One Piece: The Legend of Beasts

For Pecuña, who traveled all over the seas and immersed himself in the jewelry smuggling business and acted greedily, money, power and status had long become the whole meaning of his life. The three were intertwined to build a towering palace, luxurious and solid, as if it surpassed the weight of his own life, making him intoxicated and unable to extricate himself.

However, if a corner of the palace showed the slightest sign of damage due to some unpredictable factors, it would trigger a tide of uneasiness and anxiety deep in his heart. His already pitiful sense of security would disappear overnight, and uncontrollable panic and madness would erupt at any time and anywhere.

Therefore, when a stranger suddenly appeared in the room and called out his name, Pecuña jumped up from the bed like a spring without hesitation. He instinctively took out the dagger for self-defense and pointed it at the man, saying sternly: "You don't look like a resident of this island, so what do you want from me? You are not here for my jewelry, are you?!"

His attitude seemed extremely tough, but his tone was filled with obvious panic, his voice was so soft that even he himself could not hear it clearly, and his hands, which were tightly holding the dagger, could not stop shaking slightly, and he could not move it forward even half an inch. It was obvious that he was extremely scared.

"You're surprisingly smart. I now understand why you've been able to evade the government's attention so many times."

The man in white stretched himself calmly and pulled his bowler hat leisurely, as if he had expected the other person's every move. "Do you know? If your voice is a few decibels higher and reaches the next room, the moment you utter a word, I will pierce your throat in an instant."

He spoke very slowly, dragging out the ending of each word, but his movements were not ambiguous at all. His figure flashed and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Just as Pecunia's brain circuit had not yet reacted, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and the dagger in his hand slipped out of his hand involuntarily, spinning in the air and falling, landing squarely in the palm of a white-gloved hand.

At the same time, the figure of the man in white returned to the place where he disappeared from without knowing when. Except for the dagger in his hand, his posture did not change at all, as if he had never left there. He had not even finished half of the sentence just now.

With a plop, Pecunia sat down on the bed. He lost all his strength at once, and his thin face turned pale. For a moment, he seemed to have forgotten the pain in his wrist that penetrated deep into his bone marrow. He just stared at the unfathomable man in white in front of him, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't.

"Hmm... It's a very gorgeous scabbard. Even a layman like me who has no interest in knives can't help but be moved..."

The man in white stroked the gemstones inlaid on the hilt and sighed. Then he put the dagger into his pocket, walked towards the bewildered thin man with his hands behind his back, and said leisurely, "Now you should understand that what I said was not empty talk, right?"

"Don't...don't come here!"

Seeing the man approaching him, Pecuña was frightened and fell off the bed, sitting on the ground and trying to move backwards, "You... who are you...?! Could it be the government..." He didn't say anything else here, because the answer had already emerged in his mind.

Sure enough, the man scratched his head and sighed helplessly: "I told you I'm here to ask for your help, don't look like you're about to be slaughtered. But your guess is roughly correct. There's no need to hide it from you at this point... I'm a member of CP0, named Peter Gillis, and I came to this island to perform a confidential mission. As long as you cooperate, I won't hurt you at all."

He paused again and continued, "Oh, by the way, I just lied to you. It's useless even if you try to shout for help. I installed a soundproofing device on the roof a long time ago. Our conversation and any sound made here will never be heard outside."

When the word "CP0" reached his ears, Pecunia's whole body was shaken. He had heard that CP0 was the highest-level organization in the world government intelligence agency, and once they took action, it would indicate that something bad was about to happen.

So, Pecuña's anxious and trembling heart, like the ups and downs of the sea, gradually returned to calm after the rain.

——No! There is no need to send out a big shot like CP0 just to capture me! Since he is here, does that mean he came here for Senuno Island?

Before he could finish his thought, the other party answered his doubts slowly: "The reason why the superiors sent me here is to let me investigate the intelligence about the Wicca people... By the way, brother Pekunia, do you know why so many countries have been scrambling to join the World Government, and some countries have even been destroyed because of this?"

Pecunia was stunned for a moment, unable to figure out why he brought up this irrelevant topic, and said in astonishment: "Maybe it can be exchanged for the protection of the World Government from the invasion of pirates?"

"That's half right. The most important thing is to be wary of the risks that may come in droves."

Peter Gillis walked up to him and stopped, stretched out his right index finger and shook it, saying softly, "Countries that fail to join are destined to become lawless areas where pirates and human traffickers run rampant. People's lives are not guaranteed, and they have to worry about when they will be killed or sold into slavery. This kind of country with no future at all can be described as hell on earth..."

