The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Chapter 187 Jiang Yan Gets Kicked Out

Jiang Yan's gaze swept over the five people beside him, whose expressions had all turned quite grim.

This confirmed Jiang Yan's suspicion that the five were all pirates.

However, Jiang Yan didn't care about this and continued speaking.

"Of course, there are indeed a small number of pirates on this sea. Rather than pirates, they are more like adventurers who pursue freedom and travelers who chase their dreams."

"But it cannot be denied that 99 percent of the pirates on the high seas are scum who burn, kill, plunder, and commit all sorts of evil deeds."

"They stormed into the village, looted all the food, burned down the houses, killed the men who resisted, and kidnapped the women and children, leaving countless civilians destitute and dead."

'

Just moments before, he had witnessed several pirates slaughtering unarmed passersby in the street, and seen the fear and despair in the eyes of the civilians who were fleeing in all directions.

These are the true images of pirates on this vast sea, not the romanticized legends told in tavern stories.

At this point, Jiang Yan's gaze fell once again on the giant skull.

"So, how did someone who killed 100 of these wicked pirates become an irredeemable villain?"

"Just because he died at Roger's hands?"

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion."

"Perhaps this 'Giant Slayer' will indiscriminately slaughter innocent people while killing pirates."

'

""

The old man opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton. He wanted to explain, to refute, to shout at Jiang Yan, but when those words reached his lips, he couldn't utter a single one.

He froze on the spot, and for the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared in his cloudy eyes.

Roger had been running this tavern since before he even set sail.

It can be said that he watched Roger grow from an unknown nobody into the Pirate King who conquered the Grand Line, and also watched him return to Loguetown and start the Great Age of Piracy on the execution platform.

It is taken for granted that the person killed by Roger must be an utterly wicked villain.

He never, not even for a second, considered the question from the other side.

Pirates are inherently villains who burn, kill, and plunder.

------

Who exactly was the person who killed the pirate?

The old man's gaze fell on the skull in front of him, and on the sharp cleavage mark.

The skull he had caressed his whole life suddenly seemed unfamiliar to him.

Jiang Yan didn't know who the Giant Slayer was, but he knew very well who it was.

His fingers unconsciously clenched the wine glass in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. His eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment. He muttered to himself, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, as if he were asking Jiang Yan, or perhaps asking himself.

"Are pirates bad guys? Are the people who kill pirates good guys?"

Yes.

On this vast ocean, many people sing praises to the romance of pirates, the greatness of freedom, and the legend of the Pirate King.

But how many people remember that behind these legends are villages crushed by pirates, families torn apart, countless tears shed by ordinary people, and wounds that can never be erased?

The silence in the tavern continued, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

The five pirates stood there, their astonishment turning into embarrassment and anger. Their hands unconsciously gripped the hilts of their swords, but they didn't know what to say. They were certainly not good people.

-

Jiang Yan's words were like a slap in the face, hitting them all hard.

Jiang Yan didn't speak again. He wasn't trying to deny Roger's legend, nor was he trying to overturn an old man's lifelong beliefs in this small tavern.

I just feel that just because someone has become a symbol of an era and a legend admired by many, we shouldn't automatically condemn all their opponents to the pillory of shame.

On this chaotic sea, good and bad, justice and evil, can never be simply defined by the words "pirate" or "naval".

"Get out of here!"

The old man suddenly erupted, slamming his hand on the bar. His face turned bright red with anger and panic, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He pointed at the tavern's door and shouted loudly at Jiang Yan.

"You're not welcome here! Get out!"

The story, which had spanned half a lifetime, was just now smashed open by Jiang Yan, leaving an irreparable crack.

Unable to refute Jiang Yan's words, he could only use anger to mask the panic deep within his heart.

"Since you're not welcome, then I'll leave."

Jiang Yan shrugged indifferently, got up and pulled out a chair, showing no anger whatsoever.

If they stayed any longer, the old man might get so angry that he would die on the spot.

