Chapter 101: A Thorny Problem

They were in an alley within the residential area, less than a kilometer away from the weapons shop.

Suddenly, Thor appeared without a word, instantly putting Mord and Sunny on high alert.

When they recognized it was Thor, both Mord and Sunny lowered their pistols.

Then they noticed the deep furrows on Thor’s brow, his aged face etched with grave concern.

It was the first time they had ever seen such an expression on Thor’s face.

“What’s going on?” Sunny asked, sensing something was terribly wrong.

“We’ll talk later,” Thor replied.

With a leap, he grabbed the collars of Mord and Sunny’s jackets, lifting them off the ground. Using the moon-step technique, he swiftly headed back toward the weapons shop.

Upon returning, Thor released the puzzled Mord and Sunny.

“Two warships have appeared in the inner bay—Karp and Aokiji. They’re most likely here for me.”

“What?!” Mord and Sunny were taken aback by the news.

Bailey, walking over from the hallway, looked at them with confusion. As a peculiar creature, he had no understanding of what the names Karp and Aokiji meant to pirates.

“Grab all your weapons and ammunition. We’re running!” Thor declared, then dashed back to his room at full speed.

Earlier that night, when he followed Mord and Sunny to the pig farm, he had casually grabbed only two short-barreled flintlock pistols from the shelves, carrying very little ammunition. He never imagined that a Revolutionary Army attack on the pig farm would escalate into something serious. Following Mord and Sunny was merely to ensure their safety.

After the situation was resolved, when they returned to the residential area, he had even considered having breakfast and then heading to the flower street for morning training.

But none of that happened. Just as they neared the weapons shop, a series of loud explosions erupted near the docks.

Instinctively, Thor used his observation haki to scan the area—and saw Karp and Aokiji.

In the past, being alone, Thor would have fled without hesitation.

But now...

Thor entered his room and immediately discarded the two subpar guns he carried. He lugged out a wooden box from beneath the double bed, thickly coated in dust.

Opening it, he found two flintlock guns resting quietly on a red velvet cloth—one long, one short.

A gunslinger typically carries at least two firearms: a rifled gun for long-range and a pistol for close combat.

Many snipers also carry a backup gun just in case, since firearms are less durable than blades and can easily be damaged in battle.

Having a spare gun is always advantageous.

The rifled gun in the box was Thor’s old backup. His primary weapon, which he had used for most of his life, had long been destroyed by Karp.

Though this backup gun wasn’t as fine as the one lost to Karp, it was far superior to the flashy, cheap weapons sold in the shop.

The flintlock pistol had been his faithful companion through countless battles.

Thor picked up both guns, holstered them, and refilled his ammunition pouch with lead bullets.

Then, flashing a quick movement, he reached the door.

Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly stopped.

He turned back to look at the nine long blades displayed on a cabinet inside the room.

These were all renowned swords he had collected over the years.

After a moment of silence, his thoughts turned to Mord’s Haki talent.

In the end, he chose one sword and left the room without looking back.

As for the other prized blades and the vast fortune stored in the cabinet, they would have to be left behind.

Thor descended the stairs and arrived at the weapons shop.

Mord and Sunny were already prepared to leave.

Bailey, having grasped the gravity of the situation, trembled like an old man.

Sunny had given the simplest explanation: Mad Hat Town was about to be wiped out.

This terrified Bailey, who only wanted to flee the town as quickly as possible.

“Take this,” Thor threw a deep blue long sword to Mord.

Mord caught the sword, surprised, and looked at Thor.

“This is the Thousand Birds…”

He was about to ask why Thor was giving him the sword, but was cut off by Thor’s next command.

“Let’s go.”

Thor led the way, pushing open the door to the weapons shop.

Mord accepted the sword, hanging it from his belt, and followed Thor along with Sunny.

Bailey was tied behind Mord.

Once outside, Thor repeated his tactic, grabbing Mord and Sunny by their collars and leaping into the air with moon-step, heading toward the Wall Mountain.

The Navy was launching a frontal assault through the inner bay, aiming to destroy all ships and trap the island’s pirates.

Therefore, Thor had to head in the opposite direction, toward Wall Mountain, then slip away from the island’s far side and use moon-step to escape to the nearest island.

This was his usual method for evading Navy pursuits.

Carrying two people with moon-step obviously slowed him down and added a significant burden.

But the biggest challenge was that his hands were fully occupied.

Thor’s notoriety with the Navy wasn’t just because of moon-step.

He was infamous for escaping while firing at the pursuing Navy forces.

Even if they had faster moon-step speed, chasing him recklessly could mean being shot down like game birds.

Gripping the two tightly, Thor rushed toward Wall Mountain at top speed.

Being carried midair, Mord dared not move, fearing he would disrupt Thor.

Feeling the wind rush past, Mord looked down.

The streets below blurred like fleeting paintings as they zipped by.

Could he really move this fast while carrying two people?

But could his stamina hold out?

Was Thor planning to carry them all the way off Mad Hat Island?

A flood of questions surged in Mord’s mind, but since Thor was acting this way, there had to be a reason.

So Mord suppressed his doubts.

Boom!

Explosions thundered from behind.

Thor’s expression darkened as he glanced back.

Using observation haki, he saw Karp charging forward like a raging bull, smashing through buildings in his path.

Structures crumbled like paper before him, barely slowing his advance.

“Damn iron-fisted bastard,” Thor ground his teeth.

Focusing on long-range observation haki directly affected moon-step speed.

So Thor immediately ceased using haki and plunged ahead, head down.

Mord and Sunny heard the constant explosions behind them.

They struggled to turn their heads and looked back.

Amid the smoke and dust rising from the shattered buildings, it was clear a monstrous pursuer was closing in.

“I’m coming for you, Trick Gun,” Karp’s booming voice echoed through the streets.

The town’s pirates stared in shock as Karp flashed past them, also hearing his words.

Only then did they understand why the Navy hero had come to Mad Hat Town.

Who was Trick Gun?

The question flickered in their minds.

Yet, it did little to stop them from cursing him out.