As he spoke, the eyes hidden behind his mask seemed to emit a cunning light, which looked particularly terrifying under the dim light: "It depends on the situation. It is not uncommon for him to suddenly disappear from the map without a trace one day."

Pecunia heard every word the man said, and it made his hair stand on end. A chill ran up his spine, and he could not help but curl up in the corner, looking like a child who had made a mistake and was waiting to be punished by his parents.

Peter Gillis didn't seem to notice his abnormality. He didn't even glance at him. He stared at the flawless white gloves on his hands and said to himself, "So the old men above think that in order to get more countries to join the World Government, they need to choose a suitable target to kill as a warning to the monkeys. The Wicca people, who had many conflicts with the government in the distant past, are naturally the best choice to be the victim."

Hearing this, Pecunia couldn't help swallowing his saliva and said in a trembling voice: "So you want to kill everyone on this island as a warning to those non-member countries?"

"Of course. Having said that, the Wicca... no, the race that once had another name has an innate talent for fighting. It will take a lot of effort to defeat them head-on. Even if an elite navy unit comes to attack them, there is a possibility that the whole army will be wiped out..."

As he spoke, he half-knelt down, staring straight at the man whose face had turned as pale as paper due to excessive fear, and deliberately lowered his voice and spoke word by word, "So after we found out your whereabouts, we chose to contact you directly. It is reported that you have gained the trust of the leader of the Wicca tribe yesterday. As long as you follow our instructions completely, we will be confident enough to take the lives of 3,000 Wicca people on the island without bloodshed. After the matter is accomplished, not only will the government not pursue your past mistakes, but it will also ensure that you will become the new king of the Kingdom of Etel."

New King!

These three words were like a powerful medicine that was injected into Pecuña's already shaky heart, causing him to jump up from the ground as if by reflex.

"Really...really?! Let me become the king?!"

Pecunia was so excited that he could not control himself. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and his mouth stretched to his ears due to excessive excitement. He did not care whether he was losing his composure or not. He immediately stepped forward and tightly grasped the other's sleeve, speaking incoherently, "Are you sure you are not lying to me?! I was just an ordinary noble before I was expelled from the country!"

"In the face of absolute power and money, anything impossible will become an inevitable fact."

Peter Gillis slowly stood up, gently moved Pecunia's arm away, and said with a smile, "As long as you have these two indispensable things, the fact that you are the king will be slowly accepted by the people over time."

"Yes, yes! Everything is up to you!"

Hearing what he said, Pecuña was overjoyed and immediately nodded rapidly. At this moment, he looked like an ignorant man who was blinded by the sudden temptation of huge benefits. Where was the cautious demeanor he had before?

Seeing that Pecuña had completely obeyed his orders, Peter Gillis nodded with satisfaction, reached into his pocket with his right hand, fumbled for a while, and took out a glass test tube filled with red liquid. He stared at the bubbles that kept coming out of the liquid surface, and a hint of an elusive smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "In order to ensure that everything is foolproof, before I tell you about the specific matters of the plan, it is necessary to introduce you to the real person in charge of this plan. In front of that adult, you must pay attention to the degree of your words."

Before he finished speaking, he threw the test tube in his hand to the ground with force. With a crisp sound, the test tube fell to the ground and shattered instantly, turning into tiny glass fragments that flew everywhere. A sticky bright red liquid flowed out of it and slowly spread toward the surrounding wooden floor.

"Huh! What is this?" Pecuña frowned, and felt a disgusting smell of blood coming towards him. He pinched his nose subconsciously and looked at Peter Gillis in surprise and suspicion, not understanding why he did this.

After a while, the pool of blood on the ground seemed to have self-awareness, and began to roll and surge, with dark red blood waves rising like a tide. With a gurgling sound like the wriggling of a soft-bodied creature, countless blood waves gathered in the same direction and gradually condensed into a thin human figure.

Because the light in the room was too dim, Pecuña could not see the man's appearance very clearly. The only thing he could recognize was the ball-shaped hairpin made of his long blood-red hair, and the pair of sharp and sinister eyes like a hawk that he would never forget in his life.

At this moment, those eyes were staring straight at him, as if they were the god of death living in the depths of hell. They looked particularly eerie and terrifying in the flickering light and dark environment.

Instantly, a chill ran through Pecunia's heart, and the thought that he would be killed if he made eye contact with that man flashed through his mind.

