One-Punch Man in the One Piece World

50. Birch Tree Town

"Let's go take a look." Norton stretched his shoulders and back, his joints making a slight cracking sound.

Having spent so much time on the ship, it's been a long time since I've actually set foot on land.

Twin Capes is technically just a cape, not a complete island. The last time I truly spent time on an island was back in Loguetown.

The group set off towards the Siberian-style town.

It seemed short, but it actually took nearly twenty minutes to actually enter the town area.

The rocky shore and permafrost extended the distance, and by the time they stepped onto the smooth road, their boots were covered in wet mud.

The houses here are built tall, with walls tightly constructed of thick wooden planks, the sturdy timbers keeping out the bleak autumn winds.

The streets were swept clean, with only a few withered yellow leaves that had just fallen swirling between the stones.

"Let's hurry up and find some drinks," Zoro said, cracking his knuckles. "There must be some unique bars in this kind of place."

"Don't rush," Chloe pushed up his glasses, "Let's hear King's plan first."

"Oh, right." Funing remembered something, took off her scarf, and wrapped it around Norton's neck. "King, with your current level of fame... you'd better cover your face."

The scarf carried the lingering warmth and faint scent of Funing, and Norton did not refuse it.

There have been many articles about him in the newspapers recently, and anyone who reads the newspaper regularly can probably recognize his face.

He really made a huge fuss.

"It's so cold!"

Bucky rubbed his shoulders.

He was only wearing a thin jacket over a short-sleeved shirt, and the cold wind on the island made his nose even redder.

"I told you to wear more clothes." Nami glanced at him.

"Who are you calling red-nosed?!" Bucky immediately jumped up and down.

They hadn't walked far in the town when people noticed them.

It was a little girl wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, squatting and playing at her own door.

She looked up and saw the group of strangers dressed in various styles. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then she turned and ran into the house.

"Dad! Mom! We have more guests!"

Norton and his group stopped and looked at each other.

Soon, a couple came out of the house.

The man knelt down and said a few words to the little girl. She nodded, turned, and ran deeper into town, shouting as she ran, "Guests have arrived! New guests!"

More doors opened.

The townspeople gradually emerged from their houses and slowly gathered around.

"They're really new faces!"

"Great! It's been so long since we've had any guests on the island!"

Welcome!

"Welcome to Birchtree Town!"

"That young man... he's so handsome," a woman whispered, her gaze fixed on Norton.

"Silver hair, that's really rare."

"Look! There's a red nose here!" The children spotted Bucky and curiously gathered around him.

"Don't touch my nose! You brats!" Bucky shouted angrily, waving his arms.

Although the lower half of his face was covered by a scarf, Norton's features were still clear, and his slightly curved eyes and silvery-white eyelashes captivated several young women.

"These people are being a little too enthusiastic," Nami whispered.

"Be careful, it might be a trap." Kro pushed up his glasses.

"Agreed." Zoro placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Norton didn't speak, but simply nodded to the crowd around him. He didn't dislike being surrounded by people.

The crowd suddenly parted to both sides.

A bald, middle-aged man wearing a long coat of tanned deerskin and gold jewelry stepped forward.

His clothes were noticeably more luxurious than those of the other townspeople, and his gait carried a certain air of authority.

"Welcome!" the man said with a beaming smile. "I am Polino, the mayor of Birchwood Town. Welcome to Birchwood Town! Please allow us to give you a proper welcome!"

He opened his arms wide and said in a loud voice, "Don't worry, we're not bad people. Hospitality is a tradition that has been passed down in this town for hundreds of years!"

Nami quietly tugged at Norton's sleeve.

Everyone else turned to look at him, waiting for his response.

Norton grinned, his smile beneath the scarf bold and direct: "Of course, no problem. It's your honor."

Isn't that saying things backwards?

The townspeople were taken aback and looked at each other in bewilderment.

The arrogance of this silver-haired young man left them somewhat bewildered.

Meanwhile, on the shore.

After Norton and his party disappeared around the street corner surrounded by townspeople, several masked figures silently appeared on the shore.

They nimbly jumped onto the moored boat and began searching the cabin.

"Hurry up!" the leader urged in a low voice, "Check if there's anything valuable."

One person lifted the hatch, while the other searched for storage boxes.

There was nothing in the cabin except a bundle of rope and half a bucket of fresh water.

"Empty." The person searching spat. "Poor bastard, didn't even leave a single Berry."

"Impossible, right? People who can sail out to sea on a ship like this must have some kind of... "

"Look for yourself!" The man kicked the empty storage box, which made a hollow echo.

The leader frowned, reached into the corner of the cabin and searched around, then checked under the seats, but found nothing.

