These two goofy captains were truly competing to see who could be more ridiculous. The two crews exchanged glances with each other, and in their eyes, besides the unhidden animosity from before, there was now faintly a extra layer of pity from shared suffering.
Sigh... What sin did we commit in our past lives to end up with such top-tier ridiculous captains?
However, after Luffy and Bear King made such a racket, the heavy smell of gunpowder in the venue was dispersed quite a bit. And right at this moment, the originally bright lights slowly dimmed down.
The meeting was about to begin!
Only then did the pirates realize that they hadn't come here to watch a spectacle, but to participate in the pre-race gathering for the Dead End Race.
"Welcome, brave warriors of the high seas."
A gender-ambiguous, neutral voice echoed from all directions. Although it wasn't loud, it was clear enough for everyone to hear.
"This voice is..."
Hearing this familiar voice, Nami, Robin, and Sanji exchanged glances with one another, their expressions changing slightly.
As if to prove what they were thinking, a large screen suddenly lit up on the upper diagonal of the underground cavern. Under the projection of a Projection Video Bug, everyone could clearly see a figure seated on a chair.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, fine clothes, a bright silver cane, and exquisite looks like a beautiful girl—everything about him was so deceptive.
"Oh, Captain, who is this little girl? She looks like she holds a high position." A white bear wearing orange overalls asked the spotted-cap man beside him.
"Bepo, even though you're not a human and a bear's eyesight is indeed poor, you shouldn't be unable to distinguish between a man and a woman, right?"
Law frowned and said calmly, "This is clearly a man. Didn't you notice the Adam's apple on his neck?"
As a surgeon with superb medical skills, Law's observation of others was extremely comprehensive and meticulous. Such a stupid mistake as confusing men and women would never happen to him.
"A man?! Hey, hey, hey, Law, you're not joking, are you?"
Hearing this, Rovick couldn't stay calm anymore: "He looks so cute, how could he be a boy?"
Law's other crew members were equally dumbfounded, clearly unable to accept this cruel reality.
"If you don't believe it, you can go strip off his pants and check for yourself." Law turned his head to glance at the blue-haired swordsman, his eyes full of banter.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, Master Rovick—seeking the truth comes at a painful price~"
"..." Rovick's forehead was covered in dark lines.
Bepo raised his head, staring with a pair of bear eyes for a good while before finally spotting the Adam's apple pointed out by the spotted-cap man. Deeply crushed, he instantly lowered his head in despair.
"I was wrong, I'm sorry..."
"Why are you apologizing, hey! Your psychological resilience is too weak!" Law's crew members yelled in unison.
At this moment, the blonde youth on the screen curved the corners of his mouth, showing a near-perfect smile.
"First, let me introduce myself. My name is Oswald Aloys, nickname: Silver Snake."
"Although I don't have a bounty, my father was also a pirate when he was young, so in a sense, I'm considered to be in the same boat as all of you."
"He's the son of the Penguin?"
"To think that the young master of the Oswald family actually came to Hannabal in person."
The pirates discussed among themselves. For these registered pirates, the Penguin could be considered half their boss.
"This cruel guy actually has such a big background," Nami murmured.
Perhaps recalling the scene of blood splattering yesterday, Miss Navigator's expression was a bit unnatural.
Sanji lit a cigarette and briefly explained to the rest of the crew their encounter with Aloys yesterday.
After Zoro and the others heard it, they were all thoroughly shocked. Usopp and Chopper in particular were scared pale, hugging each other in fear.
Who could imagine that a youth who looked like a little angel would turn out to be a sadistic murderer who nonchalantly dismembered a living human being into countless pieces while chatting and laughing?
(Oswald, the son of the Penguin...)
Sherlock rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
The intelligence a certain bespectacled youth gathered today wasn't limited to just those three pirate crews. Law's Heart Pirates, as well as Oswald, the actual leader of Hannabal, were naturally key targets of Sherlock's attention.
Unfortunately, Sherlock hadn't uncovered any valuable information, so he hadn't mentioned it earlier.
"Alright, I won't waste any more words. Tonight's pre-race meeting is mainly to announce the rules for this Dead End Race and the champion's reward."
"Let's talk about the reward first." Saying that, Aloys clapped his hands softly. Immediately, a group of cute maids wearing cat-ear headbands walked in, each carrying a black leather suitcase in hand.
(Cat-ear maids? Does this young master really like cats?)
Gazing at those cute cat-ear maids on the big screen, Kusho pushed up his sunglasses.
He subtly glanced at Miss Carmine, and thinking of her Devil Fruit ability, he thought to himself that if that were really the case, this son of the Penguin would probably be very interested in his companion...
Those cat-ear maids lined up in two rows on either side of Aloys, stood firm, and then opened the leather suitcases in their hands all at once.
A series of sharp gasps instantly echoed throughout the venue.
"So much money~~~"
Nami's eyes sparkled as she gasped aloud. Looking at all those colorful stacks of bills, the greedy navigator instantly felt filled with endless fighting spirit.
The rest of the pirates also grew ecstatic, their burning gazes filled with unhidden greed.
At the same time, Sherlock once again sensed that strange feeling emanating from Maya.
This proved his previous guess once more: that bizarre sensation was somehow connected to the emotional state of the people around them.
"This is the prize money this time—a full one billion Berries."
Aloys's tone was extremely calm. It seemed that this astronomical figure wasn't worth bragging about to him.
"In addition, the Oswald family will grant the winner one wish within our power."
"A wish?" The pirates present were all startled. After all, compared to hard cash like one billion Berries, this reward was far too broad.
"Yes, a wish."
Even without being present in person, Aloys seemed to perceive everyone's confusion. He grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.
"For example, helping you kill someone you've always wanted to kill, obtaining a rare treasure—including a Devil Fruit—or becoming an officer of the Oswald family to gain extraordinary status and power."
"And if your bounty doesn't exceed one hundred million, our family can even act as a guarantor for you to have your bounty revoked by the Marines!"
"What?!"
Hearing that final sentence, all the pirates widened their eyes in shock, and even the three captains of the Fish-Man Alliance showed looks of astonishment.
Granted, a bounty was very important to a pirate. Although it brought trouble, it was also a symbol of strength and status. Many big pirates even treated their exorbitant bounties as capital to brag about, wishing their bounties would go higher and higher.
However, the vast majority of pirates present did not belong to that category.
After all, a huge reason they came to Hannabal was precisely because registered pirates wouldn't be hunted by the Marines here.
Revoking a bounty? That was a treatment comparable to the Seven Warlords of the Sea! How could they not be moved?
"Revoking a bounty? Then again, if it's the Penguin, it's not surprising he holds such a privilege."
Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses. A certain bespectacled youth had naturally heard of this policy that the World Government had never made public.
Even back in Alabasta, King Nefertari Cobra had offered to revoke the Sorcerer's bounty in order to marry Vivi to him, but Sherlock had turned it down.
According to what he knew, this privilege couldn't be used lightly. For the son of the Penguin to offer this as a reward was truly unexpected.
"Ahem, of course, if it were just another boring race like in the past, I naturally wouldn't offer such a generous reward."
Aloys rested his chin on his hand, a strange glint flashing in his ice-blue eyes.
"I wonder if you've ever heard of... the legend concerning the Seven Star Sword..."
Hearing the words "Seven Star Sword," Miss Maya—who had previously been completely unconcerned with this race—felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She raised her head in complete shock, her face pale as paper, and her pupils instantly contracted to the size of pinpricks.
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