East Blue.
The seawater rippled with azure waves, white clouds drifted with the wind, and a gentle sea breeze blew.
On a merchant ship, Marcel stood at the bow, arms crossed, gazing into the distance with a hint of melancholy.
"Marcel, the sake."
Not far away, a middle-aged man tossed a bottle of sake towards him.
Clink.
Marcel caught the bottle, uncorked it, and took a long swig.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The sound of a wooden staff hitting the ground echoed as a figure appeared beside Marcel. "You look a bit down."
"Uncle Joezer."
Marcel looked at him, handed the bottle back, and sighed. "I'm not unhappy."
"How can you say that?"
Joezer chuckled. "You always train during your breaks when we're at sea. But now, we're almost heading back, and I haven't even seen you touch your sword."
"I just wanted to rest," Marcel said, sounding a little dispirited.
"Hmm," Joezer nodded. "After we get back this time, I won't be joining the ship anymore."
"Not joining the ship?"
Marcel was surprised and quickly asked, "Uncle Joezer, what are you planning to do?"
"I'm thinking of finding a job in the merchant association, something like guarding a warehouse," Joezer said with a smile.
"But the pay is very low. It's not as profitable as sailing," Marcel immediately countered.
"I just don't want to trouble you anymore. I lost a leg, and I haven't been able to sail for a long time. It was you who stood up to everyone's objections, otherwise, how could I still be on this ship?" Joezer patted his left leg, which was gone and replaced by a prosthetic ending in a wooden staff.
"Those damned pirates."
Marcel clenched his fist, recalling how, before their last voyage, Uncle Joezer's leg was severely injured by a pirate's sword. He had initially intended to pay the pirates to leave, not wanting to fight. But seeing that, anger surged within him, and he charged forward, fighting them off. He himself was injured, which led to another scolding from Nojiko and his mother upon their return.
"Never mind."
Joezer waved his hand. "I've spent my whole life on ships. It's time for me to go back."
"But you're still on the ship. I can give you some of my earnings."
Marcel looked at Joezer. For the past nine years, Uncle Joezer had been by his side, teaching him how to live on a ship, how to work. After Marcel became vice-captain, Joezer taught him the responsibilities of that role. Then, when Marcel became captain two years ago, Joezer followed him to the new ship and continued to help him.
In nine years, Uncle Joezer had helped him immensely, and Marcel didn't want him to leave.
"I don't want to just take money without doing anything. Let's forget it," Joezer said, patting Marcel's shoulder. "You don't need me anymore."
"How can you say that?" Marcel quickly replied.
"You're already a qualified captain. You're familiar with every job on the ship and personnel management. Your swordsmanship is outstanding; you've repelled many pirate crews, and your strength is considerable," Joezer said. "Moreover, your meteorology and navigation skills have become increasingly refined. You're already excellent enough to sail without me."
"But..." Marcel hesitated.
Joezer continued, "You can't possibly not know that you've been running long-distance routes for the past year, covering almost half of the East Blue. It's not just because the Shining Gold Merchant Association chose you for the route, but because you're so outstanding that they want to open up long-distance routes. You're the first person in seven years to travel this far. The last one was the Vice President of the Shining Gold Merchant Association, Lov."
"I didn't know that."
Marcel scratched his head. Joezer smiled. "Alright, my mind is made up. Don't say anything more."
"Okay."
Marcel nodded. Seeing that Uncle Joezer's mind was made up, he didn't press the issue further.
"Then I'll be going back now."
Joezer turned and walked away. Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"Pirates, they're pirates!"
A voice called from the lookout tower.
"Pirates?"
Marcel's expression stiffened. He immediately grabbed his telescope and looked into the distance, spotting a ship appearing on the horizon.
It was a pirate ship, enormous, about fifty meters long, with four masts and three crow's nests.
At the bow was an elephant, its trunk transformed into a cannon.
And on the widest sail, a strange pirate emblem was depicted: crossed bones, a skull with a round head, black cracks running through its eyes, and a distinctive large nose.
"Buggy Pirates."
Seeing this pirate crew, Marcel's face darkened. In the entire East Blue, besides the Krieg Pirates who had just set sail for the Grand Line, the Buggy Pirates had the highest bounty.
