The most courageous pirate hunter

Hermes usually maintains a low-consumption life return, and his Ryuo Haki constantly washes over his body and internal organs. Over time, this has led to a certain mutation.

This mutation is good; it gives the feeling of life evolving.

"Kill me or torture me, it's up to you!"

Wald swayed as he rose, his back ramrod straight, and met Hermes' gaze expressionlessly. There was no fear of death in his eyes; on the contrary, he was completely at ease.

His beliefs were shattered the moment he was betrayed by everyone 30 years ago.

Even if he survives, he will only seek revenge against the Navy.

"Arrogant."

"I respect your choice."

Hermes sheathed his watermelon knife, clenched his right fist, and it began to glow with a blazing white light. He was gathering his strength, but he was doing so slowly because he was waiting.

"Boss, please spare Captain Wald."

far away.

Guyram rushed over, his face a complex mix of emotions.

"Since my subordinate has pleaded for me, I will grant him some more face."

The intense light on Hermes' fist dissipated, and he readily agreed, knowing that Guyram would plead for him.

When you're out in the world, you have to have a sense of morality.

Since your underlings are pleading for mercy, you should give them some face; that's called doing a favor.

As a qualified leader, He Huang knew that simply being tough and oppressive wouldn't win over his subordinates; sometimes, a little subtle pressure was necessary.

"You have five minutes to say goodbye."

Hermes turned to look at Guyram and, sure enough, saw gratitude in the other's eyes.

It's rare to find a boss who respects his subordinates like this. Coupled with genuine openness and complete trust, and the fact that he doesn't treat subordinates like servants and gives them ample freedom and personal space, it's incredibly fulfilling.

"Boss, I won't let you down."

Guyram looked at Hermes's retreating figure, his tone resolute.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

Hermes didn't turn around; he simply waved and left with a dashing silhouette.

A mere grasp of people's hearts, little KS.

He's a professional when it comes to being a leader.

far away.

Lucci and the others were also incredibly conflicted. Hermes's occasional displays of magnanimity, along with his seemingly reckless acts of openness and complete trust, left them somewhat bewildered.

This man's personality and actions are sometimes very capricious, or you could say he's autocratic. He only cares about making himself happy, and he never considers whether the consequences will be good or bad.

Perhaps this is freedom.

That's right.

This is the freedom Hermes desires: to do whatever he wants, to do whatever comes to mind, and to never suppress his sudden whims or inner darkness.

Maybe the weather's nice today, so let's be kind.

If that's not good, then let's go a little crazy, maybe even kill someone to add some fun.

night.

Moon stars are rare.

On the shimmering sea, the Little Death Ship grew several times larger, and everyone gathered in the kitchen, which was filled with all kinds of delicious food, but as always, there was no shortage of alcohol.

"Come on, drink!"

He sat in the first seat.

Hermes looked at his team, each member a talent with immense potential.

Originally, they had planned to recruit some criminals in Impel Down, but unfortunately, they were out of luck. It seemed as if some unseen hand was interfering, causing certain things to return to their original course.

Hermes didn't take it to heart. He only considered the team's strength as second, and his own strength was always the first priority. True strength lay in his own power.

"cheers."

"Yo!"

"Hahaha~"

The group sat together, raised their large wine glasses, clinked them together in the air, and then downed them all in one gulp, including Alpagachino, Hadoli, and Elephant Sword Van Gufried.

Because of Alpagachino, everyone was only curious when they saw Elephant Sword Van Gufried turn into an elephant. But Alpagachino was happy now, as it had met a fellow elephant.

Guyram was also there. He talked to Wald during the day, and in the end, Wald left alone, dragging his injuries.

His mental burden has been lifted, for better or for worse.

"This meal can be considered a victory celebration."

First of all, congratulations to everyone on seeing the light of day again.

"Then, the organization welcomes two new members: Rob Lucci, the former leader of CP9, and Bruno, also a former CP9 member. Let's give them a warm welcome!"

Hermes' words drew eye rolls from the crowd. What did he mean by "congratulations on seeing the light of day again"? If you had come sooner, they wouldn't have had to stay in Impel Down for so long.

Clap clap clap!

Seeing Hermes clap his hands, the rest of the group shrugged and joined in to appease him.

This made Lucci and Bruno somewhat embarrassed.

"Drink, keep drinking!"

"Don't stand on ceremony, make yourself at home."

slowly.

The group started to get quite drunk.

Especially Hody Jones and his group, the food and wine in front of them were exactly what they had been dreaming of. Just thinking about the miserable days in Impel Down made their eyes water.

Don't know what's going on.

Hody Jones and Bruno arm wrestled, while Guy Rump and Burgess, having resolved their differences and relaxed, put their arms around Lucci and danced an unknown dance together.

Lucci didn't know what was going on. At first, he was a little reserved, but as he was shaken around, he started to sway back to normal, which was completely out of character for Lucci, who was usually cold and deep.

Finally, human-to-human transmission occurred, and Hermes, Mansherry, Alpagachino, and Van Gufried all joined in, shouting incomprehensible songs.

None of them were perfectly tuned; they were either ducks or brothel girls, creating a particularly jarring mix. But to these drunken people, that was the most beautiful sound in the world.

really.

Alcohol can make people happy.

Especially those who seem serious on the surface, who knows how unserious they might become when they're drunk, or even the complete opposite.

Hermes was relieved, but the Navy, the World Government, and the entire world were quite upset.

Marineford is a ruin.

Inside the makeshift tents, renowned generals from all over the country were holding a meeting through the night, their faces grim, and the air was thick with tension.

The Navy has never suffered such a loss before.

The sea is currently in complete chaos.

Almost everyone, from individuals to nations, is stirring up trouble.

In unseen places, assassinations, conflicts, and wars are rampant. Worst of all, some have begun hunting down the Navy, and the territories of all world governments, including the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and the New World, are starting to become unstable.

Especially those member states with their own ambitions, are working overtime to try and create Hades.

Even world governments are doing it.

If we were to say which force on this ocean is most likely to create Pluto the fastest, then the World Government would definitely be number one. However, the Five Elders are not happy; they want something unique, not something that is commonplace now.

It is foreseeable that future wars will escalate.

It was originally the age of artillery, but now it's directly into the age of aircraft carriers.

Chapter 181 [The Most Despicable Criminal in History]

"Breaking news."

"The World Government has updated Monarch's bounties."

After Impel Down and Marineford were destroyed, the World Government's news agency finally reacted on the third day, but it was all within everyone's expectations.

The losses and humiliation suffered by the navy this time are unprecedented.

"This must be the highest bounty in history!"

"Of course! The things the King of Hunters has done are almost unprecedented and will never be repeated. The current era of great rise is even more insane than the Great Pirate Era created by Pirate King Roger."