OPTC Chapter 326: The Proper Way to Catch Pirates
As dusk settled, bonfires were lit in the center of the village. The flames illuminated the new leaves—wait, no, just leaves—and cast a warm glow over the lively crowd.
Over twenty people gathered around the fire, arms slung over each other's shoulders as they sang and danced to some unknown tune.
Among them, Zhang Da Ye in his red apple outfit stood out the most. He seemed to enjoy this kind of event immensely, blending in faster than even Brook, who was actually from this world.
Brook wasn't idle either. After performing a violin solo and showing off his signature 45-degree gentleman's pose, he slipped into a shadowy corner and made a peculiar request to a pretty young lady.
"Who wants to see that? You pervert!" the lady snapped, lifting her leg and unleashing a Chun-Li-style barrage of kicks.
"Yohohoho~" Brook collapsed on the ground with a blissful grin. "Th-thank you very much…"
That gentleman was completely beyond saving.
"Transform! Transform! Transform!" A group of half-drunk men and teenage boys surrounded Shark Chili, cheering him on loudly.
They had thought, at first, that Shark Chili was just another guy wearing a strange costume like Zhang Da Ye, until they realized—he was a real robot.
Shark Chili obligingly demonstrated his transformation forms, striking a few heroic poses before joining some adults for drinks.
Thanks to the Golden Lion incident, there were almost no children under ten left in the village. The teenage boys gathered around Shark Chili, while the girls dragged Wendy and Perona off in search of desserts. Carla followed reluctantly, pretending she wasn't enjoying it.
At this kind of bonfire party, food wasn't laid out in one place—it surrounded the fire in several concentric circles of tables. The girls ran from one to another like treasure hunters, holding hands, looking for the prettiest snacks to share.
To be fair, though, even if you combined all the village girls together, they still weren't as cute as the Amber crew's two little ones.
Zhang Da Ye couldn't help but feel a little proud.
Artoria and Rui Meng Meng wandered around with Tom, eating a little from every table before moving on to the next. As long as they kept rotating fast enough, nobody would realize how much they were actually eating.
The cooks and servers did find the food disappearing faster than expected, but they just assumed it was because of the crowd.
This time, the chefs didn't have to worry about collapsing from exhaustion—partly because Zhang Da Ye had warned them not to overdo it, and partly because all the village housewives were taking turns helping out.
Having just sent off the insistent village chief who refused to stop offering toasts, Zhang Da Ye chatted with the two brothers, Paul and Artyom.
Artyom, the older brother, worked as a blacksmith in Shells Town. Big and broad-shouldered, he looked nothing like his younger brother.
"Everyone's so enthusiastic," Zhang Da Ye sighed, a little overwhelmed. One toast after another—who could handle that? Even if they replaced the alcohol with juice, it'd still be too much. He almost wanted to bring Tom over to act as a drinking shield; after all, when Tom was heartbroken, the empty bottles he went through could build a small mountain.
"They're just grateful to you!" Paul said, his cheeks flushed from drinking.
They hadn't properly celebrated after being freed because there was too much to do, and later, nobody brought it up again. So Paul thought—why not make today an annual village holiday to thank their saviors? Call it a Thanksgiving Day.
"Did you thank the Marines too?" Zhang Da Ye asked curiously, wondering what kind of impression Kizaru left on ordinary people—friendly or distant?
"Well… last time Vice Admiral Strawberry came, he left in a hurry. Said he had another mission and didn't want the credit to go to the local base. So we never got the chance."
"What about the Marines stationed in your town?" Zhang Da Ye asked.
"They're alright," Artyom replied. "They do their patrols, and I often hear them training when I pass the base. They seem reliable. There's even an officer named Morgan—he's really brave when fighting pirates. Sometimes I think about joining the Marines myself."
"Sounds like a decent base," Zhang Da Ye nodded. He figured if this branch had been corrupt, he'd have to send another report to Gion again. Hopefully, she wouldn't find him troublesome.
As for Captain Morgan—he probably hadn't lost his hand or been hypnotized yet, so he wasn't that future 'Axe King Morgan' who could one-shot a Marine hero. Right now, he was just a righteous and courageous officer.
Since Kuro and Jango were already locked up in Impel Down, Morgan's path would likely be different now—he might actually rise through true merit.
Another good deed done without even trying, Zhang Da Ye thought happily.
The stacked firewood burned steadily, some pieces crackling with sparks as moisture hissed away. Tiny embers drifted upward like glowing fireflies.
Shark Chili had long since reverted to his normal form but was surrounded by kids begging him to transform again. Out of ideas, he started performing magic tricks, using his storage compartment to hand out small gifts—each child got a tube of toothpaste and a lecture about brushing regularly.
Wendy, Perona, and the girls sat in a circle now, too full to eat. They played some kind of hand game that looked like duck-duck-goose. Carla called it childish at first but ended up singing louder than anyone.
Wendy sat politely, while Perona used her ghost to peek behind her during the game. If they ever played Werewolf, she'd definitely be the one cheating with her eyes open.
Artoria and Rui Meng Meng could no longer hide their appetites; at this point, they were the only ones still eating. Rui Meng Meng blushed under everyone's stares and tried to stop, but Artoria kept dragging her to new tables. "If no one eats, the food will go to waste," she reasoned.
Tom was stuffed to the point of rolling. He waddled over to Zhang Da Ye, leaned against him, rubbed his back twice, and fell asleep purring.
Brook and Zhang Da Ye were still mingling with the dancers. Their shadows stretched long and thin in the bonfire light.
