The World Government was a colossal, sprawling organization formed by over 170 allied nations from across every ocean in the world. Every four years, exactly fifty of the most powerful and influential among them were selected to attend the highly anticipated Reverie.
The Ilusia Kingdom of the West Blue was one of these powerful nations, holding a permanent seat at the Reverie. Its ruler, King Thalassa Lucas, was widely known as a highly competent and capable monarch.
After a long journey across the sea, Bardock and his crew finally dropped anchor at the primary port city of the Ilusia Kingdom.
"Captain, is this your home country?" Leo asked, peering over the ship's railing at the bustling docks.
"Yep. This is the country, and this is the exact city," Bardock nodded, adjusting his coat. "Come on, let's go."
"Wait just a moment, Bardock. Let me apply a disguise first," Robin called out, quickly turning around and ducking back into the cabin.
"Uh, alright. Leo, Mansherry, hop on up," Bardock tapped his shoulders, gesturing for the two dwarves to take their seats.
"Captain, is it really okay?" Mansherry asked nervously as she settled onto his right shoulder. "Won't we cause a lot of trouble if we show our faces to the big humans?"
"Don't worry about it," Bardock chuckled, completely unbothered. "There aren't many people in the West Blue capable of making me nervous. Besides, you two were going to have to show your faces eventually. Now is as good a time as any."
'Throw one hard punch to prevent a hundred more from coming.' That was Bardock's current philosophy. While he didn't want to make a massive name for himself just yet, he also absolutely despised dealing with constant, petty provocations. If some greedy fools came crawling out of the woodwork because they saw Leo and Mansherry, he'd happily use them as the chickens to scare the monkeys.
Robin emerged from the cabin a few minutes later. From Bardock's perspective, her disguise was... well, she put a hat on and changed her coat. It wasn't exactly a masterclass in espionage. However, people in the One Piece world suffered from chronic facial blindness. Leo, for instance, gasped in absolute shock at Robin's 'transformation'.
"Robin," Bardock smiled softly. "I promise I'll get stronger as fast as I can. Once I am, you'll be able to walk down these streets in broad daylight, exactly as you are, without ever needing to hide behind a disguise again."
Robin paused, her eyes widening slightly beneath the brim of her hat. "I know, Bardock," she replied, a genuine smile touching her lips. The feeling of finally having someone to rely on felt incredibly warm.
"Let's go. Time to head home."
Bardock led the small crew off the docks and into the city streets, heading toward his original body's family home.
"Whoa! Are those dwarves?! Do they actually exist?!" "Look, they're looking this way! They aren't dolls, they're real!" "Look! The little guy just stuck his tongue out at me! He's so cute!" "Are you blind? The little girl is way cuter. She looks so elegant, like a tiny princess!" "Princess? Please. Like you've ever seen a real princess in your life." "I have too! When the Royal Carriage passed by last year, the wind blew the curtains open and I totally saw her from a mile away!" "Yeah, right!"
As the crowd chattered and pointed at the dwarves, a few locals recognized Bardock.
"Hey... doesn't that kid look exactly like Bardock? Didn't his family's ship sink a few months ago?" "It's definitely him! Kid's got insane luck to survive a shipwreck like that." "Oh, boy. There's definitely going to be a show to watch now."
Having satisfied their curiosity, the crowd slowly began to disperse. However, several rough-looking men exchanged subtle, knowing glances. Two of them silently broke off from the crowd to tail Bardock's group from a distance, while the others quickly scurried down a side street.
In the heart of the city's sprawling slums stood an incredibly bizarre sight. It was a massive, luxurious mansion that would easily rank among the finest estates in the affluent district, yet it was planted squarely in the middle of this filthy, dilapidated neighborhood.
Logically, the desperate poor and vagrants should have constantly harassed the wealthy owner. Yet, not only did they keep their distance, but the locals actively maintained a pristine, spotless perimeter around the estate. This was because the absolute ruler of the city's underworld—the ruthless and terrifying Oliver—lived there.
Oliver had once been a rat crawling through these very slums. But he possessed massive ambitions, brilliant cunning, and ruthless combat skills. He quickly rose through the ranks of the local mafia, the Night Wolf Gang, becoming a prominent enforcer.
Later on, a massive turf war erupted when an outside syndicate, the Fang Gang, tried to invade the city. Oliver fought like a demon on the front lines, racking up countless achievements and rapidly ascending into the upper echelon of the Night Wolves. But that was where his rise stalled; the seats at the very top were already filled by the old guard.
Then, 'somehow', the Fang Gang managed to acquire the exact location of a highly secretive Night Wolf executive meeting. They launched a devastating ambush, wiping out almost the entire leadership in one fell swoop. Conveniently, Oliver was the only executive who wasn't present, as he was 'leading a raid' elsewhere.
