Newtman Aibe

New chapter is live.

Settle in, take your time, and let's see what waits in the dark 🖤

✦

The notebook recorded information on more than a hundred pirates.

Among them, only eight major pirates with bounties over thirty million Berries were worth Corvin's special attention.

Kazt, captain of the Sharp-Horn Pirates and a Zoan user, was one. Laffitte, known as Demon Sheriff, was another.

Kazt often moved in and out of Mad Hatter Town, so Sunny had recorded more information on him.

Laffitte seemed to visit Mad Hatter Town rarely, so his information was pitifully sparse. Including his name and bounty, there were only a few lines.

Corvin guessed that Sunny had probably learned about Laffitte through newspapers.

Putting that aside, what surprised Corvin most among the eight major pirates was the only female pirate.

Newtman Aibe, the pirate called the Pretty-Boy Killer, carried a bounty as high as thirty-eight million Berries.

What did thirty-eight million Berries mean?

In the Grand Line, it might not be much. In the West Blue, however, it was different.

The average pirate bounty in the East Blue was only around three million Berries.

That alone said enough.

Sunny had not recorded much about Newtman Aibe either.

For appearance, the notes were only a few words: pale skin, beautiful face, lips red as fire.

As for her abilities, the emphasis was on her skill with a foil.

A foil was a long, slender thrusting sword.

Corvin's gaze moved over the tall woman's fiery red lips, her flat stomach without a trace of extra fat, and the foil at her waist.

Combined with the tavern gradually falling quiet, Corvin was almost certain that the woman who had drawn every eye the moment she entered was very likely Newtman Aibe.

Among pirates, a bounty represented status and strength.

The higher the bounty, the greater the reputation and prestige reflected by it.

That was why pirates on the level of Aibe and Laffitte drew everyone's attention like rising stars the moment they stepped into a tavern.

That was the effect of bounty and reputation.

Of course, if they entered the Grand Line, under a completely new scale of understanding, they would no longer receive that kind of treatment.

Aibe's arrival gradually silenced the tavern.

The pirates who had been drinking and chatting stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at her.

Hair pinned high.

Skin as pale as snow.

A face seductive enough to invite trouble.

A tall, full figure.

Together with a bounty of thirty-eight million Berries, every part of her tugged at their nerves.

A perfect woman.

The pirates, limited by what they had seen in life, thought the same thing almost in unison.

Corvin also observed Aibe.

His gaze, which had first fallen on the foil at her waist, moved slightly upward and stopped on the pale, flat stomach exposed to the air.

No visible muscle.

No sign of weathered skin from wind and sun.

But with a bounty that high, her strength could not be weak.

Corvin thought in silence.

There was one thing he did not really understand.

'Why could some powerful women in this world spend long periods sailing without their skin becoming rough?'

'And why could they have slender, shapely bodies that seemed to show no muscle, yet still unleash strength no weaker than muscular men?'

If not for one of the Yonko, Big Mom, holding up the extreme end of the scale, Corvin would have been tempted to study what special potential might be hidden inside women's bodies.

Aibe seemed to enjoy being watched.

She did not remain at the entrance for long. As if no one else mattered, she walked toward the largest table in the tavern.

The dozen sturdy subordinates behind her followed. So did the pure white skunk she held on a leash.

When the group of drinkers already seated at the largest table saw Aibe walking straight toward them, they all stood and gave up their seats voluntarily.

The nearby waitresses had sharp eyes. They hurried over to clear the table.

In the short time it took Aibe to cross a dozen meters, a clean and spacious table had been prepared for her.

Aibe and her subordinates sat down as a matter of course and told the waitresses to bring food and drink quickly.

As for the pirates wise enough to surrender the table, they had already quietly retreated.

In the corner, Corvin withdrew his gaze.

He had only dared to observe her for so long because everyone around him had been looking at Aibe too.

"Quite an entrance."

Corvin murmured.

