章 5: 5. The Stick That Fell From The Sky!
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Nami asked, a bit annoyed. She always expected the guy in front of her to show arrogance after taking down a few of the underlings. But little did he know how terrifying Arlong truly was!
Arlong was a notorious pirate, controlling over twenty villages and towns. Even the Marines wouldn't dare to mess with him!
Yet here he was, completely unprepared and leisurely. What was the point? It seemed like he was just walking into his own demise.
Suddenly, Nami regretted her decision. Why did she strike a deal with this unreliable guy so hastily?!
But Al seemed unfazed, still sipping his coffee without a care in the world.
'What preparations do I need to face Arlong?'
He couldn't help but wish Arlong would show up and provide some sort of challenge!
The baseball bat he won in the lottery seemed like a top-tier item from the system store, boasting incredible attributes.
But wouldn't the more expensive items further back be even stronger?
Moreover, with Tom's incredible dodging skills combined with the baseball bat from the system, wouldn't facing Arlong on land be manageable without such extravagant tools?
Yet Nami didn't see it this way; she simply thought Al was out of his mind.
With a disdainful snort, Nami left a curt remark: "I'm done with you," before storming out and slamming the door behind him.
Watching this, Tom, puzzled, rushed to the door, peeking outside for a moment before hurrying back to Al.
Tom anxiously tugged at the corner of Al's clothes. "Don't worry, Tom," Al reassured him. "Nami just doesn't understand our capabilities. Let's give her some time to calm down."
Leaning back on the sofa, Al remained relaxed, awaiting Arlong and his gang's arrival at the doorstep.
Upon hearing Al's explanation, Tom grew even more agitated, blurting out unexpectedly, "Nami, there's danger!"
Al froze, disbelief written all over his face. "You can talk? Why didn't you say something sooner?"
Tom covered his face, frustration evident. Wasn't Nami's safety the main concern here?
Observing Tom's distress, Al abandoned any intention of teasing him further. He retrieved the baseball bat from the system space and handed it to Tom.
Tom accepted the baseball bat, giving it a couple of experimental swings before retrieving a shotgun from behind his back, passing it to Al.
"You know me too well, Tom," Al remarked with a grin. "Let's get moving; the hunt begins!"
Down the hillside, several sailors brandished their guns, blocking Nami's path. The leader, Colonel Nezumi, wore a sinister smile as he addressed her, "You're Cat Burgular Nami. Hand over the cat you're hiding!"
Nami crossed her arms, looking puzzled. "What thief? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me, little girl," Colonel Nezumi sneered. "Search thoroughly, but be careful not to harm the cat!"
Colonel Nezumi issued an order, and several sailors disregarded Nami, marching straight towards the house.
Observing this, Nami retrieved three wooden sticks from her chest, swiftly assembling them into a makeshift weapon. Standing in front of the sea soldiers, she furiously exclaimed, "Back off and stay away from my house! I have no idea what cat you're talking about!"
However, Colonel Nezumi paid no heed to her protests; his attention was solely fixed on the cat that could secure him a promotion and raise.
Just as Nami prepared to act, gunshots rang out.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The few sailors advancing at the front dropped to the ground, their bodies enveloped in pools of blood.
Right after, Al's cynical voice echoed in Nami's ear, "Tsk tsk, is it really acceptable for grown men to bully a young girl?"
Nami turned to see Tom, sporting sunglasses, emerge from the nearby grass with an unrecognizable swagger, blocking Nami's path. Leaning casually on the baseball bat, Tom extended a cat's paw and beckoned at the sailors with a smirk, exuding an air of arrogance and invincibility.
"Interesting, what a spirited cat!" Nezumi remarked. "But soon it'll be in my possession."
Colonel Nezumi's gaze fixated on Tom, his eyes ablaze with desire. Visions of his promotion danced in his mind at the thought of possessing such a valuable asset.
"Ah~" Tom groaned, clutching his stomach as he regurgitated the lunch he had recently eaten.
"Tom, are you okay?" Al approached, patting Tom on the back. But suddenly, his expression darkened, and he spoke coldly, "You pathetic excuse for a person, you still dare to lay a hand on my Tom?"
Before the words were fully spoken, Al snatched the baseball bat from Tom's hand and swung it forcefully at Colonel Nezumi's face!
Colonel Nezumi remained standing, emitting a sinister laugh. "How long do you intend to simply spectate?"
As soon as the words left Colonel Nezumi's mouth, a booming voice cried out, "Hyakumaigawara Seiken (Hundred Tile True Punch)"
An immensely powerful fist wind, carrying the destructive force, surged towards Al.
