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Grand Line, Paradise.
On the vast, rolling sea, a pirate ship sailed slowly. A flag with a black-and-white striped skull hung from its thick mast.
The skull had a mane of hair spreading out behind it and a scar that ran from its upper right to its lower left, giving it a particularly ferocious look.
"Captain! We're about to reach the Sabaody Archipelago! The New World is right in front of us!"
On the ship's deck, a group of pirates sat on the floor. In the centre was a giant of a man, at least three meters tall.
He was bald, with a menacing face bisected by a huge, strangely shaped scar that looked like a cross between a sword and an axe wound.
"Heheheh! The New World has three Emperors ruling over the seas. Maybe our captain will be the fourth!"
"Yeah! We're destined to become the Pirate King!"
The pirates chattered excitedly, sharing their dreams for the future. Fame! Wealth! Status! This was what all pirates pursued, the very bait that Roger had left for the world!
"We should be thinking about how to deal with the Vice Admiral stationed at Sabaody," an ill-timed voice interjected, like a bucket of cold water dumped on their heads. The deck fell silent.
"Tell us more, Kakao!" The captain, who had been silent until now, spoke up, breaking the awkward quiet.
Kakao was the crew's vice-captain and was in charge of intelligence.
The crew highly respected him for his outstanding wisdom and calm mind, so the captain never took his words lightly.
"The Sabaody Archipelago used to be guarded by a Rear Admiral. That small force was completely useless, so the Marines basically just holed up in Groves 60 through 69."
"Groves 1 to 29 were a paradise for pirates, known as the lawless zone. All kinds of crime ran rampant, and as long as we didn't bother the Celestial Dragons, the Marines would leave us alone."
"But," Kakao continued, pausing as the crew held their breath and the captain leaned in to listen. Satisfied, he went on, "Some time ago, a Marine Vice Admiral was stationed at Sabaody..."
"It's just one Vice Admiral! Our captain is a Supernova with a bounty of 110 million Beri!" someone immediately retorted, sucking up to the captain in the process.
Kakao glanced at the man, silently committing his face to memory. "Do not underestimate a Marine Vice Admiral."
"While our captain is very strong, right now, we would be lucky to escape from a Vice Admiral with our lives."
"If it were an ordinary one, it might be a different story. We wouldn't win, but we could get away."
"But this man," Kakao said, a trace of fear in his eyes, "back when he was just a recruit, captured the Warlord Crocodile all by himself."
"Since arriving at Sabaody, he has launched a massive purge of all criminals, completely uprooting the lawless zone!"
"I'm afraid getting into the New World this time will be a bit difficult."
Hearing this, the captain, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly stood up. His three-meter-tall frame blocked everyone's view.
A grin spread across his face, and a murderous aura erupted from him. "He's just a damn Vice Admiral! I am Sanchez!"
"Hey! Captain, you're about to eat all the food on this ship by yourself!"
On an expansive deck sat a figure with a very powerful-looking back, long hair cascading over broad shoulders.
The figure's thick arms repeatedly reached for the massive platters of meat piled high on the table.
Next to the table stood a woman in a chef's hat and a pure white uniform. Why say the uniform was hanging on her?
Because the woman's figure was simply too exaggerated. The two mounds of flesh on her chest were about to burst through the loose-fitting clothes, and a glimpse of delicate skin could be seen through the straining buttons.
The chef-like woman had a dissatisfied look on her face, her hands on her hips as she stared at the... brawny woman?
Yes, following the chef's gaze, the "big guy" devouring the food was a girl with a delicate and lovely face.
In stark contrast to her features, however, her developed muscles and broad shoulders gave a jarring impression.
Her entire body seemed to be made of muscle; even her hands were covered in knotted sinew!
"Mmm~ Carmona, it's because your cooking is just so good! Besides, it's not my fault," the captain whined, her beautiful face a picture of pitiable innocence.
But looking down at her face, it was impossible to feel any sense of tenderness. "It's my Devil Fruit ability!"
"Alright, alright... We're almost at Sabaody anyway. We can restock on supplies then," the cook, whom the captain called Carmona, said soothingly, her eyes filled with affection.
"I knew it, Carmona, you're the best to me~"
A simple-looking pirate ship had a strange flag: just a long, narrow rapier pointing upwards, with a single skull decorating the hilt.
The ship itself was long and thin, like... a sharp blade!
"How much longer until we reach Sabaody?" a man asked quietly without taking his eyes off the rapier he was polishing in his hands, sensing footsteps approaching him.
"Soon. Maybe a day or two," a tall figure replied, having appeared behind the man at some point. He showed no ill intent toward the man engrossed in his sword.
After all, this was the Supernova with a 100 million Beri bounty—Matt Glennon!
"I hear a Vice Admiral has come to Sabaody," Glennon continued.
"Yes."
"And he's a Great Swordsman?"
"Captain, you're not thinking of..." The tall man felt a shiver run down his spine as he saw a look of interest appear on Glennon's face. A bad feeling welled up inside him.
"That's right. I feel like my swordsmanship hasn't improved in a long time. I want to see for myself what the gap is between me and a Great Swordsman!"
A crazed look appeared in Glennon's eyes, and the speed at which he polished his sword slowed unconsciously.
A madman! That was the only thought in the tall man's mind.
At almost the exact moment, all the Pirate Supernovas nearing Sabaody received the same intelligence.
Yet, none of them hesitated or retreated. Perhaps... this was the inexplicable confidence of a pirate.
--Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 17--
A three-masted ship flying a pirate flag was docked at the edge of the island. The hull was painted pink.
