OPTC Chapter 321: Fishman?
"Sorry for not being a better host…"
Colonel Bling-Bling's face was pale. As expected of someone who could take on a hundred men alone—not only was his strength unmatched, but his appetite was just as terrifying. Would his salary be deducted for months after this?
"How about… we pay for the meal?" Zhang Da Ye asked with mild guilt. He actually felt a little bad for taking advantage of the Marine colonel like this. He wasn't sure if the soldiers had eaten yet either—if all of them had to go hungry tonight, that wouldn't sit right with him.
"No, that won't be necessary. It was our duty to host you. How could I take money for that?" Colonel Bling-Bling shook his head firmly. He had already declared he'd treat them—taking money afterward would be shameful, even a stain on the Navy's name.
After the Amber Travel Group left the ship, the head chef stumbled out of the kitchen, face pale and voice trembling. "Colonel, the soldiers' dinner hasn't been prepared yet… and the cooks can't continue."
"Tell everyone to deal with the captured pirates first. Dinner can wait. The World Government's ship is already on its way—I'll see if I can negotiate for some food when they arrive." Bling-Bling pressed a hand to his forehead. He was going to look pathetic in front of those officials.
Still… he suddenly had a bold idea.
It was already evening. Zhang Da Ye decided not to travel through the night. They anchored the Amber near the Marine ship, then gathered at the small onboard bar for drinks and to review the day's battle.
Though it had been a one-sided fight, it was still their first time facing enemies on this scale—there were lessons to learn. Artoria led the review, calmly assessing everyone's performance; after all, she was the only one among them with real war experience.
Zhang Da Ye, however, got scolded badly. Leaving his back exposed during a fight was reckless—especially for someone who cared so much about protecting his teammates. East Blue pirates might be weak, but there could always be hidden weapons, and even Iron Body couldn't protect against poison or corrosion.
Zhang Da Ye accepted the criticism sincerely, promising not to be careless next time. He had said the same thing the last time he'd used Iron Body.
Tom and Shark Chili, on the other hand, were praised for using the terrain cleverly to deal with large groups of enemies efficiently.
Tom looked smug about it. Shark Chili insisted he had nothing to do with it—but no one could tell if the collapsing bridge was really part of Tom's plan or just dumb luck from Shark Chili slamming into the right spot. Either way, it worked—like Sabo's "Dragon Breath" move, perfect for wrecking buildings.
The World Government ship arrived around nine that night—not CP agents, but officials from a department overseeing East Blue. Since it was late, they focused only on taking over the prisoners and didn't bother Zhang Da Ye's group.
Still, Ye Yan sent Sui Feng Er to eavesdrop just in case.
Luckily, there was no dramatic betrayal—no scheming officials trying to shift blame or accuse the Amber Travel Group. It was just a routine exchange.
As for the escaped laborers, the plan was to replace them with other convicts from elsewhere. No one expected to recapture the runaways anytime soon. After all, in the vast ocean, anyone could easily vanish with a new name and a new life—it wasn't like they could issue a thousand bounty posters at once.
When the officials spoke of the Amber Travel Group, Colonel Bling-Bling's words carried admiration and respect, while the government representatives sounded more curious than anything else.
According to Sui Feng Er's report, there would be no further trouble this time.
The next morning, Zhang Da Ye met the World Government official—a man in a black suit with a neatly trimmed mustache, polite and soft-spoken.
Colonel Bling-Bling introduced him. "This is Enraki, the official overseeing the matter. He has some questions for you."
"Sure thing," Zhang Da Ye said casually. After all, the guards had been killed by Krieg, the supply ships were stolen by Krieg, and the keys were taken by Krieg's men. None of that had anything to do with him.
No matter how much they questioned him, the Amber Travel Group had helped defeat pirates—technically, they were allies of justice. They'd done a massive favor and only received a bit of bounty money and a meal in return. Was that fair? Of course not. But Zhang Da Ye didn't show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction. Instead, he acted entirely cooperative, embodying the spirit of justice—so much so that the nearby Marines felt ashamed.
Their tiny grudge about the food disappeared completely. Some even started thinking: maybe eating more really did make you stronger. Perhaps it was time to set a new goal—start by eating five servings a day.
Enraki treated Zhang Da Ye with great respect. Others might not know much about the Amber Travel Group, but he did. Though his department wasn't part of the CP system, he'd heard plenty of rumors.
The CP5 incident from last year—the one where the director allegedly attacked a judicial ship. Details were murky, but within government circles, it wasn't exactly a secret that the Amber Travel Group had destroyed CP5's warship fleet and even received compensation afterward.
That compensation came straight out of CP5's own budget. The department was still barely functioning, and the new director had been begging for funding everywhere since then.
So, while Enraki was surprised to hear that the Amber Travel Group had defeated over two thousand pirates, he didn't find it unbelievable—just unexpected, given that half their members were old men, kids, and pets.
Impressed, Enraki offered them official positions, promising comfortable and well-paying roles.
Zhang Da Ye gave the usual polite brush-off, then accompanied Enraki and Colonel Bling-Bling to inspect the bridge site, answering their questions. Only Artoria went with them; the others stayed on the ship, doing their own thing.
Enraki's subordinates took photos and notes. By noon, the investigation was complete.
Colonel Bling-Bling excused himself. "There are still many matters waiting at the base. I must return."
Enraki tried to stop him. "Colonel, it's already noon. Why not have lunch with us first? I brought some fine wine—we can host the Amber Travel Group together."
