novelhk Chapter 65 Super Hurricane!
Chapter 65 Super Hurricane!
Chapter 65 Super Hurricane!
On the fifth day after the fleet left the waters of the Drum Kingdom, Norton received a reply regarding Roy's request to contact Morgans to find the instructor.
That afternoon, a remarkably robust newsbird flew through the mist and landed on the White Pearl's lookout tower.
The newsbird had not a regular newspaper tied to its leg, but a sealed metal mailbox.
Roy took the letterbox and hurried to the captain's cabin.
Norton opened the mailbox; inside were two pieces of paper.
One of them is a brief message handwritten by Morgans himself; the handwriting is messy, but the content is clear.
The other document was a resume-like file with an old photo of a bounty poster attached.
The woman in the photo looks to be in her thirties, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, a voluptuous figure, an astonishingly large bust, and a red mark on her forehead.
Morgans' letter read:
Norton: We've found the instructor you requested. This woman, codenamed "Steel Hand," whose real name is unknown, was a top bounty hunter active in the New World during Roger's era. She is proficient in all three types of Haki, especially Armament Haki Hardening and Ryuo techniques.
Rumor has it that she has fought Jabba the Third Commander on Roger's ship many times and has personally arrested at least three notorious pirates with bounties of over 500 million.
He's been retired for nearly ten years and his whereabouts are unknown. He's contacted through underworld intermediaries.
"Bad news: She's asking for an exorbitant price. One billion Berries, five hundred million upfront, the balance to be paid upon arrival. No bargaining, and she demands room and board included."
"If you agree, I will forward your reply. Also: Tsurugi requests a nail sample from the employer to make a Vivre Card. She says this is to 'prevent the employer from backing out midway.' Once she has the Vivre Card, she will contact the employer herself."
"Return immediately. Morgans."
After Norton finished reading the letter, he handed it to Nami, who was standing next to him.
Nami took it and her eyes widened when she saw "1 billion Berries".
"A billion?!" Nami's voice rose an octave. "Why doesn't she just rob someone?!"
"She's robbing people. What kind of simple character could a bounty hunter survive in the era of Pirate King Roger?"
Kro adjusted his glasses and calmly analyzed the situation.
"But considering her qualifications and what she's going to teach, the price—though outrageous—is not entirely unreasonable. In the New World, truly powerful masters are rarely willing to pass on their skills, let alone those at this level."
"We just raided Bell Island and Drum Kingdom, and we haven't even had a chance to properly enjoy Belial's company yet," Nami quickly calculated. "If we pay 500 million upfront, plus the subsequent expenses... Damn it! It feels like such a huge loss!"
Norton didn't say anything, picked up the resume file, and looked at the woman in the photo named "Steelhand".
A bounty hunter from Roger's era, who clashed with Jabba multiple times—if all of this is true, then buying her instruction for a billion Berries might really be worthwhile.
A great teacher produces great students. If Norton hadn't known it was impossible, he would have wanted to invite Kaido, the master teacher known for his quick and easy teaching.
"Reply to Morgans." Norton put down the file. "I agree. Have him arrange it as soon as possible. Bailey will come from the spoils of the Bell Island."
"Norton!" Nami wanted to say something more.
"Nami," Norton looked at her, "Kizaru took down all our officers in a few seconds by himself. What if two admirals come next time?"
Nami opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"You can steal more money," Norton said, "but when a person dies, everything is gone. A lack of dominance is a weakness we must overcome."
This investment is worthwhile.
Norton himself is fearless, of course, but his subordinates still need to grow in order to keep up with him.
Norton picked up the knife on the table, cut a small piece of his left pinky fingernail, put it in an empty envelope, and handed it to Roy.
"Send this along with the Vivre Card to Morgans. Tell him to give it directly to Steelhand once it's ready."
Roy took the envelope and nodded vigorously: "I'll take care of it right away."
Three days later, the fleet entered an unusual sea area.
The weather was originally clear, but the color of the seawater changed from deep blue to murky dark green, and the waves began to become irregular.
Nami stood at the bow of the ship, holding the Log Pose in her hand, her brow furrowed.
"Something's not right—" Nami whispered, "The air pressure is dropping too fast."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark wall of clouds began to accumulate and rise at a visible speed on the distant horizon.
Those were no ordinary rain clouds; the cloud layer was as thick as a mountain range, with an ominous gray-white churning at its base, and occasionally flashes of blue-purple lightning flickering in the depths.
