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"You're finally here. I was getting tired of waiting."
Caelan leaned back in his chair and yawned, clearly not taking Miss Monday and her men seriously.
Tashigi, who had only drunk two glasses of beer, had sobered up quickly after passing out. Now fully awake, she stood beside Caelan, gripping the famous sword Shigure, her eyes sharply focused on the hundreds of enemies before them.
Nami was also clear-headed. Blessed with a natural resistance to alcohol, she had already recovered despite outdrinking fourteen others earlier.
Vivi stood awkwardly beside Caelan, smiling stiffly at her former colleagues.
Miss Monday and her men were completely confused as they looked at Caelan and his group, who seemed perfectly prepared.
"You just drank so much wine and ate so much food. How are you fine already?"
Miss Monday stared at Caelan and Nami, unable to hide the doubt in her heart.
"That little bit of food was already digested."
Caelan replied calmly.
Holding the template of the Heroic Spirit Heracles, everything he ate was converted into mana to fuel his Noble Phantasms and inherent skills.
Those meals and drinks had instantly turned into energy the moment they entered his body. For him, it had only been a tasting session.
If necessary, even a hundred times that amount would have been no problem at all.
"And that little bit of wine was nothing." Nami casually waved her hand, fully refreshed.
Looking at the few people before her, completely unaffected, Miss Monday could only grit her teeth and make up her mind.
"There's no other way now. Things have come to this… everyone, go!"
"We have over a hundred people, and they are only three! One hundred against three… we have the advantage!"
Miss Monday tried to rally her subordinates and was the first to charge forward.
The hundreds of bounty hunters roared and charged at Caelan like they had been injected with adrenaline.
Driven by desperation, they did manage to create some momentum.
Igaram quickly moved to shield Vivi behind him. He couldn't allow the princess to be hurt.
Tashigi and Nami also stood ready, prepared to fight alongside Caelan.
"What a bunch of naïve fools."
Caelan stood up slowly, pity in his eyes as he looked at the charging enemies.
These people had never faced a true powerhouse. They didn't understand that sheer numbers meant nothing before true strength.
Caelan raised his right foot and stomped down on the floor of the banquet hall.
A massive force surged from his foot into the ground, shaking the entire mountain beneath them.
A thin crack opened beneath his feet, spreading outward across the banquet hall.
In an instant, the hundreds of bounty hunters charging at them lost their balance and collapsed one after another.
In the blink of an eye, except for Miss Monday, who had slightly better strength, the entire group had fallen flat.
Miss Monday barely managed to keep her footing, though she almost wished she had fallen.
Being the first to charge, she was already standing just two meters away from Caelan, her fist raised.
But now, standing so close, she couldn't even muster the courage to throw the punch.
Miss Monday stared at Caelan, this man who had shaken the very earth.
Without hesitation, she followed her instincts, dropping to her knees before him.
The other bounty hunters behind her, seeing this, stopped their charge, utterly shaken by what they had just witnessed.
Silently, they copied Miss Monday's actions and knelt down in unison inside the banquet hall.
Terror filled the hearts of everyone on the ground.
How were they supposed to fight such a monster?
"No matter how many times I see it, it's still unbelievable."
Nami gazed at Caelan.
She had seen him fight many times before and thought she understood his strength.
But every time, Caelan shattered her expectations and delivered a new shock.
Tashigi was also excited.
She had seen the East Blue Marine Commodore personally trying to recruit Caelan, so she knew how strong he was.
But she hadn't expected him to be this overwhelming.
She was certain she had chosen the right person to follow. With Caelan, she would definitely be able to find many famous swords.
…
"Wonderful. There's hope for Alabasta after all!"
Vivi's eyes were wide with surprise, her face flushed with excitement.
Caelan's display of power was beyond anything she could have imagined. It felt like he belonged to an entirely different world.
"To think he took out hundreds of people in a single instant!"
"Your Highness is truly lucky to have entrusted such a powerful person."
Igaram could hardly close his mouth, amazed by Vivi's good fortune.
He had expected that even if Caelan was strong, it would take him at least a few rounds of fighting to handle so many opponents.
But in the end, Caelan had merely stomped his foot, and the hundred bounty hunters were already kneeling.
This unexpected strength let Igaram see a glimmer of hope.
Alabasta could be saved.
…
Seeing the stunned expressions of everyone around, Caelan didn't show the slightest bit of pride.
He stretched lazily. For him, dealing with these people wasn't even enough to count as a warm-up.
"Thank you for the banquet. I enjoyed it very much."
"I'll be sure to make good use of your bounties… I'll exchange every Berry of it for food. Nothing will go to waste."
Caelan smiled, clearly in a very good mood.
Though these bounty hunters were pitifully weak, their performance as entertainment had been excellent.
If the road ahead was always this considerate, feeding him well and then handing over their bounties, things would be just perfect.
Looking at the cheerful Caelan, Miss Monday and the hundred bounty hunters felt utterly crushed.
Not only had he eaten most of their food, but now he was going to cash in their heads for Berries. It felt like having their hearts ripped out.
But they had only themselves to blame for being so blind, daring to provoke someone they couldn't afford to mess with.
At this moment, regret filled their hearts. If they had just let Caelan and his crew leave, the worst they would have suffered was losing some food.
But now, because of their arrogance, they had gotten themselves caught up in disaster.
Still, Miss Monday clung to one last shred of hope.
She couldn't count on Miss Wednesday or Mr. 8 anymore. She suspected Igaram had betrayed them, though she didn't know the details.
Her real hope now lay with Miss Valentine and Mr. 5, two senior agents of Baroque Works.
She had informed them the moment the Wind Rider arrived, hoping to earn credit.
Originally, she wanted those two to take the ship as a prize, but now they had become her last lifeline.
Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon.
Miss Monday lowered her head, a gloomy smile on her face.
Compared to the lower ranks of Whiskey Peak, those two were truly on another level.
Both were Devil Fruit users. No matter how strong Caelan was, there was no way he could defeat them.
But when she recalled the power of Caelan's stomp, a flicker of uncertainty flashed across her mind.
Surely… surely they could defeat him, right?
(To be continued.)
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