Chapter 21: The Vermilion Bird Flag and the Blockade!
On the Deck of the Vermilion Wing.
"Look! It's finished!"
Nami rushed out of the navigator's room, holding a large sheet of reinforced canvas that smelled of fresh paint and sea salt. Her voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement and pride, her face flushed with the satisfaction of a job well done. She practically skipped across the deck, dodging a coil of rope.
"This pirate flag was personally designed by the genius Navigator, me! What do you think? Isn't it super awesome?!"
At her shout, even Albedo, who was sitting upright on her designated 'throne' (a deck chair with extra cushions she had insisted on bringing from Loguetown), turned her head slightly out of curiosity. Her golden eyes, usually filled with disdain for human creations, narrowed in assessment.
Rem, hearing the commotion, also quickly poked her head out of the kitchen door. She wiped her hands on her apron and scurried over, her clear blue eye sparkling with anticipation.
"Let me see," Suzaku said, sitting up from Albedo's lap, much to the succubus's disappointment.
He took the canvas from Nami's hands. The fabric felt heavy and durable, high-quality material meant to withstand storms. He stood up and let it unfurl fully, holding it against the wind.
The flag snapped open with a satisfying thwack.
It was magnificent.
The background color was a deep, inky blue—not black, but the color of the ocean at its deepest point, capable of containing the endless sea and stars. It was a color that spoke of mystery and vastness.
In the very center, a Vermilion Bird proudly spread its wings.
Its feathers weren't just painted red; Nami had used a technique of layering crimson, scarlet, and gold to make them look like burning flames. The wings were vast, encompassing the upper half of the flag, symbolizing protection and dominance.
The bird held its head high, its beak slightly open as if letting out a cry of victory. Its sharp eyes were painted in gold, exuding a majestic, regal aura that seemed to stare right into the soul of anyone looking at it.
Its long tail feathers unfurled like flowing fire, with a few strands of dynamic flame lines trailing at the end, dancing in the wind as if they were truly alive.
To the lower left of the bird, an orange-red anchor was 'anchored' onto the flag. A faint golden glow shimmered from the anchor chain, symbolizing their connection to the sea and grounding the mythical beast in the reality of piracy.
It wasn't a skull and crossbones. It was a symbol of divinity and freedom. It exuded a fervent, sacred aura, completely different from the vulgar flags of common cutthroats.
"That's wonderful, Nami-sama!"
Rem clasped her hands together, her face beaming with genuine delight.
"Rem really likes it! The flag you designed is truly, truly beautiful! It captures the essence of Lord Suzaku perfectly—fiery, majestic, and free!"
"Hmph."
Albedo, with her usual arrogant demeanor, cast a sidelong glance. She crossed her arms, trying to look unimpressed, though her eyes lingered on the majestic bird.
"As a servant, you've finally played a small, insignificant role," she said in a seemingly disdainful tone, though there was no venom in it. "Be grateful, for this is the supreme glory bestowed upon you by Suzaku-sama! Although... I admit, the color palette is... adequate. It lacks a certain... darkness, but it will do."
Suzaku, who already understood her awkward personality, chuckled inwardly. He could tell she was actually quite pleased. After all, anything that glorified him was good in her book.
As for Suzaku himself... he was extremely satisfied.
"Nami," he said with a smile, his tone full of affirmation and praise.
"It truly is you! With just a few simple, abstract descriptions from me—'bird', 'fire', 'cool'—you've managed to perfectly capture the Vermilion Bird's majestic and heroic attitude! This flag is perfect! It's better than I imagined!"
Hearing Suzaku and Rem's praise, Nami's eyes curved into crescent moons with happiness. She puffed out her chest.
"Hehe! Of course! Who do you think I am?"
She was already imagining her designed flag being carried to every corner of the world. It would fly over the Grand Line, over the New World, maybe even over Raftel. It would be the symbol of the new era.
As for Albedo's sharp words, Nami automatically filtered them out. She had learned that the succubus was essentially a prickly cat—hissing on the outside, but loyal to the bone (to Suzaku, at least).
"It's fine, it's fine," Nami waved her hand dismissively. "I know you love it, Albedo. No need to be shy."
"Who is shy?!" Albedo hissed, her wings flaring slightly. "I am merely objectively critiquing your artistic limitations!"
"Next," Rem asked, blinking her large eye, "are we heading to that place called the Grand Line? Is it far?"
At the mention of the route, Nami immediately became serious and excited. She pointed to the horizon, where a strange cloud formation was gathering.
"That's right! According to the latest sea chart I bought in Loguetown, in a little over half a day, we'll reach the starting point of the Grand Line—Reverse Mountain!"
She gestured with her hands, her voice full of anticipation.
"It's said that the weather on the Grand Line cannot be predicted by common sense. The book Brag Men records that one moment it might be unbearable heat, and after sailing a bit, you suddenly encounter a blizzard! It's simply unbelievably magical! The currents run uphill, and magnetic fields go crazy!"
"A 'Small Garden' where real giants live..." she murmured dreamily. "I wonder if it's true or false; I'd love to confirm it with my own eyes! And Sky Islands! And Fish-Man Island!"
As she spoke, Nami suddenly remembered something. Her tone shifted, carrying a hint of confusion.
"But speaking of which... why was Albedo given a bounty this time, and your bounty, Suzaku, also skyrocketed to 150 million... while I don't even have a poster?"
She frowned, tapping her chin.
