Chapter 15
This era was one of surging waves and chaos on the seas.
Three veteran sea emperors dominated the forefront, while behind them rose ambitious upstarts like Rocks D. Xebec.
Their overwhelming power left even Fleet Admiral Kong feeling a rare sense of helplessness.
As Kong pondered his next move,
a knock came at the door.
"Come in."
Kong steadied his expression and waited.
A beautiful female Marine with a black ponytail entered, arms full of documents.
It was Tsuru.
Kong's stern face softened into a kind smile.
"Tsuru? What brings you here?"
Tsuru's expression turned serious as she reported.
"Intelligence just came in from our undercover agent in the Rocks Pirates."
"Golden Lion Shiki has joined the Rocks Pirates!"
"What?! Golden Lion Shiki joined Rocks?!"
Kong shot to his feet, eyes blazing with fury.
The Rocks Pirates had already become a nightmare after recruiting Edward Newgate. Now, with Shiki added to their ranks, their strength had grown even more terrifying.
"Raise Rocks' bounty to 800 million Berries!"
"Edward Newgate's bounty to 600 million Berries."
"And Golden Lion Shiki—set his at 700 million Berries."
"Tsuru, how are Garp and Sengoku progressing?"
Tsuru answered honestly.
"The same as always—training every day and hunting pirates. Both have already reached Vice Admiral level."
Hearing of their rapid growth, Kong finally exhaled in relief.
"That's excellent. Tell them to keep pushing."
"The future of the Marines rests on those two."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral."
South Blue – open sea.
News of Vilin annihilating Colonel Colin's entire South Blue branch fleet spread like wildfire.
His bounty jumped from 30 million to 50 million Berries.
From this moment, Aitrias Vilin's name began to echo across the seas.
Vilin only learned of it when Annie brought him the latest World Economic Journal.
He skimmed the headlines, then shrugged indifferently.
His focus these days was entirely on physical training.
"Vilin, looks like we're almost at the next island."
Annie stretched lazily on deck, bored of watching him train.
"Hm. We've been at sea for a full month now."
"Supplies are running low—we need to restock."
Seeing the eager sparkle in her eyes, Vilin reached over and gently pinched her soft cheek.
"Eww~ Stop that!"
Annie rubbed her slightly reddened cheek, glaring at him with mock resentment.
Just another small, playful moment to break the monotony of sea life.
After another day of smooth sailing,
the Flying Bird approached a new island.
Lame Island One of the more prosperous islands near Rommel Kingdom. A major commercial hub and transit center, bustling with trade.
Early morning.
As usual, Annie climbed to the crow's nest to watch the sunrise.
Soon she spotted a dark speck on the horizon.
Curious, she raised the monocular telescope.
A vibrant, lively island came into view.
"Wow! Vilin—we've reached Lame Island!"
Excited, she scrambled down, cheering and running circles on deck.
Vilin, jolted from his dreams by her voice, stepped out of the captain's cabin yawning.
He looked ahead and smiled at the sight of the bustling port.
With careful steering, the Flying Bird docked in a quiet corner.
Vilin dropped anchor, then wrapped an arm around Annie's slim waist and leaped lightly to shore.
On Lame Island,
the pair was immediately captivated by the island's energy.
They wandered naturally toward the central district.
When they passed a beautifully decorated restaurant,
both swallowed in unison at the mouthwatering aromas wafting out.
Vilin decided they deserved a proper meal.
"Welcome, sir and madam—are you here to dine?"
A beautiful waitress approached with a warm smile.
"Yes."
Vilin returned the smile.
"Right this way, please."
The young woman swayed her hips enticingly as she led them to a cozy window-side table for two.
She pulled a warm menu from her chest pocket and handed it to Vilin with a playful wink.
Vilin scanned the page.
"We'll take one of everything."
The waitress's eyes brightened at his casual extravagance.
"Of course, handsome sir."
She threw him another flirtatious glance before reluctantly turning toward the kitchen, hips swaying.
"Keep staring and your soul might get stolen by that little vixen."
Annie huffed, arms crossed.
Vilin had no defense.
It wasn't that he lacked resolve—it was just that temptation was… very tempting.
Maybe it's time to recruit a female crew member.
Service here was impressively fast.
In just half an hour, the entire order arrived.
A table laden with fragrant, colorful dishes.
Both swallowed hard.
Vilin reached for a golden-roasted drumstick.
One bite, and rich flavors exploded across his tongue.
He couldn't help closing his eyes in bliss.
Seeing him start, Annie grabbed a slice of cake and stuffed it in her mouth.
The mountain of food vanished quickly in their enthusiastic competition.
Once full,
Vilin leisurely sipped lemon water to cleanse his palate.
"The food here is really something."
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