Chapter 33: Killed in One Shot

 

The overall atmosphere of the Fiddler City was acceptable for Vlad who took his time in his walk making sure to check the ground with his expensive-looking cane which had some of the younger guys that had the appearance of thieves and bandits to eye it.

Still, for a cane they didn't risk themselves, not knowing this tall man who had the appearance of a dangerous guy from what he could be made off, such they only eyed him, with some kids following around, acting all innocent.

Slowly those petty thieves come to the conclusion that Vlad was a blind man, from the manner he was walking with the stick, being used to probe his surroundings.

"Fucking hell, we didn't drop so low to pick on the blind yet. Let's leave that guy alone. Even though his cane looks expensive and could be sold for some thousands on the black market."

"Aye, let's have a conscience for once, and let this guy pass."

*WHISTLE*

Some of the older guys released a loud whistle and Vlad could feel how the smaller mice that were following him stopped in place, and swiftly retreated which made him smile a bit, remarking to Titania, holding on his nape.

"This place is no different than a slum. Just like the slums inside Picodras."

"Really? I think Picodras looks far better than this place. As if those people leading the city didn't even bother to make the city look more appealing for visitors."

"Now you understand why I wear the clothes I usually pick?"

"The boots with bigger heels? The black pants and white shirt that you always leave open, as if you are showing off your muscles to others?"

"That's for the ladies." commented Vlad unbothered by the people eying him, or those that wouldn't move from his path.

Continuing to move around the city, and without an idea what the landmarks of this place were with the exception of the Cathedral, the large Windmill and a large mansion that from what the passerby mentioned was the Residence of the Mayor, the one called Fiddler.

Then after some failed attempts he finally stumbled upon the location of one of the many taverns of this city, and opening the door of the establishment everyone turned their heads at him.

And by everyone, literally all of the guys drinking out of habit turned their heads to stare at the newcomer, and finding out that Vlad was a stranger to their eyes, more intrigue was built.

Hearing the rhythmic way the tall man with flowing black hair tapped on the floor with his cane, new whispers that turned into gossip started spreading around the drinking patrons.

Finding an empty seat after checking with his cane, hitting slowly on the legs of the guys already seating at the counter, which had some of them frown and give Vlad a murderous look, while others didn't mind it.

"My bad guys. Old habits die hard. That's the way I check if the seats are empty."

"You are a new face in town? Right?" inquired the guy sitting next to Vlad, who looked past his shoulders when Vlad hit his leg placed on the chair's leg support.

"I arrived today. I am sailing around the world, so my stay on Bulge Island isn't that long."

"Ohh, young miss, are you a Pirate by chance?" asked some drunk guy who was sitting at the table, who could only see Vlad's back and his long ink-black hair that reached his back.

"..."

"Man, you don't have to answer to those drunk pigs." mentioned the guy sitting next to Vlad, noticing that Vlad opened his eyes that gave him a weird sensation.

On the other hand, Vlad turned his head toward the drunk guy who asked him that, and before he could even reply, the same drunk guy, hitched, remarking another foolish line.

"You are quite the hot-babe. How much for a night?"

Hearing that remark, Vlad closed his eyes while frowning, as if some bad memories were rising up that he wanted to shove back into the abyssal crevices of his mind.

"Hahaha, I quite angered the little whore. My bad, my bad."

Vlad turned back to face the innkeeper who poured his glass of wine, and only asked a simple cold question that resounded in the entire tavern.

"That guy, is he a Pirate?"

The innkeeper looked at Vlad who had his eyes closed with his expression emotionless, and later at the guy that started talking shit for no reason. He knew the guy in question who was a pirate under Charles Vane, with a bounty of 10.000.000 𝔅,  someone who didn't shy away from committing gruesome crimes.

Killing people on the broad daylight, especially those that he had an conflict with, capturing various beautiful woman from the merchant ships passing by Bulge Island, raping them and later on killing them after getting tired of them.

The man in question was a sick person.

"Interested in me babe? I have a large dick that can send you to heaven if you want. As for me being a pirate? Babe, I can let you join my Captains Crew. He might even want a round with you."

Vlad ignored that remark again, and only talked with the Innkeeper.

"What's the rules around this place?"

"My tavern? Please, don't start something stupid. Captain Vane is a person no one wants to mess inside South Blue, especially on his home turf. The Marines also have a base here."

