Chapter 74 – Silver Storm on the Horizon
The waves shimmered gold under the sinking sun, scattering light across the Silver Dawn's polished deck. The ship rocked gently, its sails full, riding steady currents guided by Lisa's hand. For the first time in days, there was no battle, no storm, no temple guardians looming over their shoulders. Only sea breeze and the faint scent of food wafting from the galley.
But peace rarely lasted long for the Silver-Hair Pirates.
SLAM!
"Bwahaha! Look at this beauty!" Rio slapped a crisp sheet of parchment onto the dining table, making everyone's cups rattle. His grin stretched from ear to ear. "Three hundred and ten million! You hear that, you bastards? I'm a bigger deal than half the so-called Supernova of the future!"
"You're boasting like you already surpassed Yasopp," Alex muttered, adjusting the scope on his rifle lazily. His bounty poster rested beside him: 620,000,000. The vice-captain's smile was faint, but his pride gleamed in his eyes.
Rio puffed up his chest. "One day, people won't just know me as 'Arthur's sniper.' They'll know me as the deadliest marksman alive!"
"Deadliest ego alive, maybe," Surv teased as she plopped down on the bench with a tray of grilled fish. Sparks of electricity danced on her fingertips as she tapped his bounty poster. "Still… not bad, bird-boy."
"I'm not the bird, Rus is!" Rio barked, glaring at the Zoan user across the table.
Rus didn't look up from his food. "...390 million. That's all that matters." He tore into a roasted wing, his expression as stoic as always, though the faint twitch of his lips betrayed satisfaction.
"Stop pretending you don't care," Surv teased. "You've been staring at that number since morning."
Rus grunted, wings half-unfurled behind his chair. "If I cared, I'd gloat."
"Then gloat a little!" Lisa piped in from the corner, her bright voice breaking through the banter. Her eyes flicked to her own poster, and a small smile curved her lips despite her worries. 480 million. She wasn't a frontline fighter like the others, but she mattered now — the world had recognized it.
"Twin Tempests," she murmured, tracing the words written under her and Surv's wanted posters. "They really gave us a shared title."
Surv leaned against her sister's shoulder, smirking. "Guess they realized two storms are worse than one."
"More like double the trouble," Hiroshi muttered from where he sat sharpening his blade. His crimson eyes flicked up to his bounty: 570 million. A fierce number, yet his lips were pressed into a thin line.
Arthur, seated at the head of the table, noticed the tension. "Something bothering you, Hiroshi?"
Hiroshi's fingers paused on the whetstone. He met Arthur's gaze, then gave a faint, frustrated smile. "It's not enough. You're at 950 million. I'm still hundreds of millions behind. If I can't catch up…"
Arthur's silver hair shimmered faintly in the lantern light as he leaned forward. His tone was calm but firm. "You don't need to catch up. You need to surpass the limits you set for yourself. The world doesn't define your strength, Hiroshi — you do."
Hiroshi blinked, then gave a sharp nod. "Hn. I'll remember that."
The tension eased, replaced by chuckles and the clink of cups. Even Clover, their newest addition, sipped tea quietly, his poster tucked neatly beside him: 220 million. For a scholar, it was absurd — but then, nothing about this crew was ordinary.
Finally, Arthur set down his own poster. The parchment was heavy with ink, his face staring back at him: sharp eyes, hair like silver fire, Sriyo gleaming in the background. 950 million berries. The title beneath it made his lips twitch.
"Silver-Hair Conqueror."
It wasn't pride that filled him, nor fear. It was the weight of the seas.
"They'll be coming," Arthur said softly, breaking the lull. "Admirals. Warlords. Yonko. The Government will not tolerate a pirate who's this close to breaching a billion in under two years."
The table grew quiet. Even Rio's grin faltered.
Lisa bit her lip. "So what do we do?"
Arthur's eyes sharpened. "What we always do. We grow stronger. We prepare. And we keep moving forward."
Surv's sparks crackled brighter as she grinned. "Damn right we do."
---
Later That Night – On Deck
The sea was calm, stars spread like silver dust across the sky. Hiroshi stood at the bow, practicing slow cuts with his blade. Each swing of his sword carried intent, carving through the night air.
"Still brooding?" Alex's voice drifted over. He leaned casually against the railing, rifle slung over his shoulder.
"I'm not brooding," Hiroshi muttered. "I'm training."
Alex smirked. "Training is just brooding with better posture."
Hiroshi shot him a glare, but Alex didn't flinch. Instead, the vice-captain's gaze softened slightly. "You've got potential. The kind that terrifies people. Don't waste time comparing yourself to Arthur — just sharpen yourself into something the world's never seen."
For a moment, Hiroshi said nothing. Then, slowly, he sheathed his sword. "…Thanks."
Alex tilted his head. "Was that a thank you I heard?"
"Don't push it."
---
Meanwhile, the twins sat atop the mast, the sea breeze tugging at their hair. Surv hummed softly, electricity flickering between her fingers. Lisa hugged her knees, gaze on the stars.
"Do you ever… get scared?" Lisa asked suddenly.
Surv blinked, then grinned. "Of course. But that's what makes it fun."
Lisa's lips curved faintly. "I mean… we're sailing against the whole world now. Marines, Yonko, even the Five Elders probably know our names."
Surv's sparks fizzled out. She grew quiet for once. Then, gently, she nudged Lisa's shoulder. "Then we'll just make sure they regret ever underestimating us. As long as we're together, sis, I don't care who's in front of us."
Lisa's chest warmed, the fear easing. She smiled softly. "Yeah. Together."
---
Arthur's Cabin
Arthur sat at his desk, the Uranus blueprint spread before him, its ancient diagrams glowing faintly under lamplight. His eyes traced every line, every symbol, thoughts heavy with possibility.
Uranus… a weapon that could command the very sky. If we learn to build it, it could tip the balance. But if it falls into the wrong hands…
His grip on Sriyo tightened. No. I won't let that happen. The seas will not bow to the Celestial Dragons, nor to Imu. They'll be free.
He closed the blueprint, exhaling slowly. Beyond his cabin walls, he could hear laughter — his crew, alive and growing stronger. For their sake, for the seas, he would bear the weight of the storm.
---
The Next Morning
The Silver Dawn cut across calm seas, sails catching the wind. The crew gathered on deck as Lisa unfurled a fresh chart.
"Next stop," she announced, "is the South Blue."
Rus tilted his head. "That's far from our usual course."
Arthur nodded. "There's a kingdom there. Cleaica. Corrupt, rotting from within. We'll be making a stop."
Surv raised a brow. "Heh. Another king to piss off?"
"Maybe," Arthur said with a faint smirk. "Or maybe something greater."
The sea breeze carried his words, the horizon stretching wide and endless before them.
The Silver-Hair Pirates had become a storm that no one could ignore.
And their next destination would set the seas ablaze again.
---
✨ End of Chapter 74