Chapter 272: The Blood Claw

Chapter 272: Chapter 272: The Blood Claw

Laden with looted treasure, the pirate ship sailed away from the now-burning Gray Bream Town.

On the deck of the pirate ship known as the "Blood Claw," a savage jubilance filled the air, the aftermath of their successful atrocities.

"Hehe, the haul this time is pretty good! Boss, shouldn’t we go and try our luck in the first half of the Grand Line?" a lackey said fawningly to the Captain.

The man addressed as the Captain was a burly fellow with a fleshy face and a scar over his left eye. He was weighing a stolen gold brick in his hand and, upon hearing this, was just about to boast—

"Boss! Ship spotted ahead! A... a huge ship!" a subordinate’s voice came from the mast’s lookout post, laced with astonishment.

The Captain frowned, took the monocular hanging from his waist, and raised it to his eye.

On the distant sea horizon, a massive sailing ship with sleek lines, far surpassing his "Blood Claw" in scale, was sailing in this direction at a steady pace.

The distance was still great, and the details were unclear, but the flag painted on the fluttering main sail was clearly visible—it did not belong to any South Blue Pirate Crew he knew.

The flag was a strange Jolly Roger featuring three swords and long horns. Its overall style carried an exotic beauty and... an indescribable sense of oppression.

"An unfamiliar Jolly Roger..." the Captain lowered the monocular and asked his bespectacled first mate beside him.

"Since when did a guy like this pop up in the South Blue? The ship is fucking huge, though!"

The first mate hurriedly raised his own monocular, identified it carefully, and muttered: "Never seen it, no impression at all... Could it be a new Pirate Crew that just formed and hasn’t made a name for itself yet? Wait!"

He suddenly exclaimed, "Boss! The ship, on the ship... it seems to be all women! And... good heavens, so many beauties! There are also two... exceptionally tall figures! That... that wouldn’t be the legendary Giant Race, would it?! Do giants really exist?!"

The first mate’s voice was full of shock, which was quickly replaced by greed—greed for treasure and beauty.

"What?! All women? And giants?"

The Captain was also stunned and raised the monocular again, looking more carefully this time.

Sure enough, in the field of view, the figures on the deck of that big ship were clearly all women, with beautiful figures, and their attire was completely different from the sloppiness of ordinary pirates; one could even call it a feast for the eyes.

There were even two towering Female Giants; he didn’t need the first mate to explain what they were.

"Hahahaha! Giants, and Female Giants at that! I wonder how much they’re worth!" The Captain lowered the monocular, laughed crudely, raised the long sword in his hand, and roared at the subordinates looking over from the deck:

"Boys! Did you see that?! Even the heavens are favoring us! We just finished robbing a town, and now a big ship is delivered to us, and it’s full of broads! A bunch of women playing pirate like men? They should go home and nurse their babies! Follow me and charge! Take that ship, and the ship and the women will all be ours!!"

"Roar——!! The Captain is mighty!!"

"Seize the ship! Seize the women!!"

Bloodthirsty cheers erupted on the deck. The pirates, who had just committed atrocities, felt their eyes ignite with burning lust again, as if they could already see themselves boarding that magnificent ship, surrounded by women.

The Captain was full of pride and satisfaction, calculating rapidly in his mind:

Judging by the specifications and speed of this big ship, it was definitely not ordinary South Blue fare; it might have drifted over from the Grand Line or even the New World.

If they could take it, it would be the perfect vessel to advance into the Grand Line! He had originally planned to use the stolen money to buy a better ship, but now he didn’t even have to spend the money! His luck had truly turned!

However, he hadn’t been dreaming for more than a few seconds—

"Thump, thump, thump! Crack——!!"

A dull pounding sound suddenly came from the bottom of the ship, followed by the sound of wooden planks breaking and seawater rushing in! The ship lurched violently!

"What’s going on?!" The Captain steadied himself and demanded sternly.

"It’s bad, Captain! The bottom of the ship! The bottom has been smashed through! Several big holes!!" The sailor in charge of the hold scrambled onto the deck, his face drained of all color.

"What?! How is that possible! We’ve been sailing the whole time, who could have such fast..." The Captain’s voice trailed off.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——!!!"

A sharp piercing sound suddenly came from the sea! It wasn’t cannonballs, but dozens of arrows shimmering with cold light!

"Puchi! Puchi! Ah——!!"

"My leg!!"

"Help..."

The muffled sound of arrows piercing flesh, the sound of bones shattering, and shrill screams instantly replaced the earlier cheers.

The power of these arrows was terrifying. Not only did they easily pierce human bodies, but their remaining momentum could even drive them deep into the wooden deck, leaving bowl-sized holes; their power was comparable to small cannonballs!

In a single volley, a dozen pirates were killed on the spot, and many more were injured. The deck was a mess, with blood flowing everywhere.

"Damn it! Where is the attack coming from?! Defend! Find cover!!" The Captain was shocked and angry, swinging his sword in an attempt to block an arrow aimed at his face.

"Clang——!"

Metal clashed against metal, sparks flying. He barely managed to deflect the arrow, but his sword-wielding arm was shaken numb, and the web between his thumb and index finger ached painfully!

This horrified him: just an arrow had this much force?!

"Captain! The ship is taking on too much water, we can’t move!!" the sailor shouted in despair.

"Dammit! We kicked an iron plate!" The Captain’s face turned livid. He finally realized that the "woman ship" in the distance was by no means a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, but a terrifying sea beast disguised in sheep’s clothing!

The rain of arrows continued for two or three more volleys, precise and efficient.

The "Blood Claw" had long since been riddled with holes, its sails torn and masts broken. Less than a third of the pirates on deck were still standing, and all were wounded; morale had completely collapsed.

When the rain of arrows finally ceased, the remaining pirates looked in terror toward the front where the attack might have come from.

"Splash——!"

Four agile and graceful figures leaped lightly from the seawater near the side of the "Blood Claw" like dolphins, tracing beautiful arcs before landing steadily on the chaotic deck.

Water droplets slid off their curvaceous bodies, refracting rainbow halos in the sunlight.

They were four women with different appearances, hair colors, and temperaments, but all were breathtakingly beautiful.

They wore form-fitting, specially made armor with scale patterns, held long swords or water-parting daggers, and their eyes were cold.

"So, so beautiful..." an injured pirate stared in a daze, muttering.

"It’s, it’s a Mermaid! I saw it just now! When they jumped up, their Tails turned into legs!"

Another sharp-eyed pirate shouted excitedly.

The Captain suppressed his fear and the numbness in his arm, gripped the hilt of his sword, and roared, trying to sound tough:

"Who... who are you people?! Since when did someone like you appear in the South Blue?!"

The leading woman with long, wavy blue hair and a sword took a step forward, her voice cold and clear:

"Heavenly Punishment Pirates, Underwater Unit Captain, Melo."

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