Chapter 155 Fruit of Face (2/2)
”I understand.” This bunch of refuges were the best cannon fodder; they were the trump card to defeating Lu Cheng. Balsas let out a sinister smile.
Luck is on our side!
…
Lu Cheng sat in the middle of a war chariot and looked serious. This unit had more than sixty off-road armored vehicles equipped with machine guns and rockets, followed by hundreds of fully-equipped elite soldiers. They were all trained and qualified soldiers; one soldier could fight at least three enemies, and the soldiers knew how to work together in different formations. They were not a common vagrant of the mob.
Lu Cheng had been coveting Green Valley Ville for a long time. There was a strategic mountain pass between this town and his land, Black Pine. Once he seized the town, there would be no worries in the future.
”We must capture Green Valley Ville this time round.”
The troops were getting closer to Green Valley Ville. Lu Cheng soon noticed the crowd surrounding the town; they wore ragged garments, like a group of refugees, guarding the town.
Lu Cheng's face immediately darkened, and there was a trace of anger in his eyes. ”What a despicable bastard to use refugees as cannon fodder!”
He ordered the military fleet to park a distance away from the town, just outside of the firing range of the machine guns. The smoke and dust quickly dissipated. The ruts left on the muddy road exuded a burning smell, and the heat from the friction somewhat contorted the air.
The players who chose to protect the town all held onto their weapons tightly and waited on high alert. The cold armored vehicles and the compressed gun barrels made many people nervous. They swallowed their saliva with unease. Beads of sweat on their foreheads were reflecting light under the sun.
Many observing players had some doubts. Were they not allowed to choose their camp? It seemed like that they would begin fighting any minute now, and they might have no time to choose a side.
”Balsas, are you thinking of blocking my gunfire with these pathetic fellows?” Lu Cheng took out a megaphone, and his voice travelled out. Everyone in the town could hear his voice clearly. ”My men are able to tear them to shreds easily, do you want me to paint your territory with fresh blood?”
Balsas emerged above the wall and smiled coldly.
Lu Cheng frowned and looked at the group of shabbily dressed refugees. He calmly offered, ”I'll give you the opportunity to leave now. There is no need to die here.”
The refugees were restless for a while, but he realized that they did not waver despite that.
”Are these people unafraid of death?”
Lu Cheng was astonished. He realized that there was not the slightest bit of fear on this bunch of refugees' faces. He hesitated to give the command of attack.
Balsas faintly guessed the values of this group of refugees; what they cared about the most was profit instead of their lives. Seeing Lu Cheng hesitation, Balsas was very proud of himself and was rather scornful of Lu Cheng's indecisiveness. He ridiculed lowly, ”What an excessive tendency to clemency.”
To be apprehensive toward endangering the refugees' lives would only hinder his battle; Lu Cheng's choice appeared awfully stupid in Balsas' eyes.
Balsas grinned evilly and was about to order the refugees to counterattack when he suddenly realized that there was movement from the side-lines.
Black Phantom!
Han Xiao stretched his back and strode unhurriedly to the center of the confrontation. He instantly caught the attention of both sides and the players. He crossed his arms and called loudly, ”Give me some face. If you all want to go to war, do it tomorrow!”
His voice was as good as a loudspeaker. Everyone was taken aback.
”Why is he intervening‽” Balsas immediately swallowed back his almost released order.
Lu Cheng froze, sizing Han Xiao up, before exclaiming hoarsely, ”Black Phantom‽ Why is this fellow here?”
The commanders of both sides were afraid of the consequences, so they ordered the troops to lay down their weapons. The tense atmosphere of confrontation dissipated immediately.
The players were bewildered. They were not very familiar with Aquamarine's background. From the mission brief, it was known that Balsas and Lu Cheng were warlords of influence. Black Phantom gave out an order on his own, and the two warlords with armed forces immediately feared the consequences. This roused the players' curiosity.
With one sentence from Black Phantom, he was able to halt the war. He was able to make the two warlords overlook their feud, who exactly was he?
Just how high was his status to dare say the phrase 'give me some face'? The most terrifying thing was that the two warlords halted immediately; how much weight does he carry‽
Then the players noticed something else. These NPCs all recognized Black Phantom. Exactly how big was his reputation on the planet? Could it already be to the point where he was able to cut in anywhere he went‽
Is this Red-Hair Shanks' legendary ability, Fruit of Face?
Bun-hit-dog, who was secretly videoing the scene, was thrilled. This kind of news material was exactly what he wanted.This is a One Piece meme among Chinese followers of the series. Basically, it's about how Shanks makes people 'give him face' in certain matters. More information: