Chapter 70: The Abnormal Kukulkan

  Preparations for departure were made, with Mona handling the gathering of information on the Grand Line, island intelligence, and power dynamics, as well as packing essential items for travel. Meanwhile, Hobardy was left to make an announcement to the 76th Branch about Woods' temporary appointment, as well as to calm down Fuyinix. However, upon hearing that Hobardy would be embarking on the Grand Line without her, she shed two tears and ran out of the base.

  Hobadi didn't care much about it either. He thanked the woman for her thanks, but when it came to his true purpose, he had to step aside.

  The voyage was uneventful and on the second morning, Hobodi's warship arrived at a port next to Kokosia village in the Konami Islands.

  A small town that has been destroyed and exhausted, the streets on Main Street have sunk deeply, extending to tens of meters, and it doesn't seem like a cannon was fired. The surrounding houses were cut off and destroyed by some kind of sharp tool, nor does it look like a sword slash.

  The whole town was empty and quiet, with an eerie stillness.

  "Woods, you can take your warships and go home."

  "But... this is the territory of Fishman Island's Arlong, and the Fishman tribe has ten times the physical strength of humans. Even 77th Branch Commander Buggy the Star couldn't escape their wrath. And yet, Commodore Hopper is saying that with just one person..." Woods hesitated.

  "Spare me the hypocrisy! Woods, you can't wait to get back to your old ways, can you? If you don't want to die, then get out of here quickly!"

  "Yes." Woods wanted to say more, but suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and subconsciously looked towards the green-haired secretary officer in the direction of the attack. The golden eyes were filled with endless coldness. Woods and others dared not linger any longer, and hastily shouted: "Departure, departure!"

  Woods ran away in a warship, Monet covered his mouth and laughed: "The master's subordinates are really timid ~"

  "From today on, it's not like that anymore, Mona, what do you think of this town?"

  "It doesn't matter how you look at it, does it? The intelligence from the 77th branch says that this island has been under Arlong's rule for seven years, and yet the Navy had no idea. How is it possible for a pirate to rule an island for seven years without anyone noticing? Even if he imprisoned everyone on the island and didn't let them leave, someone outside would have found out by now. And this is a famous island in the East Blue known for producing oranges... This must be a case of the Navy having a mole who's covering it up."

  "Monet, have you found out who it is?"

  Monet nodded and flipped open a page of information: "In addition to the 76th Brigade, which manages the Konami Islands, there is also a 16th Brigade. The base commander of that base is Colonel Mouse. From the reports of the residents where he is stationed, his warship often heads towards the Konami Islands. It should be this person who is not wrong."

  "Wasn't the Blücher sunk before it even landed? Why weren't we attacked..."

  Just as the two were talking, suddenly, from behind the ruins of the quiet street houses, strange 'humans' holding knives emerged one by one, gradually surrounding Hobodi and the other.

  At least in Hopper's eyes, these beings that could stand upright but had heads or other parts unlike those of humans were indeed "human".

  "They're mermen!" Mona warned.

  "It's strange meeting you for the first time."

  The two of you are taking it easy, aren't you? You're the ones who just came from that warship, right? What's your purpose for coming to this island? Didn't Captain Mouse tell you that the Navy can't approach this island carelessly? Get out!

  A dozen fish-like men let out a loud roar and charged towards Hobbit and his companion.

  "Little rascal, are you asking me to take action?" Mona asked.

  "No need, let me try their tenfold wrist strength!"

  A fish-man leaped high from behind Hopody, both hands grasping a knife and slashing towards the back of Hopody's head. In a flash, just as the knife was about to strike within ten centimeters of Hopody's brain, Hopody, with his back still turned to the fish-man, suddenly stretched out a hand and blocked the blade.

  Feeling the force in his hand, Hoboldi's face showed a slight surprise, but it was only a slight surprise. In less than a breath, Hoboldi's expression returned to calmness: "Indeed, the strength is much higher than that of an ordinary person. If it were two years ago when I just arrived, I might not have been able to withstand this slash."

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Good job, Ini. Hold him like that and we'll attack his lower body."

  "Lower plate?" Monet's eyes sank instantly upon hearing this: "Taiping Xue - Muscle Knife!"

  Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah!

  Monet's hands transformed into icy blades, slicing through the fish people with elegant and smooth movements. With several cries of "Ahhh...", more than a dozen fish people fell to the ground.

  "What's wrong?" Hobodi was seeing this woman get angry for the first time, and he didn't quite understand what had enraged these fish people.

  Monet's icy gaze swept over the wailing fish people underground: "The master's lower body is mine, and those who dare to take it away will never be forgiven."

  Hoboldi's back of the head sweated a drop, for this fierce words...... This was also his own fault, finally opened his mouth, but nothing came out, could only sigh.

  "Let's go, Monet."

  "Okay."

  Through the ruined town, and then through an orange grove, Hobodi picked a few oranges, eating as he walked, and finally saw a village with smoke after ten or so minutes.

  "It tastes good."

  "The master seems to be nostalgic, did the master's hometown also produce a lot of oranges in the past?"

  "No, it's just that after coming to this vast ocean, I've been eating almost all seafood and some Western food. It's just a bit sentimental for something I haven't eaten in a long time."

  The two strolled to the center of the village where a crowd of villagers had gathered at the crossroads.

  Two unfamiliar faces appeared before Hobodi, one with a scar on his face wearing a brown police uniform that seemed to be from another lifetime, and a middle-aged man with a strange hat adorned with a windmill on top. As they approached, the man asked: "Where are you two from? These oranges... did you move them from the village's orange garden?"

  "We just came from there, don't worry, I'll pay!"

  "It has nothing to do with money, how can you arbitrarily pick the oranges planted by Bellmer?" A girl with a headscarf, blue hair and healthy skin tone with strange patterns glared at the two.

  "Have we somehow desecrated a very sacred place?"

  "It seems so." Hobodi looked around at the various faces filled with anger and shrugged his hands.

  "Nuo Qi Gao, they——"

  It's not that simple, Nokya gazed intently at the package behind the two, a hint of tension in her eyes. Had they also dug up what Namie had hidden there?

  "A Jian..."

  "Uh-huh."

  A middle-aged man in a police uniform suddenly pulled out a knife and pointed it at the two of them: "I am the village policeman of this village, put down your packages and let me check. I have no malicious intentions, but just want to confirm what you are stealing. If not, I will return everything to you."

  "I picked some tangerines, but didn't touch anything else in that tangerine orchard."

  The villagers remained unmoved.

  "It seems I won't be able to retreat after all, Commander. What should I do? Should I take them all down?" Mona said with a playful tone.

  "They are ordinary people, but we have another purpose. However, searching is still unnecessary......" Hobodi directly pulled open the zipper of his backpack, and sheet after sheet of white paper appeared in front of the villagers.

  The villagers collectively let out a sigh of relief, although there was still something bulging under the white paper, but apparently, such a backpack should not be able to conceal the money that the girl in the village had prepared for their seven years of hard work.

  "Sorry, I just suspected you guys." Kenzo sheathed his sword and bowed in apology.

  "Nothing much, we've already moved your village's orange grove, let's just pay the money instead! Monet."

  Monet took out 1,000 Bellis, which was roughly the price of the oranges they had just picked, and handed them to Kenzo. The latter waved his hand: "This is not necessary, those oranges are not worth much money. If there's nothing else, you'd better leave this village quickly!"

  "Village officer is really kind-hearted ~ However, it's a pity, we came for this."

  "Huh?"

  Monet was about to say something when suddenly a panicked and excited cry came from not far away in the village: "Kenzo, everyone... The Navy is here!!!"