Bucky had a rough idea of the situation in the North Sea. On the surface, the most powerful force was the Germa Kingdom, ruled by the Vinsmoke family.
Once upon a time, the German Kingdom had unified the entire North Sea. It was known as the "War Kingdom," its army called "War Experts" and the "Evil Army." Wherever Germany appeared, war would inevitably follow. Back then, they were the undisputed kings of the North Sea.
Though their glory had faded, Germany's overall power still made it the strongest force in the region. They were also a member nation of the World Government—uniquely, the only member nation without any permanent territory.
But hidden in the shadows of the North Sea lurked another major power: the Donquixote Family, led by the Heavenly Yaksha, Donquixote Doflamingo. They controlled the underworld and all major black market dealings in the region.
Doflamingo, who would later become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had already begun to make a name for himself at this age. In the North Sea, he was someone you absolutely could not afford to provoke—not only was he personally strong, but he also commanded a crew of formidable subordinates, giving him complete dominance over the region's underworld.
On their journey to the North Sea, Bucky and his crew traveled as discreetly as possible. Even when restocking supplies, they chose small towns or remote islands to avoid notice.
They didn't run into the Navy, nor did they draw attention from any notable powers. Aside from the occasional foolish pirate who crossed their path, their voyage went smoothly. Passing through Reverse Mountain without incident, they finally arrived in the North Sea.
Their destination this time was the Kingdom of Lubni—a country famous in One Piece lore as the homeland of Mont Blanc Noland, the main character of the North Sea folktale The Tale of the Great Liar.
But Bucky wasn't visiting Lubni for sightseeing. He was here to find a powerful swordsman—one who would later become the captain of Blackbeard's Second Ship and the Chief Jailer of Impel Down. A man who lived and breathed killing: "Shiryu of the Rain."
According to Bucky's intel, Shiryu hadn't yet joined the Navy. He was still in his hometown of Lubni, pursuing his path of swordsmanship.
Opinions about Shiryu varied wildly, but there was no denying that he was both a formidable swordsman and a dangerous man to have as an enemy. If Bucky could recruit him, their crew's strength would see a massive leap. His potential was immense—Bucky was certain Shiryu would one day become a great swordmaster and a core member of their fighting force.
As for Shiryu's bloodlust? That wasn't a problem. The path Bucky had chosen for his crew was one steeped in battle and killing. There would be no shortage of violence ahead. As long as Bucky could keep him in check, Shiryu could become his sharpest blade—a deadly right-hand man in the future.
The voyage to Lubni took longer than expected. By the halfway mark, they had already spent fifteen days at sea, most of it aboard the ship, stopping only occasionally at small ports to resupply.
One clear, sunny day, as Bucky was training on deck, he spotted a large vessel approaching from afar.
He recognized the emblem on its sails almost immediately. Once the ship drew closer, he confirmed it—it belonged to the Donquixote Family, Doflamingo's organization.
"Boss, that ship looks pretty fancy. Not ordinary. If we take down everyone onboard and sell the ship, we'll make a fortune. The people onboard could fetch a good price, too," one rat-faced crewman said, greed glinting in his eyes as he stared at the splendid vessel.
"Be careful," their captain cautioned. "That ship's no ordinary vessel. It might belong to some noble. We can't let our guard down."
Indeed, the ship was bigger than theirs, built from premium materials. Anyone who could afford such a vessel wasn't to be underestimated. A conflict might not be worth the risk.
"Boss, we're with the Donquixote Family. Even nobles shouldn't scare us. We capture them, and the Family will handle the rest. If the nobles want revenge, they'll never find out it was us."
The younger man's eyes shone with pride, a grin spreading across his face. Being part of the Don Quixote Family filled him with confidence—he was sure no one could touch them.
Hearing this, the captain's own eyes glimmered with the same pride. "You brat… of course I know. I just said to be careful."
"Got it, Boss," the underling replied, clearly dismissive, already imagining their easy victory over the other crew.
When the two ships drew close, both sides stopped in unspoken agreement. Bucky and his crew gathered at the bow, staring at the other ship.
"Greetings," the enemy captain called. "We're from the Don Quixote Family. We've been at sea for some time without a chance to resupply. We'd like to buy some provisions from you."
Seeing Bucky's young face, the man's eyes filled with condescension. He quickly came up with a plan—figuring someone so young couldn't be that strong, he thought they might be easy prey.
His offer to "buy supplies" was just bait. He planned to get Bucky's crew to come aboard—or send someone to deliver the goods—then catch them off guard and take their ship with minimal effort.
"Oh? Our supplies are very expensive. One portion costs one million Berries. Can you accept that?" Bucky replied casually.
He didn't believe a word of the man's story. The Don Quixote Family's line of work made it laughable to think they'd ever need to buy supplies from strangers.
And anyone who sailed the seas for long would never make such a rookie mistake—it was obvious the man had ulterior motives.
"What?! One million Berries? Are you crazy?" one of the underlings blurted out, his lack of composure instantly giving him away.
"Shut up!" the captain barked, glaring at him before he could say more.
The underling realized his mistake and sullenly stepped back.
"My apologies. I failed to teach my men proper manners. But truly, your price is too high. A million Berries could buy a month's worth of provisions. We only need a little—surely you can be more reasonable?"
In his mind, the captain scoffed. He figured Bucky had guessed they were low on supplies and was trying to gouge them, but he wasn't about to pay that price. His gaze grew sharp and predatory.
"You can take as much or as little as you want," Bucky said flatly, "but it's one million per portion. Not a Berry more, not a Berry less."
The man lowered his head