Turning around, I walked a few steps to the door, pushed open the mottled wooden door, and the sunlight and sea breeze outside rushed in instantly.

However, Jiang Yan had only taken a few steps out of the tavern when he heard hurried footsteps behind him.

He paused, then saw the five pirates from the tavern had surrounded him, completely blocking the narrow alley.

The bald, burly man at the head of the group had a fierce and menacing look on his face. He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, and stared at Jiang Yan, speaking menacingly.

"Young man, what you just said makes a lot of sense."

"Pirates are mostly not good people."

As he spoke, the bald, burly man took a step forward, the curved knife at his waist swaying.

"But, saying something like that in front of the five of us pirates, isn't that a bit disrespectful? Hmm?"

"So, you're pirates too."

--------

Jiang Yan calmly glanced at the five pirates who surrounded him, as if he were looking at five clowns jumping around.

"I'm a pirate, of course!"

The bald, burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and suddenly drew a long knife from his waist, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

"Hey kid, weren't you quite the talker in the tavern earlier?"

"Dare to insult pirates, and you'll pay the price!"

"If you know what's good for you, hand over all your money and valuables, or I'll make sure you walk out of this alley sideways!"

The other four pirates also raised their weapons at this moment.

Jiang Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Since they're pirates, there's not much to say."

The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Yan's figure vanished from the spot.

Before the five pirates could react, they only saw a blur before their eyes and heard a sharp whooshing sound in their ears.

The bald, burly man was startled and immediately brandished his long knife.

He had only completed half of his sword-wielding motion when he felt as if a mountain had slammed into his chest. An irresistible force surged through him, and he was instantly sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the stone wall of the alley with a dull thud. He immediately lost consciousness.

The remaining four pirates panicked and started cursing as they prepared to attack Jiang Yan.

However, in Jiang Yan's eyes, their movements were as slow as snails crawling.

Jiang Yan didn't even use any special techniques; he just threw a few punches and kicks, and the dull thuds of blows and screams of pain rang out one after another.

In just a few seconds, the five arrogant pirates were lying sprawled on the ground, their bones broken and muscles snapping, barely alive and unconscious.

The alleyway returned to quiet.

Jiang Yan dusted off his hands, squatted down, and searched the men, taking all the Beli from their pockets. He counted them casually, and his face immediately showed undisguised disdain.

"The five of them together only have 100,000 Berries. With that little bit of wealth, they're obviously low-level pirates with no future."

With a smirk, Jiang Yan casually stuffed the crumpled stack of Pele into his pocket.

Although this amount of money is barely enough to fill a gap between Pele's teeth, even a small mosquito is still meat, and he can't fight for nothing.

After dealing with the five pirates, Jiang Yan didn't look back at the tavern and turned to walk into the alley.

-

After many twists and turns, we finally emerged from the narrow old alley and arrived at a relatively bustling main street.

The shops lining both sides of the street were dazzling with their wares, and the sounds of vendors calling out their wares rose and fell. Compared to the oppressive atmosphere in the old alley, this place was much more lively and bustling.

Jiang Yan stroked his chin; the money he had just taken from those pirates was simply not enough.

If you want to explore Loguetown properly and sample the local delicacies of the East China Sea, you'll need to carry some Pele with you.

I glanced around and quickly found the shop on the street corner with a sign that read "Gold Exchange".

Jiang Yan stepped inside, took out a gold brick from the "Food Restaurant," and placed it on the counter of the "Gold Exchange."

Upon seeing the dazzling gold with its astonishingly high purity, the owner of the gold exchange, who had been dozing off, instantly widened his eyes. He quickly picked up a magnifying glass to examine it repeatedly, unable to hide the smile on his face.

After estimating the value, the "Gold Exchange" owner gave Jiang Yan five million Berries.

Jiang Yan weighed the money pouch in his hand, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to leave the pawnshop.

Sunlight fell on him, and the execution platform was clearly visible in the direction of the square not far away.

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