A while ago, on that approaching pirate ship under the Rocks Pirates' banner... "Speed up! Everyone, row harder! We must plunder enough booze and Berries today!" Captain Barton stepped on the gunwale, waving his fists and roaring at the Crew members.
He was a burly man with a fierce, fleshy face, the Captain of a small division under the Rocks Pirates. Today, he was leading his subordinates on their routine pirate "work"—plundering.
"Yes! Captain!" The Crew members responded with boisterous laughter, and the ship was filled with a lazy and greedy atmosphere.
At that moment, Mori, the first mate and lookout, held up his telescope and noticed an unusually conspicuous large ship in the distance.
"Hmm? Captain, look over there..." Mori lowered his telescope in confusion and pointed in the direction of that ship.
"That big guy that's been parked there... it seems to be flying our Rocks flag too? Strange, do we have a ship of that style in our group? It looks like a kingdom's frigate."
Captain Barton glanced in that direction, showing little interest:
"Who cares what ship it is! So what if it's flying the Rocks flag? Maybe it's the ship of some rookie who just joined and doesn't know the rules. Ignore it! I just want to go on a plundering spree right now!" His mind was entirely on wealth and slaughter, completely indifferent to the quiet giant ship.
Mori, however, still held the telescope, eyeing it lingeringly. "But Captain... that ship is really huge, much better than our piece of junk. If only it could be ours..."
He muttered softly, his tone full of envy and a trace of subtle complaint. "I really want a room of my own... the guys on this ship snore, grind their teeth, and fart at night, and the stench is unbearable. I can't sleep at all!"
Just as their ship was about to pass the giant ship and drift further away, the diligent (or perhaps ill-intentioned) Mori raised his telescope again for one final check.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his breathing became rapid.
"Wait! Captain! Guess what I found?!" Mori's voice became shrill with excitement. He waved his free arm, so agitated he nearly fell off the lookout tower.
"What's all the racket? Did you find a gold mine?" Barton roared impatiently.
"Better than a gold mine! Captain!" Mori almost screamed in response.
"On that ship! It's full of women! I can see clearly with the telescope! On the deck, at the cabin entrance... all women! And every one of them is a top-tier beauty!" (Since most of these people were once carefully selected "gifts" to be offered to the Celestial Dragons, their appearances were all superb.)
"What?! All women?!" Captain Barton instantly perked up, the flesh on his face quivering with excitement. He lunged upward, his obese yet surprisingly agile body jumping directly onto the lookout tower, and snatched the telescope from Mori's hand to see for himself.
In the telescope's field of vision, the figures of several Damselettes like Vina, Sia, and Shi Yue were clearly reflected. Their faces, some sorrowful and others resolute, appeared exceptionally moving through the lens.
"Captain! What are we waiting for? Let's go seize that ship!" Mori rubbed his hands together at the side, urging him impatiently, a lewd light flickering in his eyes.
"Yeah! Captain! Seize it!"
"Beauties and a fine ship! They're all ours!"
The other pirates on the deck who heard the conversation also joined in excitedly, and the air was instantly filled with the scent of greed and desire.
Although Captain Barton was tempted, his remaining sanity gave him a hint of concern. "But... that ship really is flying the Rocks flag... what if it actually belongs to some great executive..."
Mori's head was already clouded by desire. His eyes rolled as he immediately came up with a "perfect" excuse, saying with righteous indignation:
"Captain! You've been in the Rocks Pirates for so long, have you ever seen this ship? Never! Besides, in the New World, who else is there among the famous all-female pirate groups besides the Kuja Pirates of Daughter Island? The Kuja's pirate ships don't look like this!"
"So I bet they're definitely a merchant ship or a noble vessel from some country, posing under the Rocks Pirates' banner to swindle others! Those beautiful women are likely'special cargo' they're transporting!"
"We're upholding the prestige of the Rocks Pirates by exposing them! And while we're at it... we'll rescue those poor 'cargoes'!"
"Besides, even if it does belong to someone from the Rocks Pirates, so what? Daring to leave a group of women in a place like this proves he's a rookie who doesn't understand how 'united' we Rocks Pirates are!"
This twisted logic instantly convinced Barton and all the pirates ruled by desire.
Barton hesitated no longer; greed completely overwhelmed everything. He pointed at the giant frigate-style pirate ship and let out a world-shaking roar:
"Brothers! Turn the ship around! Full speed ahead! Take that ship! The ship and the women are all ours!"
"Oh!!!" The pirates let out incredibly excited howls. The ship turned quickly, cutting through the waves like a shark scenting blood, and pounced straight toward Vina and the others' ship... Seeing the approaching pirate ship, Mia suppressed the panic in her heart from her first encounter with pirates and immediately displayed the decisiveness she once had as a noble lady, sharply issuing orders:
"Quick! Set sail! Turn east! Avoid them! Vina! Contact the Captain immediately with the transponder snail!"
Vina hesitated slightly. "But... won't we be disturbing Linlin's official business on Hachinosu Island if we do this?"
Mia's tone was categorical, carrying an unquestionable aura. "No buts! Notify the Captain at once! If we are taken by these pirates, setting aside what will happen to us, it will cause Linlin to lose face in front of the other great executives on Hachinosu Island!"
"As long as the Captain remains in the Rocks Pirates, this will become a handle for them to mock the Captain forever! So! Girls! If you don't want your benefactor, your Captain, to be shamed because of us, I hope that no matter what happens, you will not surrender! Understand?!"
"Understood!" A total of twenty-six Damselettes on the deck and inside the cabin responded in unison, their voices trembling, yet filled with the determination of burning their bridges.
After all, before this, they were just a group of ordinary people living in Affiliated Nations. If they hadn't been sent to be Slaves for the Celestial Dragons, they would have been starting to look for their significant others by now..."}],