Chapter 38: Comparison of Forces on Both Sides

"Cough cough, come here, I have something to tell you."

Drake grabbed Rorschach's neck and dragged him outside the inn.

Luo glanced at the two of them without saying anything. He just opened his right hand again, releasing a hemispherical dome.

This time, the dome covered the entire inn.

Suddenly, a simple hand-drawn map appeared on the table in front of him.

"Hey, come over here to discuss how to proceed, woman."

Peacock smiled, "I was thinking the same thing, young man."

Outside the inn.

Drake held Rorschach by the neck with his right hand and lowered his voice, "Hey, are you serious? This guy is a pirate, and he came in before us. It's possible he was invited by Ilia to help establish a pirate kingdom."

"If we trust him too easily, he might betray us and sell us to Mig Jones or Trebol. Then we'll be in real trouble."

"And why do you trust him so much? Who is he exactly?"

Drake's grip was strong, as he was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user.

Rorschach almost choked, exerting force to free himself from Drake's grip, and then he put his arm around Drake's shoulder.

The two of them huddled together and started whispering.

No one knew what Rorschach said, but Drake's eyes widened, and his mouth opened wide, like a shocked hippopotamus.

"What? Are you saying he's... he's... the grandson of Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"

Rorschach quickly covered his mouth.

"Shh, keep it down. If you leak this, think about the consequences."

Drake immediately closed his mouth and shook his head vigorously.

"I don't know anything. Did you say something? What are we doing here? Let's go back inside."

Drake walked back into the inn, adjusting his collar with a wide smile on his face.

"Wow! You've prepared a map of the royal castle! You're truly amazing, such thorough preparation. This mission will be a breeze."

Luo's mouth twitched, and veins popped out on his forehead.

"Shut up."

"Okay."

They gathered around the table, looking at the hand-drawn map.

The map showed the main streets and buildings within the royal castle, with cartoonish faces at some important locations.

Next to the palace, there was a face of an old man with a big nose, a boy with big teeth, a person with a mask and afro hair, and a cute girl's face.

"Did Luo draw this? This guy... no wonder he's a skilled doctor, his drawing is also top-notch."

Luo felt uneasy under Rorschach's gaze, coughed lightly, and pointed to the royal palace.

"Here is the palace, less than a kilometer from here. According to my information, members of the Donquixote family who came this time include Trebol, Gladius, Buffalo, and Baby 5."

"The strongest people in this castle should be these four, plus the captain of the Giant Bug Pirates, Mig Jones, the first mate Cis, and the second mate Hutton. As for the third mate, you guys just killed him."

Luo glanced at Rorschach.

Rorschach's powerful display when he killed Trull with two punches left a deep impression on him.

"Can you explain their abilities and combat levels?" Drake asked seriously.

This mission was very important for the peace of the North Sea, and he had to be cautious.

"I don't know much about the Giant Bug Pirates."

Luo pointed to Trebol and the others.

"Trebol, a Paramecia-type sticky-sticky fruit user, can secrete a sticky liquid from his body. This liquid is extremely adhesive and can be ignited to cause violent explosions."

"Gladius, a Paramecia-type pop-pop fruit user, can make parts of his body explode or detonate non-living materials he touches."

"Buffalo, a Paramecia-type spin-spin fruit user, can make his body spin to achieve flight."

"Baby 5, a Paramecia-type arms-arms fruit user, can turn parts of her body into any weapon, including long-range cannons and missiles, as well as close-range swords and knives."

Drake started sweating upon hearing these abilities.

"All Devil Fruit users, they sound incredibly strong and difficult to deal with."

"Of course, they are subordinates of a Shichibukai, they couldn't be weak."

Peacock took out a cigarette, lit it with a lighter on her thigh, and took a deep puff.

Drake, Luo, and Rorschach slightly turned their heads and touched their noses simultaneously.

Peacock smiled and said, "I'll give you information about the Giant Bug Pirates."

"First, the captain, Mig Jones."

"Zoan-type insect-insect fruit, sandworm form user, bounty of 130 million Berries. He can transform into a giant sandworm, burrow underground, attack from below, and devour enemies with his large mouth."

"He can also split into a swarm of small insects that attack multiple targets."

"Then there's Cis, the first mate, a dual-wielding swordsman with a bounty of 95 million Berries. His swordsmanship is at the level of cutting iron."

"Finally, the second mate Hutton, a cyborg with powerful weapons, bounty of 65 million Berries."

Drake sighed, "More tough opponents. This is really going to be difficult."

He looked around at the group and asked, "Can we really handle these strong opponents with just the four of us?"

"One-eyed boy, don't underestimate us. We're strong too."

Bepo and his companions straightened their backs bravely, but Luo cut them off.

"You three won't participate in this mission. Stay in the inn and wait for me."

Tears welled up in Bepo's eyes, "Captain, don't leave us."

Luo's face twitched as he hardened his heart, "This is a personal matter. Stay here and wait for my return."

Rorschach tapped on the table to draw everyone's attention.

"Can we find any other allies in the royal castle?"

He looked at Drake, "Although Drake's words are discouraging, they're true. With just the four of us, it's difficult to overcome these seven, plus all the pirates in the city. If we can't find allies, we'll have to launch a surprise attack on the palace."

"Prince Gruss seems to have some strength. If we find him in advance, he could be an ally."

Peacock exhaled a puff of smoke and pointed to the map.

Luo thought carefully for a moment, then said, "I think there's indeed another potential ally in the castle."

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