Pirate: It’s not a phantom beast, it’s a phantom god!

Chapter 311 The Golden Alternation
"Uh, well... um... actually, what I was saying just now was the gibberish language of Babar Island~ Although it sounds similar to the common language, it actually means completely different~"

"Oh dear~ This is really troublesome. It would be a real problem if what I just said was misunderstood~"

"I've actually admired the Beasts Pirates for a long time~"

"Hahaha……"

Sain stopped packing his luggage, nervously putting his hands behind his back, as if he was eager to distance himself from the bag of luggage on the table.

"You are as witty as ever."

"..."

"Uh……"

Sain's forced smile froze for a moment, and then sweat began to bead on his forehead again.

As expected, such a ridiculous excuse can't fool anyone at all.

"Actually, Mr. Sain, you don't need to be so nervous."

"Huh? I, I'm not nervous~"

"What do I have to be nervous about?"

This is a lie.

Sain was so nervous he was about to throw up; his modified mechanical left hand was trembling so badly it was sparking!
[It's all over, all over, all over!]
Why is this creepy little devil here too?!
[And she heard everything I just said! What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?!]
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over his forehead; cold sweat poured down his face. Sain wished the person he was alone with right now was Kaido, who had just vanished in a flash…

There was no way around it; the first impression La left on him was just too profound.

Although she always wore a harmless smile, the power she casually displayed back then was truly terrifying.

Especially for a scientist like Sain, he knew better than anyone how terrifying a flame could vaporize everything in the laboratory in an instant.

The energy that bursts forth in that instant is absolutely capable of erasing any matter in the world at will.

Therefore, compared to the excessively beautiful blonde girl in front of him, the unreasonable Kaido actually holds a higher level of safety in Sien's heart.

At least against Kaido, his physique could withstand a few blows, and even if things went wrong, he could at least leave with a whole corpse.

He took out a small handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Ah, ah, I'm quite willing to join Beasts. I was just packing up and getting ready to report for duty."

"Hahaha……"

"..."

"You don't need to force yourself like this."

La gave him a friendly smile and took a step forward, as if he wanted to get a little closer.

[Alas--!]
As if in response, Sain staggered back several steps until his back hit the corner of the wall, at which point he was forced to stop, his head shaking violently as if it were powered by a motor.

"No no no no!"

"Not at all forced!"

"I joined the Beasts voluntarily!"

Seeing the six-meter-tall, muscular man opposite her, who looked like a frightened little beast, La had no choice but to stop approaching and stand still, whispering:
"Ah~"

"I know you have various concerns, but please rest assured that we will not restrict your research direction after you join the Beasts. You are free to research whatever you want."

"No need, no need, just give me your instructions! I'll research whatever you need me to research!"

"As for research funding, Your Excellency need not worry about it anymore, as the Hundred Beasts Fund will provide full funding."

"I won't waste a single penny of your money! I'll take care of all the research funding myself, and I won't cause you any trouble!"

"As for your concerns regarding the Navy and the World Government..."

"Understood! I understand! As one of the beasts, I will fight them to the very end with all my might!"

"So please, please let me join the Beasts!!"

"Please, this is my lifelong request!!!"

"..."

……

In short, after Sain's desperate pleas and even kneeling pleading, he finally got his wish and became one of the beasts.

"Since Mr. Sain is willing to join us, please accept this."

Hey~
A feather, as if cast from gold, slowly emerged from the palm of his hand, with the word 'QUEEN' engraved on it.

"This is a seal symbolizing your status as a senior officer. Captain Kaido said that if you join, you can directly obtain the position of the highest-ranking officer—that is, the 'Grand Commander'."

"As for 'QUEEN' above, that's your tentative code name. If you don't like it, I can..."

"No, no, no! No need for you to trouble yourself, I really like this codename. Queen, right? I'll use that as my name from now on!"

"That's it..."

The golden feather, following Ra's will, slowly floated to Sain's front, where it was carefully caught by him...

Looking at the faintly glowing feather in his hand, a scientist's instinct allowed Sain to temporarily suppress his fear and begin to wonder what it was made of.

[This weight... is it gold? No, gold shouldn't be this hard... is it some kind of alloy?]
[My super alloy robotic arm can't even leave a scratch on it. Is this stuff harder than diamond? If so, maybe it can be used for...]
Just like Obey before him, the scientist Sain was quickly captivated by the material of the feathers and began to think about the uses of this new material.

Seeing Sain muttering to himself while clutching the feather, La had no choice but to find a place to sit down... Just as Kaido had said, it would probably take him about half a month to return from the West Blue.

During this time, La will stay on the island and wait for him.

This was something the two had discussed before they arrived: Ra would stay here to watch over Sain, while Kaido would head to the West Blue alone—this was Kaido's own idea, as he seemed to not want anyone to know the location of that place.