Bling-Bling's smile stiffened. "We've been out all day. The base is waiting. Mr. Zhang, I'll leave the hosting to you."
He insisted on leaving and, before boarding, reminded Enraki several times to take good care of their guests.
The Marine ship departed quickly—almost like they were fleeing. Enraki waved after them, then glanced back at Artoria, puzzled.
…
"This potato pancake is amazing!" Zhang Da Ye said happily, savoring each bite. With Tom cooking, good food was guaranteed as long as there was a solid recipe.
Artoria nodded approvingly, eating even faster than him. After so many years of eating mashed potatoes, it was impressive she could still enjoy them.
Tom beamed under the praise, munching loudly on two pancakes at once.
Zhang Da Ye eyed him curiously, then broke off a small piece from Tom's pancake to try—no crunch at all. How was his so crispy?
Three days had passed since the Bridge Kingdom incident, and the Amber Travel Group was back on their voyage.
Although Enraki had looked a little terrified that afternoon, he had still processed their reward properly, even adding a bonus per his superiors' orders. He also told Zhang Da Ye to contact him anytime if they ran into trouble during future travels.
Apparently, the higher-ups hadn't completely given up on recruiting the Amber Travel Group's power.
A few days later, they made the papers again—not front-page news this time, but every crew member's face was printed alongside the Amber. The article praised their "heroic deeds" in East Blue, almost portraying them as role models for bounty hunters.
It was probably a calculated move by the Marines. They'd been under pressure lately, and this was likely meant to encourage the public: even if you don't want to be a Marine, don't become a pirate—bounty hunters can earn fame, fortune, and even friendship with the Navy.
Zhang Da Ye didn't mind. It didn't hurt him, and the payment was good. At worst, they'd attract some angry pirates—but that just meant more bounties to collect. A win-win.
He had prepared for surprise attacks, but ironically, none came. Their name had become so famous across East Blue that most pirates, after reading the papers and calculating their likely route, simply avoided the entire region.
Three quiet days at sea—and not a single ship sighted.
"Makes sense," Zhang Da Ye muttered, counting on his fingers. "Most of the pirates we fought lately were famous ones. The small fry are probably hiding."
After a while, Artoria suddenly adjusted their heading, then corrected it again moments later.
Shark Chili, who kept an eye on the route, frowned. "What's up? It's not time to change course yet."
"There's something moving under us," Artoria said quietly. "Not a fish or sea beast. Maybe… a fishman."
"I'll go check," Shark Chili said, diving into the water with a splash.
Zhang Da Ye, training in the dojo, felt the disturbance and came running. "What's going on?"
Artoria repeated what she'd sensed.
"Fishmen? Could it be one of Arlong's scouts?" Zhang Da Ye's eyes brightened. He looked up and shouted, "Perona! See any ships?"
Perona had insisted on being lookout today. She'd spent half an hour climbing up to the crow's nest despite his suggestion to just send her ghost forms instead.
But now, when he called, there was no reply.
Zhang Da Ye climbed the mast himself, entered the lookout room—and found Perona fast asleep, hugging her teddy bear. Her twin pink pigtails were a mess, striped stockings tangled as she lay curled up, a thin line of drool hanging from her lips.
"Kumashi…" she murmured in her sleep, nuzzling the bear's head.
"If our safety depended on you, we'd all be dead," Zhang Da Ye sighed, then flicked her forehead.
"Ow!" Perona yelped, clutching her head. "What was that for!?"
"I should be the one asking. What lookout naps during work?" Zhang Da Ye rapped her lightly on the head. "No snacks for you today."
"Nooo! I wasn't sleeping, I was—uh…" She scrambled for an excuse.
"Oh? You were going to say your body was resting but your spirit was out scouting, right?" Zhang Da Ye said dryly.
Perona blinked, then nodded. "Exactly! That's what I meant!"
"Good lie. No snacks tomorrow either."
"I'm sorry!"
After a brief scolding, Zhang Da Ye took the telescope and looked around. No ships in sight.
Perona, now genuinely using her ghost form to scout, also found nothing.
Then—suddenly—a tall burst of water exploded a hundred meters ahead of them, followed by another, even larger.
"What's happening? A fight?" Zhang Da Ye leapt down from the mast.
Everyone gathered on deck, staring ahead.
Ye Yan was about to summon the Tidecaller Shark when half of Shark Chili's body surfaced. Across from him was a yellow-skinned fishman in a white martial arts uniform.
"Don't panic!" Shark Chili shouted. "He's a friend of Jinbe's! We're just sparring!"
He had to yell that out—otherwise, his crewmates would've jumped in swinging.
The fishman cupped his hands and called back, "A friendly duel—it is the way of warriors! I am Haku! My friend Jinbe has spoken of your group. I wished to meet you all—pardon my intrusion!"
After that, the two exchanged respectful nods and continued fighting—diving and leaping in turns, the sea around them churning wildly.
Zhang Da Ye recognized him at once. The last time he'd seen this man, Hack had shattered his own wrist punching Bartolomeo's barrier. He'd seemed weak then—but that was only because the barrier fruit's defense was absurdly strong.
In truth, Hack was formidable—a master of Fishman Karate, on par with Jinbe's right-hand man, Aladdin.
And beyond that, his real identity: a martial arts instructor for the Revolutionary Army.
Zhang Da Ye squinted toward the horizon. "Did he really come all this way just because Jinbe mentioned us once? Does the Revolutionary Army have nothing better to do?"
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