"And?"

"Obviously, they are corrupt." replied the innkeeper, who presented Vlad with his glass of wine.

"I see, what about this Captain Vane? I've seen that public execution of the one called Monroe, it was thanks to this guy that it happened."

"Shhhh, please lower your voice. We don't talk about Captain Vane." said the Innkeeper as if he was trying to evade the plague from striking him.

And behind Vlad, the drunk guy, with a stupid smile on his face got up from where he was, beginning to walk toward Vlad, saying with a pleased expression while placing his hands around Vlad's back.

"Of course, babe. That stupid fucker Monroe, tried to dethrone Captain inside Bulge but he failed. He even ran toward Lathast like a bitch, however we caught him and presented him to the public of Fickler like the dog he is."

Getting touched by this man, Vlad tried to keep his calm, and not start a bloodbath, and using his cane he pushed the hand off his back.

"This will be your first and last warning. You better keep your hands off me."

"That's cold babe."

"Pig, I might be blind, but are you also blind? Can't you see that I am a man?"

"Hahahaha, this guy! Laurens doesn't judge, he will fuck even a goat once he is drunk."

The pirate called Laurens that was next to Vlad, chuckled like a maniac, and with a pleased smile told Vlad.

"I like your body. Muscled, and well toned, full of strength and vitality. I will pay you 50.000 𝔅 for this night."

Sensing that the guy once again wanted to touch his back, Vlad snapped and moved, startling  the pirate bastard.

As he went to his hair, from nowhere Laurens could see a hairpin, and before he could even know, he felt a stinging pain in his throat, where a lot of blood began flowing from his throat, some splashing on Vlad's ink-black hair.

*Caput*

A pirate with a hefty sum of money to his name, Laurens, member of the Vane's Pirate Crew, someone who was respected and also despised in the Pirate Circle of the Bulge Island, collapsed on the floor, dead. Not even knowing how he got himself killed.

"Damned pig, I told him not to touch me and yet he still continued having such ideas."

"THAT GUY!!! HE KILLED LAURENS IN ONE SHOT!!" screamed the people inside the tavern, while the one sitting to Vlad's left looked with a dumbfounded expression at the man who looked rather weak in the exchange of words with Laurens.

"LET'S SOUND THE ALARM TO CAPTAIN VANE!"

Vlad raised on his feet while kicking the dead body of the stupid idiot who had sexual fantasies with himself, and with a sinister voice he told everyone in the tavern.

"If any of you moves from their places I will kill each and everyone of you. I don't care if you are innocent, if you are a pirate, bounty hunter or marine."

"Calm, calm! No need to get aggressive with us. We will listen to you." remarked some of the guys inside the tavern who still couldn't believe how easily a guy worth 10.000.000 𝔅 dropped dead, after seemingly a playful exchange of words.

"Hmph, bunch of peasants. You think because I have long hair that means I am some bitch?"

"Nooo, sir! Of course not! Please, calm down."

"I am calm you pigs. Now keep quiet and let me enjoy some wine."

"Innkeep, tell me everything you know about this Captain Vane. Also where is the Marine base located? I want to claim my 10.000.000 𝔅 from that stupid pig."

"Young man, are you by chance a Bounty Hunter?" asked the Innkeeper who looked at Vlad from toe to head, where he could now fully notice the dignified air he was releasing about himself, the manner he was acting wasn't something a normal guy could achieve.

"Consider me whatever. Adventurer, Mercenary, Bounty Hunter. I don't care. How much does this glass of wine cost?"

"That would be 1.000 𝔅. But no need to pay for your consumption." tried the Innkeeper to appease Vlad, thinking that he was angry, however what he received back was exactly 2 coins worth 500 𝔅.

"Like I said, continue your day. Don't bother thinking about what I did. That is just a stupid pig.

Understood?"

"Aye, sir. "

The Innkeeper took out another glass and poured wine for himself and Vlad, swiftly downing the red liquid. After some deep breaths, and some slaps on his face, he looked at Vlad with another look, one of calm, which surprised the young man.

Besides the Innkeeper, the people inside the tavern had some hard time to comprehend what just happened, but with each minute ticking and seeing that Vlad wasn't set on killing them, they slowly tried to adjust to the new setting of housing this mysterious guy without stepping on his toes.

