Chapter 14: Encounter with the Pirates

Adrian didn't realize that, similar to the virtual world, the outside reality had become lively due to the sudden closed beta test announcement. Currently, he couldn't access any player information, so any speculations he made were futile.

The closed beta test, as per panel prompts, would last only 15 days. On the vast sea, low-level and weak-attribute closed beta players could hardly achieve much; at best, they could lay the groundwork for the upcoming public beta.

A year later, chaos will truly ensue during the open beta when players flocked in abundance.

However, starting the closed beta early also had its benefits for Adrian.

For instance, contacting players in advance allowed him to experiment with the 'NPC template function' that had always puzzled him before.

"If only the player forum could be opened right now…" Adrian thought somewhat greedily.

After a while, Adrian, feeling calmer, began searching for the wanted poster attached to the "World News" newspaper.

"Pirate King Gol D. Roger, bounty 5,564,800,000 Berries. I remember just the day before yesterday it was only around 4 billion. The tremendous increase brought about by reaching the top... Regardless, this is quite an impressive number, especially in an era where reaching 5 billion is remarkable. Truly worthy of the title of Pirate King!"

"Whitebeard, a bounty of 4.5 billion Berries... I remember Whitebeard's bounty twenty years later was just a little over 5 billion Berries, right? And now it's at this level already? Well, it makes sense. Whitebeard and Roger were indeed two of the few 'gold medalists' on the high seas, and having their bounties at similar amounts is acceptable."

"Beast Kaido, a bounty of 1 billion Berries... Hmm, during this time, the world of pirates is truly lacking in charm. Even after several years, he still has to rely on sneak attacks to defeat Kozuki Oden. I really don't understand how such a monster grew to the level of the Four Emperors later on. Terrifying natural talent."

"Big Mom in her younger days, well, she's not considered young anymore. Her face and body have started to deform, quite scary... Oh, is this Monkey D. Dragon's wanted poster? Has Dragon already left the Marines at this point in time? It seems so, after all, when Roger was executed in Loguetown, he still needed to conceal himself with a cloak... Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates..."

Flipping through one wanted poster after another, Adrian's thoughts also fluctuated accordingly.

"Gecko Moria from the West Blue! Wanted for 15 million Berries! It's strange to see Moria, who is so slender and tough-looking. After all, the chubby otaku image is cuter."

Adrian flipped through the thick stack of wanted posters to the very end, but couldn't find his own name.

"Waited for two days and still haven't seen my wanted poster. It seems like those Yamanbako and Dawson haven't reported my voluntarily leaving. I like people who keep their word."

A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Adrian's mouth. He truly had no interest in being a pirate. Just the thought of living day and night under the pursuit of the Marines across the world made him feel uneasy.

Certainly, Adrian isn't ready to join the Marines just yet. He hasn't had his fill of the long-awaited carefree days, and he's not interested at all in having more bosses giving him orders!

As Adrian contemplates his future plans, his thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a fierce barrage of cannon fire.

"Is it an unexpected event?"

Glancing at the monitor, there was no message on it. It seemed that the mission trigger had not been reached yet.

Adrian followed the direction of the sound, looking into the distance at the sea. A pirate crew with a black background and a crossed double-sword flag was recklessly attacking a fairly large merchant ship.

Faint cries mixed with the roaring cannon fire, reached Adrian's ears carried by the gentle breeze over the sea.

"It seems somewhat familiar,"

'Seems a bit familiar, the Razor Pirates, Captain with a bounty of 3 million Beli...' Adrian mused, recalling the wanted poster of the West Blue pirates he had just seen.

He shook his head slightly and sighed, 'That's one of the reasons why I look down on pirates... Ordinary folks are already struggling enough in this sea filled with monsters, and you guys just have to make their lives even harder!'

A moment ago, on the merchant ship.

"Captain Krivat! Pirates! Pirates are attacking us!"

Two young men, dressed in sailor uniforms, sweated profusely as they forcefully pushed open the doors to the banquet hall on the merchant ship.

"What?"

The middle-aged captain, wearing a black hat and a sharp suit, is taken aback. Before he can give orders, the ship suddenly shook violently.

The weathered captain immediately understood the situation. Someone is launching cannon attacks at the ship!

In the banquet hall, chaos erupted instantly. Exquisite food and drinks were scattered on the ground, and the air was filled with loud and piercing screams. Some timid guests trembled and sat on the floor, frightened.

At the crucial moment, the experienced Captain Krivat maintained his composure and displayed the professionalism required.

"Everyone, please stay calm! Stay calm! Listen calmly to the instructions of the merchant ship's security personnel!

Captain Krivat, shouting at the top of his lungs, addressed the passengers in the chaotic banquet hall. Unfortunately, amidst the pandemonium, the middle-aged captain's words were barely audible to the distressed passengers. They merely followed their instincts for self-preservation, frantically pushing towards the entrance of the hall, as if escaping the banquet hall would ensure their safety.

Two young sailors exerted considerable effort to make their way against the crowd and finally reached the captain.

"What should we do, Captain Krivat?"

"Our artillery onslaught is completely suppressed by the opponent!"

Captain Krivat took a deep breath, calmed down, and asked in a cold tone, "How far away is the pirate ship attacking us?"

"Only half a nautical mile!" quickly responded the sailor on the right.

"How did we get pulled in so close before noticing? Was the person on the lookout tower asleep?"

Captain Krivat's veins bulged on his forehead as he angrily grabbed the sailor's collar.

If the distance were a bit farther, perhaps he could escape relying on his seasoned sea experience, but with just half a nautical mile, there was nothing he could do!

Without waiting to escape to a safe distance, his merchant ship would likely be blasted into pieces by the pirates' cannonballs!

"We didn't know they were pirates at first. It wasn't until they got closer that they suddenly launched an attack on us!" another sailor hastily explained.

"We even showed them the name of our merchant ship—never mind, that was a foolish question. If they were afraid of the merchant fleet's name, they wouldn't be pirates, and they wouldn't have attacked us," Captain Krivat sighed, a sense of dismay settling in. "Where are the gunners on the ship?"

"In the midst of a battle with pirates, but we're already facing intense suppression; the firepower from the pirates is just too overwhelming!"

"Never mind. Since we've reached this point, let's prepare for a boarding battle!" Captain Krivat suddenly clenched his fist, calmly issuing orders. "Gather the combat team on the ship's deck; unless necessary, don't disturb the passengers. However, if there are young fighters willing to join the battle, ensure they are informed of the assembly point!"

"Yes, Captain Krivat!"

The sailors responded resoundingly.