A few pirates disembarked at a leisurely pace, led by a sturdy, powerful... girl?
"Carmona, why don't we head to Grove 30 first? I hear it's a shopping street famous throughout the Grand Line."
"We could get you some new clothes, so yours won't be so... tight," the brawny girl said, winking at Carmona beside her.
"No, thank you. I'd rather buy some supplies. We're almost out of food on the ship. Salpalov! You guys come with me to get some things," Carmona replied, gently refusing the suggestion and giving orders to the few pirates who had followed them.
"Yes, Ma'am Carmona!" came the reply from five pirates in unison.
"Hey! You guys better protect my precious vice-captain!" The brawny girl gave up, instructing the pirates with a serious expression before heading straight for Grove 24.
They had done their research before arriving. Grove 24 was where Sabaody's restaurants were located, a must-visit spot for Urasova, who was determined to eat all the delicacies in the world!
"Glutton", Urasova! Bounty: 120,000,000 Beri!
--Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 21--
Inside a bar flashing with neon lights, there was no loud rock music or cheering crowds as one might expect.
At the centre of the bar counter, a man with waist-length hair and tattered clothes sat by himself, his entire demeanour screaming "pirate."
The other patrons kept their distance. The entire bar was eerily quiet, and all eyes were drawn to the calm man.
"Gelman! Bounty: 220,000,000 Beri! He has the highest bounty among this year's Supernovas!" a man in the crowd stammered in disbelief, having found Gelman's wanted poster in a stack.
"How dare these pirates still come to Sabaody? There's a Marine Vice Admiral stationed here!"
"Hey, it's not like they have a choice. This is the only way into the New World."
"Pirates really are a bunch of fearless lunatics..." The locals hadn't expected that just after Atlas had brought a brief period of peace to Sabaody, these despicable pirates would start disturbing the island's tranquillity again.
"A Vice Admiral, you say? Perfect. My bounty hasn't gone up in a long time..." Gelman, sitting quietly at the bar, heard every word of the crowd's discussion.
He downed the strong liquor in his glass in one gulp, an unreadable expression in his eyes. It's been too long since I've had a worthy opponent...
"Are you Matt Glennon? Bounty of 100 million Beri. You're a lucky one, aren't you?"
In a wide, open area with few trees and even fewer signs of human activity, a man with curly hair, wearing a Marine uniform, stood with a greatsword hanging at his waist.
The insignia on his shoulder clearly marked him as a Sergeant. He was flanked by Marines holding gunblades, each gripping their weapon tightly, their faces tense.
The pirate before them was one of this year's Supernovas! A bounty like that was...
"A swordsman?" Glennon's expression was cold as he shifted his gaze to the broadsword at Kyros's waist.
"Captain! Let's retreat for now. It's best not to clash with the Marines yet. We can raise hell after we get the ship coated," the tall man behind Glennon pleaded earnestly.
His name was Eric, one of the five members of the Swordsman Pirates. He held multiple roles and had endured countless hardships to get here.
Why? Because he had the misfortune of having a moron for a captain who only ever thought about challenging people!
As bad luck would have it, they had chosen this remote corner to dock, only to run straight into Kyros on patrol, leading to the current standoff.
"No. Not until I've defeated this Marine," Glennon replied, unmoved by Eric's plea. His eyes were locked on Kyros.
He didn't underestimate Kyros because of his low rank. As a fellow swordsman, he could feel the sharp, powerful aura of Kyros's swordsmanship.
Thick and heavy! Sharp!
"Fine, have it your way. I guess this is what we get for having such a willful captain..." Hearing Glennon's response, Eric had no choice but to draw his weapon and face the Marines. The atmosphere became frozen with tension.
"Shave!" Kyros was the first to attack. He shot forward at high speed, drawing his broadsword. The veins on his arm bulged from the force.
"Excellent!" Glennon shouted, his rapier flashing out of its scabbard in a glint of cold light.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A flurry of sword flashes and the mournful clang of steel rang out. The two tall figures became a blur of motion, their blades clashing and creating showers of sparks.
"Let's go!" Seeing his captain engaged in battle, Eric yelled to his comrades, and they charged toward the other Marines.
"Outlook, what a small world. To think I'd run into you here," Sanchez said, glaring fiercely at Outlook.
He subconsciously touched the massive scar that ran across his face, a phantom pain throbbing within.
"What? Wasn't the lesson I taught you last time enough?" Outlook retorted, raising his weapon.
It was an odd-looking axe, about a third larger than a normal one, with a drill at the end of the handle and a short spearhead protruding from the top. It looked heavy and vicious.
Outlook was a user of the Paramecia-type Speed-Speed Fruit, a lesser version of the More-More Fruit.
It allowed him to increase his attack and movement speed, with the limit depending on his mastery. The scar on Sanchez's face was a gift from Outlook.
That single axe swing had nearly split his head in two. If he hadn't been a user of the Zoan-type Zebra-Zebra Fruit, relying on the incredible vitality of his Zoan form to survive, he would have been a cold corpse long ago.
"Hmph! I'll let you off this time. I'll settle the score with you in the New World!" Outlook seemed to recall the brutality of their last fight and hesitated.
Not wanting to lose face, he spat out a threat and made a tactical retreat.
--Marine Base, Commander's Office--
"What a hassle. It seems they've all arrived."
Atlas, bored, released his Observation Haki, sweeping it across the entire Sabaody Archipelago again and again.
The arrival of the pirates hadn't escaped his notice. He was just waiting to catch them all in a trap.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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