"Well, how should I start? Charles Vane, someone with a bounty of 32.000.000 𝔅, from what the gossip circulates he doesn't have a devil fruit power, however he mastered the art of fist fighting. They call it Boxing around here in Bulge."

"He is the de facto leader of the Bulge Island, assisting Mayor Fiddler, being his watchdog to keep the people of the island in check.

Young sir, you really shouldn't search for a fight with him, this will add along Mayor Fiddler, and maybe even Commander Broadhand."

"Plenty of information to go, thanks Innkeep. What about a Library or a Market like in Valent? Does this city have such places?"

"A library? What for?"

"I like old books, that's a hobby of mine. So, does this slum have a Library?" inquired Vlad again tapping his finger on the wooden counter that everyone's drinks began shaking in their glasses.

"..."

The Innkeeper turned silent, seeming to ponder if Fiddler City has such a landmark, but nothing came to him, instead it was the guy sitting to Vlad's left side that responded to the question.

"If you go to the Cathedral, and pay a sum of money, that old prick will be pleased to allow you inside and guide you to the library. However, aren't you blind? How can you read?"

"Why bother?" mentioned Vlad in a cold tone, not feeling like responding to any questions probing into himself.

"Right, right, as Erek said. You can go to that old bag of bones and pay him 10.000 𝔅 to enter his personal library.

As for the Market, it is located to the West of the City, going from the Cathedral you simply have to walk toward the west, and I am sure you'll stumble on the Market since it is an open building where each merchant … peddler sells their goods inside."

Hearing about this information, Vlad was rather pleased by the Innkeeper who didn't mind talking with him even though he killed Laurens, and while spending some extra minutes inside finishing downing the entire bottle of wine that he paid 6.500 𝔅, he also placed another extra 10.000 for the information he received, surprising the Innkeeper who expected nothing.

"Don't give me that look. In civilized places, what you did is called selling information. Can you give me a bag?"

"What for?"

"I can't simply grab the dead body of a pig and make a scene around the city, right?  Think, think Innkeep.

Is this place, this Bulge Island really so uncivilized?

I will simply take the head, and present it to the marines."

While coughing after being slightly embarrassed, the Innkeeper dashed toward the back of his tavern, where he returned with a large bag having some blood on it, as if to be belonging to some dead animal he butchered for his tavern.

"Splendid. You really aren't half-bad. See, you can also think if you want." told Vlad with his voice sounding calm, but irking with pure arrogance.

Then, with the stained bag, he walked to where he kicked the dead body of the pirate, at this point each person inside the tavern gulped their saliva.

Big eyes, they immediately flinched when from nowhere a curved sword appeared inside Vlad's hand, later seeing the tall young man bend his back and cleave off the head of this unfortunate, stupid guy.

"See, you could enjoy your booze without barking too much and being all annoying. Now, you better keep quiet for some time, and don't tell that Vane guy."

"Yes, sir."

"No, I mean it guys. I don't fear anyone aside from what might await me when I die. If that Vane guy finds out that I killed his dog, I am willing to bet with everyone here that he will not like this and act all "domineering" wanting revenge.

I will leave it to your imagination to see what his fate might look like if he wants to challenge me."

*Gulp*

The guys closer to the dead body trembled hearing Vlad's cold remarks, receiving goosebumps that only dispersed once this mysterious man exited the tavern.

"Innkeep, I wish you a good day. If that rat called Vane wants to find trouble with you, tell him what happened to the pig. Now if you guys excuse me, I have other places to be."

Leaving the tavern, everyone looked at one another, while the guys at the counter, who could see Vlad closer, and breathe the same air as he was doing, were marked by this encounter.

"You bastards, this is what I call, Pure Arrogance and Confidence, and a lot of Crazy. That guy is a beast, he managed to kill Laurance without that idiot even knowing what happened to him." told the one who stood closer to Vlad, Erek.

"Damn, we'll get in trouble. Those Vane Pirates will say that we didn't stick with them." commented some other guy from the tables, who looked at the decapitated body.

"Should we tell Vane about what happened?"

"Only if he checks on the tavern. Boss Arachar, what do you say?" asked Erek, the innkeeper who took the glasses, looking at the boys inside the tavern.

"Do as you wish. I doubt Charles will be dumb enough to find trouble with me."

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