The weapon shop owner hurriedly ran up to the second floor of the shop and, after a short while, came thundering down the stairs, carrying a heavy rectangular object.
Stabilizing his wobbly posture, he placed the item on the counter and dramatically whipped off the black cloth covering it.
A wooden sword stand was immediately revealed to Icey and Meow Meow.
On the stand lay a slightly curved long sword with an exquisitely ornate brown-black scabbard.
“Although there aren’t many particularly good famous swords in my shop, this is the best one!”
Ipponmatsu carefully removed the scabbard and slowly drew out the blade hidden within.
“The blade is a black lacquered tachi with a chaotic pattern, one of the fifty skillful-grade swords, Yubashiri!”
“This sword will undoubtedly shine brilliantly in the hands of a man like you.”
With that, Ipponmatsu looked at Icey with extreme determination. “So, please take it along as well!”
This unexpected surprise made Icey feel a bit astonished.
Looking at the skillful-grade sword glistening with a cold light, Icey couldn’t help but marvel internally.
He had been prepared to use the money to solve the problem, but suddenly, the owner became so considerate.
It turns out that reputation, though seemingly useless on the seas, is still indispensable!
“Alright.”
Icey readily agreed, reaching out and taking Yubashiri along with its scabbard from Ipponmatsu without hesitation.
Ipponmatsu, who wanted to say more: “…”
“Don’t worry, boss. I will push this sword, which inherits your dream, to greater heights!” Icey said with a smile.
“You… have you heard the story of me and Yubashiri?” Ipponmatsu asked, somewhat surprised.
Realizing he had misspoken, Icey quickly corrected himself, “No, but your face is full of stories.”
“Ahahaha, I see, is it that obvious?”
Ipponmatsu was initially stunned, then burst into laughter.
Indeed, a man with a dream cannot hide it, no matter what!
Because of their pleasant conversation, Ipponmatsu even gave Meow Meow the new flintlock pistol He was eyeing for free, expressing his small gratitude to the hero of the East Blue who had cleared out so many pirates.
Following the principle of reciprocity, Icey returned the favor by giving Ipponmatsu and his wife a recruitment form for the Axis Cult…
Meanwhile, as Icey and Meow Meow waved goodbye to Ipponmatsu, in a higher area near the outskirts, two burly men were surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, all wearing expressions of expectation and curiosity.
“I can’t believe we’re lucky enough to witness such a scene. It’s super fortunate!”
“A showdown of peak marksmanship, how exciting!”
“But even though Daddy is here with his child, facing off against the man who went toe-to-toe with the Marine Hero Garp, his chances must be slim.”
Amidst the roaring engine noises resonating through the area, people were buzzing with discussions.
Indeed, standing in the middle of the crowd were King and the most famous bounty hunter in the East Blue, Daddy!
“The oppressive presence that turns boundless battle intent into a tangible sound… As expected, it truly belongs to a being called a monster…”
Bounty hunter Daddy looked solemn, his sharp gaze fixed intently on King, who stood with his arms crossed and a calm expression.
Dressed in a wild west gunslinger outfit, Daddy had a cute, innocent three-year-old girl strapped to his back.
Though King showed no expression, his mind was already filled with curses.
Just over ten minutes ago, he had been honestly searching the streets for a shop that sold gaming consoles when he unexpectedly encountered this odd man with a child.
What he didn’t expect was that the little girl would be so frightened by his appearance that she burst into tears, instantly attracting the attention of passersby!
Naturally, his identity was then recognized by a passerby holding a newspaper.
Upon hearing that he had “defeated” the Marine Hero Garp, the man in front of him inexplicably became interested and expressed a desire for a duel between men.
Thus, amidst the crowd’s cheers, King was muddledly brought to this place…
“Come on, strong one! Let me witness world-class strength!”
Daddy, without further ado, pulled out a flintlock pistol from inside his coat and tossed it to King.
King, somewhat bewildered, reached out and, with extraordinary luck, miraculously caught the flintlock!
Standing there in deep thought for a while, King slowly raised his head and said honestly, “To be honest, I’m not very skilled with firearms.”
“Moreover, you have a child on your back. A life-and-death duel is out of the question.”
The title “East Blue’s strongest bounty hunter” alone indicated that this guy wasn’t ordinary.
Fighting someone like this, an ordinary person like him would be riddled with holes in minutes.
Only Aqua (the fool) would want such a thing!
“It’s fine. Even without a direct confrontation, I can judge the difference between us,” Daddy said with a grin, delivering his prepared lines.
Since the opponent wasn’t a pirate, there was no need for a life-and-death duel, especially as he had a cute daughter to care for.
Of course, if the opponent insisted on a deadly battle, Daddy, passionate about strength, would have obliged.
Seeing King’s puzzled look, Daddy explained, “I’ve been using guns for almost twenty years. Whether or not someone is a professional marksman, I can judge their life experiences and strength by observing the killing intent and aura they reveal in the moment they fire.”
With that, he raised his hand to point at a Sea King bird perched on a nearby tree, confidently saying, “Mr. King, please shoot at that bird!”
Hearing this, the onlookers, though not understanding the depth of the request, focused their attention on King.
While they didn’t grasp the full meaning, Daddy’s reputation assured them he wouldn’t shamelessly back out of a challenge.
The expectant gazes made King feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Why do I still encounter such troublesome things in this other world!
Given what had been said, King found no excuse to refuse.
Should he reveal his true strength?
Forget it! If it’s exposed, so be it!
Desperate, King squeezed the flintlock’s trigger.
Click.
However, the expected gunshot and smoke didn’t appear.
Apart from the silent atmosphere, everything was as before, with the bird still leisurely preening its feathers on the tree.
King tried pulling the trigger again, feeling the resistance at his fingertip. He suddenly remembered something crucial.
He forgot to remove the safety catch…
Everyone had seen his actions just now, so it was too late to remove the safety and fire again.
Exposed, he was really exposed this time!
King, expressionless, was internally panicking.
“Facing unpleasant things, just running away is enough. Running away isn’t losing, it’s winning!”
Recalling Aqua’s frequently mentioned words, he decisively placed the flintlock on the grass, turned around, and silently left, disappearing into the crowd’s shocked faces.
As he left, the overwhelming presence that had gripped everyone gradually faded.
The clueless onlookers had no choice but to refocus their attention on Daddy.
And then, they were stunned.
Daddy was sitting on the ground, drenched in sweat. The confidence and arrogance of a master marksman had vanished, replaced by a look of utter defeat.
“So, even with unmatched strength, he won’t randomly harm helpless opponents…”
“I intended to test his strength with the bird, but I was the one unaware of my weakness in his eyes!”
“Ha, hahaha, not even on the same level, utterly defeated…”
Become a Patron read up to 30 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
