chsdbacks Chapter 13 The Village Right in the Eye of the Storm
Chapter 13 The Village Right in the Eye of the Storm
The New World, an unnamed island.
Dieter held in his hand a special edition of the World Economic News, which had just been delivered by Newsbird.
Legend tears reality apart! Arbitration by Dilt ignites the final battle! The Holy Grail descends, fourteen Heroic Spirits vie for supremacy—the ultimate wave of the Great Pirate Era sweeps across the seas!
The subtitle reads: [East Blue Rising Star! Straw Hat Luffy Holds the Holy Grail Mark! Whitebeard Publicly Declares War! Hawkeye's Participation Confirmed!]
"Hahahaha!" Dilt's laughter echoed between the sea and the sky.
"Morgans! You noisy news bird, you certainly didn't disappoint me!"
He lightly flicked the newspaper with his fingertips, his eyes full of admiration.
"Hmm, Straw Hat Luffy is holding the Holy Grail mark? Tsk tsk, let's put that brat on the fire right now."
He could almost see Morgans through the paper, his feathers flying with excitement.
"That's right! The clamor of this grand feast should resound to the heavens!"
"Listen to all those ordinary, shadowy, self-important 'gods'—the new game has begun!"
Joan of Arc, in her spirit form, appeared beside him, her silver armor gleaming in the sunlight.
Looking at her Master's trouble-seeking attitude and then at the highly inflammatory reports in the newspaper, a hint of helplessness appeared on her pure face.
"Master..."
Joan of Arc's voice carried a hint of distress.
"The Holy Grail War... should theoretically be conducted in secret."
"Participants should remain anonymous to avoid involving ordinary people and to prevent external interference until a winner is determined. But now..."
"This seems to contradict my responsibility to 'oversee the operation of the rules of war'."
Just then, a mechanical voice, devoid of emotion and somewhat dull, suddenly rang in Dilt's mind.
[Ding! Achievement accomplished!]
[Achievement Name: The Holy Grail War is being conducted in secret! Oh no, another gas explosion!]
[Achievement Description: Congratulations, host, for successfully spreading news of the Holy Grail War far and wide in a very short time, making it world-class headline news! Secret? What's that? Can you eat it? Achievement Point +1 (Although this system doesn't know what achievement points are used for either).]
Dieter was taken aback at first.
Then he burst into an even louder laugh, laughing so hard that tears almost streamed down his face.
"Hahaha! Hahaha! This is hilarious! It's been so long since I've had this much fun!"
He wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and looked at the bewildered saintess.
"My Servant, you're still too bound by 'common sense'."
Dieter spread his hands, a "that makes perfect sense" expression on his face.
"In your world, magicians follow the rule of 'concealment and mystery,' so they hide in their own little circles and play house."
"But what kind of world is this now?"
He pointed to the churning sea beneath his feet.
"This is the world of pirates! There's no Mage's Association here, no rules and regulations!"
"Power, fame, ambition, and desire—they're all laid bare!"
A look of smug satisfaction gleamed in Dilt's eyes.
"So, the Holy Grail War is here, why should it be kept 'secret'?"
"Let everyone know, let all the ambitious and driven individuals speak out!"
"Let them fight and scramble for a wish-granting machine that's both ethereal and real! That's the kind of 'carnival' I want!"
Jeanne could only sigh softly as she looked at her Master's self-righteous demeanor.
She silently made the sign of the cross on her chest.
Lord, please forgive this willful and capricious "angel," and please protect the innocent who have been caught up in it...
Just as Dieter was laughing heartily.
In the East China Sea, the village of Cocoa West is shrouded in an invisible dark cloud.
Johnny and Joseph's "hard-working" publicity campaign had an explosive effect.
Although most people remain skeptical, the allure of the "omnipotent wish-granting machine" is simply too great.
This is enough to ignite countless greedy eyes and stir up countless risk-taking hearts.
The name "Straw Hat Luffy," along with the three so-called "Holy Grail marks" on the back of his hand, became the center of the storm.
And the eye of the storm was none other than the unfortunate village of Cocoa West.
"Boss! Breaking news! Luffy and his crew are in Cocoyasi Village!"
A merman minion burst into the lobby of Alon's Paradise, shouting excitedly.
Ah Long was sitting in his extravagant chair, breathing heavily through his nose.
He also held a crumpled newspaper in his hand, his eyes greedily fixed on the description of the "Holy Grail".
"They've delivered themselves to our doorstep?" Ah Long grinned, revealing sharp, white teeth.
"What a coincidence... no, it's heaven helping me!"
He stood up abruptly, the merman's tall body casting a huge shadow.
"Men! Keep a close watch on the village, don't let a single rat escape! Especially Nami! She's our 'important asset'!"
A fierce glint flashed in Ah Long's eyes.
"Straw Hat Luffy? Hmph, a brat I've never even heard of dares to possess the mark of the Holy Grail!"
He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked.
"Once I've dealt with him and obtained the information about the Holy Grail... all those Shichibukai and Marine Admirals will have to grovel at my feet, Lord Arlong!"
"The entire world will be ours to conquer! Hahahaha!"
however.
Arlong and his crew are not the only ones who covet "Straw Hat Luffy" and the "Secret of the Holy Grail" on him.
Almost simultaneously, several pirate ships, like sharks that have smelled blood, quietly approached the waters near Cocoyasi Village.
Of course, it's not just pirates.
On a speedboat, several well-equipped bounty hunters were polishing their weapons.
"Is the news reliable? Is Straw Hat Luffy really in Cocoyasi Village?"
"It's true! The black market intelligence dealers are going crazy over it!"
The guy grinned maliciously.
"If we capture him, or get the information about the mark on his hand, and sell it to the World Government or anyone else, we'll be rich!"
"Be careful, that kid seems to have a powerful swordsman with him, who used to be a bounty hunter."
"What are you afraid of! We're the 'Hyena Brothers,' we specialize in gnawing on tough nuts!"
"In the East China Sea, even the most skilled newcomer can't withstand our Seastone equipment?"
On another small, dilapidated sailboat that was incredibly fast, several people dressed in various styles gathered.
They are intelligence brokers active in the East China Sea.
"Target confirmed, Cocoa Village. Aron's territory."
"Perfect timing! That stupid fish-man Arlong must have his eye on it too. Let them fight first, we'll fish in troubled waters! We absolutely must capture Straw Hat Luffy alive!"
"Got it! Hehehe, after we pull off this job, we'll be famous!"
Even worse, some merchant ships or fishing boats that heard of Ah Long's bad reputation dared not approach Cocoa West Village.
At this moment, they too are tempted by the Holy Grail and venture here at great risk, hoping to glimpse a sliver of opportunity.
The peaceful village of Cocoa West instantly became the eye of the most dangerous storm in the East China Sea.
Luffy and his crew were unaware of this.
Led by the one-eyed bounty hunter brought back by Johnny Joseph, they found Nami ahead of time.
Nami broke down in Arlong's shadow and cried in despair.
Luffy placed his straw hat on her head, and the warmth of that moment reminded her of Bellemere's embrace.
Then, the scene of his mother being killed by Ah Long and falling to the ground appeared before his eyes.
She couldn't hold back her tears: "Luffy... help me!"
Luffy looked up to the sky and shouted, "Of course!"
Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp stood side by side with him, all looking towards Arlong Park.
At that very moment, countless people, including Ah Long, were also eyeing their group.