Apart from that, that peculiar and weird hairstyle was also the main factor that caused him to have an expression as if he had seen a ghost and made him unable to remain calm for a long time.

"Heaven... Celestial Dragon?!"

Time rolled forward like a wheel, and in the blink of an eye, it was three weeks later.

This day is the most special and important moment in the lives of the Wicca people. It is not only a farewell to the jeweler Pecuña who agreed to help Senuno Island open up overseas markets, but also a day to pray to the sacred tree standing in the center of the island every year.

People always believe that the sacred tree is the incarnation of the god Senuno who once saved their ancestors from dire straits and brought them to this land to bless their descendants with peace, tranquility and happiness. For this reason, every year on this day, the chief of the Wicca tribe will call on the whole tribe to go to the square in front of the sacred tree to perform a grand sacrificial ceremony, hoping to receive more protection and blessings in the next year.

Therefore, every resident who was born and raised on Senuno Island is always looking forward to this moment.

"Eh?! Dad, does this mean that Uno-nii-san can't attend today's ceremony?"

In the spacious and bright living room, Pan, who was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed and flipping through a history book, suddenly heard his daughter's voice full of disappointment. He paused for a moment, looked up at Rachel who was looking at him with worry, and shook his head with a wry smile: "I'm sorry, little Rachel. The doctor said that Uno had a moderate fracture in his thigh. Although he will recover after a week of recuperation, he still can't walk around outside during this period to prevent the injury from getting worse. So he can only stay at home like a good child today and not go anywhere."

"is that so......?"

After learning the details from Pan, Rachel lowered her head sadly, her childish voice becoming almost inaudible, "I'm sorry, Dad. My brother was injured because he was trying to help me rescue Rabbit from the cliff behind the island. If it weren't for me..." As she spoke, her voice became a little choked up, tears welled up in her eyes, and slowly flowed down her cheeks to her neck.

"Oh! Don't cry so sadly! My lovely little baby!"

Seeing his beloved daughter's initial sobbing turned into wailing, Pan, who always took care of his daughter, quickly picked up a pack of tissues from the table, wiped the remaining tears and snot on her face, touched her little head and comforted her: "If you hadn't called us adults over in time, the situation might have been several times worse than it is now! Fortunately, everyone is fine in the end!"

"Dad, your choice of words seems a bit inappropriate. Since there's nothing serious, then there's no way I can't walk outside."

As the rolling sound was heard, Uno, who was sitting in a wheelchair, slowly moved out from the corner and expressed strong protest against his father's statement. In his right hand, he held a furry rabbit doll, which was so white without any stains, and it looked so beautiful that people wanted to pinch it.

"Hey! Hey! You can't do this! My dear son!"

Seeing that his son, who was taking a nap, had woken up and joined their discussion, Pan, with cold sweat pouring down his forehead, hurriedly shouted to him, "You should not have forgotten the doctor's instructions? Until you can walk again, just lie in bed and don't move!"

"Don't worry, Dad."

Uno immediately raised his hand to stop Pan from jumping off the sofa and pretending to push him back to the room. The smile on his face was still as gentle as usual, without any change because of the injury. "I just have something to give to Rachel."

Before his father recovered from his brief shock, Uno slowly pushed the wheelchair to his sister, slowly stretched out his right hand holding the rabbit doll, and said with a smile: "Rabbit got too dirty yesterday, so I gave him a bath, and I roughly repaired some of the damaged parts on his body. Now you can play with him again!"

"really?"

Rachel was stunned for a moment, then she stopped crying immediately. She rubbed her red and swollen eyes and looked at her brother's friendly face. After hesitating for a long time, she nodded heavily and smiled, "Thank you, Brother Uno! Brother, you must recover soon and go fishing with me in the future!"

"Well, it's a deal."

Just as Rachel's little hand was about to touch the rabbit doll, Uno's right hand suddenly emitted a faint green light and made a continuous "buzzing" sound.

Then, an incredible scene happened.

The exquisite rabbit doll with almost no flaws trembled violently for a while, and it was as if it was torn apart by a naughty child. It instantly turned into debris and scattered all over the ground.

Instantly, the scene fell into a dead silence, and even the air around them was filled with an awkward smell. Everyone's expression seemed to freeze at this moment, staring silently at the pile of doll wreckage that could be described as horrible.

After a moment, Uno, Rachel, and Pan seemed to be finally pulled back to reality. Their eyeballs popped out of their sockets in shock, their mouths opened almost touching the floor, and their faces were filled with surprise and surprise.

ha? !