Captain Buggy, bounty 15 million.
"They might not have spotted us. Hard to port, full sail, let's get out of here quickly."
Marcel immediately issued an order. The helmsman steered the ship, while the crew lowered the sails and sailed away with the wind.
But as they turned, the ship behind them also turned and gave chase in a straight line.
The Buggy Pirates' Bikini Dope, with its many masts and double the number of sails, was rapidly closing in.
Most importantly, their freighter still had cargo.
"We can't escape."
Marcel looked at the Buggy Pirate ship in the distance, his expression grim. There was no way they could escape like this.
Unless they abandoned the cargo.
Just as Marcel was about to speak, there was a loud boom. A cannonball shot out from a cannon shaped like an elephant's trunk.
Boom.
The cannonball hit the stern, and a violent explosion erupted. Two figures on the stern were thrown to the ground, and Marcel was also affected by the blast.
"Damn it."
Marcel stood up, looking at the blown-open stern, surprised by the power of the cannonball.
The cannon's mouth wasn't large, but the cannonball's power was considerable.
"Are you alright?"
Marcel looked at the injured figures and found that one person had been killed outright by the explosion, while the other was barely breathing.
"These scoundrels."
Marcel's expression turned furious. The death of his two crew members enraged him, making him wish he could kill the attackers and avenge them.
Boom.
Another cannonball flew in, landing directly in the water. With a boom, a massive shockwave appeared, sending water splashing everywhere and making the ship rock.
"Stop the ship and raise a white flag."
Marcel suddenly shouted. Running like this was futile, and even jettisoning the cargo offered little hope of escape. More importantly, the enemy had cannons, and another hit would slow their ship down.
Rather than be bombarded, it was better to surrender.
At Marcel's command, a white flag was raised on the ship, and the sails were lowered.
After their surrender, the warship in the distance stopped firing and slowly approached.
"Everyone, grab your weapons."
Marcel shouted loudly, drawing his broadsword. The others also picked up their swords, awaiting their arrival.
Bang.
The massive pirate ship slowly drew closer and collided with theirs. Many people jumped from the ship, including a man riding a lion, a swordsman on a unicycle, and a man with a red nose.
Clown Buggy, with a bounty of fifteen million.
Seeing the enemy, Marcel tightened his grip on his weapon but didn't attack.
"Who's the captain?" Buggy shouted loudly.
"I am."
Marcel stepped forward, staring at Buggy.
Buggy snorted and said, "Take out all the cargo and all the money on your ship, then come with us. I can spare your lives."
"What? You want us to go with you?" Marcel's face turned ugly upon hearing this.
Buggy said, "Of course. We'll capture you and have your merchant association send a ransom. A freighter like this can surely fetch a lot of money."
Hearing this, Marcel gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Buggy, if you take all the cargo and money, our losses will be too great, and we won't be able to explain it to our superiors. How about this: you can take your share, and please do us a favor and let us go this time."
"Let you go this time?"
Buggy's expression turned sinister as he said, "Who gave you the right to bargain? Take them away."
Buggy's subordinates immediately moved forward, and the merchant ship's crew gripped their weapons, blocking the way.
"What do you think you're doing?" Buggy asked coldly, three knives appearing in his right hand.
Marcel looked at the men behind Buggy and the figures not far away. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm the captain. I'll give you the cargo and money, and I'll go with you."
"Captain."
"Marcel."
The surrounding people immediately shouted, but Marcel stopped them and said, "As the captain, I should be worth the most, right?"
"Fine."
Buggy thought for a moment and said coldly, "I hope you're worth something, otherwise I'll kill you."
Two figures immediately stepped forward, grabbed Marcel, twisted his hands behind his back, and took him onto the ship.
Then, the pirates on the ship began to move the cargo and search for money.
Joezer watched this scene, gritting his teeth, but was powerless to do anything.
After searching for valuables, the Buggy Pirates returned laden with loot and slowly departed.
"Once we reach our destination, we'll notify the Shining Gold Merchant Association to pay the ransom," Marcel said, his expression grim as he was tied up.
But at that moment, Buggy suddenly ordered, "Activate the Buggy Cannon and blow that ship to pieces."