"It's a hurricane!" the pirates on the lookout tower screamed. "A super hurricane! It's coming straight for us!"
The order was swiftly relayed throughout the fleet: "Flatten all sails! Secure all equipment! Everyone to the cabins! Prepare to brave the waves!"
"It's that guy Sasuke's bad luck again!" a few former members of the Redbeard Pirates exclaimed.
This hurricane came too fast and too fiercely.
The first wave wall arrived half an hour later—it wasn't a wave, but a wall of water over twenty meters high, like a moving mountain range, pressing down on the fleet with an aura of destruction.
As the flagship, the White Pearl was the first to be hit, its bow was lifted high, almost vertically, and then slammed back into the sea.
The barrels, ropes, and other debris that hadn't been secured on the deck were all thrown into the air, and several slow-reacting pirates fell directly into the sea and were instantly swallowed by the rolling waves.
Then came the wind.
That wasn't the sound of the wind; it was the roar of thousands upon thousands of giant beasts roaring simultaneously.
The wind speed instantly exceeded the limit of a person being able to stand, and there was no one on the deck anymore; everyone had taken refuge in the cabin.
The portholes groaned under the strain of the gale, some even shattering as seawater mixed with torrential rain poured in.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared.
It wasn't just one or two streaks of lightning, but a continuous, endless barrage that tore the dim sky into eerie blue and white hues time and again.
The thunder roared close to the sea surface, making people's eardrums ache.
The fleet completely lost its formation.
Twenty-seven ships were tossed around like toys, the distance between them widening, some even disappearing into towering waves and torrential rain, barely maintaining contact only through ship lights and flag signals.
Norton stood in the cockpit of the White Pearl, his hands gripping the helmsman, who had already passed out.
He personally took the helm, relying on superhuman strength and intuition about the ship's performance to barely maintain the course amidst the raging winds and waves, preventing the hull from being directly smashed by the large waves coming from the side.
The hurricane lasted for a full six hours.
As the last gust of wind swept by, the rain subsided, and a sliver of cloud parted to reveal the dusky sky, the entire fleet was utterly exhausted.
At least five ships were severely damaged, with broken masts and flooded cabins, but fortunately, they did not sink. The number of casualties is still being assessed, but initial estimates suggest dozens are missing at sea.
The sea gradually calmed down, but a lot of debris and fragments still floated on the surface... broken planks, torn canvas, and scattered cargo.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto this sea area, which had survived the catastrophe, creating an eerie tranquility.
"Assess the damage! Rescue the wounded! Repair the ships!"
Norton's orders were relayed via loudspeaker Den Den Mushi to all ships that could still receive the signal.
Just as the sailors of the White Pearl were busy rescuing the wounded and repairing the damage, a new report came from the lookout: "Ship sighted on port! Not our ship!"
Norton went up to the deck, picked up his binoculars, and looked toward the port side.
About two nautical miles away, a medium-sized three-masted sailing ship was slowly approaching.
The ship looked to be in worse condition than Norton's fleet—its mainmast was broken in half, the hull was damaged in several places, and the sails were riddled with holes.
A black flag with a burning skull and crossed bones hung at the bow of the ship.
"It's a pirate ship." Kro walked up to Norton. "The Spade Pirates' ship!"
The Spade Pirates' ship had clearly spotted the massive Norton fleet as well, slowing down as if hesitating between approaching and leaving. Ultimately, however, it adjusted its course and headed towards the White Pearl.
As the distance closed, Norton could see the person standing at the bow of the ship.
An orange cowboy hat, a bare upper body, a tattoo on his right arm, and a face with a hearty smile.
The two ships slowly approached each other until they were close enough to speak. Ace stood at the bow of his ship and waved to Norton across the sea, which was several dozen meters away.
"Yo! We meet again!" Ace's voice was full of energy, showing no sign of having just weathered the hurricane. "You guys got caught in that storm too? What a coincidence!"
Norton looked at Ace and smiled, "Looks like you guys aren't having much luck either."
The members of the Norton Pirates were already well aware of the bad luck that had befallen Sasuke and the White Pearl, but they never expected it to unexpectedly affect Ace's pirate crew as well.
"The ship almost fell apart!" Ace grinned. "But we made it through."
"What do you think of my previous proposal?" Norton asked.
