"Thump, thump, thump."
Raiden Ei followed the pirate named Sese deeper into the island. The further they went, the more pirates recognized him. She watched as he greeted them.
After walking a considerable distance, Sese brought Raiden Ei to a cluster of houses. These buildings were also old, with weeds growing in the corners, and the pathway trampled down into solid ground.
A nearly two-meter-high wooden fence encircled the houses, with only one large gate remaining at the front. Two tall watchtowers stood on either side.
A few bare-chested pirates holding flintlock muskets were dozing off inside. Sese didn't disturb them; he merely reported to one pirate before leading Raiden Ei inside.
As they walked, she observed the area. Houses of various sizes, constructed from wood, were arranged haphazardly on both sides. Occasionally, she saw women in tattered clothing moving back and forth among them.
Raiden Ei carefully perceived the pirate stronghold using her Observation Haki, discovering two areas where personnel were densely concentrated, with more pirates scattered around.
After covering a significant distance, they arrived in front of the largest building. Sese turned to Raiden Ei and asked, "Can you take off that cloak? It's not very appropriate to meet the Captain like this."
Raiden Ei refused without hesitation: "No!"
Seeing her refusal, Sese didn't press the issue, adopting an expression that implied he was looking out for her best interests. He reminded her, "If you won't take it off, fine. At worst, I'll just run faster later. If the Captain gets angry, you won't have an easy time.", After saying that, he walked inside.
Raiden Ei immediately followed. As soon as she entered the main gate, she saw three pirates sitting inside, discussing something, with several women attending to them nearby.
The one sitting in the middle, she guessed, was Sanjam, the Captain of the Octopus Pirate Crew. Even while sitting, he appeared tall and lacked exaggerated muscle mass.
His thick, long, curly hair draped down his back. Only upon closer inspection could one notice that his sinister-looking face occasionally dripped with mucus.
When Sese brought Raiden Ei in, he was the first to look over, fixing the two with a gloomy stare. Seeing his reaction, the others then looked toward them.
Sese quickly hurried forward when he saw Sanjam looking, greeting the three with a grin: "Captain, First Mate, I found someone outside who, like the Captain, has eaten a Devil Fruit. She even said she wants to join our Octopus Pirate Crew. I've brought her here; she's the one. Captain, you decide whether to let her join. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Sese quickly reported what he knew and immediately tried to slip away, but Sanjam called him back the moment he turned around.
Sanjam's eyes were fixed intently on Raiden Ei, and his slimy voice rang out, "Sese, don't go yet. Explain the situation to us first."
Cold sweat broke out on Sese's body, forcing him to turn back. He pointed at Raiden Ei and said:
"When I was on watch today, this woman wearing a cloak and a mask suddenly dropped right next to me from the sky. I asked her, and she said she wanted to see you, Captain, so I brought her here. Earlier, the Fierce Elephant Pirate Crew and the Vanguard Pirate Crew tried to snatch her away, but I scared them off by mentioning your name. That's the whole story. Can I go now, Captain?"
Sanjam didn't even turn his head, still staring intently at Raiden Ei, and said directly, "You can go!"
Sese hurriedly wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead and ran out the door.
At that moment, everyone in the hall was staring directly at Raiden Ei. The two burly men Sese called the First Mate scrutinized her from head to toe, smirks of disdain on their faces, as if they looked down on her completely.
Raiden Ei naturally wasn't afraid of these people. Having arrived here, she decided to ask her question directly.
The demonic sword she held struck the wooden floor of the hall with a "thud."
She asked in a flat tone, "Since you are the high-ranking members of the Octopus Pirate Crew, I will state my purpose for coming here directly. Do you possess a log pose that goes directly to Jaya Island?"
"Hahaha, woman, do you even know what place this is? You dare to state your conditions before even showing your face! Captain, is that right!"
The burly man on the right attacked Raiden Ei before Sanjam could speak. The other burly man thought the same, and they both started mocking her.
Raiden Ei picked up her demonic sword and gripped the hilt, looking ready to fight immediately. Her eyes beneath the mask swept over them: "Oh! It seems communication is impossible."
Seeing this scene, Sanjam suddenly raised a hand, and the mocking laughter directed at Raiden Ei by the two burly men in the hall abruptly stopped.
They looked at Sanjam with confusion, but he ignored them, his gaze fixed only on Raiden Ei. His slimy voice sounded out:
"I certainly have a log pose that goes to Jaya Island."
"But by the looks of you, you don't seem like you want to join my Pirate Crew! Since you want to go to Jaya Island, you must have designs on that place, right? Is it the legend there?"
Raiden Ei looked at him with slight surprise. Had he figured out so much so quickly? Although it wasn't exactly what she intended. He probably didn't know about the Sky Island; otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed here all this time. He likely only knew about the legend there!
She loosened her hand gripping the sword hilt and said in the same flat tone, "Oh! You actually know the legend of Skypiea."
Upon hearing Raiden Ei's words, Sanjam's pupils contracted momentarily, and his mouth slowly stretched into a wider grin. His long hair on his head began to grow longer, spreading out in all directions.
Drops of mucus fell from the hair, dripping "drip, drop" onto the wooden floor.
The two burly men and several women in the hall instantly changed color and scrambled toward a corner.
His voice, trembling with wild ecstasy, followed: "Hahaha, you definitely know how to find Skypiea, don't you? I knew I would find it."
"Woman, tell me where Skypiea is hidden! I can allow you to join my Pirate Crew, and you will certainly have a share of the treasure obtained from Skypiea."
"If you dare to resist, then you will die here today."
Sanjam's hair slowly occupied most of the hall, and at that moment, the hair transformed into sticky, thick tentacles.
The suckers densely covering the tentacles expelled sticky liquid. The expression on his face became even more frenzied, as if he had cast all caution aside.
"Oh! No, you will wish you were dead."
"I guarantee it."
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