The Black Pearl arrived at Sphinx's harbor in the early morning.
This was a small town of modest scale. Standing on the Black Pearl's lookout, one could see to the town's edge at a glance.
Around the harbor's perimeter were ships of various sizes, most flying pirate flags, with a few bearing the banners of underground gangs and slave traders.
Fierce-looking pirates disembarked from their ships. Some cursed as they headed toward the town's taverns, while others went straight to the town's red-light district.
Yes, that kind of place.
Sailing was a tedious affair, and most pirates lacked much desire to grow stronger. They plundered the weak's wealth, then spent most of that stolen wealth satisfying their own desires.
Rocks was different.
Ever since Silas had been frank with Rocks, he had discovered the kid was terrifyingly disciplined.
All day long, it was just training.
Despite having a beautiful woman right beside him, he would not even glance her way.
February in Sphinx still carried a chill.
But Ripley had long grown accustomed to such weather in Elbaf. Aside from a fur coat, she wore only denim shorts and a tight top underneath, radiating youthful vitality.
You could not tell she was already in her fifties.
Well, fifty-something for a giant was basically equivalent to a human teenager. A few years earlier, Ripley would not even have been considered an adult.
"This is Sphinx?"
Ripley gripped the ship's railing, her eyes wide with curiosity as she took in their surroundings. Despite her impressive debut against three CP0 agents, she remained a complete novice when it came to piracy, having never left Elbaf before. Every sight beyond her homeland filled her with wonder.
"Yes, the harbor is much larger than when I left, much cleaner and tidier too. At least I do not see any pirates fighting in the streets."
In the New World, two pirate crews might start a brawl simply because they did not like each other's looks. If neither could defeat the other by the end, they would sit down together to drink and chat.
If one side was weaker, the other would mercilessly absorb them.
"After we go ashore, Ripley, you will come with me to the underground market here. Rocks, you stay on the ship and guard the Black Pearl."
"Okay."
"Got it."
Both Ripley and Rocks responded in unison.
In pirate harbors, there was no such thing as order. If you left a ship completely unguarded, it would not be long before everything inside was stolen clean.
If pirates knew the Black Pearl currently carried goods worth a full two billion Belly, it would not take long for every pirate on Sphinx to attack them.
Of course, that was assuming they were not afraid to die.
Silas simply swept the area with his Observation Haki and confirmed there were no particularly strong great pirates nearby. At most just small fry with bounties of ten to twenty million. If it really came to a fight, Rocks might not be without a chance.
And as long as any disturbance occurred here, given the town's size, Silas could return to the harbor instantly. Having Rocks guard the ship was more than sufficient.
Taking Ripley along was simply rotation.
Since Ripley had guarded the ship during their last island landing, this time it was Rocks's turn.
"We still have too few people!"
Silas sighed. Other pirate crews either gathered sufficient crew members in the four seas or the Grand Line before entering the New World.
But Silas had started in the New World.
Of the three people, both Ripley and Rocks were combatants. With her Mini-Mini Fruit abilities, Ripley barely counted as half a logistics manager. Beyond that, Silas, as captain, not only served as navigator but also had to work as cook and doctor.
"Navigator aside, I am not really a doctor or cook."
"In that case, should we recruit some crew members here?"
Ripley shouldered a backpack with a grin.
"Pirates who can make it here should be pretty strong, right?"
"Haha, that would depend on luck."
Although he did not hold much hope, Silas still had some expectation.
What if?
What if he encountered that man?
Edward Newgate, the man who would be called the world's strongest in the future. But Silas's interest in him was not just because Edward Newgate had the potential to stand at the world's pinnacle.
It was because of Edward Newgate's dream.
Despite possessing tremendous strength, Edward Newgate had little ambition, wanting only a family at sea.
As a captain, Edward Newgate would be a solid support.
As a crew member, Edward Newgate was equally worthy of trust.
As long as you treated him as family, he would give the same in return.
For a captain, could there be any better crew member?
The Black Pearl made landfall.
After paying a hundred thousand Belly docking fee, Silas and Ripley headed toward town.
Along the way, they received many appraising looks.
"Captain, I feel like those people have ill intentions."
"Mm, your feeling is correct."
Observation Haki inherently had the function of detecting hostility. Those born with natural Observation Haki could even sense others' emotions.
Although Silas could not do that, he could still distinguish between goodwill and malice.
He was also puzzled.
Had the White Wolf Pirates' flag become so ineffective in just one year?
Not only did the Marines attack them directly upon sight, but even these pirates, little better than thugs, dared show such undisguised malice?
Until he heard those pirates' whispered conversations.
"Another White Wolf Pirates flag?"
"Tsk, how many times this year? There are always people unafraid of death using the White Wolf Pirates' name to swindle people. Do they really think everyone in the White Wolf Pirates is dead?"
"Who knows? I heard the White Wolf Pirates disbanded already. They have not recruited new crew members in a long time, have they? Everyone on their ship is just old-timers."
After hearing the pirates' conversation, Silas finally understood what had happened, feeling both amused and exasperated.
In the future, after the Straw Hat Pirates were scattered, a group of pirates impersonated the Straw Hat Pirates to swindle people, actually managing to recruit a bunch of high-bounty pirates.
Now, after news of the White Wolf Pirates' disbandment spread, there were apparently pirates impersonating them too, and seemingly successfully?
At the harbor, a group of youths hid in a corner. After seeing Silas and Ripley leave and walk away, they quietly jumped into the water and swam toward the Black Pearl.
"Newgate, this will not be dangerous, will it? What if this really is the White Wolf Pirates' ship?"
Approaching the Black Pearl, one youth lowered his voice with concern.
"Impossible." The leading youth shook his head seriously. "How could the White Wolf Pirates have only three people?"
He had carefully observed there were only three people total on that ship. After the woman and old man left, only a young man about their age remained.
"Do not overthink it. We will steal the money and leave."
The youth leaped up from underwater. Despite being larger than an adult, his speed was astonishingly fast. He appeared on the ship almost instantly.
"Quick!"
He shouted, charging toward Rocks, who sat at the bow.
"Hmm?"
Rocks, who had been meditating with eyes closed, saw the youth charging at him and grinned.
"Interesting."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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