HST: Chapter 50/51

Chapter 50: Full Speed

A few days later, the training proved highly effective, and the women's strength improved by leaps and bounds.

Without needing Caelan to lift a finger, they handled several waves of pirates during the voyage, earning him nearly 100 million Berries in bounties.

However, news of the Wind Rider's strength soon spread. Pirates who spotted it from afar quickly turned away and fled.

"What a pity the pirates stopped showing up," Tashigi said, frowning with regret.

She sat cross-legged on the deck, the famous swords Shigure and Kashu resting on her knees, which she stroked gently with admiration.

In just a few days of battling pirates, combined with Caelan's intense training, her swordsmanship had advanced rapidly.

Now that no more pirates were showing up, the pace of her improvement would slow.

"We've already captured so many. Even idiots won't keep throwing themselves at us," Nami rolled her eyes and complained.

Still, she secretly wished more pirates would show up. After all, they were worth bounty money.

Vivi and Robin were also somewhat reluctant. Pirates were ideal for live-combat training.

Between Caelan's lessons and the actual fighting, their strength had been increasing rapidly.

Looking at the disappointed expressions on the girls' faces, Caelan couldn't help but chuckle. They hadn't been like this before.

"Alright, since there are no pirates in our way, let's go full speed ahead."

"We're heading to Jaya Island to find the location of Sky Island."

Caelan gave the order casually, looking completely at ease.

Since no pirates were coming to them, he would go find trouble himself.

He remembered Bellamy the Hyena, the spring-powered pirate worth 50 million Berries, was on Jaya.

And he was one of Doflamingo's men. Not that it mattered.

Caelan would deal with Doflamingo sooner or later. Think of this as the appetizer.

"Yes, Captain!"

Nami and Vivi responded playfully, standing at attention with a salute.

"But does Sky Island really exist?" Nami asked, skeptical. "Isn't that just a legend?"

"Sky Island definitely exists. It's right above the clouds."

"It's just a bit tricky to get there. We'll need help once we reach Jaya Island."

Caelan looked at Nami seriously, speaking with certainty.

He understood her doubts. An island floating in the sky went against all logic.

But the Grand Line was full of wonders. There were islands in the sky, moving elephants, even Fish-Man Island beneath the sea.

Seeing how confident Caelan was, Nami still had doubts, but chose to believe him.

After all, Caelan had never been wrong.

"Alright! Full speed to Jaya Island! Let's find a way to reach Sky Island!"

Nami's eyes lit up with excitement. Alongside Vivi, Tashigi, and Robin, she steered the Wind Rider forward.

Everyone was filled with curiosity about the legendary Sky Island.

Caelan stood on the deck, gazing out at the sea behind them. A Marine warship trailed far behind the Wind Rider.

"Haha, how interesting."

Caelan smiled slightly, his curiosity piqued.

Was that warship just heading the same way? Or were they here for him?

It didn't matter either way.

It was just a single warship. It posed no threat.

With that, Caelan put the thought aside and focused ahead.

…

On the Marine warship, a large number of pirates were being escorted to Impel Down.

Among them were Baroque Works agents defeated by Caelan, and pirate captains taken down by Nami and the others.

"It's unbelievable. We just entered the Grand Line, and we've already caught so many pirates that my warship's running out of space."

Vice Admiral Momonga, wearing his Justice cloak, looked at the distant Wind Rider with deep admiration.

That Caelan was truly something else. He had caused a massive stir just after entering the Grand Line.

Catching pirates seemed as easy as fishing. In just a short time, hundreds had been captured.

If this mission weren't limited to escorting pirates with bounties over 10 million, this ship wouldn't have been able to hold them all.

Even so, the ship's draft had noticeably lowered.

"Reporting, Commander! We have too many prisoners. Our supplies won't last!"

The quartermaster rushed over, clearly flustered.

"What? But we brought the usual amount. Why are we running short?"

Momonga frowned in confusion.

They had brought the standard supply. How could it not be enough?

Was someone embezzling food?

Momonga looked at the quartermaster with suspicion.

But that didn't make sense. This man had been with him for years. He didn't seem like that type.

"There are just too many prisoners this time, sir! Two or three times more than usual. Our rations are going fast!"

The quartermaster was sweating, anxious to explain. He was loyal!

It was all thanks to Caelan. In just half a month, he had captured more pirates than the New World branch did in a year.

"Alright, we'll follow Caelan's ship to Jaya Island, resupply there, and observe him while we're at it!"

