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Noir had a clear plan: he would never voluntarily become a pirate, nor would he join the Marine. Being a pirate hunter was a great identity.
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Of course, Noir also wanted to see how far he could go on the Grand Line with a legitimate identity.
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Early in the morning, the villagers gathered to drag Arlong''s pirate ship, the "Sea Serpent," into the village and began dismantling it with a flurry of activity.
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By noon, the Sea Serpent had been transformed into a normal-looking ship.
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This was Noir''s wish. He planned to make his debut as a pirate hunter and needed a ship.
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Since Arlong''s ship was just sitting there, he decided to repurpose it.
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Noir discussed his plans with Bell-mère, who didn''t object. With Noir''s current strength, sailing in the East Blue was almost a game.
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It was a way to make extra money.
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However, Nami threw a fit when she heard that Noir was going out to make money and insisted on joining him, but Bell-mère quickly put an end to that.
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Sailing the East Blue, Noir navigated effortlessly with his "hyper-climate sense".
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Lying comfortably in a beach chair, soaking up the sun, he listened as Kaede and Naomi discussed their destination.
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Kaede, holding a small notebook, said, "Master, our target this time is in Tandale Village. It''s a pirate stronghold led by a man named York. After each raid, they store their loot there."
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"So we can go straight to the source, grab the treasure, and then wait to ambush York."
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Noir took a sip of his orange juice and praised, "Kaede, your intelligence gathering is impressive. You even found out such details."
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Proudly, Kaede continued, "Although York''s bounty isn''t high, he often kills for money and rarely provokes big shots, so he must have amassed quite a bit."
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Curious, Noir asked, "So what''s the bounty on this guy?"
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Finally, a chance to shine!
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It was as if a background music track was playing around them. Kaede, who hadn''t had many opportunities to show off her skills, quickly and fluently shouted, "It''s exactly 3,126,549 Beli. No mistake!"
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Noir looked at Naomi in amazement and thought, "This talent of yours is truly extraordinary!"
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"How can it be so accurate?"
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Suspicious, Noir asked, "Are you sure? What if the bounty has been updated?"
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Naomi confidently replied, "It won''t. I memorize the updated bounties every night!"
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Speechless, Noir thought, "What can I say?"
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Previously puzzled as to why memorizing bounties was a talent, he now understood.
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"You memorize the odd amounts too?! Are you saving up to buy a chopper?"
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No wonder even the system said you were bored...
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Can''t blame you.
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While Noir marveled at the sisters'' talents, a ship approached from the distance.
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The familiar black flag with a white skull, it''s truly the age of piracy. It wasn''t long before they encountered another pirate crew.
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Walking to the bow, Noir looked ahead and saw a group of pirates jumping around like hunting dogs that had spotted prey.
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"So many henchmen... how annoying," Noir said, watching the pirates with disinterest.
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It wasn''t that they were a threat; even if they attacked together, they wouldn''t be a problem. But they were annoying.
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However, minions were great for showing off.
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Seeing the clueless Kaede and Naomi, Noir''s eyes lit up, "My students, let me teach you something..."
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On the pirate ship, the newly appointed pirate leader excitedly eyed the approaching ship.
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There were only three people, a child and two unsuspecting women, an easy target at last!
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As the ships approached, the pirate leader shouted, "Boys! Attack!"
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"Ahhhhh!"
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The pirate henchmen shouted, climbing aboard like monkeys, brandishing their weapons and trying to look ferocious.
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The pirate leader, leading the charge with a scimitar, waved his weapon wildly and shouted, "Hand over the money, or else... huh?"
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The pirate leader''s voice choked as he realized something was wrong.
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Noir was sitting on his chair with his legs crossed, wearing sunglasses and looking incredibly smug.
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Next to him, Kaede and Naomi stood solemnly with their swords, wearing pink sunglasses and stern expressions.
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If these three were wearing suits, they would look like stoic characters from The Matrix.
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The pirate leader, almost overwhelmed by this bizarre scene, shouted, "Stop pretending! Hand over the money!"
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Noir responded with a grin that was one-third mocking, one-third contemptuous, and one-third indifferent, like a CEO.
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Noir raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
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Nothing happened...
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Clearing his throat to hide his embarrassment, Noir clapped loudly.
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"Great!"
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On cue, the bodyguard sisters began banging their sword sheaths on the ground, their loud voices finally useful.
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The pirate leader, hearing this thunderous sound, felt uneasy despite his numbers.
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That''s the effect!
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Seeing the confused pirates, Noir thought, this is the advantage of having henchmen!
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"You think you can rob us?" Noir said with a magnetic voice.
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Standing up, Kaede saw her chance and dramatically threw a cloak at Noir.
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But she used too much force...
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The coat landed perfectly on Noir''s... head.
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Blinded by the cloak, Noir calmly removed it.
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The pirate leader realized...
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This guy is crazy!
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"Forget this madman, attack!" he shouted.
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The pirates rushed forward, only to be met by Noir''s cold gaze and swift sword.
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In a flash, Noir sliced through the crowd, causing chaos and sending the pirates screaming for their mothers.
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Soon all the pirates were defeated, and Noir slowly sheathed his sword, looking as lonely as the snow.
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He lit a cigarette, exhaled rings of smoke, and confidently sat back down.
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Only to land on the ground with a thud.
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Turning to glare at Naomi, who was just lifting the chair, she apologized, "Sorry, master, too many steps, I forgot!"
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Noir sighed and covered his face.
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It''s so hard to show off...