"Yes."
Someone immediately moved the cannons mounted on the ship to the ship's side and aimed them into the distance.
"What?"
Marcel's expression faltered, and then he asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Of course, we're going to finish them off," Buggy replied with a smile. "Now that you, the captain, have been captured, they're useless."
"You can't do this, you promised me!" Marcel shouted.
"How can you believe a pirate's word?" Buggy said dismissively, then added angrily, "Not only that, but they dared to insult my nose, calling it fake and disgusting. They all deserve to die."
"Fire!"
Buggy roared, and as his voice faded, a cannonball flew towards the distant ship.
Boom.
The ship was hit, and an explosion erupted. The freighter was directly sunk.
Watching the people on board, Marcel's eyes turned bloodshot, and he cursed, "You bastard."
"Muzzle him and contact the Shining Gold Merchant Association to send the ransom," Buggy said with a smile. "We've already obtained the Grand Line map, and once we're ready, we'll set sail for the Grand Line."
...
"Dalton has been released by the militia. Zala encountered him and confronted him. Zala then proposed... Dalton lost to Heckle. There are still two more battles, but Dalton's arm was broken, so he can't fight for now. Zala has entered the village to await the next step of the plan."
Cecilia stood before Xia Qiu, holding a Den Den Mushi, and reported the news she had just received.
"I understand," Xia Qiu said after some thought. "It's good that she avoided direct conflict. The method of arranging a duel with Dalton was clever. Even though the opponent lost, he might not be willing to submit, but this way, she gains the upper hand. Secondly, fulfilling the agreement will also prove her credibility. Ceasing hostilities voluntarily can reduce their psychological resistance. Tell Zala not to do anything rash, to patiently wait for Dalton to recover, and to assist the villagers in protecting the country. There's no need to rush for now."
"I'll call her right away," Cecilia said, leaving to notify Zala. Xia Qiu suddenly called out, "Wait. Since Heckle has finished his fight, have him return here temporarily to this island. Mr. Christmas can follow him secretly, so let her stay there."
"Okay."
Cecilia relayed Xia Qiu's orders to Zala, then placed the Den Den Mushi back in the room. She then eagerly began training the Six Powers.
"This guy," Xia Qiu said with a helpless expression as she disappeared without a trace again.
Cecilia is excellent. She follows orders, has no ulterior motives, is powerful, and incredibly diligent. The only problem is that she is too focused on improving herself. When I wanted her to be the Vice President, she flatly refused, citing that it would interfere with her martial arts training.
Zala is lazy and笨 (stupid/clumsy), Cecilia is a martial arts fanatic, and Vivi is unwilling to help me. Ever since Robin left, I haven't been able to find a suitable partner. But I don't necessarily need a woman as a partner. Baroque Works has changed significantly; it's no longer just a simple assassin organization. Now that my strength has increased, it's time to reveal my identity to more people. I have already chosen the person to whom I will reveal my identity and the candidate for Vice President, and I have summoned him to the island.
...
Two days later, Heckle arrived at the island by ship. He saw Cecilia standing on the shore, leaped out, and landed in front of her, asking excitedly, "I heard the Captain was looking for me?"
Heckle deeply revered the Captain. If that Giant Beast was so strong, how strong must the Captain be? More importantly, his Devil Fruit ability was also given to him by the President, which exponentially increased his combat power. In his heart, Heckle held great respect for the President and was thrilled to learn that the President wanted to see him.
"Follow me," Cecilia said indifferently, leading Heckle through the woods to the outside of a courtyard wall. "You can go in yourself."
"Is the President inside?" Heckle walked in excitedly and arrived at the backyard, only to find no one there except for the Giant Beast.
"Where is the President?" Heckle stared blankly at his surroundings. The President had summoned him, so why wasn't he here?
"Heckle."
A grand voice boomed, "From today onwards, you will serve as my partner and become the Vice President of Baroque Works."
"Huh?"
Heckle stared blankly at the figure before him. After it finished speaking, he was stunned on the spot, and it took him a while to say, "So you're the President of Baroque Works."
"Indeed."
Xia Qiu looked at Heckle and said, "I am Mr.0."
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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