One Piece: Pirate Code

When Barbarossa attacked the cargo ship carrying Edmond and Valon, he faced almost no significant resistance. Edmond was cast into the sea, and Valon lost his life. This outcome revealed the underestimated strength of William's group. After all, Barbarossa couldn't have foreseen William being a time traveler, let alone view him as a worthy opponent.

The vast ocean, even in the weakest East Blue, hosts hundreds of pirate groups. Barbarossa, reigning supreme in these waters for years, had made countless enemies, large and small. He couldn't possibly deal with all of them individually.

At this point, William and his group had clearly fallen into the category of "not worth the trouble" for Barbarossa.

This worked in William's favor, as he planned to change his name and join Barbarossa's pirate crew to gather intelligence.

When Gin heard William's plan, he immediately opposed it:

"It's too dangerous! You heard what that pirate named Ward said—Barbarossa's powers specifically counter our swordsmanship."

According to Ward, "Redbeard" Barbarossa possessed the powers of the Fur-Fur Fruit, a Devil Fruit ability that allowed him to control the growth of his body hair at will and alter its texture. When necessary, his hair could become as hard as steel. Valon had been easily defeated by this power. Against a different ability, Valon might not have lost so quickly, even if he wasn't a match.

Aramis and Edmond nodded in agreement with Gin's concerns.

Due to their collaboration with a key figure in the Kingdom of Navia, Barbarossa and his Redbeard Pirates avoided large-scale looting of villages and docks in the kingdom. Instead, they targeted rival merchant ships as directed by their ally. William's smuggling operations, rooted within Navia, meant the chances of running into someone familiar with him at the docks were slim but not impossible.

"We have to find out who's backing Barbarossa," William said as he lit a cigarette. Understanding his companions' concerns, he patiently explained while organizing his thoughts. "This person must hold significant power in the Kingdom of Navia. Not only can they provide Barbarossa with information about merchant ships, but they can also manipulate officials in the capital to arrest the leader of a regional merchant guild. And don't forget, when Edmond returned to Redleaf Village, he encountered a naval patrol. That means Barbarossa's backers likely include someone in the navy. We need to uncover the truth. Otherwise, defeating the Redbeard Pirates will mean nothing."

"Damn those seagulls!" Aramis cursed.

The navy—or any official authority—was far more troublesome than an illegal group like the Redbeard Pirates.

A pirate crew was an independent force. While Barbarossa might be far stronger than William, humanity's advantage over beasts lies in intelligence. Lions and tigers, ten times stronger and more ferocious than humans, ultimately end up caged and ridiculed.

If William's sole goal were to kill Barbarossa, there were many methods and strategies he could employ. Killing Barbarossa would likely dismantle the pirate crew, which relied heavily on his charisma and reputation.

Official forces like the navy, however, were a different story. Even the weakest naval officer held authority as part of the navy's larger structure. Killing a major might bring a captain, and defeating a captain could summon a vice admiral. The navy, though regionally independent, represented the World Government.

William didn't fear the corrupt, inept naval officers in the branch divisions but rather the overarching authority of the navy and the World Government.

After explaining this, Edmond declared, "If that's the case, let me go instead!"

"How would you even get on their ship? Redbeard's men may underestimate us, but they're not blind. Plenty of them have seen you. You'd be walking into your death," William replied with a raised brow.

Gin opened his mouth to volunteer, but William, as if anticipating this, cut him off before he could speak: "This is something I must do myself."

Neither Aramis nor Edmond could be entrusted with such a task. While Gin was steady, he lacked experience and adaptability. On Barbarossa's ship, anything could happen, and William wouldn't have the opportunity to guide Gin through unforeseen situations. Gin simply wasn't equipped to handle such circumstances.

"This mission doesn't end with infiltrating Barbarossa's ship," William said firmly. "We need to uncover who's collaborating with Barbarossa and gather intelligence on the Devil Fruits. You'll provide support from the ground."

William knew the risks but believed that if he wasn't willing to take them, he had no business venturing into the seas.

After further refining their plans, William sent Aramis and Edmond away, keeping Gin behind.

As Edmond left the hallway, he glanced back to see William giving Gin instructions. Gin's expression was serious as he nodded repeatedly.

William's assumption wasn't entirely accurate. The reason Barbarossa hadn't focused on them wasn't just because he deemed them too weak to be worth his attention.

The real reason lay with Count Arcadio, the mastermind behind the attack. His target from the start was the Golden Flash Trading Company—or, more precisely, the well-established local trade network behind it.

With his immense power, Count Arcadio had no interest or patience in building such a network from scratch. He chose to seize it by force. The attack on Edmond and Valon was merely a show of strength, as he mistakenly believed the smuggling operation was run by the Golden Flash Trading Company.

In a bustling town in Navia, Sherlock, stepping out of the Golden Flash Trading Company headquarters, looked visibly troubled.

If William or Gin had seen him, they would have been shocked.

Sherlock, once a carefree and somewhat unruly man, now wore silver-rimmed glasses, his hair neatly combed back, and an impeccably tailored suit without a single crease.

The locals knew, even if William didn't, that Sherlock's current appearance was identical to that of his late father.

Both William and Sherlock sought to stabilize their respective territories.

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