With the old guard wiped out, Oliver swiftly seized power. Leading from the front, he utterly crushed the Fang Gang and personally slaughtered their boss. Following that victory, no other syndicate dared to invade for years. Oliver used the peacetime to systematically purge his rivals, promote his loyalists, and solidify his absolute iron-fisted control over the Night Wolf Gang.
He built his luxurious headquarters in the slums for two reasons. First, it was a constant reminder of his roots—a twisted symbol of his rags-to-riches triumph. Second, it was the ultimate defensive measure. By tossing the starving locals a few scraps of bread, he turned the entire slum into his personal surveillance network. It was impossible for rival gangs to sneak up on his mansion, let alone surround it, without the entire neighborhood alerting him first.
Currently, Oliver was sitting in his opulent study, puffing on a thick, imported cigar. He wasn't a lazy man, but when he was alone, he enjoyed a good smoke. It helped him think.
Knock, knock, knock.
Oliver exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Enter."
A subordinate carefully opened the door and bowed. "Boss, our guys on the street just reported in. The son of that merchant who went out to sea half a year ago just came back to the city. The one who mortgaged his company to us for a massive loan before his ship supposedly sank."
"Then send some guys to collect the debt," Oliver replied dismissively, flicking his ash. "He owes us money, he pays us back. It's that simple."
Oliver didn't even remember the specific merchant. Idiots mortgaging their lives away to chase a quick fortune happened every other week, and it almost always ended in tragedy.
"Boss, there's more. The kid brought back two real-life dwarves with him. Viscount Elrond's men already contacted us. They want us to secure the dwarves and deliver them to his estate immediately."
Oliver paused, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes. "Dwarves? Now that's a genuinely rare commodity. Fine. Since we're basically getting his mortgaged company for free anyway, the debt is settled. Handle the job for the Viscount, and make sure it's done quietly." He waved his hand dismissively.
"Understood, Boss." The subordinate bowed deeply and quickly exited the room, not daring to linger.
In the affluent district, Bardock stopped in front of a beautiful, two-story villa. This was his original body's home. The house was exactly the same, but the people who once filled it with warmth were gone forever.
He found the spare key hidden under a loose brick near the porch and unlocked the front door. The interior was exactly as his memories depicted, though a thick layer of dust coated the furniture, and the air smelled slightly musty from half a year of total vacancy.
"Bardock, let's start cleaning up," Robin said softly, sensing the heavy silence.
Her voice snapped him out of his daze. 'She's right,' he thought. 'The original Bardock only survived because my soul transmigrated into his body. His parents weren't so lucky.' Honestly, if he had opened the door and found the original parents sitting on the couch, it would have been horrifyingly awkward. He still hadn't fully figured out the exact mechanics of his reincarnation—whether it was simple soul-transmigration, or if he had effectively stolen the kid's body.
"Yeah, good idea," Bardock nodded. "I'll run to the market and buy some fresh groceries and cleaning supplies. You guys make yourselves at home."
When he returned, the four of them tackled the house together. With Robin sprouting extra hands to wipe windows and dust the ceiling corners, the villa was spotless in record time. The floors were scrubbed, the heavy curtains were opened to let the sunlight in, and the stale bedsheets were swapped out for fresh ones.
"Alright, everyone!" Bardock announced, tying an apron around his waist. "To thank you all for your hard work, I'm going to unleash my ultimate culinary skills! Prepare yourselves for a massive feast!"
"Yay! A feast! A feast!" Leo cheered, throwing his tiny fists in the air. "I want seafood, Captain!"
"A feast! A feast! I want dessert, Captain!" Mansherry clapped happily.
"I'll have a salad and some roast meat, please," Robin smiled, taking a seat at the polished dining table.
"You got it! Leave it to me! Please, valued customers, relax and enjoy the ambiance!"
While Bardock and his crew enjoyed a warm, lively dinner, the Night Wolf Gang was already setting their deadly plan into motion.
"Take a good look at this photo," the same subordinate who had spoken to Oliver now stood before a room full of heavily armed thugs, his demeanor completely arrogant and authoritative. "He is the target."
He tossed the photo of Bardock onto the table. "The boy is to be eliminated completely. The two dwarves must be captured alive and brought back here unharmed. As for the woman with him... capture her if you can. If she puts up a fight, kill her too. They live in the affluent district, so this hit needs to be completely silent and professional! Do you understand?!"
"Understood!" the thugs roared back.
"The operation begins exactly at midnight! Eat your dinners and get some rest. Absolutely no alcohol, and no one leaves this compound until it's time! Dismissed!"
"Yes, sir!"