Zhang Da Ye downed the rest of his awful drink, lifted his glass toward the sky, and watched the flickering reflections of fire and starlight merge on the glass.
Looking at Paul being carried home by Artyom, he thought idly—maybe catching every pirate in the sea wouldn't be such a bad idea.
The Great Pirate Era? Please.
…
The next morning, the Amber crew went for a rare group jog along Melville's coast. Even Tom had to wear sportswear, and Carla trotted behind Wendy, her short legs surprisingly fast.
It was part exercise, part sightseeing, and partly a free patrol—checking if any mutated animals were left on the island. A good way to repay the villagers' hospitality.
Zhang Da Ye, unusually energetic, ran under the rising sun and almost felt like singing a military march—but decided it wasn't quite the mood.
Afterward, instead of visiting Paul's family again, they planned to go to Shells Town for some shopping and restocking supplies.
As usual, Zhang Da Ye handed out pocket money, keeping his promise—Wendy and Perona both got a small raise.
Tom was exhausted. Even the promise of food couldn't get him to walk; he insisted on staying in the backpack, poking his head out to look around.
Wendy had enough stamina to carry Carla, while Perona, tempted by the thought of shopping and her increased allowance, decided she could push through her fatigue. Apparently, girls had a hidden energy bar just for shopping.
The most prominent building on Shells Town's coast was the gray structure flying the seagull flag—the Marine 153rd Branch.
From outside, they could hear the rhythmic shouts of training Marines. It all looked very proper and reliable.
But the moment they walked past the gate, the training stopped—and a blaring alarm rang out.
Everyone jumped. Perona scowled. "What the heck? That's so loud—it scared me!"
Shark Chili frowned. "Something's happening. That sounds like an air raid siren."
Brook nodded knowingly. "That's the pirate alert. It means the base is preparing for battle. Hasn't changed in all these years."
Ye Yan raised a brow. "How do you know that? You ever attack a Marine base before?"
"Of course not," Brook said. "But an alarm is still a kind of music—one that makes your heart race."
Rui Meng Meng, who had been observing quietly, pointed toward the sea. "There's a ship out there. The townspeople are running inland."
The villagers seemed experienced. At the sound of the siren, they immediately began evacuating, while Zhang Da Ye's group stood motionless in the street like confused tourists.
Artoria reached out, as if trying to stop something—but it was too late. The ice cream vendor had already fled. The little hair curl on her head drooped in despair.
A Marine guard spotted them and ran over. "Please, citizens, move away from the coast! We've spotted pirates offshore—our ships are mobilizing now! Stay clear of stray shells!"
He didn't bother saying "Don't panic," because these people clearly weren't panicking at all. He wanted to scream at them: That's a pirate attack, you idiots! The kind that cuts through East Blue without blinking! Run!
Zhang Da Ye exhaled, relieved. He thought for a second that the alarm had been about *him*. "So it's just pirates. That's fine." He asked, "Need a hand?"
"Thank you, sir, but this is Marine business. Please seek shelter," the soldier answered automatically—then paused, recognizing them. The cat, the skeleton, the robot, the little girls…
"Wait—you're the Amber Travel Crew?"
"Yep." Zhang Da Ye slung off one backpack strap and showed him Tom, who had just woken up. He'd realized recently that showing Tom was like flashing an ID card. Annoying that his own handsome face was less recognizable than the cat's.
"So, do you need help?" he asked again. He liked this soldier already; besides, if it was just a small pirate crew, they could end things in minutes.
"No, sir," the Marine said firmly. "This is our duty. But… if anything slips past us, please help protect the civilians."
"Got it. Good luck," Zhang Da Ye said easily. Sure, they could end it instantly, but then the Marines wouldn't get any real combat experience. Better to let them handle it while he stood by, just in case.
As the soldier ran off, Zhang Da Ye regretted not asking his name. He wasn't an ordinary Marine—he had pride, but also the sense to put people first. That kind of person could go far.
The alarm wailed as two small Marine ships left the harbor. Since they'd spotted the pirates early, their plan was to intercept them before they could land.
The 153rd Branch wasn't big, and having two ships was already impressive—usually, one patrolled the nearby sea while the other stayed docked. Now, both were out and ready for battle.
Zhang Da Ye and his crew watched quietly from shore. The pirate ship, stubbornly refusing to flee, fired the first shot—clearly hoping for a dramatic victory.
The Marines returned fire immediately. The cannons from both ships bombarded the pirates, easily suppressing them.
The pirate ship tried to dodge but lacked an Artoria-class helmsman. After two rounds, one cannonball punched a hole high in the hull, another exploded on deck, setting a fire that was quickly extinguished.
Losing the artillery duel, the pirates charged straight at the Marines for boarding combat. According to Artoria's senses, they had more men than the Marines—153rd really was a small branch.
But the Marines weren't about to give up their advantage. They adjusted course to circle around, maintaining distance to keep firing, hoping to whittle the pirates down—or better yet, sink them outright.
After taking several more hits, the pirates changed tactics. Instead of chasing the Marines, they turned toward the coast and began firing at the town—forcing the Marines to close in and engage.
Zhang Da Ye's group was ready to block any stray shells, but the Marines didn't know that. They had no choice but to split their focus—continuing to fire while intercepting the enemy head-on.
Watching the exchange, Zhang Da Ye sighed. "Now that's a real naval battle. And those pirates really need a good beating."
[Powerstones plz...
patreon.com/GuessMyName33 for 50 chapters ahead
If you like this novel, check out my other novels in my profile!]