In a split second, Al sent Colonel Nezumi hurtling backward, swiftly swinging his bat to collide with the oncoming fist wind!
The shockwave generated by the clash between the two forces sent Nami and the other sailors flying, crashing hard to the ground!
Gritting his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, Al roared in anger, "Deflect!"
[The baseball bat that Spike had gnawed on, durability -1]
Deflecting the fist with his baseball bat, Al's mind was immediately greeted by a system prompt.
With a grimace, Al brandished his baseball bat, eyes filled with determination. "Whoever dared to attack me in secret, get out! I'll beat you until your own mother doesn't recognize you!"
As his words echoed, a towering figure emerged from the shadows. "You managed to withstand my right punch. Impressive," the figure acknowledged.
"But I still have a Senmaigawara Seiken (Thousand Tile True Punch). Let's see if you can handle it!"
Nami, rising to his feet, cast a worried glance at the imposing figure and muttered to himself:
"How... How could it be... Kuroobi, one of Arlong's top men... Why is he here?!" Nami exclaimed, shock evident in her voice.
But before Nami could fully process the situation, two more figures appeared before her.
"Are you the ones who harmed my comrades?!" demanded an octopus brandishing six long knives, glaring down at Al.
Nami trembled uncontrollably, a glimmer of despair flickering in her eyes as she looked at Al. She knew all too well the strength of the three top members of the Arlong Pirates, and the odds of survival against them were virtually nonexistent.
Despite sensing Nami's despairing gaze, Al remained unfazed, sneering defiantly.
"Why isn't your captain Arlong here?"
"Instead, you send a bunch of your lackeys to their doom?"
"Quit the bravado and meet your end!" Kuroobi snarled, poised to strike Al with lethal force.
But just as he was about to unleash his attack, Al swiftly tossed the baseball bat to Tom, instructing, "Tom, I'm leaving the big oaf to you."
With a smirk, Tom caught the bat and immediately hurled it with tremendous force at Kuroobi's face, sending him hurtling several meters away. As the bat rebounded, it returned to Tom's waiting hand, all while propelling Kuroobi further into the air.
He watched as Tom playfully placed his paws next to his ears, sticking out his tongue in a "slight" mockery of Kuroobi's foolishness.
"Kuroobi!" Hatchan roared in anger, wielding his six long knives and slashing at Tom.
Terrified, Tom leaped into the air, his eyes and tongue stretched out in unison.
As he descended from the sky, barely half a meter from the blades, Tom shut his eyes tightly, his tail spinning wildly like a propeller.
Simultaneously, his hands gripping the baseball bat also spun, soaring into the air under the astonished gazes of everyone, narrowly evading Hatchan's lethal attack without a scratch!
"As expected of you, Tom!" Al exclaimed, raising his shotgun and taking down a sailor, while offering praise to Tom soaring through the sky.
But then... why was Tom flying higher and higher? Hey!
Witnessing Tom drifting further away, Hatchan swiftly redirected his attention to Al, swinging his long knife in a slashing motion.
Al froze in place, a line from a certain movie suddenly echoing in his mind.
Nami wanted to urge Al to flee, but another officer's menacing gaze locked onto her.
Meanwhile, Colonel Nezumi stroked his beard, his expression morphing into one of sinister intent.
"Seems like your little pet has slipped away," Colonel Nezumi remarked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"However, such an intriguing cat, even if it flees to the ends of the earth, I'll hunt it down!" he declared, raising his hand to command the soldiers to pursue Tom.
"Run away? You might end up disappointed, you filthy rodent," Al retorted, a wide grin stretching across his face, revealing his gleaming white teeth. With arms outstretched, he burst into laughter.
"Ever heard of the Stick that falls from the sky Technique?" Al asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"The what? Stick that falls from the sky? What's that?" Colonel Nezumi inquired, perplexed.
"Never heard of it..." he muttered, a sense of uncertainty creeping into his tone.
"Hatchan, what's the hold-up? Finish him off!" Colonel Nezumi barked impatiently.
"..."
Amidst the conversation, an eerily demonic cry echoed through the air: "Meow~!"
All heads turned upwards to witness a cat-shaped apparition materialize from the sea of clouds in the sky.
With closed eyes, Tom clenched the baseball bat tightly as he plummeted from the heavens at astonishing speed, flames trailing in his wake.
A palpable sense of dread enveloped everyone on the ground, compelling them to flee.
Then, in a swift motion, Tom swung the bat, unleashing a tremendous force that erupted into a colossal mushroom cloud!
----------
So I have decided, the chapter updates will be on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Read 15 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari
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