The Most Talented Pirate Hunter - Chapter 33
“What can you offer me in return?”
Hermes raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat unsympathetic.
Helping someone without expecting anything in return was not an option for him.
“Treasure, women!”
Elizabeth II blurted out without hesitation. After all, no man could resist these things.
“Treasure? My job earns plenty of money.”
“Women? Do you think I’d ever be in short supply?”
It wasn’t bragging—if one’s strength was sufficient, such things were easy to come by.
Elizabeth II was silent for a moment before meeting Hermes’ gaze with determination. “I can give you everything.”
“Even this country?”
As Hermes’ words fell, the alley became so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
But soon, Elizabeth II nodded in agreement.
In his mind, as long as he became king, everything would be under his control.
“Let me remind you, out here, I, Hermes, only recognize money, not people. You pay me, and I’ll handle things for you. If you seek my help, you have to pay regardless of success. Remember, if you shortchange me, I’ll handle you instead.
“Are you sure you want to make this deal with me?”
Hermes towered over Elizabeth II, his expression exceptionally stern.
Elizabeth II hesitated again, but he had no other options now. He remained confident that once he became king, he could resolve everything.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Deal. From this moment, there’s no turning back for you!”
“Pay up, whether it gets done or not.”
Seeing Elizabeth II nod again, Hermes agreed straightforwardly. He didn’t make Elizabeth II write any guarantees. In his view, as long as he was strong enough, he would call the shots.
In this world, it’s not unusual for an individual to overthrow a country.
Both were confident.
“We’ve found him.”
Just as they struck their deal, more than a dozen men appeared at the alley entrance, all armed and clearly pirates.
Leading them was a man with a small mustache, and two scimitars at his waist.
“Damn, they must be that bastard’s hired help.”
Elizabeth II’s face turned pale. The mustached pirate leading them was no ordinary pirate; he was the first mate of the Scythe Pirates, with a bounty of 56 million Berries.
“Prince, you should come with us quietly!”
The pirates ignored Hermes, focusing on the heavily injured Elizabeth II.
As long as they eliminated Elizabeth II, their puppet prince would become king, and the Providence Kingdom would be theirs.
“A bunch of scum.”
Elizabeth II seethed with rage, his current plight entirely due to these people.
“They’re pirates? What’s their bounty?”
Hermes scanned the pirates, unconcerned with their arrogance, only interested in their worth.
“They’re from the Scythe Pirates. The leader has a bounty of 56 million.”
“And their captain?”
“Their captain, Scythe Killer Most, has a bounty of 67 million.”
“Not bad. You keep eating your meat; wasting food is shameful.”
Hermes walked toward the pirates, shaking his hands to loosen up, his joints cracking.
“Where did this brat come from?”
The conversation between Hermes and Elizabeth II made the pirates laugh.
What could a brat do?
Surely, he couldn’t think he could take them all down!
“Bang!!!”
A gunshot rang out.
A pirate had fired, confident that Hermes was as good as dead.
“What the…!”
The pirate who fired was shocked in the next second.
He saw clearly that as the bullet was about to hit, the brat had simply tilted his head to dodge it, striking a cool pose.
The pirate fired again.
More bullets flew, but Hermes’ stride didn’t falter. He occasionally tilted his head or sidestepped, easily avoiding all the bullets.
The mustache pirate’s expression grew serious.
He couldn’t explain why, but this kid seemed strange. Dodging one bullet might be luck, but consistently dodging several was abnormal.
“Shoot, shoot!”
A pirate panicked.
They felt an inexplicable sense of pressure, making them uneasy.
Five or six pirates opened fire simultaneously, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder. This time, Hermes didn’t use Observation Haki; he chose to withstand it.
He activated his Iron Body technique, now reinforced with a barely visible layer of Armament Haki.
*Clang, clang, clang!!!*
Metallic sounds rang out as bullets struck Hermes, sparking but doing no harm. The pirates were dumbstruck.
Behind them, Elizabeth II’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“How is this possible!”
“They clearly hit him.”
Many pirates gasped, looking at Hermes as if he were a monster.
They had encountered a tough opponent!
Hermes quietly sighed in relief. He had managed to withstand the attack.
Combining Iron Body with Armament Haki was effective, though his body was stinging with pain. Through his tattered clothes, his chest was covered in purple bruises from the bullets.
If it weren’t for this opportunity to train both techniques, he wouldn’t have subjected himself to this pain, like some kind of masochist.
“He’s just one guy; what are you scared of?”
“Kill him!”
Seeing their comrades panic, the mustached pirate drew his scimitars and charged at Hermes, his underlings following suit.
With the atmosphere set, there was no backing down.
Each one charged at Hermes with a war cry.
For a regular person, this might be intimidating.
“Die!”
The mustache pirate slashed down, and Hermes could feel the sharpness of the attack. With Observation Haki activated, he sidestepped and countered with a Finger Gun.
*Clang!!!*
The mustache pirate wasn’t a pushover. He blocked with his left scimitar, the force sending a shockwave.
Hermes wasn’t surprised, following up with a kick. The pirate’s instincts kicked in, blocking with his right scimitar at his groin.
This kid was devious.
Barely blocking the kick, the pirate was drenched in cold sweat.
*Whoosh!!!*
A bullet flew towards Hermes, who shrunk to five millimeters, confusing the pirate.
“King’s Finger Gun.”
In the moment of the pirate’s confusion, Hermes returned to normal size and struck with a Finger Gun. Blood sprayed as the pirate felt a searing pain in his kidney.
What just happened?
How did the opponent vanish and reappear?
“First Mate!”
“Damn it!”
“Shoot!”
The pirates were horrified, unable to comprehend what happened.
*Bang!!!*
Hermes kicked the mustached pirate hard in the chest, the crack of ribs audible. The force sent him flying into a wall, where he slumped, clutching his bleeding kidney.
The sound of bullets whizzed past.
Hermes dodged them with ease, left and right.
A pirate with a hammer approached, but before he could swing, Hermes struck with a Finger Gun, dropping him instantly.
“Screams filled the air.”
Hermes went on the offensive, taking on all the pirates single-handedly.
Elizabeth II watched in silence.
The first mate of the Scythe Pirates, was nearly taken down in seconds, and the rest of the pirates were mere playthings in Hermes’ hands, easily dispatched.
Hermes wasn’t just living up to his reputation; he was far more powerful than rumored.
Perhaps he could help Elizabeth II reclaim the throne and avenge his grievances.
“Kid, you’re done for.”
“The captain will avenge us.”
A few minutes later.
No pirate was left standing.
The mustached pirate, leaning against the wall, was barely alive. His kidney had been pierced, and he was bleeding out.
He looked up at Hermes, coughing and speaking with venom.
Hermes didn’t bother responding, finishing him off with a swift kick.
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