One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 16 Can I get a job?

West Sea.

Since the Age of Exploration began, the already chaotic seas have become even more terrifying, with more and more strange objects appearing on the surface: floating corpses, gun fragments, broken planks, and occasionally, gold drifting by.

As a result, the islands of the Western Sea are constantly teeming with ragged thugs who rob usable resources that drift in; even corpses are stripped of their clothes first.

The corpses then became food for the birds on the beach. The rotting carcasses always attracted carrion animals, and the endless food allowed them to eat more than humans.

It may seem cruel, but in reality, their existence effectively prevented a potential plague. Otherwise, in this cruel world, even if corpses were left to rot in the wilderness, no one would care.

The increase in the number of pirates led to frequent raids and massacres, often resulting in merchant ships losing everything and even being brutally murdered. However, this also caused the prices of goods requiring long-distance ocean voyages to rise steadily, doubling profits time and again.

The promise of a great reward inspires courage. Even the fear that it might be the last business deal of their lives could not outweigh the lure of substantial profits, and businessmen fully demonstrated their dedication in this dangerous era.

Of course, for their own safety, they also took various precautions: hiring bounty hunters to defend against potential pirates, modifying their ships to withstand storms, and buying gunpowder on the black market to deter potential threats.

However, some merchants on the verge of bankruptcy were forced to sail, as they lacked the spare money to equip themselves with the necessary gear. But in order to survive, they had no choice but to set sail again.

Yado Hartel was such a businessman. As a somewhat shrewd speculator, he made a lot of money in his youth with his cleverness and lived a life of extravagance.

But the fleeting glory has vanished, and harsh reality is closing in on him.

The rampage of pirates completely disrupted normal shipping routes. Former partners were either killed by pirates or went bankrupt due to the poor economic environment, becoming beggars. Some even chose suicide because they could not accept the failure of their businesses.

Hartel knew that if this deal fell through, the fate of his colleagues would serve as an example. Although he still had backup and wouldn't be in such a dire situation, it was still not the outcome he wanted.

This deal is a sure thing. As long as he can transport the goods to their destination, he will turn his life around. Once the profits are in his account, he can repair his boat, hire hunters, and no longer live in constant fear.

Thinking of the hope for the future, Hartel licked his dry lips.

He can't eat or drink anything right now; all he can think about is how to reach his destination safely.

Actually, he had a vague premonition this time.

People who sail at sea are more or less superstitious, after all, they are people who often brush past death. Hartel, who was born in the North Sea, would use a special divination method from his hometown to predict good or bad fortune.

While it may not be entirely accurate, it offers some psychological comfort.

This time, however, he was a little unsure about the outcome.

Of the 81 cards shuffled, his coin was randomly flipped and landed on a card that was the Death card.

But after the coin landed completely, it mysteriously moved again and landed on another card.

Upon flipping it over, you see a person dressed in black, with a large question mark on the card. However, the introductory text reads: "The help of a mysterious person."

These two cards kept Hartel awake all night.

The cards seem to foreshadow his voyage's misfortunes and tragic end, but ultimately suggest he will receive help from a benefactor.

But superstition aside, divination aside, he now has nowhere left to retreat.

Whether he lives or dies is not important if this deal is not completed.

However, as a businessman with some conscience, he only brought the minimum number of employees this time and had already explained the risks involved, yet 12 crew members were still willing to continue to follow.

However, 12 crew members were too few compared to the standard number, so Hartle, as the backbone of the team, had to take the helm himself.

Of course, even if he had nothing to do, he was destined to have trouble sleeping.

Surprisingly, the crisis indicated by the divination cards did not materialize, and the voyage went incredibly smoothly.

Without pirates or storms, he arrived at his destination smoothly. The buyer didn't haggle but readily gave him a sum of money.

Hartel never dreamed that things would go so smoothly this time, and suddenly he felt a little unreal.

But when he returned to the ship, he frowned slightly, not because it had suddenly started raining, but because his boat was now surrounded by corpses.

Having weathered many storms, Hartel was naturally unfazed by such a trivial scene; he merely glanced at it with disgust.

Because the ship was completely broke except for the cargo, and there was no money left to fry besides the money he had, and moreover, transporting the cargo required manpower, so no one was available to guard the ship.

As for being afraid of some bored people damaging the ship? Hmph, his merchant ship is already dilapidated enough, what's a little more damage? Anyway, he'll just get a new ship when he gets back.

"Excuse me, would you be willing to hire me as a sea guard?" Suddenly, a voice from below the ship caught Hartel's attention.

It was a child dressed entirely in black...?

She was at most 160 centimeters tall. She was dressed in black clothes, black pants, and black shoes. She even wore a black veil over her eyes, revealing only her delicate jawline. The thin veil blended with her black hair, making it difficult to see clearly. However, her skin was unusually fair, unlike someone who had been at sea for many years. She seemed like a pampered child.

As for why it was determined to be a child, it was of course based on the voice. Height cannot be used to determine whether someone is an adult or not, but a soft and cute voice is still a universally applicable way to judge age.

In a good mood, Hartel responded with a few teasing remarks: "It's getting dark, so hurry home. I think if you have a childhood sweetheart neighbor boy, he would be happy to be your bodyguard."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding crew members burst into laughter.

But the girl in front of him didn't get angry, nor did she leave in a huff.

"Please believe me, you need me, right now."

Hartel wanted to make a few more jokes, but the ship began to surge violently.

Suddenly, a giant sea monster with its enormous teeth leaped out of the water, trying to devour the lives on the ship.

What? Am I going to die?

Hartel first saw the purple fish skin, drooling teeth, red throat, small figure, bright red blood, gleaming swords, huge waves, and the sea king that had already emerged from its belly.

The whole process took only a few seconds.

Hartel didn't fully come to his senses until blood and rain mingled on his body.

"See, didn't I tell you? You need me."

The girl remained standing in the same spot, as if what had just happened was Hartel's illusion. Only the dripping blood from her knife seemed to cruelly proclaim that what had just occurred was indeed true.

"I need a job, and I hope you can hire me, okay?" The sweet voice filled Hartel with endless fear.

As if guided by some unseen force, he nodded.