Little Chaikaf's face was dark with fury. As the son of Philip III Chaikaf, his original design had been to build a solid partnership with the newly emerging Sunagakure Pirates.
After all, the sheer potential displayed by Shiraishi's crew rendered them a force in the East Blue that simply could not be ignored.
This mobile sea fortress was a base Little Chaikaf had meticulously cultivated, housing various ongoing experimental projects left behind by the World Government years ago.
And now, it had been thoroughly destroyed by the Sunagakure Pirates...
An explosive surge of rage erupted within Little Chaikaf. He immediately ordered his subordinates and the royal guards stationed in the town to completely encircle Shiraishi's group.
"So, you've gone and brought trouble right to your doorstep," Moyard remarked, his expression turning sour.
He hadn't expected the shrine maiden of the Sunagakure Pirates to be so incredibly unyielding, firing an arrow that directly blew up the enemy's prized experimental ship.
"I simply didn't care for the atmosphere over there—it reeked of a sickening stench of blood," Kikyo replied, her expression icy. Though she knew she had drawn trouble toward Shiraishi's crew, she made her stance crystal clear.
Shiraishi, however, didn't mind in the slightest.
"In the past, I always emphasized that exercising restraint was the mark of a true ninja. But on these chaotic seas, mere restraint is never going to resolve certain issues."
As Shiraishi's voice faded, a beam of chilling light condensed at his fingertips, illuminating the entire town. As a grand pirate carrying a 50-million-Berry bounty, he had originally intended to keep a low profile while searching for a navigator. Now, it seemed keeping a low profile was off the table.
Seeing this, Uchiha Madara and Ace unleashed their respective abilities. In an instant, roaring, magnificent flames began to sweep across the island.
"We need to capture the master of that ship first," Unohana Retsu noted, her gaze locked onto the silver-haired young master fleeing from the burning vessel.
Hearing her words, a relentless wave of chill surged behind Shiraishi's back. The glittering frost and ice crystals refracted in mid-air, coalescing into a dazzling pair of icy wings.
Through a partial transformation of his Devil Fruit ability, Shiraishi simulated the wings of Articuno. The instant he swooped down to soar across the sky, he darted straight toward Little Chaikaf's ship.
What kind of ability is that?! He can even fly!
Moyard stared at the soaring figure in the distance, entirely at a loss for how to react. Although everything was moving toward a favorable outcome, the script had certainly taken a bizarre turn.
"Lord Chaikaf, someone is flying over!"
"It's the Sunagakure Pirates—shoot him down!"
With a contorted face, Little Chaikaf ordered an intense, frantic barrage of cannon fire toward Shiraishi. Yet the icy radiance emanating from Shiraishi's wings flash-froze every incoming shell mid-flight. As countless blocks of ice plummeted uselessly into the sea, Little Chaikaf's offensive collapsed entirely.
"So... can we have a proper talk now?"
Spreading his wings, Shiraishi landed abruptly on the deck. Though he offered an amiable smile, the surrounding crew members looked on with pure terror.
"I am Chaikaf Rostrel, a member of the royal Philip family!"
"A noble, are you?"
The Earl Pirates were indeed the royal guards of this kingdom, operating under the guise of pirates to conduct human experimentation and pillaging activities.
Observing Shiraishi's silence, Little Chaikaf raised his nose haughtily: "Regarding your crew's sudden assault today and the damage caused to our vessel... I can choose not to pursue it."
"Oh?"
"Provided the Sunagakure Pirates choose to merge into our Earl Pirates! Once combined, how about we set sail for the Grand Line together?"
Little Chaikaf's logic was simple. The Sunagakure Pirates possessed two rare Mythical Zoan users and a powerful archer. Paired with his family's prestige, they could easily make a name for themselves in the Grand Line, perhaps even rivaling his elder uncle.
"If you join us, I will grant you independent command of a pirate ship, making you its captain. Your companions will receive similar elite treatment as well."
As the entire Royal Army of Cartier began to converge on the town center, Little Chaikaf let out a cold chuckle. In his eyes, the Sunagakure Pirates had no alternative—they either surrendered or faced inevitable capture.
The overall military strength of the Cartier Kingdom ranked among the top tier in the East Blue. With tens of thousands of standing troops and a formidable naval fleet, Little Chaikaf felt absolutely certain he held Shiraishi's group in the palm of his hand.
"That truly sounds like a difficult choice... but you see, I have my own dreams," Shiraishi said with a faint grin.
"Who doesn't have dreams these days? But everyone ultimately has to bow to reality!" Little Chaikaf burst into laughter, his nose tipping higher in a display of mounting satisfaction. Subduing such an exceptional crew made the loss of a single experimental ship completely negligible.
"However..." Shiraishi mused, "you wouldn't be trying to trick me, capture me, and then hand me over to the Marines for the bounty, would you?"
"...The combined bounty of you two is barely 95 million Berries! What is that tiny amount of money to us?!"
"Is that so? But as far as I know, the Kingdom of Cartier's finances are poorly managed, and its wealth shrinks every year. In other words... shouldn't you be quite broke? How can you prove you're not deceiving me?"
Shiraishi's line of questioning wasn't without merit. Although the Cartier Kingdom constantly pleaded poverty to the World Government, they had secretly amassed an immense fortune in the shadows.
"We aren't poor at all! Look at this gem—it's exceptionally rare out there, easily worth hundreds of millions of Berries on the market!"
The moment Little Chaikaf produced a ring, a subtle smile touched Shiraishi's lips. He hadn't expected to find it so effortlessly without spending an ounce of energy.
"Is this gem really authentic...?"
"Of course it's real! If you don't believe me, step up and inspect it yourself!"
Behaving like an arrogant, wealthy second-generation heir, Little Chaikaf had zero guard up. He casually pulled the gemstone ring off his finger so Shiraishi could examine it up close.
Stepping further onto the deck, Shiraishi retracted his aura and approached Little Chaikaf at an unhurried pace: "Tsk, tsk... why does the color on this look a bit off?"
The deep purple gem was indeed entirely different from ordinary jewels. Little Chaikaf, however, wore a condescending expression, as if looking at an amateur: "While naturally occurring purple gems are rare, they are by no means non-existent."
"Well, that's certainly nice to know."
Shiraishi nodded, naturally receiving the ring from Little Chaikaf's hand. He examined it closely for a long moment, a genuine smile breaking across his face.
"So, what do you think? Have you made up your mind?"
"Let me think..."
"Could you give me back my ring first?"
After a moment of silence, Shiraishi gave him a surprised look: "What? Weren't you giving this gemstone ring to me as a gift?"
"I certainly was not! I merely let you look at it...!"
"Ah, but this gem belongs to me now." Shiraishi smiled naturally, showing zero self-awareness of having turned into a blatant highwayman.
A chilling silence instantly washed over the entire ship. Little Chaikaf's brain went completely blank, unable to process the situation.
With practiced fluidity, Shiraishi embedded the purple gem straight into his silver glove. In a flash, the internal system within the glove reactivated. Under a radiant, surging light, the silhouette of a second specialized creature manifested clearly upon the surface of the gem.
So it's Poison-type this time...
Waves of dense, terrifying Poison-type energy began to emanate from the purple gemstone, leaving even Shiraishi surprised by the sheer destructive potential of this Poison-type creature...
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