"That guy... is he the infamous bounty hunter, the Black Swordsman, Ainz?
And the woman following him—must be the Narberal! Damn, she's gorgeous. If only I could spend a night with her... hehe."
"Idiot! Do you have a death wish?"
The moment John heard his friend speaking so carelessly about Ainz and his companion, he immediately put down his drink and covered his friend's mouth.
Seeing that Ainz hadn't reacted to the comment, he let out a breath of relief, but then he couldn't help but scoff.
"Well, it's not like a bounty hunter of his caliber would be interested in someone like me. The only reason I'm still alive is probably because my bounty isn't worth his time."
"Hey! What the hell was that for?" His friend who had been silenced glared at him, clearly displeased.
"You fool, I just saved your life, you know that?" John took a big gulp of his beer before continuing, "Do you even know why your previous pirate crew disbanded?"
"Wasn't it because the captain got caught by the Marines?"
"Ridiculous! Do you really think those Marine scumbags would dare launch an attack on this town?"
John downed another cup of ale, his breath reeking of alcohol as he spoke.
"That Black Swordsman showed up and killed the executioner, Roshio. At first, people thought he was just a passing bounty hunter. They figured he'd leave soon enough.
But for some reason, after that, he started hunting pirates daily—pirates with bounties of at least 20 million berries."
"Twenty million berries…"
The other pirate gasped, sucking in a cold breath.
He had known the Black Swordsman was strong, but the thought of him killing such powerful pirates every single day… And he had dared to speak ill of such a terrifying man?
John ignored his companion's reaction and continued speaking.
"Eventually, some pirates couldn't take it anymore. This town is supposed to belong to us pirates—why should a bounty hunter get to do as he pleases? You know about Lion Kyren, right?"
"You mean the captain of the Lion Pirates?"
"Exactly." John seemed to recall something horrifying as he downed several more drinks, his hands trembling slightly before he forced them steady.
"Kyren joined forces with thirteen other pirates, each with bounties exceeding 50 million berries, to take down the Black Swordsman. And guess what?"
"What happened?"
"He killed them all….in a single strike."
"One strike?" The other pirate could hardly believe his ears.
"That's right. Just one."
John let out a bitter laugh as he recalled the scene he had accidentally witnessed—the sheer devastation, the instant annihilation of fourteen renowned pirates.
It was something beyond human capabilities.
Now, understanding the sheer terror of Ainz, the other pirate cast a fearful glance at the bounty hunter and his companion before bolting out of the bar, terrified that he might be the next corpse in the Black Swordsman's wake.
"You're here again, Lord Black Swordsman."
The tavern owner's face turned sour the moment he saw Ainz enter.
In the past month, Ainz had been systematically hunting down pirates, completely draining the nearby Marine bases of their funds.
With so many pirates fleeing the island, his bar had also suffered, as only low-bounty weaklings remained.
"Lord Black Swordsman, I really can't accept any more pirate heads from you. I've already handed over all my funds!
If you want to collect more bounties, you'll need to go to a Marine base farther away."
Hearing the tavern owner's words, Ainz rubbed his nose thoughtfully.
He understood the situation. In just a month, he had collected at least a billion berries in bounties from this very bar—there was no way the owner could afford to pay him any more.
"I'm not here for bounties today. I actually want to buy some information from the people behind you. I also have a request for them."
Ainz was well aware that this bar wasn't as simple as it seemed.
A tavern that could openly accept pirate heads and distribute such large sums of money—there had to be something more beneath the surface.
The tavern owner hesitated for a moment but, remembering his boss's orders, he eventually nodded.
"This way, Lord Black Swordsman."
Ainz followed him into a small, private room, his eyes gleaming with interest as he watched the tavern owner pull out a Den Den Mushi.
"This world is truly fascinating..." Ainz mused, still intrigued by these creatures that functioned much like the cell phones of his old world.
"So, you're the Black Swordsman, Ainz?" A cold voice came from the Den Den Mushi as its mouth opened and closed.
"And you are?"
"Drug Peclo from Underworld. Are you interested in joining the Underworld?"
"The Underworld huh?"
'As expected, this world isn't as simple as it seems. Just what kind of place is this Underworld?'
"Perhaps you've never heard of it before. The Underworld is where all the gray-market dealings happen—black-market arms trade, intelligence networks, slavery, assassins, mercenaries…
Even the Marines and pirates rely on these transactions. I, for one, am the head of the largest assassin organization. So, what do you say? Interested? I can personally vouch for you."
'The Underworld might be useful for Nazarick's expansion… and it would also make gathering intelligence much easier.'
Ainz took note of Peclo's mention of information.
"Fine. But I want to establish my own assassin organization."
As the Supreme Being of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz would never allow himself to serve under another.
"Heh, I knew you were no ordinary man, Black Swordsman. Good!
But don't think you can survive in the Underworld so easily. It's not a place for the weak."
Peclo let out a sinister laugh. Everyone who entered the Underworld eventually learned the hard way—without strength, survival was impossible.
"Dachi, hand the Joker's Den Den Mushi to the Black Swordsman."
"Yes, Lord Peclo." The tavern owner handed another Den Den Mushi to Ainz.
"That belongs to the greatest broker in the Underworld—Joker. Contact him and tell him Peclo sent you. He'll fill you in on the details."
With that, Peclo ended the call. Ainz was just a newcomer, after all. Even if his strength was promising, Peclo wouldn't waste too much effort on him.
"Joker, huh?" Ainz twirled the Den Den Mushi in his fingers, a mischievous grin forming on his face.
"Now that's an interesting name."