Chapter 47

"A black and white mask, with a sword... he really is the bounty hunter known as Quincy who's been making waves recently!"

"Damn it! Why didn't anyone warn us that there was a bounty hunter on the island? Didn't the Dia Mafia promise that no Navy or bounty hunters would be allowed to land here?"

"Run, run! The bounty hunter is here!"

"Hurry up and inform Dia's men that a bounty hunter has landed on the island!"

Many of the people here had bounties on their heads, so the news that a bounty hunter was present sent shockwaves through the crowd. Especially since this was a bounty hunter who had recently gained fame by taking down a pirate crew worth tens of millions of Berries single-handedly!

Panic set in, and the scene quickly became chaotic as everyone bolted for the exits.

Ron found the reaction a bit over the top. *What are you all panicking about? I don't even intend to catch you!*

His target was the infamous pirate known as the "Evil Ghost," and he had no intention of going after anyone else.

However, Ron's thoughts didn't matter; the others quickly fled, leaving the area deserted.

*Forget it. Now that I know the Evil Ghost is here, it's easy to handle,* Ron thought.

He had come to the island specifically for the Evil Ghost. Now that he had confirmed his presence, it was just a matter of tracking him down. The pirate had proven to be slippery, even escaping after being targeted by Ron's ship and hiding on this island.

However, the island had only one port, not far from where Ron stood. The pirate ship, bearing a ghostly emblem, was docked there. If the Evil Ghost tried to leave, he wouldn't be able to escape Ron's watchful eyes.

Throwing a stack of Berries on the table, Ron turned and left the bar.

Out on the street, he noticed that it was mostly empty, the people having scattered in fear after hearing that a bounty hunter was on the loose.

Of course, there were exceptions. Not far away, a group of people watched him with great interest, not seeming to be frightened by Ron at all.

Ron didn't recognize them, nor did he care to. He continued walking in one direction.

"Is this the bounty hunter who's gained fame recently? He doesn't look like much!"

"Heh, this will be fun to watch. This is Dia's territory, and yet this bounty hunter dares to set foot on the island. He's not afraid of death!"

"I remember last time a bounty hunter landed here unknowingly; he was beaten nearly to death by Dia's men and eventually hung at the port to starve."

The group laughed and chatted as they watched Ron.

Suddenly, Ron stopped. A group of men had appeared before him, rushing over with menacing smiles on their faces.

"Where's the bounty hunter? Where is he? Show yourself if you have the guts!"

"Haha, everyone, stand back and let me handle this. After what happened before, there are still bounty hunters who dare to land on the island? They must have a death wish!"

"Boss, it seems your reputation isn't enough to keep people away—there's still a bounty hunter brave enough to step on the island!"

One of the men, shirtless and heavily muscled, had one eye covered by an eyepatch. He grinned, revealing several missing teeth, and snorted coldly, "I want to know who's bold enough to cause trouble on our turf!"

The group of men quickly surrounded Ron.

"Black and white mask... it seems you're the Quincy Master!"

One of the lackeys sneered at Ron, speaking with a mocking tone.

*A bounty hunter? Just kill him!*

"The Evil Ghost is really useless, being hunted down here by such a small fry. Pirates... they're all just trash!"

"Whitebeard, Red-Haired Shanks, and all the big pirates in the New World—are they just bragging?"

Looking at Ron, who appeared small and unimposing, the leader, Dia, sneered in disdain.

*Pirates are just garbage,* Dia thought. Even this scrawny guy couldn't deal with them, and they had to come to him for protection.

He even suspected that the big pirates in the newspapers were all exaggerated. He had seen hundreds, even thousands, of pirates, and none of them had impressed him!

Moreover, the title of "big pirate" wasn't as significant as the title of the man backing him!

Standing behind him was a king of the underworld!

A king of the underworld versus a big pirate? It was like comparing two different levels!

Dia took a step forward, glaring at Ron with a vicious grin, "Hey, kid, don't you know where you are?"

"Heh..." Ron couldn't help but laugh at Dia's words. *How amusing that he could even say something like that.*

*Ignorance really is bliss!*

"Sorry, I'm not interested, and I don't want to know what this place is. Now, can you please step aside?" Ron smiled lightly, seemingly unaware of the gravity of the situation.

Hearing Ron's sarcastic tone, Dia's face darkened, and he spat a thick wad of phlegm at Ron.

Ron's expression turned cold as he swiftly dodged.

"You still dare to dodge? Get him! Break this guy's limbs—I'll deal with him personally!" Dia's face grew even darker when he saw Ron dodge.

*This guy dares to defy me? He's dead!*

One of the lackeys laughed as he rushed toward Ron, aiming a dagger at his arm, "The boss has spoken! Just give up and die—let's start by taking off your arm!"

"I didn't want to fight, but you're asking for it!" Ron suddenly grinned, pointing at the lackey.

With a crack, a bolt of white lightning shot out, piercing through the lackey's heart!

The man let out a few "ho ho" sounds before losing all signs of life.

"Get him! Let's go! Hahaha, once you start a fight with Dia's men, you might have a chance to survive!"

Nearby, the big man known as the Evil Ghost hid, watching the events unfold. When he saw Ron strike, his heart pounded with excitement.

*This damn bounty hunter dared to attack Dia's men—he's dead now!*

"You dare to resist? How bold! Do you think having a Devil Fruit ability makes you untouchable here?" Dia's eyes flashed coldly as he saw Ron kill one of his men. He quickly moved to attack Ron.

Dia wasn't like others who were ignorant of Devil Fruits. He had seen their miraculous abilities more than once!

"You're knowledgeable, but you'll still die!" Ron laughed, spreading his five fingers, lightning crackling in his palm.

"Thunder Roar Cannon!"

With a bang, a bolt of lightning shot out of the clear sky.

The lightning beam struck Dia directly, scorching him black!

He fell into the crowd with a 'Boom,' and the explosion enveloped everyone nearby!

In an instant, nearly half of Dia's men were dead!

The others, caught in the aftermath of the explosion, were severely injured.

They pointed trembling fingers at Ron, voices shaking as they shouted:

"You... you..."

"You actually killed Boss Dia? Boss Dia was the representative of someone important here!"

"You're finished, you're dead! There are still officers loyal to that big shot on this island. Killing Boss Dia is like offending that big shot himself!"

"From now on, you'll be hunted endlessly until you die in despair!"