Momonga suddenly understood, gave the quartermaster an apologetic look, then issued his orders.

They needed to resupply anyway. Why not use this chance to see Caelan?

Momonga had been intrigued by this bounty hunter with an overwhelming record. He had long wanted to meet him.

Now that the opportunity had come, he wouldn't miss it.

"Yes, sir!"

The Marine sailors responded in unison and adjusted course to follow the Wind Rider from afar.

All the Marines aboard were excited at the prospect of seeing the incredible Caelan with their own eyes.

…

New World, Dressrosa.

Doflamingo shifted restlessly in his chair, adjusting his position, but still felt irritated.

Caelan's name kept echoing in his mind. The report about him thwarting a coup and defeating a Warlord had left him deeply uncomfortable.

Wasn't that indirectly aimed at him?

"So annoying!"

Days had passed, but Doflamingo's resentment toward Caelan remained like a bone stuck in his throat.

After some thought, Doflamingo picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed Bellamy.

"Bellamy, how are preparations going?"

Doflamingo only hoped Bellamy could cause Caelan some trouble and help him vent his frustration.

On Jaya Island, Bellamy was thrilled to receive Doflamingo's call.

What was going on? His idol, who had ignored him for years, had called him twice in just a few days?

"Don't worry, Doflamingo-sama!"

"I'm fully prepared. I've arranged a big surprise for Caelan and his crew. As soon as they arrive, we'll attack them in groups!"

"I guarantee they won't know what hit them. They'll be crushed by me!"

Bellamy said confidently, pride radiating from his voice.

He had prepared thoroughly to take down Caelan. There was no way he would fail.

All that was left was for Caelan to arrive, and Bellamy's dream of joining the Donquixote Family would be fulfilled.

"Very good. If you take care of Caelan, you'll become one of Donquixote's officers."

Hearing Bellamy's confident tone, Doflamingo smiled slightly and made a bold promise without hesitation.

"Yes, Doflamingo-sama! I won't let you down!"

Fired up by Doflamingo's promise, Bellamy stood up and shouted like he had just been injected with pure adrenaline.

Doflamingo hung up the Den Den Mushi and leaned back in his chair, the irritation from before now gone.

Maybe… Bellamy really could get rid of Caelan?

For the first time in days, Doflamingo felt a flicker of hope.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 51: Ambush

At sea, the Wind Rider continued sailing toward Jaya Island.

"Caelan, the Log Pose is pointing to the sky... is it broken?" Nami looked anxiously at the Log Pose on her wrist, which was inexplicably pointing upward.

"The Log Pose isn't broken. The magnetic pull was taken by the island in the sky."

Robin interjected calmly, her tone carrying a trace of mystery.

"The island in the sky… could it be…?"

Nami was about to argue, but then something clicked in her memory. She instinctively looked at Caelan.

"Yes, it's proof that Sky Island really exists."

Caelan looked toward the sky and affirmed her suspicion.

"The problem now is we don't know how to get to Sky Island, and we've lost our original course to Jaya."

Nami stared at the Log Pose pointing skyward, her expression dimming.

Robin, Vivi, and Tashigi also looked worried. Without a heading, they were afraid of getting lost at sea.

"Don't worry. One of the pirate crews we defeated left behind an Eternal Pose to Jaya. We'll use that."

Caelan replied calmly and confidently.

Half of the pirates who had attacked them before were from Jaya. Several of them carried Eternal Poses.

Even if they hadn't had one for Jaya, they still had one for Alabasta. They wouldn't get lost.

"Oh, right! We'll just use theirs!"

Nami's eyes lit up as she retrieved the Eternal Pose for Jaya, breathing a sigh of relief.

Caelan always had a plan. He was reliable like that.

"So, how long until we reach Jaya?"

Caelan asked Nami casually.

"At our current speed, we'll arrive by this afternoon. Even earlier if we catch a tailwind."

Nami checked the chart and made a quick calculation before answering.

"Alright then. Let's land on Jaya Island this afternoon and take a breather."

Caelan spoke with a relaxed tone and a hint of cheer.

Upon hearing this, the women steered the Wind Rider ahead at full speed.

By afternoon, as Caelan stood on the deck, the outline of Jaya Island came into view.

…

In the reefs along Jaya's shore, the Bellamy Pirates' first mate, Sarquiss, and their fighter, Ross, lay low with telescopes, observing the ocean.

"Look! That bounty hunter's here!"

Sarquiss spotted the Wind Rider approaching and spoke excitedly.

Per Bellamy's orders, he had waited here for a whole day, and finally, Caelan had arrived.

