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CHAPTER 62

Much like many individuals on this planet, the young man devoured his food like an elephant upon waking from his injury. For Kreegan, observing how food could serve as a potent restorative was nothing short of fascinating. Just a day earlier, he had been on the brink of death, suffering from hunger, blood loss, and infection. Yet, within a mere day, he had regained consciousness, and in two days, he was already on his feet. In just a few more days, he would regain his health.

In a few more days, they would reach the island. Kreegan had already made up his mind to leave the man in the island's village as they continued on their journey to confront Arlong. The man made his way to the ship's lower deck while Kreegan focused on his rigorous workout regimen. This particular room was designed for weight training and boasted reinforced steel walls and floors.

Kreegan, engrossed in his training, had been lifting 500 kilograms dumbbells. After warming up, he abruptly dropped them to the ground and transitioned to the daunting task of deadlifting a staggering one-and-a-half ton of weight. While this might not have been his absolute limit, he considered himself somewhat weakened at the moment. Following the Thriller Bark incident, Zoro had demonstrated the capability to lift approximately 5 to 6 tons. That was his aim for now but he was not even close yet.

With his entire concentration directed toward the arduous task of lifting these colossal weights, Kreegan remained oblivious to the man's approach, entirely absorbed in his rigorous training routine.

"Ahem!" "Ahem!"

Kreegan finally snapped out of his workout trance, turning his attention to the young man who had been trying to get his attention.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't realize you were here. Do you need something?" Kreegan inquired.

In a muffled voice, the young man responded, "Thank you for saving me."

"That is to be expected. We might be the ones that got shipwrecked next time." Kreegan quipped with a hint of humor, though his face remained stern.

As the atmosphere grew somewhat tense, Kreegan wrestled with the decision of whether to broach a sensitive topic. After some hesitation, he continued,

"I'm sorry for bringing this up, but from the wreckage, it didn't look like a natural occurrence. It seemed like your ship was under cannon fire. Were you attacked by a pirate ship? We are navigating waters where a vicious pirate group has established their territory."

The young man shook his head in disagreement, prompting Kreegan to drop the matter, not wanting to push too hard.

Changing the subject, Kreegan extended a friendly introduction, "Ah, where are my manners? I am Kreegan D. Wucrane, the bald-headed dude over there is Alexander, and the girl is called Kuina."

Lex's voice echoed from inside the lower deck, "I heard that, you asshole!"

"Why? Should I have introduced you as the man with silk hair?"

Lex got angry and left the room while grumbling.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Asshole!"

Amidst the exchange, the young man reached out to shake Kreegan's hand and introduced himself, "I am Eagle Bowman."

Eagle's eyes mirrored the sharp and fierce qualities of his name-sake, with a striking yellowish-brown color. However, at this moment, they appeared fatigued and somewhat lost. His raven-black hair framed his face, and his body exuded a sense of toned athleticism.

...

That evening, they all gathered at the mess hall to share a meal. Kreegan took a moment to address their plans, stating, "We are heading to Conomi Island and will be dropping you off at Cocoyasi Village."

Upon hearing the name of the island and village, Eagle paused mid-bite, his expression filled with concern. He asked, "Why are you going there?"

Kreegan's response was straightforward, "We are bounty hunters, and we'll be cleaning up some trash from those waters."

Eagle's face grew grave, and he cautioned them, "You don't stand a chance against them."

With these words, tears welled up in Eagle's eyes, and he began to recount his own tragic story. His father had been a retired Marine who, upon losing contact with a friend he had served with, initiated an investigation. The grim outcome was that she had been shot dead by pirates. Drawing upon his past connections, Eagle's father had reached out to the Marine captain responsible for their quadrant, sharing information about the pirates' actions and their hiding place. A week ago, they had met with this captain to journey to that very village, but their ship was swiftly sunk by cannon fire the moment they neared the Marine vessel.

Eagle's father had met a tragic end, pushing his son off the ship before losing his own life. Eagle had managed to cling to a few floating planks but was shot by the marine captain before being left to die.

Kreegan keenly related to the man's anguish, as his own family had suffered a similar fate.

In response, Kreegan asked a crucial question, "What kind of figurehead did the Marine ship have?"

Eagle's reply was filled with bitterness: "It was a mouse."

"Nezumi!" Kreegan exclaimed, connecting the dots.

Eagle's voice was heavy with irony as he shared, "Do you know the funniest thing? Until last week, I was looking forward to the day I would be entering the Marine Academy in Logue Town. My father was an honorable man and a good Marine. He dedicated his entire life to these assholes and died at the hands of Marines."

Kreegan responded with determination, "I promise you Nezumi will pay for what he did."

Eagle continued to open up, revealing more about his painful past, "The pirate group that killed your father's friend is called the Arlong Pirates. They are fish-man pirates. My family died at their hands, too, and I am here to make them pay."

After a period of silence, Eagle made a heartfelt request, "Can I join you in this battle? I don't want to stay in a village while you fight."

Kreegan considered Eagle's power level, which was at dark yellow level 2. It was evident that he was not yet strong enough to confront fish-men. Kreegan gently explained, "I am sorry, but you are too weak to fight against fish-men. When they are in the water, powerful ones like Arlong usually have ten times the strength an average human has."

Eagle's frustration was palpable as he slammed his fist onto the table, retorting with anger, "I do not know how powerful you are, but I am not weak. We wouldn't have gone down like that if it wasn't an ambush. My father and Bel-mere were Lieutenants in the Marines, and they had fought and killed many vicious pirates. Even when I was a child, all my dreams revolved around being a Marine officer, and my father trained me for this."

Kreegan recognized that Eagle was indeed at level 2, approaching level 3. However, it didn't change the fact that he was not prepared to face fish-men. In his estimation, even the weakest among them would be at upper level 3, and he anticipated that Kuroobi, Hatchan, and Chew would be at levels 4 or 5. Arlong, as a formidable fish-man, was expected to be at level 5 or 6. The power gap was substantial.

"You are wounded; I don't think you can defeat even an average member," Kreegan pointed out.

Eagle, however, dismissed his concerns, stating confidently, "This wound will not affect me too much."

Kreegan was clearly puzzled. "How is that even possible?"

Eagle got out of his chair and went inside the ship. After a few seconds, he returned with his rifle. Suddenly, everything fell into place for Kreegan. This was the reason for Eagle's unwavering confidence. His power level had surged to yellow level 4.

"I am a marksman; I don't fight in close combat if I don't have to," Eagle explained.

Kreegan, recognizing the value of having a skilled sniper on their side, urged Eagle to relax. "Okay, calm down, but leave your rifle there and come sit."

As soon as Eagle placed the rifle on the counter, his power level dropped back to level 2, revealing his physical combat capabilities.

Eagle was determined and asserted, "I can take care of myself, and I'm not asking for your permission."

Kreegan was both impressed and relieved. He had discovered a formidable sniper in the East Blue. It seemed that Eagle's fate had changed thanks to Kreegan's intervention. With a sigh, Kreegan agreed to include him in their mission, with one condition: "Okay, you will come with us but do not enter Arlong Park. You will stay at a distance and provide cover fire for us."

"Three of us will destroy the eastern wall of the park, and this will provide a line of sight for Eagle." Kreegan proceeded to sketch out their plans on paper, outlining their strategy.