Chapter 140: Discovery

[Continuing with a bonus chapter for the revered Alliance Leader Piao Hong, from the enlightened comrade, with sixteen chapters remaining. So sleepy.]

Nine Serpent Island, also known as Amazon Lily, is a daughter’s island—an island inhabited solely by women, as the name suggests.

This island lies within the calm belt near the Grand Line, surrounded by massive Sea Kings, which cloak the island in a natural protective barrier. For this reason, almost no ships venture to this island. Consequently, news from Nine Serpent Island is scarce and often cut off from the outside world. The only source of external information comes from the news birds that fly wildly across the seas carrying newspapers.

Though inhabited exclusively by women, this does not imply that the nation is weak. On the contrary, the people of Nine Serpent Island are fierce and robust. They are raised from birth as warriors. While Haki is rarely seen in the first half of the Grand Line, here almost everyone can wield it, making their strength formidable.

The massive Ark Verity cut through the waves, cleaving the sea and stirring up crashing surf, heading straight for the shore of Nine Serpent Island. The powerful momentum drove the Ark onto the sandy beach before it slowly came to a halt.

“Margaret, listen—what is that sound coming from the shore?”

“Could it be a large Sea King coming ashore? Daisy, let’s go check it out. If that’s the case, we need to alert the village.”

Two alluring women emerged from the dense, primeval forest of Nine Serpent Island. They gazed toward the coast with puzzled expressions. After a brief moment of thought, they started walking toward the shore.

Yet, upon reaching the beach, they saw no sign of any Sea Kings. Instead, they discovered an enormous and bizarrely shaped sailing ship. Most strikingly, the ship was entirely golden, adorned with countless gleaming treasures of gold.

“This can’t be real, Margaret... A ship made of gold? How could such a precious vessel suddenly arrive at our island?”

“Gurgle… It seems to be true… Is this a windfall from the heavens?”

Margaret's voice trembled with disbelief. Anyone witnessing this scene would think they were dreaming. After all, in this world, gold remains the most precious treasure.

After a long moment, the two women recovered from their shock. They noticed the obvious marks on the sand—deep impressions left by something heavy rolling ashore. It was clear that this mysterious golden ship had likely been washed in by the waves.

But for it to cross the calm belt, battered by sea currents—it must have been a perilous journey.

“I wonder if there’s anyone on board… Daisy, let’s take a closer look.”

Approaching cautiously, they knew that to possess such an extravagant ship, its owner must be either extremely wealthy or powerful. There could even be soldiers hidden within, waiting to ambush them.

The Ark Verity shimmered with golden light, bathing their skin in a gilded hue. Resisting the allure of the gold, they quietly climbed aboard.

Gold was lavishly used as decoration; even the main mast was a shining golden pillar.

Such wealth was staggering.

After admiring the grandeur, their eyes caught a horrifying sight on the deck, causing them to scream in terror.

“Margaret, are those dead bodies? Why is there so much blood on this ship?” Daisy’s face turned pale, her stomach churning as if ready to vomit all she had eaten that day.

The bloodstains on the deck had dried to a dark, almost black hue, yet the pungent metallic scent still lingered, assaulting their senses.

“Daisy, keep your voice down. Judging by this, the ship must have endured a fierce battle. Look at the marks left behind—there may be others in the cabins. We must be careful.”

Margaret analyzed the scene. Since this strange ship had been the scene of bloodshed, they could not afford carelessness. Caution was prudent.

They crept closer to the cabins but found no movement. Apart from the corpse on the deck and the large pool of blood, the cabins were empty. After a thorough search, they found only one occupied bedroom.

“Margaret, have you found anything important?”

“No, and you?”

“Nothing either.”

“Then… It seems this ship is ownerless. If we give it to Lady Boa, she’ll be thrilled!” Daisy’s eyes sparkled with admiration at the thought of the Empress’s unparalleled beauty.

“Ownerless? I’m not so sure,” Margaret murmured.

“You mean the corpse? Though he might have been the ship’s owner, he’s dead now! By the rules, this golden ship becomes the private property of Nine Serpent Island.”

Margaret shook her head and approached the corpse on the deck. The bloodstains had dried, suggesting the brutal fight had occurred at least four or five days ago. Yet, despite the blood covering the body, there was no sign of decomposition. This suggested he might still be alive.

“Margaret, what are you doing? That person’s probably been dead for a long time. Why touch him? Ugh, it’s disgusting.”

Margaret’s expression darkened; her lips twitched but she did not argue. Placing her finger beneath the corpse’s nose, she faintly detected a weak breath.

“Daisy… this person isn’t dead!”

She paused, then continued, “He seems gravely injured. We must save him—get him back to the village, or he will truly die.”

“Margaret, are you sure it’s wise to help a stranger like this? What if he’s dangerous?”

“Then we’ll just have to kill him again,” Margaret said calmly.

“Alright, let’s go quickly. I’ll report to Lady Boa. If anything happens, I’ll bear the responsibility alone. I’ll carry him back to the village first, and you should report the ship to the authorities. We’ll wait for Lady Boa’s orders before taking further action.”

After a moment’s thought, Daisy nodded slightly. She understood that this golden vessel had to be reported. If it concealed some grave matter, hiding it could spell disaster for their nation. As for the man—whether to save him or not was uncertain. The fear was that he was no ordinary individual.

But Margaret did not wait for Daisy’s consent. She lifted the blood-soaked, limp body of Shu Mingyuan and plunged into the dense forest.

Daisy watched her retreating figure with anxious eyes, then sighed and headed toward Nine Serpent City. Compared to the man, the golden ship was clearly the greater concern.