Capítulo 17: First Bounties
[Marine Base – 133rd Branch, South Blue]
Base Commander office,
"Commodore Tasagi!" A marine officer saluted sharply before entering, holding an urgent report.
"What's the matter? What's causing all this commotion?" Commodore Tasagi inquired, maintaining his focus on paperwork. He was a robust and imposing figure, bald-headed with a rugged beard. A long Katana sword rested beside him, ready for use.
The marine officer cleared his throat and handed over the detailed report, proceeding to brief him, "We've received news that the 67th Branch Base in Soldier Town was attacked and obliterated by a pirate crew..."
"What?!! Destroyed?!!" Tasagi's shock was palpable as he perused the report. "Both Captain Hawk and Captain Tatsuki lost their lives in action... The same pirate crew that wiped out the Claw Pirates... Are we certain about the authenticity of this report?"
"Yes, it comes from a surviving officer. Jewelry Bonney was spotted among them, though her affiliation with the crew remains uncertain…we've also gathered some background information..."
"...They originate from Kinzoku Island. The five key members were former gang leaders before venturing out to sea. The two red-haired brothers appear to be the captains."
"They inflicted extensive damage and casualties in their first appearance, including civilians. They are a dangerous bunch for sure" Tasagi's demeanor grew grave as he absorbed the report's contents. "Have you forwarded this to the Headquarters?"
"Yes, the 'Bounty Assessment Bureau' is set to issue bounties on their heads shortly," the officer confirmed.
"For now, let's monitor their activities closely and await further orders. Meanwhile, I want continuous updates on their movements. Is that understood?"
"Yes!"
"You're dismissed."
…
A few days later,
[Karate Island, South Blue]
As the sun dipped towards the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the endless sea, the Victoria Punk sailed steadily through the calm waters. The crew had been at sea for quite a while, and the sight of a serene island in the distance was a welcome sight.
"Is that it?" Kid questioned.
"Yep, that's Karate Island!" Heat announced to everyone as Killer skillfully guided the ship toward the island. As they approached, a small port came into view. With precision, Killer began to ease the ship into the port for docking.
Kai pushed himself away from the railing "Alright then. Let's drop anchor and enjoy a little break"
With their decision made, the crew worked together to anchor the ship near the shore of the island. Once the ship was secure, Kai wasted no time in grabbing a bag and heading towards the gangplank "I'm going to look around for a bit, guys" he called to his crewmembers.
"Sure thing, I'll hang around with Heat and Wire, working on cracking that safe we got from the marines" Killer replied.
"I'm gonna take a short nap, so don't disturb" Kid stated before heading into the Captain's Cabin.
Bonney, who had been sunbathing on the deck, sat up and stretched. "Mind some company?"
Kai grinned "Sure thing. The more, the merrier"
As Kai and Bonney descended the gangplank, the ambiance of the island enveloped them. The town was a tapestry of traditional Japanese architecture, with lantern-lined streets, intricately designed buildings, and vibrant market stalls. The islanders moved about in elegant kimonos and training attire, their dedication to martial arts evident in their disciplined demeanor.
"Wow, this place is something else," Bonney commented as they strolled through the bustling streets.
Kai nodded, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Definitely. And look at that," he pointed towards a gathering of people in a nearby courtyard. "It seems like there's some sort of martial arts demonstration happening."
They joined the growing crowd, watching as skilled practitioners showcased their techniques. The air was filled with the rhythmic sounds of kiais and the swish of bodies moving through the air.
"I wonder if these techniques are actually useful, or they are just for show off" Bonney remarked.
Though he pondered it well, Kai did recall Karate Island from the manga. It's where a CP agent, whose name eludes him, honed his boxing skills 'So some of these martial arts are definitely not for showing off' Kai mused as he continued searching for a style that fit both him and the crew.
"Looks like you're quite intrigued by this. Thinking of picking up something from here?" Bonney inquired, curious about his thoughts.
"Yeah, I do…no matter how small the benefits are, it's always worth learning something new. That small margin of power can be the deciding factor of winning or losing a battle" Kai said, his expression serious.
