Chapter 121: A Massive Wave of Experience Points Approaches [First Subscription Requested]

Before he even drew near, he heard a boisterous, gravelly female voice booming: "Koby, who is the most beautiful woman on these seas?"

It was the kind of voice that, the moment it hit your ears, could make a man go soft and leave one feeling a sharp, involuntary shiver.

Tang Shen was taken aback. This voice sounded strangely familiar.

It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?

At that moment, a timid, trembling voice replied: "Th-that would certainly be the captain, Miss Alvida."

"Hahahahahaha!"

A wild, manic laughter erupted, revealing a sense of unrestrained insanity. It was clear the owner of the laugh was quite pleased. "Well said!"

Sure enough, it was that pathetic fellow Koby, along with the woman from *One Piece* who, after eating a Devil Fruit, underwent a drastic transformation from an incredibly short and fat woman.

He had originally intended to go out of his way to find them, as achievement points were quite important. He hadn't expected them to deliver themselves to his doorstep ahead of schedule.

It was a stroke of fate. Since they had crossed paths, he might as well send them off to the afterlife.

Meanwhile, the group of pirate hunters, who had previously been puffing out their chests, decisively lost their nerve—and did so without a moment's hesitation. They had no idea where they had tossed their weapons, and they began backing away step by step.

Among the crowd, people were whispering:

"Th-that’s Iron Mace Alvida! The captain of the Alvida Pirates."

"It’s that cruel, vicious woman with a bounty of three million Berries. We have no chance against her."

"Shut up! Don't let her hear you, or we’re all dead."

"Anyone who speaks ill of her or resists her ends up getting smashed away by her iron mace."

...

Being cowardly and opportunistic was the norm for these types. After all, they were just trying to survive; no one wanted to throw their life away.

Tang Shen walked through the crowd and spotted a group of pirates. There was no need to ask who they were; one look was enough. They radiated a distinct aura, and their smiles were uniquely villainous.

Standing in the center was a tall, obese woman—the epitome of ugliness. Her frame was at least three or four times that of an average person, and she stood over two meters tall, carrying a thick, long, and massive spiked club over her shoulder.

Even an ordinary person would tremble at the sight of her!

"Three million, huh! It seems that before the plot truly kicks in, the bounty still has room to grow. A pity," Tang Shen thought to himself.

The captain of the merchant ship looked grim. Seeing the group of stowaways immediately discard their weapons and retreat the moment they saw the pirates, he felt a wave of frustration. This was not what he had hoped for. He had expected them to put up a fight, especially since he had offered a bounty of 500,000 Berries for anyone who could repel the pirates.

He never imagined these people would be even more useless than he had anticipated.

His crew alone couldn't possibly hold them off. If this shipment were lost, he would effectively lose half his net worth in one fell swoop.

But what could he do?

Was he angry? Furious? Depressed?

None of that was worth risking his life for—after all, these were pirates.

In the shipping business, pirates were the greatest fear, and the sea trade was a dangerous game to begin with.

"We won't take your lives, but we won't let go of anything valuable. Everyone, toss your money bags onto the open ground, then stay quiet. Once we’ve finished gathering our loot, we’ll be on our way," one pirate stepped forward with an arrogant grin, his gleaming cutlass reflecting the light as he spoke loudly.

"Anyone who wants to resist, prepare to be thrown into the sea to feed the fish!" Alvida stepped forward with her massive body, speaking with cold cruelty.

One sang a soft tune while the other played the enforcer; if someone resisted, they would be crushed with thunderous force. It was a tactic pirates played well because it was the most effective.

The effect was immediate. When faced with a pirate crew they couldn't defeat, merchant ships usually chose to yield.

Because the pirates claimed they wouldn't take lives, it served as a pacifier. After all, people prioritize their own survival above all else. Hearing those words, many felt a sense of relief, subconsciously comforting themselves.

Just like now, all the sailors and passengers had looks of relief on their faces, including the captain, though their eyes still brimmed with fear and anger.

Humans are strange creatures. Even when it’s just a hollow comfort—even when you know the other party is likely lying and your life is still in their hands—you stupidly choose to believe it, perhaps out of a sliver of hope, and thus choose not to resist.

Almost instantly, everyone cleared a path. Many even automatically unhooked their money bags and tossed them onto the ground in the middle.

Seeing everyone act so obediently, the pirates burst into wild laughter, their smugness plain to see.

The captain clenched his fists, then relaxed them, then clenched them again. It was stifling—or rather, humiliating.

"Captain, you aren't thinking of resisting, are you? Do you want a taste of my iron mace?" Alvida roared, noticing the captain hadn't backed down. She raised her spiked iron mace, instantly blocking out the sun above.

BOOM!

She slammed it down onto the deck, creating a massive hole as wood splinters flew everywhere.

"N-no, I wouldn't dare!" The captain shuddered in terror. His previous struggle vanished, and he quickly stepped back, his face filled with nothing but dread.

If that spiked iron mace had hit him, he would surely have been turned into a puddle of meat.

The effect of the strike was clear. The others quickly unhooked their money bags and threw them onto the path, their eyes wide with fear.

The pirates immediately began moving toward the merchant ship's cargo hold to loot the valuables and alcohol.

Meanwhile, one pirate happily crouched down to collect the money bags, a look of pure delight on his face.

However, just as he reached for the last bag, a foot planted itself firmly on top of it, no matter how hard he pulled.

"Which bastard is this?" the pirate roared in a rage. "Move your filthy foot, old man, or I’ll cut you down!"

He drew his blade, intending to hack at the person standing on the money bag.

CRACK!

Before he could even look up or fully draw his sword, a foot slammed into his stomach. He was sent flying, his body arching in mid-air like a boiled shrimp. His eyes bulged, he coughed up blood, and his face was a mask of disbelief.

THUD!

He landed heavily on the deck and slid a long distance. The pirates nearby quickly scattered until he slammed into the edge of the ship, the railing behind him groaning and splintering under the impact.

The pirate's chest was deeply concave; he was barely breathing. He coughed up mouthfuls of blood, mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

His head slumped to the side, and he was gone.

"So, that was your final word," Tang Shen said with a chuckle.

[Ding! Hunted a common pirate, gained 10 experience points.]

The system notification rang in his ear. *Hmm, not bad, not bad at all.* This was why Tang Shen had set sail; these pirates were his walking treasure troves of experience points!

As he smiled, his eyes gleamed as he looked at the remaining pirates.

Although these pirates were an eyesore to the public, they were nonetheless valuable experience points. And experience points should just do their job and turn into experience points.