(send power stones please)
"Two-Wheel Gunslinger Kokos has been taken out!"
"Pirate Hunter Hermes Jormungandr won!"
The entire street went so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
In the open and in the shadows, who knew how many pairs of eyes were staring—shocked, thrilled, and wary. After all, that was a major pirate with a 44,000,000 bounty.
At the center of it all stood Hermes—rising like the sun.
With sheer personal power, he'd ripped out Mayute Town's three greatest cancers.
A hero.
A warrior.
"AAAAAH!"
"Hahaha!"
"He's finally dead!"
"From today on, the Dog-Dog Pirates, the Chain Pirates, and the Two-Wheel Pirates will all be history!"
"Lord Jormungandr!!!"
It wasn't just the citizens venting—they'd never imagined the day would come when those three plagues would be erased.
How many years had it been?
How many years of oppression and looting?
Today, they were finally free.
Especially those families with daughters—those who'd lost girls to murder and humiliation. The survivors sobbed with joy, then ran to spread the news.
In a single day, Mayute Town felt like a different world.
And the man at the center of every conversation—Hermes—was already at the doctor's clinic, Kokos's head in hand, getting treated.
This time he was injured too, but far lighter than before.
Just disinfect, wrap it up—done.
"Unbelievable…"
The doctor bandaged him while staring at that dead, wide-eyed head. His face was full of awe and admiration.
This kid actually pulled it off.
Damn.
Forty-four million in one shot.
Instant wealth.
For some reason, the doctor felt his heart stir… like maybe he should switch careers.
"Mayute will finally have peace."
"You're a hero now. Those three pirate crews didn't just bully people—they ruined lives."
Gratitude shone in the doctor's eyes. There were even tears, like he'd remembered something painful.
"You can have the loot," Hermes said, feeling light and satisfied. "Call it payment for the medical bills."
Mastering Observation had put him in an incredible mood.
After all—Haki wasn't something just anyone could awaken.
"This is forty-four million," the doctor said, snapping instantly back into money-goblin mode.
"Is that a lot?" Hermes sneered. Then he added with pure disdain:
"Know what there's most of in this world? Pirates. They're walking stacks of Beli. To me, they're all just ATMs."
The doctor froze… then his face drooped.
Yeah.
This guy…
He had to admit it—
That flex got him.
"Alright, alright. Get lost," the doctor grumbled.
Then, hesitating, he added, "But… I've got a favor to ask. If you're not leaving Mayute right away… could you clear out the other pirate gangs and criminal groups too?"
His voice carried hope.
Because Mayute didn't only have three big cancers. It had plenty of smaller ones too.
If anyone could truly restore this town to something clean and livable…
It was Hermes.
"I'm not a good person," Hermes said, waving a hand.
And he left the doctor with nothing but a cool, swaggering silhouette.
"…Sigh." The doctor sighed, but didn't take it too hard.
If it were him, he probably wouldn't agree either. Bullets didn't care if you were a hero.
Hunting brutal pirates meant gambling your life every time.
Pirate hunting really did pay fast—one job could change your whole life.
But the risk behind it was getting sent straight to the afterlife at any moment.
Walk by the river long enough and you're going to get wet.
In that light… his request really was a bit much.
But then—
Mayute shook.
A town-wide earthquake.
A one-sided slaughter began.
Now that Hermes had Observation Haki, guns and dirty ambushes couldn't threaten him anymore. He moved like a killer without emotion—cold, merciless, harvesting lives.
Drip… drip… drip…
Light rain fell from the sky.
But in the gutters and road ruts, what flowed was blood.
Ordinary residents stood in their doorways, staring at the red water on the ground, listening to thunder and lightning—and to the screams and begging that sometimes echoed through it.
"Lord Jormungandr…"
"Please—come back safe."
"Our hero…"
The doctor stood in front of his tiny clinic too, choking up as he cursed aimlessly:
"Stubborn, damn admirable kid… I've lived a worthwhile life. I dragged a hero back from the brink of death—multiple times!"
From the way he muttered, it was obvious he was the type who exaggerated and bragged.
Yep.
Hermes was cleansing Mayute's remaining cancers.
Anyway, he planned to rest for two or three days before leaving town. So he might as well use the time to further stabilize Observation—and maybe develop the Mini-Mini Fruit in real combat.
Mayute's trash was perfect for that.
No pressure at all.
The common people were happy.
But the pirates and thugs?
They were cracking.
New Dawn
The sun rose—bursting with life.
A long merchant caravan wound along a twisting road.
On one of the wagons, Hermes sat cross-legged, thinking.
"This Observation awakening was an unexpected jackpot. If I can awaken Armament too, that'd be even better."
"Prodence Kingdom is in the New World, after all. The royal family should have something—maybe information on Haki, or other combat techniques."
Hermes didn't buy it for a second that a whole kingdom had nothing.
Even if you ignored powerful figures among the people, the royal court's guards and hidden forces should have something.
And if not?
He could always trade with the Navy—getting one or two techniques shouldn't be impossible.
"And Prodence's neighbor is Dressrosa… that punk 'Xiao Ming' hasn't become king yet."
"My information channels are still too limited."
On the road, Hermes planned things out carefully.
No matter what—
He'd fully clear "Prodence Kingdom," this newbie zone, first.
Maximize profits.
Squeeze it dry.
Worst case? He'd just become king himself.
Dynasties rise and fall—talent comes in waves. The throne rotates. If not this year, then next year it's my turn.
In the One Piece world, stealing a country was easy—as long as your power was absolute and no one could resist.
And with a king's identity, negotiating with the World Government would be far easier.
Pirate hunter, emperor—those were just jobs.
He couldn't hang himself on one profession.
His gaze had to be long-term.
He was free.
Ten Days Later
The caravan finally reached the royal capital—after a rough journey.
Along the way they'd run into robbery, checkpoints, and multiple fights.
Enough to show just how chaotic Prodence Kingdom had become.
"As expected of a national capital," Hermes muttered as he walked the broad street—seven or eight meters wide—packed with people and hawkers yelling.
Even if it was messy, a kingdom's capital was still far more prosperous than the countryside.
And order was relatively safer too.
Sure, there were pirates and thugs here as well—but they weren't as openly savage as the ones in Mayute.
Hermes found an inn first, planning to rest—then go gather information.
Evening
Red clouds swirled at the horizon as the capital lit up in a blaze of lanterns.
Every tavern and geisha house overflowed with patrons. If you wanted news, these places were the fastest path.
Hermes entered a tavern.
A server immediately greeted him with a smile.
"What can I get you, sir?"
"One bottle of rum," Hermes said, scanning the room, "and bring out your best signature dishes."
Most seats were already full.
The majority were pirates and thugs, but there were plenty of other types too.
Loud. Alive.
The server set him at a table by himself.
Hermes sat down, then quietly perked up his ears, listening to the conversations around him.
He hoped to catch something useful.
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