Chapter 151: The Ghost Hunter Appears

The major incident at Impel Down had far-reaching consequences. Not only was the World Government issuing a desperate, all-out bounty hunt for the Ghost Hunter, but numerous pirates were also actively searching for his whereabouts. As everyone knew, the Ghost Hunter had sustained critical injuries and was on the brink of death; finding him would be the ultimate shortcut to rising to supreme power.

Furthermore, the Ark Maxim that had crashed onto Amazon Lily was an object of a hefty bounty offered by the World Government. No wonder the Donquixote Family specifically demanded this golden ship—that explained everything completely.

"In other words, this golden ship is the very same flying vessel that the Ghost Hunter rode!" Elder Nyon narrowed her eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them as she pondered whatever scheme was forming in her mind.

"Marguerite, I heard from Afandgloria that when you discovered this golden ship, you also rescued a man on the verge of death. Where is he now?"

Elder Nyon looked at Marguerite, asking in a flat, unhurried tone.

"Elder Nyon, are you saying... that man might possibly be the Ghost Hunter who has the entire world in an uproar?"

"Exactly! Since the empty ship is here, then that dying man must certainly be the Ghost Hunter." Elder Nyon spoke with absolute conviction.

Hiss...

Marguerite sharply intake a breath of cold air. She had also read the newspaper earlier, so she had a rough idea of who the so-called Ghost Hunter was. That was a terrifying entity capable of fighting on par with a Marine Admiral! As a notorious villain who had wreaked havoc on Impel Down twice, the mere mention of his name turned everyone pale with fear. Yet, she had had close-range contact with such a monster.

"So, where is the Ghost Hunter now?"

Shu Mingyuan quietly watched Marguerite, his gaze calm and unruffled, displaying an indescribable sense of detachment.

"He... he..." Sensing Shu Mingyuan's gaze, she looked up and their eyes met. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt an invisible, overwhelming pressure crashing down upon her.

"What happened to the Ghost Hunter? Is he dead or alive?" Elder Nyon continued to press.

"He was saved by Granny Hoj's medical treatment and was later brought back to my home by me, but... but when I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I discovered that he had already left."

Marguerite spoke with a guilty conscience. Shu Mingyuan withdrew his gaze, and the suffocating pressure vanished instantly.

"Left? In other words... the Ghost Hunter is still alive?" Elder Nyon said in a deep voice.

"I... I suppose so."

Marguerite was no fool. Aside from being as innocent as a blank slate regarding matters of romance, her mind was actually exceptionally astute. Naturally, she easily guessed Shu Mingyuan's true identity. She never expected that he would actually be the dreaded villain known to the world as the Ghost Hunter!

For reasons unknown to herself, at the very moment Elder Nyon interrogated her, she had impulsively told a lie. Given that this involved such a major matter, she should have reported the truth immediately.

"Guardian Warrior Marguerite, is what you said true?" Elder Nyon looked at her, suddenly growing suspicious as she noticed Marguerite's gaze lingering persistently on Shu Mingyue.

Shu Mingyuan smiled faintly. "Elder Nyon, do you not believe what my sister is saying? When I went to look for her today, I truly did not see any man at her home."

He paused slightly on the word "man." Everyone in the world knew that the notorious villain, the Ghost Hunter Shu Mingyuan, was a man. A moment ago, Elder Nyon had indeed started to suspect Marguerite's newly appeared cousin, but upon hearing Shu Mingyuan's words, her suspicions were instantly dispelled.

The Ghost Hunter, Monkey D. Shu Mingyuan, was a man, whereas Shu Mingyue looked every bit like an absolute beauty—with an exquisite figure and skin whiter than snow, completely contrasting with the vicious and heinous appearance of the Ghost Hunter on the wanted poster.

"Phew... It seems I was just overthinking things."

"You flatter us, Lady Yue. Of course, this old woman believes what our Guardian Warrior has said. However, this matter is of grave importance, so this old crone cannot help but say a few extra words. The Ghost Hunter is still alive, and his ship remains anchored on our shores. For all we know, he might be hiding in some corner of the island right now. Rumor has it that he is a cold-hearted, deeply sinful scoundrel who commits all sorts of evil and slaughters the innocent without blinking. With such a terrifying existence lurking in our country, everyone must be extremely careful when going out. From now on, no one is permitted to utter even half a word about today's events! Once this leaks out, a terrible disaster is bound to befall us." Elder Nyon admonished.

Hearing this, the corners of Marguerite's twitched. She glanced at Shu Mingyuan, who acted as if he heard none of it, and couldn't help thinking to herself: "Oh, my foolish Elder Nyon, the Ghost Hunter you speak of is right beside us right now, and he has listened to every single word of your evaluation of him without missing a syllable. Aren't you playing with fire here?"

She covertly took another peek at Shu Mingyuan and found that he was looking right back at her, wearing an ambiguous and inexplicable smile on his face. Her heart trembled, and she quickly averted her gaze.

"There is someone on the ship!"

Shu Mingyuan suddenly spoke up, pointing toward the Ark Maxim. Everyone turned around to look and just happened to see a stealthy figure emerging from the cabin. Faint arcs of electricity seemed to be flickering around the person's embrace, and within a few flashes, the figure vanished into the dense jungle. Judging by his physique and appearance, he looked precisely identical to the Ghost Hunter on the wanted poster.

"It's the Ghost Hunter!"

Everyone was deeply shocked. This vicious criminal was indeed hiding on Amazon Lily.

"That flash of electricity just now... could it be..."

"Not good! The Rumble-Rumble Fruit!"

Elder Nyon rushed frantically into the engine room, only to find the core power source completely empty and devoid of any powerful electrical current generation. The ship seemed to have fundamentally lost its life force.

"So he really did take it away. Had I known this, I would have seized the Rumble-Rumble Fruit at all costs, no matter what price we had to pay."

Elder Nyon sighed in disappointment. Without the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, it meant that Amazon Lily had likely missed out on a peerless powerhouse of the future. Although the fruit had never belonged to them in the first place, it could have been their private possession. Watching such a magnificent opportunity slip right through their fingers—it would be a lie to say it didn't hurt.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit could at best be considered as returning to its rightful owner now, but it was in the hands of the notorious Ghost Hunter. They couldn't even handle a single officer from the Donquixote Family, let alone snatch something directly from the Ghost Hunter.

"Sigh, everyone head back. Anyone who is injured and needs treatment should go see Doctor Hoj. Thank you all for your hard work these past two days."

Elder Nyon sighed helplessly. They had guarded the treasure for two full days, and after fierce battles, almost every Guardian Warrior had sustained injuries. Yet, they had ended up working for someone else's benefit and returned empty-handed.

This incident triggered by the Ghost Hunter ultimately left Amazon Lily to take the blame, forcing them to bear all the consequences. Every time she thought of this, Elder Nyon trembled with rage.

The crowd walked back together. Shu Mingyuan remained completely silent along the way, while Marguerite knew the truth all too well: the real Ghost Hunter was walking right beside them, and that fleeting figure from earlier was merely a clever illusion designed to divert everyone's attention.