In the span of just a few years, this crew has expanded its influence at a rate that has left the world reeling. Their commander is the infamous "Dragon-Slaying Witch" Kanata, the first person in history to execute a World Noble. With a bounty exceeding 2.24 billion berries, she possesses a level of strength that even the Navy's Hero, Garp, cannot easily suppress.
Operating out of Fullalead in the New World, the crew stretches its reaches across every sea, engaging in pirate hunting and maritime logistics. They are, for lack of a better term, a "disciplined" pirate organization.
The World Government and the Navy had hoped to dismantle them before they reached this scale. However, some things are simply beyond control. Now, the force has grown into a colossus.
This is the story of the incidents occurring in the shadows while Kanata's name rose to join the ranks of the "Four Emperors"—Shiki, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Roger—as a fifth undisputed power, in the years leading up to the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.
***
"This is a Summer Island, and as the name implies, summer is hot. Is there any reason I shouldn't just change the local climate?"
"Hah! I knew it. You're actually an idiot, aren't you?"
A dull thwack echoed through the room as Kanata delivered a swift knuckle-sandwich to Scotch's head.
Kanata had been using her powers to manifest pillars of ice in the corners of the office to act as a makeshift air conditioner while idly fanning herself with a traditional hand fan. Scotch, nursing a fresh lump on his head, grumbled under his breath.
"I was only pointing out the obvious," he muttered, adjusting his sunglasses.
"Logic has never once saved a human being from heatstroke since the dawn of time," Kanata replied coolly. "Can we do nothing about this temperature?"
"Of course we can't! Changing the weather of an entire island just because you're a bit sweaty? Think about the ecosystem for once!"
Scotch let out an exasperated sigh, looking around the room. It was comfortably chilled—perhaps a bit toomuch for anyone who wasn't an Ice Human—but he knew she had a point. If they truly hated the heat, they could have established their base on a different island. The problem was finding a location that was already developed but currently uninhabited. Such gems were rare in the New World.
"If we find an island with better conditions, we'll move," Kanata said. "But for now, the heat is our only problem."
"It's only your problem," Scotch corrected. He decided to move on to the business at hand. "Anyway, the shipping lanes are secure. Some kingdoms refuse to use us because we're 'pirates,' but for non-affiliated nations with weak militaries, we're a godsend. Demand is high."
"Are the established merchant guilds causing trouble?"
"None of them are brave enough to complain to our faces," Scotch chuckled. "Though the 'Underworld' kings are starting to get petty. They don't like new competition."
The Shipping King, the Loan Shark King, the Great Undertaker—the titans of the dark world were beginning to realize that the Twilight Pirates were eating into their profit margins. While their retaliations were currently limited to minor harassment, a direct conflict was brewing.
"They're more annoying than Shiki or Linlin," Kanata noted. "I wish they'd just stay in their holes."
"Fat chance. To them, we're the upstarts who are making them look bad."
Kanata found it tedious, but the Twilight Pirates were a force that even the Golden Lion had failed to suppress. There were very few entities in the world capable of stopping them by force. Naturally, their enemies were turning to subversion and espionage.
"Linlin and the World Government are a persistent pair," Kanata mused.
"To them, we're the thorn in their side that just keeps growing," Scotch agreed. "We've handled most of the spies, but what's the long-term plan?"
"We need to purge the ranks periodically. I'll have Feiyun oversee the next sweep. Her intuition for malice is second to none."
"Good idea. And we should probably strike back a bit harder. If we let them keep testing us, they'll think we're soft."
"Agreed," Kanata said. "Lately, high-quality weapons have been flooding the market, and the Government is pouring berries into Navy reinforcements. We need to focus on our own military buildup."
The Twilight Pirates were considered "moderates" by pirate standards, which was exactly why the Underworld scum thought they could get away with their provocations. It was time to remind them of the price of disrespect.
"Feiyun is busy with the logistics. Have Kuro take a guard detail and go dismantle one of their outposts."
"You got it." Scotch offered a silent prayer for whoever Kuro was about to visit.
***
A soft knock came at the door. At Kanata's word, the door creaked open to reveal Kaye. At seven years old, she was already showing signs of the poise she would possess as an adult.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Kaye said softly. "But the delivery you were waiting for has arrived at the docks."
"The delivery?" Scotch asked, looking at Kanata.
"Ah, right. It's about time," Kanata said, standing up. "Thank you, Kaye."
"Of course. I'll return to my studies."
The girl disappeared as quickly as she had arrived. Kanata headed toward the harbor, with Scotch trailing behind, full of curiosity.
