Half a day later—
Nami and Nojiko finally arrived at the dock, the villagers escorting them while carrying bags and bundles.
But the villagers said nothing to Adrian and his crew.
Not a word.
They didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
All their whispered farewells, all their worry-filled faces,
were directed only to Nami and Nojiko.
As if one wrong sound in Adrian's direction might set him off and get them all killed.
Adrian wasn't surprised.
He didn't expect much from these villagers anyway.
People weren't saints.
These were the same villagers who let Nami shoulder eight years of suffering…
while they all pretended not to know.
Only after their comfortable lie collapsed did they suddenly find the "courage" to resist Arlong.
So no—
he wasn't here to play hero for them, and he had zero interest in earning their gratitude.
Most people simply moved with the current.
They'd smile at you today and stab you tomorrow.
He'd seen that kind of hypocrisy his whole life.
Like when Buggy issued reverse bounties and Vice Admiral T-Bone, one of the truly righteous marines, was murdered by common villagers just for the money.
Heroes died cheaply in this world.
Adrian had no intention of becoming one.
He believed in one thing only: self-interest.
So when the system told him he was destined to be a bandit, he accepted it without hesitation.
The villagers helped load Nami and Nojiko's luggage onto the ship.
"Set sail," Adrian ordered.
The massive vessel—Arlong's personal ship—slowly pushed away from shore.
It could easily house dozens, even hundreds, which only made Adrian more certain Arlong had poured years of extorted money into lavish upgrades.
Well, too bad.
This ship belonged to him now.
On the shore, the villagers watched silently.
They weren't sending off Adrian's crew.
They weren't brave enough for that.
They were sending off Nami and Nojiko—
two girls who had once again chosen to sacrifice themselves for the village while everyone else hid behind fear.
Even if it was shameful,
even if it was selfish,
their guilt didn't erase their fear.
So they stood there, praying that maybe—maybe—Adrian wouldn't be as cruel as Arlong.
A self-comforting fantasy.
Nothing more.
Out at sea, the ship pushed farther from land.
With Nami aboard, Adrian didn't have to worry about getting lost.
"Boss, where are we heading?" Nami asked, stepping toward him.
Even a navigator needed a destination.
"To Syrup Village," Adrian replied without hesitation.
He'd had time to think while waiting earlier.
Following his own rules—
Don't waste time on ordinary people.
Ordinary people had:
no money
no influence
no fame
no strength
Robbing them was worthless.
E-rank, D-rank at most.
Trash rewards.
Adrian wanted big jobs only.
So he'd already narrowed down three categories of premium targets:
1. Pirates — strong, wealthy, notorious.
Perfect all-around targets.
2. Nobles — weak but rich, influential, and politically valuable.
Easy to rob, high-impact.
3. Marines — officers with rank and reputation.
Dangerous but rewarding in Influence and Fame.
And his first target?
Captain Kuro's Black Cat Pirates.
Not too strong, not too weak—
the perfect warm-up.
And afterward, he could have Merry—the servant who owed Kaya his life—redesign Arlong's ugly ship entirely.
If he had to sail the seas, he wanted a ship that didn't look like a sea beast coughed it up.
Nami quietly complied.
Running was pointless—Adrian held the lives of her entire village in his hand.
Escape wasn't just hopeless; it was suicidal.
Her only path was forward.
The ship continued smoothly across the waves.
Until—
BOOM!
A cannonball exploded in the sea, blasting up a massive fountain of water.
"What the—?!"
Adrian and the others instantly snapped toward the source of the attack.
There, not far away—
A ship.
Painted white.
Flying the unmistakable symbol of the Marines.
"The Navy?" Nami gasped.
The insignia was clear.
No mistake.
And there was only one ship present—
meaning the cannonfire was unquestionably aimed at them.
"How bold."
Adrian's expression sank into icy rage.
"They really want to die."
Why was a Marine ship here, near Arlong's territory?
Why fire on them so suddenly?
He didn't care.
All that mattered was—
They had attacked first.
Which meant, by his rules…
they had just declared themselves enemies.
Translator's Thoughts:
Adrian's first day as an "official" outlaw on the open sea and the Marines immediately decide to open with a cannon shot. Talk about bad luck… for them.
We also get a clearer look at Adrian's worldview: he doesn't care about heroism, doesn't believe in gratitude, and absolutely refuses to become another tragic "nice guy" in the One Piece world. If people move by self-interest, then so will he—and he'll do it better than anyone.
Now he's setting his sights on the Black Cat Pirates as a warm-up job… only for a lone Marine ship to come blasting him out of nowhere.
They couldn't have picked a worse target.
Next chapter: the Marines learn what happens when you fire on a Citycrusher-tier outlaw with two monsters behind him.
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