"I guess that's true…"
Kai wandered through the town, noticing a couple of martial arts that caught his attention. The first one was Jao Kun Do, a close-range attack-based fighting style which involves leg motions so swift that foes cannot predict where a kick will land.
Kai's fighting style involves mostly about using his hands and hammer, but what made him interested in learning a leg fighting style is because he wants to improve his leg strength, speed and flexibility.
And the reason for that is, he hoped that after doing so he might be able to imitate or learn the Rokushiki technique Soru, witch simply require an insane amount of leg strength to kick the ground at least 10 times in the blink of an eye, or he could imitated a weaker version of it like Kuro's stealth foot, and he might even manage to learn Sky Walk or Geppo in the future like Sanji and Limejuice.
Then there is boxing as well, which obviously fit him and Kid since they use their fists to fight lot, as for Heat and Killer they are a lot of dojos where they can improve their swordsmanship. Wire and Bonney can learn Jao Kun Do as well since they utilize their legs to fight as well.
'This is very interesting. I think I'm going to stay here for a while to improve our strength…we can also stay low for now, I'm sure the Marines will be after us like crazy after we blew up an entire Marine Base and killed two Captains' Kai thought in his head.
They continued to wander around the town, with Bonney picking up plenty of food during their stroll. Eventually, they headed back to the ship where Kai intended to share his idea of staying in the island for a bit before their departure.
On the Victoria Punk,
Upon Kai's arrival, Killer, Heat, and Wire efficiently cracked the safe, extracting an extra 26 million. This added to the 18 million they already had, making a total of 44 million. This hefty sum was quite remarkable given the early stage of their journey, not to mention the additional treasures acquired from the Claw Pirates.
"Hahaha! Kai, we're rich!" Heat said excitedly while throwing the money in the air.
"Hoi Heat! Stop throwing the money away!" Killer said to him.
Kid who was sitting on the ship's deck, suddenly noticed something flying towards his direction "A bird?" it was a large white bird carrying a newspaper.
"It's the newspaper bird!" Kai exclaimed, his curiosity piqued as the bird descended. Kid, ever impulsive, stood up and tossed a coin to the bird, prompting it to drop the newspaper into his hands.
His eyes scanned the pages, and an exhilarated grin stretched across Kid's face. "Kai!" he called out, his tone almost gleeful. He tossed the newspaper to his brother.
Kai caught the newspaper and quickly unfolded it, scanning the headlines. "What's on the news?" he inquired, intrigued. As he skimmed the contents, his eyes widened.
"We made it to the headlines!" Kid announced, the excitement in his voice resonating through the air. The crew's attention was captured, and all eyes shifted to the newspaper.
As Kai perused the pages, the details of their exploits became clear.
[A new notorious pirate crew emerged in South Blue, the Eustass Pirates lead by Eustass Kai, and Eustass Kid destroyed a Marine Base]
[The Government issued first bounties on their heads…]
[Eustass Kai, Dead or Alive 15,000,000 Berries]
[Eustass Kid, Dead or Alive 15,000,000 Berries]
[Killer, Dead or Alive 10,000,000 Berries]
[Jewelry Bonney, Dead or Alive 8,000,000 Berries]
[Heat, Dead or Alive 4,000,000 Berries]
[Wire, Dead or Alive 4,000,000 Berries]
"15,000,000 Berries" Kai read aloud, his eyes widening in astonishment. "Not bad for starters, huh?"
Kid's grin turned positively devilish. "Looks like they recognize my talent."
Bonney let out an amused chuckle as she saw her own face in print "Guess they know I'm worth something."
Heat raised an eyebrow at his own bounty. "4,000,000 Berries? That's a start."
Wire seemed rather nonchalant, but a glimmer of pride shone in his eyes. "They also gave me 4,000,000 Berries. But I'm clearly stronger than you Heat"
"Huh? Don't be a clown, you're nowhere near my level" Heat responded to that.
The crew's reactions varied, but a sense of accomplishment united them. They were officially recognized as a crew to be reckoned with.
After that, Kai shared his idea of staying on the island to learn martial arts. Initially, confusion reigned, but his patient explanation cleared things up. While Kid wasn't thrilled about prolonged stillness, he eventually agreed to go along with the plan.
Status de energia semanal
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Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder