Ever since the Bear Pirates invaded the town and were annihilated by Rockefeller Charlotte, the entire town knew they had a hero among them.
"Mr. Charlotte, would you like an orange?"
As Charlotte walked through the streets, the townspeople all greeted him warmly. Their kind gazes made Charlotte a bit embarrassed.
"No, no, thank you!" Charlotte quickly waved his hand.
"Boss! Today, our Wild Wolf Gang collected protection fees from every shop in town, and not a single person refused. Even the big merchants paid willingly!" Ivan walked beside Charlotte, reporting enthusiastically.
"Oh? People are now lining up to pay protection fees at the door?" Charlotte raised a brow in amusement.
In the past, when the Wild Wolf Gang came to collect protection money, the townspeople would scatter to avoid them. But now they were paying up without complaint? Interesting.
"Boss, it's all thanks to you. Since you single-handedly saved the town from the Bear Pirates and kept everyone safe, the townspeople are eager to be under your protection." Ivan looked at Charlotte with admiration.
Charlotte smiled. It felt good to be respected.
Behind him, Martha and the other four maids followed closely, curiously taking in the bustling town.
Compared to their previous home—an impoverished island kingdom with fewer than a thousand people and no proper port—this place was practically a metropolis.
"Mr. Charlotte!" "Mr. Charlotte!"
As Charlotte reached the port, people bowed politely as he passed. Charlotte returned their greetings with a nod and a smile.
There, three pirate ships were moored, their former flags torn down. The ships were a bit worn and only about 50 meters in length.
"Ivan, do we have any shipbuilders in this town?" Charlotte turned to ask.
"Boss, our port mainly services merchant ships, so we do have some shipbuilders—but none are top-notch. They usually repair or build small boats," Ivan explained.
Charlotte rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He planned to go to sea around the age of seventeen or eighteen, and he wanted a solid ship—not something like Luffy's wooden barrel.
"How much money do we have in our account, and what would it cost to build a proper ship?"
"It depends on the size," Ivan replied. "For a ship under 50 meters, it would cost between 6 to 50 million Beli. If you want something larger, it'll be more—especially depending on materials. Good materials can double the price."
Charlotte considered this carefully. "And how much do we earn monthly from protection fees?"
"This month we collected about 300 million Beli. After paying phone bills and other expenses, about 200 million remain. But most of that goes toward your food, Boss."
Charlotte's jaw nearly dropped. "I spend nearly 100 million Beli a month... on food?" He turned and stared at Ivan.
Ivan chuckled nervously. "Boss, your meals consist of Sea Kings and beasts from the nearby mountains. Hunters risk their lives to catch them—and we have to buy from them. Hunting Sea Kings is no joke!"
Charlotte sighed. He was spending a fortune on food—and training supplies weren't cheap either. At this rate, there would be nothing left to build a ship.
"Alright, from now on, I'll handle my own food. No more buying Sea Kings. I'll hunt them myself," Charlotte declared.
"Yes, Boss!" Ivan nodded.
"Also, refit those three pirate ships. From today, they'll be used as my fishing boats for hunting Sea Kings. Get them modified as soon as possible."
"Understood!" Ivan gave a slight bow.
With that settled, Charlotte left the port for his daily training.
On a secluded beach, Charlotte stood knee-deep in seawater, sword in hand. Facing the crashing waves, he trained relentlessly—swinging his blade again and again.
This went on for three months.
Day after day, he practiced the same moves, pouring all his frustration and desire to grow stronger into each swing.
Then, one day, his sword cleaved through the air and released a flying slash ten meters long.
Charlotte stared at the line carved across the beach—and nearly cried.
After a year and a half of training, he had finally done it.
He had reached the realm of a swordsman.
His strength now rivaled that of an average Marine Vice Admiral. He couldn't yet use Armament Haki, but with his Observation Haki capable of reading minds and predicting the future, and the Conqueror's Haki he had awakened (though it hadn't manifested again), Charlotte believed he could stand toe-to-toe with a Vice Admiral.
His heart swelled with joy. He slashed again and again, laughing loudly.
"Wahaha! Wahaha!"
From the beach, his five maids watched him in awe. Their eyes sparkled with admiration.
After finishing another slash, Charlotte returned to shore.
"Young Master!" the girls chirped, handing him a towel.
Charlotte wiped the sweat from his brow. "Let's head home."
He handed his sword to Gillian, who took it with care.
"Yes, Young Master!" the girls responded in chorus.
Back at the villa, Ivan approached.
"Boss, the kitchen's running low on Sea Kings. We need you to go hunting again."
"Got it. I've almost wiped out every Sea King in the nearby waters anyway. I'll go deeper tomorrow."
Over the last three months, Charlotte had been relentlessly hunting—not just training, but also clearing out the local Sea King population.
Now, he was ready to go further out into the unknown.