Pig Cage Town

Pig Cage Town looked like a slum.

After Garp walked in, his first impression of this village was that it was dilapidated and poor.

The houses were actually connected together. The whole village village actually looked like a huge apartment that had not been repaired for decades. There were old signs everywhere as well.

Despite that, Garp could see many shops as he entered the town. The people seemed lively although sweat was dripping from their faces.

They didn't seem to react weirdly after seeing Garp come in. Garp was relieved because of that. He casually walked around and then saw a steamed bun shop.

Perhaps it was because not dinnertime yet, there was no one in the shop asude from the owner. The boss was lying on a chair and covered his face with a book. He didn't notice that Garp came in.

Garp also didn't see anything out of place about the people here, but there must be something wrong with this place since Sengoku specifically warned him. After Garp sat down, he said to the boss, "You have a customer!"

Garp's voice woke the boss up. He was shocked and took the book away. When he saw Garp who had already sat down, he immediately put on a flattering face and said, "Which one do you want, kind sir?"

"Buns! Meat Buns! Whichever Meat Buns is fine!" Garp shouted.

"Then... how about tiger meat buns? Or wolf meat buns?"

The owner looked at Garp and suddenly said with some hesitation, "Judging from your appearance... You're from outside, right?"

"Well, I passed by this place when I was visiting my relatives. I didn't expect that there was a town in the mountains." Garp said casually, but soon he was so taken aback by the owner's words and couldn't 't help but raise his voice.

"Tiger meat? Wolf meat?"

They sold that kind of meat buns in this seemingly normal town?

"We don't exactly have the best condition for livestock. Therefore, we can only hunt ferocious animals like tigers, wolves, and wild boars from outside to make a living. Although it is very dangerous, there is no other way. Such is life. Since you just pass by, you have to be careful. There are many fierce beasts ahead." The boss sighed .

"Why is your town built in this kind of place anyway? Since there are so many beasts, why don't you just move to the city? "Garp asked.

The boss spread out his hands and said helplessly, "Humans are much more dangerous than beasts. Even the tigers, leopards, lions, and wolves together are still cute compared to humans. We would rather fight with beasts, so we moved here."

"I see..." Garp sighed. That was just how some country was, but no one could change such a world, even him.

"Then give me the tiger meat buns." Garp had eaten all kinds of meat, and tiger meat was clearly no exception.

The residents looked like ordinary people, but they would rather fight with wild animals like tigers than return to the city. It certainly was a lot to take in.

Garp wanted to know more about this village, so he asked while waiting, "Does this village often get visitors?"

Since this was an isolated village, the residents should be surprised to see an outsider like him, yet no one was surprised, as if they were used to it.

"We used to rarely have visitors long ago. This is a safe haven that our parents built specifically to take refuge in. Not many people know about it. Even if they knew, they wouldn't come to this dangerous place where there was no profit for them."

The boss brought a plate of steamed buns to Garp's table and said emotionally, "However, people often come to this tow these past few years. In the past, this small town used to be peaceful. At least we don't have to fight a tiger in the past. But because of those people, we are all very anxious now."

Garp raised his eyebrows. He felt that the he'd hear the crucial information soon, so he immediately asked, "Who are they?"

However, the boss' answer made him a little disappointed. He sat in front of Garp and sighed,

"A gang in nearby cities has been coming to the village last year. It seems that they are looking for something. Every time they come, they take a lot of things with them."

Seeing the boss sigh, Garp said angrily, "You're not afraid of fighting tigers, but are you afraid of some gangs?"

"That is just how scary human beings are." The boss shook his head. "Compared to any wild beast, they are scarier." 

"No one knows how to deal with humans better than humans."

Garp stuffed a bun into his mouth and did not say another word.

The history of humans was indeed bloody. Those who could kill most enemies were even recorded in history and hailed as heroes. In this era, it was almost at the peak.

What were those gangsters looking for?

Garp noticed that the owner mentioned that it all started about a year ago, and what happened a year ago?

A year ago...

Jewel of Four Souls shattered into pieces! Could it be that there was a Jewel of Four Souls' Fragment in this village?

If there really was, then there must be someone behind those gangsters. Otherwise, how could they confirm the whereabouts of Jewel of Four Souls' Fragments?

Garp was just about to ask about those gangsters when he suddenly noticed that there was a commotion outside, as if a lot of people were approaching.

"Not good! They are here again!" The boss turned his head and his expression changed drastically. He quickly said, "Sir, hurry up and hide. If they know you're, nothing good will happen."

Garp also looked over. He only saw a large number of people dressed in black at the entrance of Pig Cage Town. He did not hide like the boss suggested, but he did not make any move either. He wanted to see what they were going to do.

"Have they always come with so many people in tow?"

Garp asked the owner as he could clearly sense the killing intent from them.

"No... Before, there were at most a dozen or so, definitely not as many as this time."

The owner clearly sounded flustered. Garp finished the last bun on the table. In the next moment, a gang dressed in black kicked the door open and walked in.

"All of you get out! If you don't hand over the treasure today, we won't show any mercy!"