Hui paid no mind to the Xavi Pirates' discussions about him. In this world, the only things that held his interest were its resources.
A small pirate crew was no more than an ant passing by his feet; he could crush them at any moment or simply ignore them. Even if their captain, Xavi, had a 60 million Berry bounty.
After completing his first robbery, Hui immediately went on his second. His flight speed was superb, as fast as lightning.
Coupled with his exceptional eyesight, capable of locking onto targets from dozens of kilometers away, it wasn't long before he spotted his next target: another pirate crew.
With a beat of his wings, Hui arrived above the ship, echoing his previous demand: "It's robbery time. Hand over all the Devil Fruits on board, and you'll be spared."
These words similarly stunned the crew. However, this pirate crew seemed more discerning than the Xavi Pirates. They quickly recognized Hui.
"Right away! We'll bring you the Devil Fruits immediately!" One pirate respectfully replied, wasting no time in fetching the Devil Fruits for Hui. He was quick, and to Hui's satisfaction, there were two Devil Fruits on board.
Nodding in approval, Hui took off.
His objective was solely Devil Fruits; he had no interest in anything else on the ship, be it money or other so-called "treasures." Moreover, he only took what they offered. He didn't intend to plunder all their Devil Fruits at once, instead gauging how much they were willing to give.
After all, these pirates were, in his eyes, like fruit trees. They couldn't be uprooted all at once. He would harvest a bit at a time, allowing them to regrow before harvesting again, and again...
If he took all their Devil Fruits every time he encountered them, these pirates would eventually stop collecting them altogether.
Only by leaving them with a glimmer of hope would they continue to gather more Devil Fruits, trying to compensate for what he had taken.
With his second successful raid, Hui continued his journey, searching for his third target. It wasn't long before he found one.
However, this target seemed rather…unwise.
Their captain was a pirate with a bounty of 250 million Berry.
In this era, such a bounty qualified him as a major player in the pirate world. And as a prominent pirate, despite Hui's widespread notoriety, exaggerated rumors, and a staggering 8 billion Berry bounty, there were always some fools who disregarded these factors, choosing to stand against him like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
After all, they hadn't witnessed his power firsthand. Coupled with a lack of…awareness, such reckless actions were, in a way, to be expected. Of course, such pirate crews were a minority. Most rational individuals wouldn't engage in such foolish behavior.
In Mochizuki Hui's eyes, this crew was nothing more than an ant at his feet, waving its antennae in a futile attempt to provoke him. For such an ant, a single step was all it took to crush it into oblivion.
There were many ways to deal with this pirate crew: a punch, a kick, a sword slash, or even a Jutsu activated with a single thought.
Hui ultimately chose the sword. He could use this pirate ship to practice his cleaving techniques.
With a single stroke, the ship was cleaved in two by his sword energy.
The crew, struck by an invisible force, were instantly killed.
Hui was practicing a new sword technique.
Since sword energy existed in this world, could he perhaps cultivate Sword Intent? In any case, practice was key.
After finishing off his third target, Hui soared high into the sky, surveying the "prey" below. He continued his plundering of pirate ships along his route with ruthless efficiency.
Such blatant actions quickly spread the news of his reappearance.
"It's robbery time. Hand over all the Devil Fruits on board, and you'll be spared." This phrase echoed in countless ears.
The world trembled with the news of Hui's return.
"Pops, that guy… he's reappeared after a year and a half!" On the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, Marco relayed the news to Whitebeard after receiving a call.
"As soon as he showed up, he started robbing every faction he encountered, taking their Devil Fruits!" Marco continued, Whitebeard listening intently.
"Seems like he's quite fond of Devil Fruits. Last time he auctioned off the Celestial Dragons, it was for Devil Fruits as well. I wonder what he needs so many Devil Fruits for?" Whitebeard pondered, unable to decipher Hui's motives.
"By the way, what's his route?"
"Judging by his direction...it seems to be...Mary Geoise?!" Marco said, staring at the map with astonishment.
Not just Marco, but Whitebeard and the others were equally shocked. Then Whitebeard burst into laughter.
"Gurararara! That guy, is he going to cause trouble for the Celestial Dragons again?"
But on second thought, it made sense. After all, the Celestial Dragons possessed the most Devil Fruits in the world. Since that guy loved Devil Fruits so much, he definitely wouldn't let the Celestial Dragons off the hook.
"This is going to be interesting. The World Government, the Marines, the Celestial Dragons... I wonder how they'll deal with him this time?" Whitebeard said with a playful grin.
Hearing this, Marco and the others also laughed.
"That's not our concern. We just need to wait for the news and enjoy the show!" Marco said with a smile.
"Alright, let's move on. Into the second half of the Grand Line." After a bout of laughter, Whitebeard gave the order.
He had initially planned to rest for a few days, but since that man was back and scouring the world for Devil Fruits, it was best to stay away from him. After all, they couldn't defeat him in a fight. What other choice did they have but to avoid him?
Fortunately, they were pirates, without a fixed base. If they were like the Marines or the World Government, with stationary bases in the sea, they wouldn't be able to escape. This matter would likely give the World Government and the Marines a massive headache this time as well.
Indeed, as Whitebeard and his crew had predicted, upon receiving the news of Hui's return, his rampant plundering, and his apparent trajectory towards Mary Geoise, the World Government was thrown into a state of panic.
A year and a half later, the man who had been a constant thorn in their side had resurfaced.
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