Wolf Rat glanced at him and lowered his voice as well.

"Of course. That's Newtman Aibe. In terms of strength, she barely ranks among the top pirates in the West Blue. In terms of popularity, she's absolutely number one. And don't let her looks fool you. When she kills, she doesn't even blink."

"I can tell."

Corvin nodded along with Wolf Rat's words.

Just from the reactions of the pirates at the nearby tables, their eyes were practically falling out.

"And... do you know why they call her the Pretty-Boy Killer?"

Wolf Rat suddenly leaned closer, his face mysterious and his voice even lower.

"I've heard the title."

"Do you know where it comes from?"

Corvin shook his head.

Wolf Rat immediately gave a wicked smile and spoke barely above a whisper.

"Aibe has a special taste for good-looking young men. If one catches her eye, sometimes she'll drag him straight back to her ship. After that, well... you know."

At that point, Wolf Rat gave him an expression every man was supposed to understand.

Then his tone abruptly turned solemn. The speed of the change was almost theatrical.

"But every young man she takes is found the next day as a corpse, ruined beyond recognition. That is the real reason behind the title Pretty-Boy Killer."

"That brutal?"

Corvin was rather surprised. He had not expected such a taste beneath that beautiful skin.

"Exactly. How else do you think she got such a high bounty? Pirates like her are all monsters. Killing, burning, looting--that's daily life."

As Wolf Rat said that, a hard edge slipped into his gaze, almost impossible to notice.

Corvin remained silent, accepting Wolf Rat's explanation.

"Oh no."

Wolf Rat's expression suddenly changed.

"What is it?"

Corvin looked at him, puzzled.

After a few exchanges, he had started to find Wolf Rat rather interesting.

Wolf Rat lowered his voice nervously. "I was so busy telling you all that, I failed to notice how dangerous my own position is."

After saying that, he quickly pulled out a mirror.

Looking at the radiant, handsome face reflected in it, Wolf Rat became even more nervous.

He did not want Aibe's tastes to make him lose the chance for a deeper friendship with Usopp.

"Dangerous position?"

Corvin was confused at first, then quickly understood. He looked at Wolf Rat and the mirror.

"Wolf Rat... are you serious?"

"Of course-"

Wolf Rat quickly put away the mirror, but before he could finish speaking, a voice from behind interrupted him.

"You, in the corner. Come here."

It was Aibe's voice.

Hearing it, Wolf Rat stiffened.

He took a deep breath, then shot Corvin a look that said See? before slowly standing, as if he had made peace with his fate in an instant.

Turning around, Wolf Rat met Aibe's gaze.

She really had chosen him.

This was all his fault. Why had he taken a bath for a whole hour for no reason?

Now he would lose his chance to befriend Usopp.

Wolf Rat complained inwardly while walking toward Aibe's table.

"Hey, you."

Aibe frowned and pointed at Wolf Rat.

Wolf Rat nodded instinctively.

"Yes, you. Move aside."

Wolf Rat froze, then stiffly stepped to one side under Aibe's sharpening gaze, revealing Corvin behind him, head lowered in silence.

Aibe's gaze shifted to Corvin. Interest warmed in her eyes.

Perhaps it was because there were so many ugly comparisons around him, but Corvin's clean, youthful looks pleased her greatly.

He suited her tastes perfectly.

Maybe unwilling to wait, Aibe suddenly stood and walked toward Corvin.

The surrounding pirates could not help looking at Corvin in the corner.

Their expressions were hard to read.

Envy, and pity.

Feeling Aibe's gaze on him, Corvin cursed inwardly.

'What kind of situation is this?'

Listening to the approaching footsteps, Corvin calculated how to get away.

Bang.

Suddenly, a group of people poured into the tavern.

The man leading them wore a horned helmet.

It was Kazt.

✦

✦

✦

Want to keep going?

You can read ahead on my Patreon, with early access, previews, and extra story updates 🔑

https://www.patreon.com/c/EliasVane