After taking down Explosive Rabbit, Hermes swaggered away with his prize.
Although he was injured, it wasn’t anything serious.
To be honest.
Pirates with a bounty of 40 million Berries were no longer a significant threat to him unless he used the surefire technique King Iron Body to take their attacks head-on, which might cause him to get injured.
Such behaviour was quite foolish.
But if he wanted to continue refining Iron Body, this kind of foolish behavior was something Hermes had to persist in!
“What’s that guy’s name!”
Explosive Wolf stood over Explosive Rabbit’s headless body, his face twisted with rage, emanating a terrifying killing intent.
For a full hour, Explosive Rabbit’s body had lain there in a pool of blood, with passersby avoiding it until Explosive Wolf arrived with his men.
“Boss, that kid called himself Hermes Jormungandr, a bounty hunter.”
One of his men reported seriously but with a hint of fear in his eyes.
No one expected the second-in-command to be killed so publicly, his head taken as a bounty prize. This was the first time in seven or eight years someone had dared to challenge the Violent Family so openly.
It was clear that this person was an outsider, completely unaware of the terror that was the Violent Family, especially the ferocity of Explosive Wolf.
“Jormungandr.”
“Find him for me.”
Explosive Wolf growled through gritted teeth.
He was going to tear this guy to pieces.
At the same time.
There were many other factions looking for Hermes.
For instance, the Crown Prince. If Hermes could take down Explosive Rabbit, he must be quite powerful and worth recruiting. This would give him an edge in the fight for the throne.
Then there was Elizabeth II, who was having a hard time.
With the Crown Prince allying with the Scythe Pirates to kill the Second Prince, Elizabeth II was now the last remaining royal. He needed external help to survive, let alone claim the throne.
Gradually.
Hermes’s exploits in Myotown also came to light.
After all, someone who could easily kill Explosive Rabbit couldn’t have gone unnoticed, even if he was an outsider. Many factions quickly discovered his past actions.
“Indeed, not ordinary.”
“The Dog Pirates, the Chain Pirates, and the Double Wheel Pirates were all taken down by this bounty hunter.”
“I’ve heard of the Chain Pirates. Their captain had a bounty of 43 million Berries.”
“And there’s the Double Wheel Gunner, Kokos, with a bounty of 44 million.”
“Are bounty hunters this bold these days?”
“Be careful. We might be targeted next.”
“Boss, you’re only worth 2 million Berries. He probably won’t bother with you.”
“Take him away and beat him.”
Without a doubt.
The entire royal city was abuzz because of Hermes.
Elsewhere.
In a tavern serving as the temporary base for the Giraffe Pirates, many pirates with bandages were present.
“Captain, the second-in-command of the Violent Family, whom we fought, was killed in the street today by a bounty hunter named Hermes Jormungandr.”
“Oh? Explosive Rabbit wasn’t weak.”
Captain Giraffe Ent was surprised after hearing the report.
They had fled to this kingdom and first clashed with the Violent Family. After a fierce battle, it was a stalemate. But to hear that the Violent Family’s second-in-command was killed in the street was unexpected.
They were quite unlucky.
The Giraffe Pirates had a standoff with another pirate crew at sea. Just as the battle was about to begin, a man on a bicycle passed by.
Ent was certain he didn’t see it wrong; the man was indeed on a bicycle. And this was on the sea.
Then the nightmare began.
The other pirates, finding the man on the bicycle annoying, fired a cannon at him.
No one knew what that bicyclist did, but all those pirates turned into ice sculptures in an instant, not lasting a single round. Only then did Ent recognize him.
Damn.
Wasn’t that one of the Navy’s three monstrous Vice Admirals, Kuzan?
An unbeatable Logia user.
Any hesitation in fleeing was disrespecting their own lives, so Ent had his crew turn the ship around and sail as fast as an eagle.
Under normal circumstances, they hadn’t provoked him and should have been safe. Yet the man on the bicycle slowly chased after them.
That scared Ent senseless.
They lived in constant fear until their supplies ran low, forcing them to land in the Prodence Kingdom.
They just hoped the man wasn’t still chasing them.
Otherwise, it would be a disaster.
“Forget the Violent Family for now. We’ll leave the Prodence Kingdom in two days.”
Ent’s eyelids kept twitching today.
He had a bad feeling.
Fearing Kuzan might still be chasing them, he decided it was best to leave after resupplying. If they got caught, the best case would be instant death; the worst case would be a lifetime in the world’s greatest prison.
Neither outcome was desirable.
Ent’s success was due to his caution, never blindly confident.
“Yes!”
The Giraffe Pirates began packing up to flee, while Hermes returned to his inn, having exchanged his bounty for Berries. He relaxed, tidying up his appearance, and then went to a nearby tavern to satisfy his hunger.
He didn’t know why, but after battles, he always felt hungry.
This was a good sign, indicating his body’s increasing digestion and recovery capabilities, essential traits for a strong individual.
“The Violent Family is frantically searching for a bounty hunter named Hermes Jormungandr.”
“I know. That bounty hunter killed Explosive Rabbit in the street.”
“Really? That was Explosive Rabbit!”
“That bounty hunter also wiped out the Dog Pirates, the Chain Pirates, and the Double Wheel Pirates in Myotown.”
“Those pirate crews aren’t simple. Their captains had bounties of 30 or 40 million Berries.”
“So he’s a tough guy!”
As soon as he sat down, Hermes heard conversations about him. News had spread faster than he expected. Soon, his deeds would be known throughout the royal city and beyond.
Even his actions in Myotown were uncovered.
Apparently, the dissemination of information in the world of pirates was quite fast.
Hearing these discussions, Hermes felt secretly pleased.
This was the feeling of fame.
Listening to others’ exclamations, admiration, and awe, he felt an inexplicable sense of superiority, a higher power over life and death, filling his heart with vanity.
Now he understood why fame stood alongside power and wealth.
“Have you seen that bounty hunter?”
“No, I wasn’t there.”
“I heard he’s young, about nineteen or twenty, with black hair, wearing a white shirt and black pants, with no distinct features.”
Listening to the nearby chatter, a short-bearded pirate glanced around the tavern, his eyes landing on Hermes, who was casually gnawing on a meat leg.
But then he reconsidered. There were many people wearing white shirts and black pants.
Although Hermes was the only one in the tavern matching that description, the short-bearded pirate didn’t think much of it.
Hermes, meanwhile, realized the problem.
His outfit was too simple and lacked distinguishing features, making it hard for people to remember him instantly.
As a man with ambitions to stand at the top of the food chain, he needed his own style. The great figures of the sea were all unique, distancing themselves from the masses.
To stand out, one had to be different and unique.
So becoming a standout was a necessary step.
Unbeknownst to him, he was already unique, often targeting the kidneys with his attacks, a distinctive and rare approach. He had his quirks and style. But strong individuals often had little idiosyncrasies.
Yosh~
Nothing wrong with that!
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