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Paradise. Near the Calm Belt.
A group of super-large Sea Kings were playing in the water.
"Woooooooooom..."
Suddenly, a deep cry echoed from within the Calm Belt, its piercing sound scattering the Sea Kings in terror.
A warship, flying a black dragon flag, shot out from the Calm Belt at a speed of no less than 50 knots.
Jin had taken the Calm Belt route from the East Blue, using the opportunity to conduct a detailed exploration of the area, searching for islands and having Ai map the currents. He intended to find a new route from the Conomi Islands, through the Calm Belt, to Drum Island.
Paradise, the East Blue, and the South Blue were all in the same hemisphere, separated by two straight lines of the Calm Belt.
But the lack of wind was only one of the problems. The more dangerous one was the super-large Sea Kings that inhabited the Calm Belt, creatures hundreds, even thousands of meters long.
Marine warships could traverse the Calm Belt using a combination of steam power, Seastone plating, and sonic deterrents. There were also special ships, like those of Amazon Lily, that were pulled by sea beasts.
"Airplanes and airships don't have those limitations..."
Jin mused. "But that kind of technology would have a huge impact on the world. For now, I need to keep it under wraps, wait for the right moment. The base in Cocoyasi Village is primarily for training pilots, and low-altitude aircraft already exist in this world. If I keep a low profile, it shouldn't attract too much attention. But once I start using them for cargo transport... that's a different story. That would step on the toes of a lot of major shipping companies. Perhaps, after Kuro and the others are finished, I can build another airport within the Calm Belt, to build up a reserve of trained personnel... Also, to get from the Calm Belt to Drum Island, I'll need to cross at least four islands on one of the four routes. They're all controlled by different powers. I'll need to 'clear' a path between them, connecting them with Log Poses. I don't have to do it myself. I can delegate it to Wilson, Law, Reiju, and Robin. The militia has been training for long enough. It's time to test them in real combat, see if any of them have what it takes to lead."
Inside the conning tower, Jin was drafting a three-year plan.
Three years.
Just in time for the Summit War.
The beginning of a new era.
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The sky was a brilliant blue, the sea calm. A dilapidated sloop drifted on the water.
Not long ago, it had been through a brutal battle.
A tattered pirate flag hung from its mast.
The hull was riddled with cannonball holes and sword gashes. It was taking on water, groaning and creaking with every swell, looking as if it might fall apart at any moment.
"Ah... we're alive," one of the dozen or so pirates on deck said, a look of pure, unadulterated joy on his face. They were sitting in pools of blood, the bodies of their crewmates lying around them.
"That Hancock... she's a monster!"
"The Grand Line is terrifying. The South Blue is nothing compared to this."
"Dammit! Even the captain was defeated!"
"Captain! Captain Foxy! Pull yourself together..."
The crew was still shaken.
They were the Foxy Pirates, and they had only just arrived in the Grand Line.
Their captain was "Silver Fox" Foxy, user of the Paramecia Slow-Slow Fruit, with a bounty of 24,000,000 Berries.
In the South Blue, it had been smooth sailing.
But they had been in the Grand Line for less than two weeks, and their first opponent had been one of the Seven Warlords, Boa Hancock.
No, the proud Pirate Empress hadn't even deigned to fight them herself. Her underlings had been more than enough.
Foxy had been seriously injured, and they had lost half their crew. If it hadn't been for a sudden storm, they would have been completely wiped out.
"Let's go back," Foxy said, his voice laced with despair. He had a split afro, a long nose, and a foxy face. His sideburns were thick, and he wore a purple fur coat. "The Grand Line isn't for us."
He was covered in bandages, his face unshaven. The confident swagger he'd had when he'd first entered Paradise was gone.
He had come in search of the great treasure, of wealth, fame, and glory.
But the reality of the Grand Line was a cruel one.
Every year, new pirates from the Four Blues poured into the Grand Line.
And every year, there were those like Foxy, who lost their will to fight and gave up on their dreams.
And many more who simply lost their lives.
"Don't be silly, Captain Foxy!" a blue-haired woman named Porche cooed. "How can you give up so easily? Think about it! We're the pirate crew that escaped from a Warlord!"
She was a smart woman, well-versed in the art of reading people.
"Are you really going to leave like this, Captain?" another crewman said. "Porche is right! We escaped from a Warlord! That's something to be proud of!"
Foxy's eyes lit up.
That's right! Losing to a Warlord wasn't shameful at all!
He felt his confidence returning. He stood up, hands on his hips.
"Porche is right!" he declared. "Losing to the Pirate Empress is not a disgrace—it is the Foxy Pirates' greatest honor! Fuhfehfehfeh! Alright, men! We're not going back! First, we find an island, repair the ship, and recruit some new crew members..."
"YEAH!!!"
The crew's spirits were lifted.
But just as they were cheering, the ship let out a final, agonizing groan.
"It's no good! The ship is sinking! Lower the lifeboats...!"
After a frantic scramble, the dozen or so survivors were crammed into two small lifeboats, the tattered pirate flag still flying proudly from a piece of wreckage.
They began to row.
But they couldn't keep it up for long. Just as Foxy was about to sink back into despair...
"Hey! Captain Foxy! A ship! Off in the distance!"
"A ship??" Foxy snatched the spyglass.
It looked like a merchant ship from some kingdom.
"It's a gift from the heavens!" Porche's eyes gleamed.
"Captain! If we can take that ship, we can start over!"
"They must have food!"
"And fresh water!"
The pirates, exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, licked their lips, their eyes shining with a predatory light.
"Charge!" Foxy roared. "Let the Foxy Pirates set sail once more!"
With a burst of adrenaline, they began to row, the two small boats skimming across the water toward the larger vessel.
As they drew closer, Porche, who was keeping an eye on the other ship, began to make out the details of its flag.
Her beautiful eyes widened in horror.
The black dragon...
"STOP! EVERYONE, STOP!" she shrieked.
"Eh?"
"Why?"
"What is it, Porche?"
She pointed at the flag, her voice trembling with fear. "It's... the black dragon flag! The Executioner of Hannabal! The King of the Winter Blossom Kingdom...!"
"EH??!!"
"WHAT?"
"The king who defeated the Warlord Hanafuda??"
Without waiting for an order, the two lifeboats were rowing backward, moving even faster in retreat than they had in their charge.
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