, soaking in the sea breeze.
Memories flooded his mind, recalling his arrival in this world.
Back then, he stood atop a sea beast just like he did now.
But back then,
All Al sensed was the profound hostility emanating from this world!
But now, if one were to describe his feelings,
There's only one word that comes to mind - exhilarating!
With Tom as a formidable partner and the skilled navigator Nami by his side,
Not to mention the array of powerful tools and equipment stored in the system space.
For instance:
[The dog gnaws on a baseball bat! Durability level 2]
[Capable of striking any object like a golf ball and automatically pursuing the enemy's golf club! Durability level 3]
[Top-quality, unbreakable Western sword!]
And then, there's half a bottle of [Jerry's Milk] that even made Tom shake his head in disbelief.
Relying on Tom and these items alone, Al is confident he can carve out a reputation for himself in the new era!
Not to mention, there are still 24,572 EP remaining!
Originally, he had over 50,000 EP, but Al couldn't resist the allure of the lottery. In one go, he spent nearly 30,000 EP on it!
As a result, that night, Al found himself on the verge of a system-induced crisis!
With nearly 30,000 EP spent, only one item was drawn: [Tom's glue-coated bubblegum!]
Clearly, it wasn't worth it. Al realized he shouldn't rely on the lottery machines anymore.
So, he adopted a new strategy: becoming a "hoarder"!
Especially after discovering a top-tier item worth 100,000 EP in the system store - the crew summon card!
Al calculated that if he continues accumulating EP at the current rate...
In less than two months, he could accumulate 100,000 EP!
"I can't wait for the next crew member to join!" Al exclaimed, bursting into laughter.
The anxious sea beast Momoo swam even harder, fearing Al's displeasure might lead to its demise!
Sensing the ship's increasing speed, Nami sprang from her bed and hurried to the deck.
There, she spotted Tom lounging in beach swimming trunks, sipping juice leisurely while waving to himself.
Momentarily stunned, Nami then turned her gaze toward the ship's bow.
Al, standing atop the sea monster Momoo, also caught sight of Nami and chuckled.
"Nami, want to join us up here and feel the rush?"
Nami shook her head vigorously, muttering under his breath, "What a pair of oddballs!"
Then, he turned to Al and inquired, "Captain Al, as pirates, shouldn't we have a pirate flag and crew name?"
"Do you have any ideas for that?"
After pondering for a moment, Al recalled the wanted poster from the newspaper and suggested, "Let's call ourselves the Cowboy Pirates!"
Nami paused briefly, recalling the names listed on the wanted notice:
[Cowboy Tom]
[Cowboy Al]
Suddenly, it all made sense why Al chose this name.
Just as she was about to inquire about the pirate flag, Tom had already sketched it and hoisted it atop the watchtower.
There it was: a pirate flag featuring two revolvers piercing through a skull, billowing proudly in the wind.
Al chuckled with satisfaction, declaring, "The Cowboy Pirates are officially formed!"
"Let's set sail! Our target: the Grand Line!"
----------
Read 15 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari
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