Mafei and the pirates stared. They looked at Nobita with awe and fear.
"We were blind," Mafei said. "Wusi has run away. Please lead our pirate crew."
Nobita walked to the stern. He avoided their gazes. He scanned the damaged Eggskull ship. * Pirates follow strength. A ship will help me find Doraemon. *
"Fine," Nobita said. He scratched his cheek. "I will become your captain. But we have three rules."
Being captain sounded like work. He wanted to avoid duties. He needed to focus on his search.
The pirates grinned. A captain who killed Miller instantly could make them legends.
"Name them, Captain!" Mafei said. He was eager.
"First, everyone learns to cook. You make your own meals. Do not rely on me," Nobita said. He hated the ship's food habits.
"Got it!" the crew shouted.
"Second, we sail to find a cat, not to fight. Avoid pirates. Run from Marines. No fighting on board," Nobita said. He dreamed of calm seas.
Some pirates frowned. They felt embarrassed by the cowardice. Nobita shrugged. "If you cannot handle it, leave now. I need the ship, not you."
Half the crew, over twenty, grabbed boats and left. Mafei stayed.
"Third, Mafei runs the ship. Obey him. I will handle enemies. Otherwise, do what you want, but do not bother me," Nobita said. His voice was lazy.
He rambled for ten minutes. He listed demands: clean decks, quiet nights, early mornings. Mafei scribbled notes. Only ten young pirates remained. Their eyes were bright with admiration for Nobita's strange pirate life.
"Clean the ship," Nobita said. He yawned. "Then rest or work." He found a cool, clean corner and napped.
By evening, the sunset glowed gold. The ship's lights flickered. It was quieter than the night before. Ten crew members chatted softly on deck.
"Captain!" Mafei shook Nobita awake.
Nobita rubbed his face. He was groggy. "What?"
His nap had restored him. But hunger gnawed his stomach.
"We have cleaned the ship," Mafei said. "It is like before the fight. We have cleared the second-floor cabin for you. As captain, should we rename the crew and make a new flag?"
"Call everyone to the kitchen," Nobita said. He was energized. "I need food."
In the kitchen, Nobita sat at a long table. He slurped noodle soup. The ten crew members sat on both sides. Mafei was closest. The table, meant for thirty, felt empty.
Nobita ignored their stares. "Our crew is the Blue Raccoon Pirates. No flag is needed."
The pirates blinked. They were confused. Nobita did not explain.
"We sail to find a cat," he said. He watched their faces. They nodded. "So we are not like other pirates. First, we must fix this ship."
"Fix it?" Mafei asked. He was puzzled.
Nobita grabbed paper and a pen. He drew a messy Doraemon. It was grinning. He handed it to Mafei. "This is the cat."
Mafei's mouth twitched. He flipped the paper. He stared. "Captain, is this right?"
Nobita nodded. He was serious.
"What is it?" Mafei pointed at a blue oval. It had two circles for eyes, an anchor nose, and six whiskers.
"A face. Cannot you tell?" Nobita said. He spread his hands.
The crew shook their heads. Mafei looked pained.
Mafei was a skilled artist. He guided Nobita. They drew a proper Doraemon face.
"How much money do we have?" Nobita asked.
"About 50 million Baileys," Mafei said. "I have given travel funds to the ones who left."
"Where to next?" Nobita asked.
"You decide," Mafei said. "We are in the 159th jurisdiction. Coralshade Island is closest. It is a tourist spot in the Grand Line. Pirates buy supplies there to enter the top 150 jurisdictions."
Mafei grinned. "I am bald, but I know the Grand Line like a book. I have lived here forty years."
The Grand Line was a dangerous sea in *One Piece*. Its pirate crews were weak. The Navy's strong presence crushed them. The Navy split the sea into 180 jurisdictions. Each was patrolled by warships. Lieutenants or captains oversaw five jurisdictions. Colonels managed fifteen. Major generals handled thirty. This system, with 180 Navy branches, kept pirates down. Bounty hunters like Miller helped. They made big pirates rare.
"We will go to Coralshade Island," Nobita said. "We must fix the ship there."
At the 89th Navy Branch, officers sat around a round table. They whispered. The branch covered jurisdictions 150 to 180.
The door slammed open. Karina strolled in. She licked a lollipop. She sat and crossed her legs in white stockings. She rocked her chair.
"Karina, you are late again," a man said. His voice was rough.
"My ship's navigation has broken," Karina lied. She smirked. She munched her lollipop.
"Everyone is here," the man said. "Meeting starts."
He turned. His green hair was short. His eyes were like slits. A scar ran from his left eye to his chin. Rear Admiral Bedolo led the 89th Branch. He had kept jurisdictions 150 to 180 free of pirates worth over 100 million Baileys since Roger's death.
"Miller is dead," Bedolo said.