2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
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For the next month, Auguro stayed at the Twin Capes receiving training from Crocus.
To Crocus's immense surprise, Auguro's grasp of Observation Haki was exceptionally fast; he achieved the basic entry level in just one month!
"Your talent reminds me of Roger!" Crocus exclaimed with deep emotion.
"His Observation Haki could even reach the level of hearing the voice of all things. With your talent, you may be able to achieve that as well!"
Auguro offered a modest smile. Ultimately, Observation Haki is a form of perceptual ability. The stronger one's soul power, the stronger their perceptive abilities naturally become.
The soul power (Reiatsu) of a Shinigami (Soul Reaper) is definitely a cut above what's typically found in the One Piece world! Possessing Reiatsu made cultivating Observation Haki much more intuitive for him.
"Thank you for your guidance this past month, Senior! It's time for us to depart." Auguro stood up and gave Crocus a very solemn bow of gratitude.
Crocus nodded. "For a man like you, the Grand Line is your true stage! Go! I look forward to seeing the shock you bring to this world."
During this month, Auguro and his crew's bounty posters were released. As the captain, Auguro's bounty was a staggering 100 million Berries! Kuchiki Rukia was set at 80 million Berries, and Matsumoto Rangiku at 65 million Berries.
In reality, Auguro never fought in Loguetown, so the Marines didn't realize that his fighting strength was completely overshadowed by Rukia and Rangiku.
However, based on him being the captain, he was given the highest bounty. Hitting the 100 million mark on a first bounty made Auguro's name quickly spread throughout the Grand Line as a formidable newcomer.
After bidding farewell to Crocus, the group sailed past Reverse Mountain and into the Grand Line. Their destination was Jaya Island, but without a Log Pose, they had to follow the Log Pose, slowly accumulating the magnetic force from island to island along the route.
The long voyage at sea was often boring. But for Auguro, the past few days had been quite different.
At some point, Matsumoto Rangiku had quietly switched to a bikini swimsuit, spending every day sunbathing on deck. Her voluptuous figure was on full display to Auguro as she moved about. Although he knew he shouldn't stare, Auguro's gaze was constantly drawn back by some mysterious force.
Within two days, seemingly motivated by Rangiku, both Kuchiki Rukia and Nami also changed into swimsuits. While not as overtly hot as Rangiku's bikini, their outfits were charming in their own ways. Suddenly, the deck was a vibrant showcase of beauty, with each woman vying for attention.
Amidst this pleasant scenery, the ship arrived at a small island to replenish supplies. Inside a town restaurant, the group was eating and chatting casually.
Nami suddenly asked, "Lord Auguro, didn't we promise Mr. Crocus we'd rescue Brook? Why are we heading to Jaya Island first?"
Auguro chuckled. "Have you heard the legend of the El do Rado (Golden City)?"
"City of Gold? Isn't that just a story?" Nami was clearly familiar with the tale.
Auguro smiled mysteriously, lowering his voice. "It's not just a story, Nami. The City of Gold is real!"
"What?!" Nami gasped, her eyes immediately glowing with a brilliant golden light.
"Doesn't that mean there's a mountain of gold?! Lord Auguro, are we going to find the gold?"
"Hmm... you could say that." Auguro didn't deny it. After dealing with Enel and securing Skypiea (Sky Island), the City of Gold would definitely be theirs!
So, saying he was going for the gold was not wrong.
"Then let's finish eating and leave right away!"
Upon hearing about a massive treasure, the greedy Nami lost all interest in her meal and urged everyone to set sail immediately. The tale of Noland the Great Liar was dismissed as a fabrication by everyone else, but Nami instantly believed it, simply because the words came from Auguro!
Under Nami's repeated urging, the group hastily finished their meal and returned to the ship.
At this time, in a corner of the restaurant, two men, one fat and one thin, were whispering.
"Did you see them?"
"I did! That's the 100-million-Berry 'Noble Scion,' Sith Auguro! The 80-million-Berry 'Ice Queen,' Kuchiki Rukia! And the 65-million-Berry 'Smoke Siren,** Matsumoto Rangiku**!"
The fat man said excitedly, "They just said the City of Gold is real! We need to send this information back right away! That massive wealth—if the Organization (Baroque Works) gets it, it'll be a huge success!"
The thin man nodded vigorously.
"With that achievement, we can definitely get a massive promotion! We won't have to work ourselves to death gathering intel out here anymore!"
"Looking at their course, they should be heading straight toward Whiskey Peak! We'll catch them all there in one fell swoop!"
If Auguro had still been there, he would have known that these two were agents of the Baroque Works! Whiskey Peak was their base—it looked like a town welcoming pirates, but it was actually a trap designed to capture them. This time, they thought they had hooked a whale!
Alabasta, the Rainbase Casino.
Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was slowly sipping red wine in his private room.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a tall, beautiful woman with short black hair entered.
Crocodile frowned slightly.
"Nico Robin, what do you want?"
Robin offered a perfect but false smile. "An external informant sent back word: Sith Auguro is heading to Whiskey Peak shortly. And... they have confirmed intelligence on the City of Gold!"
Crocodile's expression changed slightly, and his back unconsciously straightened.
"The City of Gold? It's real?"
Robin's smile remained fixed.
"According to the intelligence, their current voyage is specifically to collect the treasure from the City of Gold!"
"The informants plan to capture them alive at Whiskey Peak and force them to divulge the gold's location. However, they are concerned about insufficient strength and are requesting backup from the Organization."
After all, this was a monster rookie whose first bounty was over 100 million Berries, accompanied by two other power users. The manpower at Whiskey Peak was indeed inadequate.
"See which of the Senior Officers has less urgent work and send them over! We must get the information about the City of Gold!" Crocodile was becoming visibly agitated.
To successfully steal the Kingdom of Alabasta, he had already used the Dance Powder for two years and expected to need one more!
Combined with the need to send agents across Alabasta to stir up dissent, create discord between the King and the people, and build his own image as a hero, money was flowing out like water! Otherwise, he wouldn't need Baroque Works to moonlight as bounty hunters and open a casino.
He was truly running out of funds! If he could secure the City of Gold, he would never have to worry about financing again!
"I understand. I will dispatch reinforcements immediately." Robin was not surprised by this outcome.
And so, as Auguro continued to close the distance to Whiskey Peak, a massive net was slowly being cast open for him.