"The continuation of bloodline, a brand new life... I wonder what kind of child it will be."

……

"Wow~Wow~"

boom!
Boom boom!

The baby's cries had barely begun to echo in the air when they were instantly crushed by the roar of artillery fire. Amidst the deafening explosions of shells, the cries suddenly grew even louder, as if vying for dominance. And surrounding that resounding cry were the screams of adults…

"Quick! You two jump into the sea and escape!"

"I'll cover you!"

Boom~
The barrage of shells flew directly towards the warship where Bourfat and his men were, instantly turning the almost brand-new ship into a blast of wood chips and smoke.

The firepower of the Celestial Dragons' vehicles exceeded Bulfat's expectations. The enemy's strong counterattack thwarted his plan for a quick victory. In addition, due to his unfamiliarity with operating naval warships, the Beasts were even suppressed by the enemy.

The enemy is currently bombarding the beasts while charging towards them, seemingly trying to sink them!
"No, Bourfat, I can't just leave you and run away like this!"

Holding the child, Lahail, who had been pushed to the side of the ship, shouted loudly.

"You were in danger to save me, I can't..."

"Lahail! Now is not the time for your nagging! If we don't leave now, none of us will be able to leave! Cough, cough cough!"

The violent movement caused the wound in his abdomen to tear open again, and the movement of his internal organs also caused Bulfat to cough up several mouthfuls of blood.

"Bourfat, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, cough cough! Listen up, La Hire, you have to take the child and leave right now, or it will be too late once the navy catches up!"

Before the other party could speak again, Bulfat took out the golden feather from his pocket and handed it to Lahail.

"Here, take this. It's my official seal."

"Take it out when you encounter members of our Beasts Pirates, tell them you are my friend, and the Beasts will take care of you."

The golden feathers no longer glowed, but they were still very warm to the touch, as if the energy they contained had not been completely exhausted.

“Bourfat…”

Upon hearing this explanation, Lahail seemed to realize something and reached out to return the heavy golden feather.

But as soon as he raised his hand, the feather that had recently been re-engraved with the word 'JACK' was grasped by a pair of even smaller hands—the child in La Hire's arms seemed to really like the feather, holding it tightly and refusing to let go.

Perhaps it was the sunshine-like warmth emanating from the feathers that made the little creature, who had just experienced the cold seawater, feel attached and secure. In any case, after holding the feathers in its arms, the child miraculously stopped crying...

"..."

Upon seeing this, Bourfat suddenly grinned, and the baby in the swaddling clothes laughed along with him.

"Haha~ You little guy, you really know your stuff."

"In that case, I'll give this to you as a coming-of-age gift from your godfather."

Seeing the other person's expression, as if they were making their final arrangements, Lahail couldn't help but speak up:

"...Bourfat, let's escape together."

"We are all fish-men, so there's a good chance we'll escape if we go to the sea. Then..."

"No, no."

Before the other party could finish speaking, Bourfat decisively shook his head in refusal. Then, looking at his men still struggling to fight back on the ship, he calmly said:

"La Hire, I can't run away."

“My brothers are all on the ship. Some of them have been with me since I first joined the pirate crew. We have a bond that has been through thick and thin together. I can’t abandon them and run away alone.”

"This is my choice."

"I……"

"La Hire! But you're different. For this child, you must live!"

"..."

"..."

"I understand...I'm sorry."

Lahail remained silent for a long time before finally clenching his fist and speaking.

Blood dripped from between his fingers, and he had never hated himself as much as he did now.

From his perspective, Bourfat was in danger because he was trying to save him, so he absolutely could not escape!
If he were still alone, he would choose to stay and fight alongside Bulfath without hesitation, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

But now he is a father...

As the eldest brother, Bourfath chose to stay for his brothers.

La Hire, as a father, chose to run away for his child.

He could be a slave, but his children could no longer be slaves, so he did everything in his power to escape from the Celestial Dragons.

He could die, but his child could not, so he abandoned everything as a human being and chose to escape once again...

"Heh~ That's more like it~"

Seeing that the other party had stopped being so long-winded, Bourfat smiled easily, then suddenly slapped his forehead, as if he had remembered something.

"Oh right, I almost forgot about this. Take this with you too, and give it to a red-haired little girl named Ossie when you get to the Beasts."

As he spoke, Bourfat pulled out a palm-sized object that he had prepared beforehand from somewhere and handed it to Lahail.

"Red hair, Ossie..."

After taking what the other party handed him, Lahail, afraid that he hadn't heard clearly because of the sound of the cannon, repeated it again.

"Yes, that little girl is even prettier than the legendary mermaid princess. You can recognize her at a glance."

"Bourfat added proudly."

"Yes, I promise to deliver it."

"Well then, take care and have a safe journey!"

"..."

"Take care along the way."

(End of this chapter)