"Damn it, all that work for nothing." He straightened up. "Forget it, let's stick to the original plan and burn it."

"What bad luck, I thought I could make a killing," his companion muttered, picking up the prepared gasoline can.

With practiced ease, they poured gasoline onto the cabin and deck, instantly filling the air with a pungent odor. Torches arced through the air, landing on the fuel-soaked wooden planks.

Flames erupted and quickly engulfed the entire ship.

The wood crackled and popped under the high temperature, billowing black smoke that filled the air along the shore with a burnt smell.

As the fire subsided, the men used iron bars to completely destroy the charred and fragile hull. The wreckage crumbled under the heavy blows and slowly sank into the cold seawater.

After doing all this, the group breathed a sigh of relief.

One of them wiped his sweat and was about to call his companions to leave when he suddenly froze, pointing to the sea: "...Wait, what's that?"

The others looked in the direction he was pointing.

A thick, grayish-white fog had appeared on the sea surface not far away, seemingly out of nowhere.

The thick fog completely enveloped the sea area, and only a few blurry ship shadows could be vaguely seen in the gray and white, like lurking giant beasts.

Someone's expression changed: "Could it be that those who landed on the island... had companions?"

"There's more than one ship...this scale..."

"It could also be a 'ghost ship'..."

The leader gritted his teeth: "Whatever it is, we must report it to the mayor immediately! The situation has changed!"

The group quickly turned around and retreated deep into the island along a hidden mountain path, their figures soon disappearing behind the jagged rocks.

At the center of the gray-white fog, the White Pearl.

The lookout had a clear view of everything happening on the shore.

He immediately turned to Sanosuke, who was practicing flying in mid-air, and whispered, "Sanosuke! Something's wrong! Someone burned the small boat on the shore!"

Sanosuke folded his wings and hovered beside the mast, his brow furrowed: "Did you see who it was?"

"We can't see their faces, they're all wearing masks. But they're definitely from town," the lookout said with certainty.

"Understood." Sanosuke nodded. "I'll contact King."

He took out the Den Den Mushi that Fu Ning had given him before he left, and skillfully dialed a number.

"Poluru poluru... poluru poluru..."

Birch Tree Town, Banquet Hall.

The cabin was spacious, with dozens of oil lamps hanging from the towering beams. The air was filled with the aroma of roasting meat, the richness of ale, and the unique scent of pine resin from burning firewood.

"Oh! How many cups is this now?"

"I can't count them! Definitely over a hundred cups!"

"That green-haired swordsman... he's a bottomless pit!"

The townspeople gathered around the long table, letting out exaggerated gasps of amazement.

Zoro tilted his head back and downed what seemed to be his umpteenth shot of strong liquor that night. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the empty wooden cup slammed heavily onto the table with a dull thud.

After letting out a deep burp, he wiped his mouth, swayed, and slumped into the leather sofa behind him, his eyelids drooping.

Within three seconds, snoring began to fill the air like a bellows.

On the other side, Bucky sat cross-legged on the rug by the fireplace, surrounded by a group of little boys, the firelight making his red-nosed face glow.

The children, chins in their hands and eyes wide, listened as he gesticulated wildly, recounting his past seafaring adventures: "...That fish! Its eyes were bigger than this room! And its mouth could swallow an entire warship!"

"Wow—!" the boys exclaimed.

"And there's an island in the sky! Made of clouds, it's soft and fluffy to step on, but you just won't fall off! I used to sleep on one of those!"

"That's amazing!"

"Captain Bucky is so handsome!"

The cheers nearly lifted the roof off.

Fu Ning sat on a bench by the window, surrounded affectionately by several young women.

They gently stroked her silky white hair, their fingertips lingering on it, uttering heartfelt praise.

"This hair...it's like it's woven from moonlight!"

"Your skin is so fair, you must be a noble lady? Your demeanor is so elegant."

"Could you teach us how to take care of our skin?"

Fu Ning maintained a polite smile and responded to each question.

The atmosphere in the corner where Nami was was completely different. She had one foot on a wooden stool, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and was having a drinking contest with a burly man with a full beard.

Ten men lay sprawled at his feet, their faces flushed and unconscious.

The men watching from the sidelines exchanged bewildered glances, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

"This girl... is even fiercer than that green-haired kid!"

"He was practically raised in a vat of alcohol..."

"That's the eleventh... Hans is the biggest drinker in town..."

Nami wiped her mouth, her eyes clear and bright, showing no sign of drunkenness.

She beckoned to the next challenger with a finger, her smile carrying a wild provocation.

Norton sat alone in a high-backed chair at the far end of the banquet hall.