"I was clearly with you guys when we 'appeared' in Loguetown! I was right there on the ship! I even paid for the newspaper!"
Suzaku chuckled at her words, teasing her.
"It's probably because Albedo and I left too 'deep' an impression on the Marines. We beat up two Logia users and destroyed the plaza. You were just... standing there, looking cute. Maybe they thought you were a hostage?"
He grinned.
"What? Do you want your bounty to exceed ours? Do you want to be 'Cat Burglar Nami: 300 Million Berries'?"
"NO! No, no, no!" Nami quickly waved her hands in panic. "It's better not to have a bounty! Being famous is dangerous! I like being invisible! The less the Marines know about me, the better!"
She sighed dramatically, half-jokingly covering her head.
"But still... Rem's bounty hasn't changed; it's still twenty million. I guess it's because she was guarding the ship. But you, Suzaku... 150 million! In the East Blue! That's unheard of! And Albedo started at 70 million!"
She looked at the two monsters beside her—the Demon King and the Fallen Angel.
"You guys are all freaks! Being with you makes me feel so out of place! I'm the only normal human here! My stress levels are through the roof!"
"Hmph, at least they did one sensible thing!" Suzaku laughed, pulling out his new wanted poster from his pocket. "These Marine guys finally changed my ugly nickname!"
[WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE]
[SUZAKU YAREON]
[ALIAS: THE VERMILION BIRD (SUZAKU)]
[BOUNTY: 150,000,000 BERRIES]
"Hahahaha! From today on, the name 'Vermilion Bird' Suzaku will resonate throughout the entire sea! No more 'Madman'! It sounds much more dignified, don't you think?"
Albedo leaned over to look at her own poster, which Suzaku was also holding.
[WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE]
[ALBEDO]
[ALIAS: BLACKWING DEMON]
[BOUNTY: 70,000,000 BERRIES]
Albedo's beautiful face flushed slightly as she looked at her picture placed next to Suzaku's.
"My figure can finally accompany Suzaku-sama's bounty poster... Thus, the whole world will know that I belong to Suzaku-sama. It is like a marriage announcement..."
Her voice trailed off, lost in a beautiful, delusional reverie involving weddings and world domination.
But then, her delicate brows furrowed. Her earlier shyness was immediately replaced by displeasure.
"But—'Blackwing Demon'?" She scoffed. "Such a vulgar title is completely unworthy of standing next to Suzaku-sama's noble name! It's simply a desecration of our relationship! Those tasteless idiots in the Marine are truly... too hateful! I should have killed them all! Next time, I will burn their headquarters!"
At this moment, Suzaku wasn't listening to her rant. He was looking at the system interface, calculating his gains.
[System Notification:]
[Reputation Update Processed.]
[Suzaku Legend Points: 135 + 5,000 (Loguetown Incident)]
[Subordinate Albedo: +3,000]
[Subordinate Rem: +230]
[Total Legend Points: 8,365!]
"A huge gain! Hahahaha!"
He couldn't help but laugh heartily. 8,000 points! That was enough for four Advanced Summons!
"It seems choosing to become a pirate and making a name for myself in the world was truly the right move! High risk, high reward! Smoker was worth every bruise!"
He excitedly browsed the summoning interface. However, his eyes fell on the coveted [Rare-grade] summoning option.
It was still grayed out.
[Rare Summon: Locked]
[Condition: Not Met (Requires specific achievement)]
"It's still not unlocked?" Suzaku stroked his chin, pondering. "How many Legend Points are needed? Or... do I need to achieve some special condition? Like defeating a Warlord? Or entering the New World? Maybe owning an island?"
He wasn't discouraged. Instead, he became even more eager.
"One thing is certain: you get what you pay for! If Advanced Summons gave me Albedo... then a Rare Summon must be world-breaking. Maybe a God-tier character? Or a Planet-buster item?"
His thoughts drifted far away. He imagined himself waving his hand to summon an army of mythical beings, kicking the Yonko off their thrones, and slicing the Five Elders of Marijoa in half...
"Suzaku!"
Just then, Nami's slightly nervous voice came from the crow's nest, interrupting his daydream.
"Suzaku! Wake up!"
"Huh?" Suzaku snapped out of his fantasy.
"Something's wrong ahead!" Nami shouted, peering through her telescope. "There are a large number of pirate ships blocking our route! About ten of them! And their flags... they all seem to belong to the same fleet!"
She swallowed hard.
"It's a blockade! They're waiting for us! What should we do? Should we go around them? The wind is favorable for a turn!"
Suzaku stood up. He walked to the bow and looked ahead.
Sure enough, a line of ships was arrayed across the horizon, blocking the path to the entrance of the Grand Line. They were flying a flag with a golden lion emblem.
"Me? Take a detour?"
He laughed. It was a low, dangerous sound.
He subconsciously glanced at Albedo, who stood tall beside him, her black wings flexing in anticipation. He glanced at Rem, who was already pulling her flail from her pocket space with a calm smile.
An unparalleled sense of security filled his heart. With these two by his side, even a Buster Call wouldn't be scary.
"What a joke."
A reckless, fearless smile played on his lips. With a grand wave of his hand, he gave a loud and confident order that echoed across the deck:
"Nami—"
"Bring the ship closer!"
He pointed to the newly raised Vermilion Bird flag at the top of the mast—the flag Nami had just poured her soul into.
"Let these guys blocking our way open their eyes and see!"
His golden eyes burned with fire.
"The meaning represented by this flag is—UNSTOPPABLE!"