"Vice-captain, are we really going to take him on?"

Ross's eyes flickered, his tone unsteady. He was nervous.

As a fighter in the Bellamy Pirates, he considered himself brave.

But when he thought of who they were about to face, he trembled.

This was the man who had taken down Crocodile, with overwhelming strength.

Many familiar pirate crews had tried to stop Caelan recently, and none had returned. All had been turned over to the Marines for bounty money.

"Fool. We're not the only ones. The boss has gathered several other pirate crews to help."

"There are hundreds of us. Surely we can handle one guy."

"Once this job is done, we'll follow the boss and officially join the Donquixote Family, the dominant force in the New World!"

Sarquiss looked at Ross, sighing in disappointment.

There were hundreds of elite pirates in Mock Town, and with the boss leading them, what was there to fear?

"Alright, let's do it!"

Ross finally steeled himself, convinced by the promise.

If they succeeded, he could join the Donquixote Family. That kind of opportunity was too tempting.

Just waving the Donquixote flag was enough to make most Marines hesitate. If they officially joined, it would be like sheltering under a massive tree.

Boom!

Ross fired a flare into the sky. It shot upward with a loud pop, releasing a bright flash visible across the entire island.

…

Seeing the flare, Caelan instantly sensed something was off.

"Haha. Looks like someone's waiting for us on the island."

Caelan chuckled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Before he even made a move, others were already plotting against him.

"Caelan, should we avoid this for now?"

Vivi looked at the port ahead. It was calm, but she could feel the tension and spoke with concern.

Nami, Robin, and Tashigi also looked to Caelan, waiting for his decision.

"No need. Let's land and see what tricks they've prepared."

Caelan, confident in his strength, had no intention of dodging.

As far as he was concerned, there were no real threats on the island.

The only one worth noting was Bellamy, the Spring-Spring Fruit user, and even he wasn't worth worrying about.

With Caelan's command, the Wind Rider continued closing in on the shore.

…

In the tavern at Mock Town, Jaya Island.

When the signal flare went up, the tavern—previously filled with chatter about ambushing Caelan—fell silent, then erupted with noise again.

"That Caelan's here?!"

Old pirate Orwell's face went pale. His hand trembled as he held his drink.

"You drunk coward, what are you afraid of? We're here to take him down!"

"And that Caelan's soft anyway. He rarely kills anyone."

Executioner Roshio sneered at Orwell with clear disdain.

He'd heard that every pirate who had attacked Caelan was now in a Marine base. Not a single one had died.

What was there to fear from someone that soft?

"He's not soft. Dead pirates only get 70% of their bounty. Alive, it's 100%."

"He doesn't see us as people. He sees us as straight Berry."

"I've never heard of him sparing a pirate without a bounty."

Orwell took a deep drink to calm his nerves.

He was terrified of facing Caelan, the man who treated pirates like sacks of money.

With his low bounty, he'd probably be cut down in one blow.

"Yeah! He doesn't see us as people!"

"Even Crocodile and all of Baroque Works were taken down. How can we beat him?!"

Panic spread among the other pirates. Their legs trembled as they thought about fleeing.

They'd originally planned to ambush Caelan and make a name for themselves, but now that he was actually here, they were scared stiff.

Even Roshio, who'd mocked the others earlier, was starting to shake and lose confidence.

After a moment, Roshio made up his mind.

"Let's run! There are hundreds of us. Caelan can't catch everyone!"

He shouted, looking around.

If they all scattered, Caelan wouldn't be able to catch them all. Most would get away.

The other pirates' eyes lit up at the idea and began bolting toward the exits.

The alliance meant to ambush Caelan collapsed before he even set foot on the island.

Bellamy watched the chaos unfold, fury burning inside him.

"Bastards! Try running, and I'll kill you!"

Bellamy's feet turned into springs. In an instant, he launched forward and exploded the skulls of the two fastest runners.

The rest of the pirates froze in place, terrified, and stopped moving.

"Come with me to the port! There's only one Caelan. I'll take him down myself!"

Bellamy shouted to the remaining pirates. He wasn't afraid.

He would kill Caelan and officially join the Donquixote Family.

Under Bellamy's threat, the rest of the pirates reluctantly marched toward the port.

Among them was a potbellied, toothless man who grinned broadly.

"Ze haha haha haha. Now this is getting interesting."

It was Blackbeard. He was eager to see just what kind of man Caelan was—the one who had created a vacancy among the Warlords of the Sea.

(To be continued.)