A group of women, some near and some far, surrounded him, their eyes fixed on him, whispering among themselves, their affection almost overflowing in their glances.

However, no one dared to get within three feet of him, as if there was an invisible barrier keeping the hustle and bustle out.

He simply held his wine glass quietly, the amber liquid shimmering slightly under the light, and smiled as he enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Coupled with his unfathomable silver-gray eyes, he only made people more eager to see him.

"I've never seen such a handsome man before..."

"Like a young and lonely king!"

"I want to marry him!"

Chloe leaned alone in the shadows by the door, her glass full but untouched.

The lens reflected the leaping firelight and clearly showed Mayor Polito's ever-present kind smile on his face not far away.

Kro observed and calculated silently, noticing that Polito's gaze would sweep across the entire room every few moments, lingering particularly long on Norton.

Seeing that everyone was drunk and the atmosphere was reaching its climax, Polino, holding a wine glass, slowly stepped onto the low wooden table in the hall.

He tapped the rim of his cup, the crisp sound silencing the noise for a moment.

"Distinguished guests!"

Polido's voice was loud and infectious, "Welcome to Birch Town! Please make yourself at home and settle in! In the days to come, we will make sure you feel right at home!"

"Whoa—!!" The townspeople raised their glasses and cheered, their shouts almost shaking the dust off the beams.

Nami then raised her hand: "Mayor Polide! Thank you for the hospitality, but we'll continue our voyage once the Log Pose fills the island with magnetism."

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment.

Everyone knows that the record pointer will only point to the next island when it is fully charged with magnetism.

Going to sea before that is tantamount to completely losing one's way on the vast ocean.

Polido's smile didn't change at all; in fact, it deepened slightly. "Oh dear, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, little girl. In our Birchwood Town, it takes a whole month for the record pointer to fully store magnetism."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and slowly added, "And unfortunately, this period coincides with the once-every-four-years 'snow disaster.' At that time, the nearby seas will be completely frozen, and ships will be unable to leave the sea at all."

"Snow disaster?" Nami frowned.

“‘Granfour’s Winter’,” Polido’s tone turned grave. “Although our island is an autumn island, its climate is unique, and every four years it experiences an extreme winter!”

He changed the subject, his smile warming again: "So, staying here is the safest option. Our houses are all built with the island's unique 'insulated birch wood,' so we can get through even the coldest winters without worry."

"As long as you stay in town, I guarantee you'll survive the snowstorm!"

Nami bit her lip, looking troubled, and turned to Norton, about to ask for his opinion.

Just then—

"Brubrubru—Brubrubru—"

A sudden Den Den Mushi ringtone came from the direction of Funing.

Almost as soon as the bell rang, a sharp glint flashed in Mayor Polito's eyes. He turned his head very naturally to a bald girl with a sharp face beside him and moved his chin almost imperceptibly.

Fu Ning picked up the Den Den Mushi and smiled apologetically at the girls around her who were staring at her: "Sorry, I'll go answer it."

She got up and left her seat, walking quickly towards the door.

The bald girl immediately flashed an innocent and cheerful smile and followed after her: "Miss Funing, would you like me to take you to a quieter place?"

"No need to trouble yourself," Fu Ning replied with an elegant smile, her tone gentle yet authoritative. "I'll be back soon."

Stepping out of the banquet hall, the autumn wind carrying fallen leaves instantly swept away the warmth inside.

Fu Ning quickly walked to the sheltered spot where firewood was piled up on the side of the house, and only after confirming that no one was around did she reconnect the constantly vibrating Den Den Mushi.

"Feed? It's me, Funing. What happened?"

"Sanosuke, tell King that the boats on the shore were burned by the townspeople. They searched the boats first, found nothing, and then poured oil on them and set them on fire."

"What?!"

Fu Ning quickly covered her mouth, suppressing the gasp that almost escaped her lips. "Those townspeople... they were so enthusiastic..."

"Don't be naive, young lady," Sanosuke's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, "Anyway, situation report complete. Seeking King's permission, should the fleet dock immediately?"

"...Understood." Fu Ning took a deep breath of the cold air, forcing herself to calm down. "I will pass on the message immediately."

Fu Ning hung up the phone and cautiously looked around.

The streets were deserted, with only the faint noise coming from the banquet hall in the distance.

Fu Ning composed herself and turned to walk back.

Not far behind Fu Ning, in the shadow of a pile of firewood, the bald girl slowly peeked out half of her face.

The moonlight shone into the bald girl's expressionless eyes, reflecting a cold and fierce light. She stared at Funing's back until the wooden door closed again, then silently retreated into the deeper darkness.