Ace paused for a moment, then realized that Norton was referring to the recruitment in Loguetown.
But scratching his head, Ace's smile remained: "You still remember? Sorry, my answer hasn't changed. I have my own goals, my own companions, and I don't plan to join anyone else for the time being."
Norton wasn't surprised. He had long seen that Ace wasn't the type to easily submit to others.
You'll need a lot of patience to win this man over.
"The goal?" Norton asked, "or is it still to challenge Whitebeard?"
"That's right!" Ace's eyes lit up. "I'm going to the New World to challenge Edward Newgate, the man known as the strongest man in the world! I'll prove that my time has come!"
When Ace said this, the Spade Pirates members behind him all wore proud smiles.
They genuinely followed the young captain.
Norton paused for a few seconds, then said, "What if you fail the challenge?"
Ace blinked: "Failed? Then let's try again."
“I mean,” Norton looked at Ace, “if you failed to defeat Whitebeard and realized you couldn’t surpass him for the time being, what would you do? Keep trying until you die? Or try something else?”
Ace's smile faded slightly.
He thought about it carefully, and then said, "If we really can't beat them—there's nothing we can do. But I will still walk my own path."
"How about this," Norton said, "if you fail to defeat Whitebeard and have no other targets for the time being, come aboard my ship."
"Okay," Ace said. "If I fail to defeat Whitebeard and don't know where to go for a while, I'll stay on your ship for a bit."
But let me make this clear, it's only temporary! I'll leave again once I find a new goal!
"It's a deal." Norton grinned. "If you get caught, I'll personally go to Whitebeard and demand your release!"
Zoro said the same thing, and he has now perfectly integrated into the group. He has no intention of leaving.
"It's a deal!" Ace extended his hand, making a high-five gesture, though they were too far apart to touch. "But—what if I win?"
"Then you're the new Yonko." Norton even showed a rare hint of a smile. "But... I won't give up!"
"Hahaha! Well said!" Ace laughed. "Then it's settled!"
But before that—
Ace turned to look at the broken mainmast on his ship and the gruesome gash in the hull.
Before that, it seemed my ship could no longer sail.
Norton glanced at the damaged ship, then turned to Funing and said, "Assess how long it will take to repair."
Fu Ning was already examining the Spade Pirates' ship's structure. "The mainmast needs replacing, and the crack in the hull is structurally problematic; it will take at least three days. Furthermore, we might not have enough timber."
"Then let's go together for now." Norton made the decision directly. "Ace, you guys will use our ship for now. Your ship can be towed behind, and we'll find a place to repair it along the way."
Ace paused for a moment, then laughed: "You really don't hold back."
That was how it was settled.
The members of the Spade Pirates boarded the White Pearl with the necessary supplies.
Their damaged boat was tied to the stern of the White Pearl with a cable and was being towed by the waves.
Nami seized the opportunity and had a brief conversation with the navigator of the Spade Pirates.
"Your Log Pose," Nami pointed to the glass sphere on the other person's wrist, "is it full? Are you sure this is Alabasta?"
'
"It's full. The pointer is steady; it's pointing to Alabasta. We were planning to resupply there anyway." The other person nodded.
When Nami brought the message back to the captain's cabin, Norton and Crowe were studying the nautical chart.
"Perfect." Norton pointed to Alabasta's location on the nautical chart. "It saves us time finding our way."
"But there's an added variable." Kuro adjusted his glasses. "Ace and his crew are on our ship now. If they clash with Crocodile, what will their stance be?"
"Ace won't interfere," Norton said confidently. "This is our goal, and he won't meddle."
The fleet adjusted its course and headed southwest at full speed.
During the voyage, the two groups naturally began to communicate.
Sanji was very interested in the Spade Pirates' chef, although he felt that the chef's cooking skills "had a lot of room for improvement."
Chopper then talked to Deuce about the physical structures and common diseases of different races.
Ace spent most of his time on the deck, either discussing combat techniques with Zoro, even though Zoro was still bandaged, or leaning against the ship's side, staring blankly at the sea.
Five days later, the coastline of Alabasta came into view.
The scorching wind brought the scent of sand and dust ahead of time.
That continent presented a monotonous, earthy yellow color.
Desert, rocks, sparse drought-resistant vegetation. The outline of the port gradually becomes clear—it's Rapeseed Port, the main port on the east coast of Alabasta!