"What did you order?"
"I didn't order it," Kanata explained. "I simply sent a team to look for something that I hoped existed. It's the world's strongest timber: Treasure Tree Adam."
***
The Treasure Tree Adam.
Legends said it possessed the greatest vitality of any living thing on Earth. It was the tree that stood tall in the middle of a war-torn island, unbowed even after a rain of cannonballs leveled the surrounding nation. There were only a few such trees in existence, and even a small fragment of its wood fetched hundreds of millions of berries on the black market.
And now, a massive haul of it sat before Kanata on the docks.
"Hoh... so this is the legendary Adam," George mused, stepping forward to run a hand over the bark. "It feels as solid as iron."
"The main trunk was too large to transport," the foreman explained. "But we've established a permanent garrison around the site to claim it."
"Good," Kanata said. "We don't have a place for the whole tree here yet anyway."
George pulled out a cigar and lit it, his face lined with the fatigue of a man managing a multi-billion berry budget. "How did you even find this? These locations are supposed to be top secret."
"It was in Gultzberg," Kanata said. "The island that recently fell into ruin. I'd heard rumors for years that the 'tree that never falls' was located in a land of perpetual war. I figured that once the two nations finally wiped each other out, I'd step in and secure the prize."
The Treasure Tree Adam was a source of infinite wealth. It was also a curse; its value was so high that it inevitably drew the greedy into conflict. Kanata suspected that the very war that destroyed Gultzberg had been fueled by the desire to control the timber.
"Now that we own it, the fighting stops," Kanata declared. "I'll control the distribution."
"Wahahaha! Spoken like a true pirate queen!" George laughed. "Or a very aggressive entrepreneur. Either way, it's a massive win for us."
"We need to station an elite unit there. We can't let the Navy or Shiki get a whiff of this. And we need to train the recruits faster."
"What about the sales route?" George asked. "Who are we selling to?"
"The demand will be endless. Every shipwright in the New World will want a piece for their hulls, and it's perfect for reinforced architecture. We'll use the first batch to rebuild the main structures of Fullalead. If the buildings are made of Adam, this island becomes an unsinkable fortress."
Kanata planned to use the wood as bait for the Underworld kings as well. If they saw a chance for profit, they would be less likely to bite the hand that fed them.
"I'm heading to the Romnis Empire soon to open up a trade front," Kanata added. "Get the ships ready."
"You got it. Hey, Teach!" George shouted toward the deck of a nearby ship.
"Yes, sir! What is it?!"
A round-faced boy with a wide grin scrambled over. He was an orphan they had picked up in the Grand Line. While he was roughly Kaye's age, he possessed a physical strength that far surpassed the other children. He was currently working as a cabin boy and porter.
"We're taking a break! After that, prep for departure! Spread the word!"
"Understood, sir!"
The boy, Marshall D. Teach, hurried off to deliver the message. George watched him go with a nod of approval. He was a hard worker and surprisingly polite for a pirate apprentice.
Kanata, however, watched the boy with a different expression.
(...Teach, huh...)
She felt a strange, inexplicable sensation whenever she looked at him—a sense of something "other." She wasn't sure what it meant yet, so she chose to keep her distance and observe. For now, he was just another child under her protection, and she saw no reason to treat him differently from the others.
"Scotch, you're staying behind this time," Kanata ordered. "Oversee the repairs on the next district and make sure the men don't slack off."
"Aw, man! Fine," Scotch groaned. "But can you at least build a bar where the girls actually pour the drinks? We need some proper entertainment on this rock."
"Once the essential infrastructure is finished, you can build whatever you want."
The discipline on Fullalead was as strict as any national military. Kanata had seen several subordinate crews "desert" in the middle of the night because they couldn't handle her drills. Those who remained were the elite—the strong who recognized that in exchange for their freedom, they gained absolute security and a steady share of the spoils.
They weren't just pirates anymore. They were something new.
"I'll find some talent to scout in Romnis," Kanata promised. "If they want to work for pirates, and the pay is right, I'm sure someone will bite."
"Money usually does the trick," George agreed.
The financial state of the Twilight Pirates was impeccable. Between pirate hunting bounties and their shipping monopoly, they were flush with berries. Kanata looked out toward the horizon. The New World had been unusually quiet lately; Shiki and Big Mom were keeping to their borders, likely still recovering from their previous losses.
She hoped the peace would last. She wasn't ready to face the old guard in a total war just yet. But in the New World, peace was always just the silence before the storm.
***
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