One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

Crack! Sage pulled his legs out of the ground, clenched his fists, and looked at Zefa with an increasingly intense fighting spirit, his face displaying a wildness that was more unrestrained than anyone else's.

"Ha ha ha ha! So that's how it is, such a technique!"

"Don't be too arrogant, kid!"

Zefa took a deep breath, his figure flashing as he charged forward, his left fist bursting with Haki, and he slammed down another powerful punch.

Boom! A violent sound erupted in front of the small tavern, as several black-clad bodyguards smashed through the door and wall, creating a large hole in the tavern.

Akin swung his cane, the iron ball spinning, and with a loud smack, it struck beside Link's head, creating a dent in the ground.

At the same time, Paru grabbed the heads of two black-clad bodyguards and slammed them hard against the wall, leaving two imprints.

"Well then."

Akin rested the cane with the iron ball on his shoulder, looking down at Link, "The goods are ready for you, where's the money?"

"Give! I'll give it!"

Link, now pale with fear, panicked, "One billion Belly, we will keep our promise, we will give it!"

The remaining Black Market Merchants were equally frightened.

They originally didn't want to pay because Zefa had arrived.

Did the young Pirates today know the infamous name of 'Black Arm'? They didn't care, but the Black Market Merchants, who were very attentive to information, certainly knew.

Even the fiercest little Pirates from the East Sea couldn't possibly be a match for the Black Arm.

Of course, they wanted to backtrack.

But things were clearly beyond their expectations; this group of Pirates actually didn't run away, but instead were really robbing goods, and now they were directly asking for money.

That 'Natural Disaster' was too reckless!

If they didn't pay... Link's eyes glanced at the iron ball that had smashed nearby, swallowing hard, he completely resigned himself.

Their money was actually ready, packed into ten large leather cases. Akin glanced at the battered tavern, took off a gold bracelet from his wrist, tossed it to the tavern owner, and picked up a black leather case before walking out with the other Pirates.

"What do we do now?"

Seeing the Pirates had left, the other Black Market Merchants helped Link up and asked about the money; they had given it.

But that money couldn't be given for free.

The goods were piled outside the town, and taking them would be useless; after all, it was the 'Black Arm'. If they took the goods now, they would also be pursued.

But not taking it meant losing one billion Belly!

Link looked at the still-shaken Merchants, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Since Sage dares to rob on the spot, then we will sell on the spot!"

It was impossible to hoard the goods now; this time they couldn't say they would profit, but at least they had to ensure they wouldn't lose! "How do we sell on the spot?" The Black Market Merchants were taken aback.

"Sell to those in need!"

Link's expression turned fierce, "The goods we robbed are all high-quality supplies, obtained from the rich districts and commercial streets, so we can sell them at cost price to the common people. They will definitely need them, and once the goods are in everyone's pockets, the Navy won't be able to pursue us!"

The Black Market Merchants gritted their teeth, "Then let's do it, go outside and distribute the goods!"

Islands and towns are disproportionate; each Island doesn't just have one town, but also villages and wastelands. For example, outside Log Town, there are some wastelands, different from the ready-made ports.

In those wastelands, a large amount of goods looted by Pirates had already piled up—barrels and boxes of jewelry, medicines, weapons, and even heirlooms stolen from wealthy Nobles.

These items were worthless, only having historical value, but they were of no use to Pirates. What they valued was the purity of gold and the beauty of jewels; the truly valuable items had long been moved onto the ships, and what remained were just ordinary goods.

The Black Market Merchants sent their men to the wasteland, directly rushing into the common area with the goods in their arms.

Due to the Pirate invasion, the people were hiding in their homes, which provided the Merchants with a perfect opportunity to sell.

As for not opening the door... Bang! Link kicked open the door of a two-story building, and before the startled civilians inside could scream, he tossed out a few bills of Belly to silence them.

"Big sale, dear customers!"

With a smile, Link casually took a gem-studded hat from a barrel and said, "First, allow me to introduce today's product, this is a gem-studded hat, the price is..."

He glanced at the price tag under the hat, "Five hundred thousand Belly! But my dear customers, today marks the twenty-second anniversary of Pirate King Gol D. Roger's death, so all products are on discount. In celebration of the twenty-two years since the era of Pirates began, this gem-studded hat is only two hundred thousand Belly!"

"Originally priced at five hundred thousand Belly, now only two hundred thousand Belly. Don't you want to wear a hat with gems when you go out, attracting envious glances from others? Two hundred thousand Belly, a product you wouldn't dare buy while shopping can now be yours!"

His words left the family of three visibly stunned, the man staring blankly at the hat in Link's hand, blinking in confusion, and instinctively said, "Wasn't the Pirate King's death anniversary just seven days ago?"

"Not important, there's a custom in the West Sea that you can also commemorate seven days after death!" Link replied.

"Is that so..." The man's head felt a bit foggy.

"Two, two hundred thousand?"

The woman's eyes lit up, "Is it really only two hundred thousand?"

"Of course! Two hundred thousand Belly, this hat belongs to your family, but since it's the Pirate King's anniversary, it won't be allowed by the World Government, so no shopping receipt will be issued, is that okay?"

"No questions."

"Not allowed."

Just as the woman was about to speak, the man decisively shook his head.

This made Link's expression stiffen, but before he could speak, the man said, "Too expensive, not practical, we don't want that, let's look at something else."

Link's lips curled into a promotional salesperson's smile, "Alright, dear customer, we have... everything!"

He took a Western sword from the barrel and said, "Do you like swords? I think every household needs a weapon for self-defense, especially in the era of Pirates. When Pirates attack and the Navy can't protect us, we need to protect ourselves, and that's when a good weapon is essential."

"This sword is worth eight hundred thousand Belly, but if you want it, you can take it for four hundred thousand Belly. Of course, I'm not saying Log Town is unsafe, but accidents can happen, and it's perfect for self-defense."

"Just think about it, carrying such a fine weapon while walking down the street, others will think you are a powerful swordsman, and small-time thugs and gangsters won't dare to mess with you. Besides, if you add another hundred thousand, we have a sword and gun combo, which includes a Flintlock Gun and a set of bullets. This is a rare opportunity, don't miss out!"

The man pondered for a while, glancing at the exquisite sword and then at the Flintlock Gun Link had taken from the barrel, gritting his teeth, "Four hundred thousand Belly is too expensive, do you have anything cheaper?"

"Yes!"

As long as they could sell the goods, any price would do.

After all, the cost of these items was just about that, and selling at a discounted market price was still a profit.