One Piece: Pirate Code

The captain's quarters of Barbarossa's ship were located beneath the aft deck, resulting in poor lighting. Sunlight entered only through a few narrow windows, leaving the room dim even during the day. However, as the leader's quarters of a pirate crew, the space was significantly more spacious and comfortable than what the regular crew had. It was lavishly decorated, exuding an air of extravagance.

When William entered the room, his feet sank into a soft carpet. He noticed a cabinet stocked with fine wines, a wooden bed draped with a velvet coverlet, and even a luxurious bathtub—an outrageous indulgence for a ship.

Barbarossa, the room's owner, sat behind a large desk. Mounted on the wall behind him was the ferocious head of a brown bear.

The captain himself was a burly man with an odd appearance, as if deliberately cosplaying a stereotypical pirate. His beard was still damp, evidence of a recent bath.

The layout of Barbarossa's quarters, combined with Rhys bringing only one man aboard and personally reporting to him, clearly demonstrated the captain's solid control over his crew.

Rhys guided William to Barbarossa, recounting the events at the tavern. The captain showed little enthusiasm for William's combat skills, exuding confidence in his own power. However, when Rhys mentioned William's navigation abilities, Barbarossa's expression grew serious.

William sighed inwardly—indeed, having many skills always comes in handy when you least expect it.

"Navigation, you say? Not bad," Barbarossa said with a hearty laugh. "This will make things easier for Halding."

He turned to Halding, a sailor with a scarred, asymmetrical face, and said, "Take him with you tonight for navigation. If he performs well, you can split shifts for leading the ship."

Halding scrutinized William briefly before asking a few navigation-related questions. Satisfied with William's answers, he nodded in agreement.

Barbarossa then asked William why he had chosen to board a pirate ship. William, familiar with the routine, performed a convincing act, repeating the fabricated tale he'd told Rhys. Barbarossa, unsuspecting, then ordered an old pirate named Hutchinson to show William around the ship while he discussed matters privately with Rhys and Halding.

That night, William joined Halding in navigating the ship. It was a simple task for William. Seeing his competence, Halding irresponsibly left him alone with the sextant and went to sleep.

Navigating through the night was tedious. William stayed up until dawn, only relieved when Halding finally returned. Exhausted, William stumbled back to his cabin and collapsed onto the hammock, falling into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, William found himself back at the Plaza of Fate. The space had not changed much recently, except for the addition of a new path. An inscription on a stone monument marked its entrance.

Approaching the monument, William read the engraving:

Avenger

"Revenge is like fine wine, intoxicating and sweet. The flames of hatred in your heart can only be extinguished with blood. Conceal your identity, locate your enemies' masterminds, and eliminate them."

Mastermind: "Redbeard" Barbarossa (Alive)

Other masterminds: Unknown.

Reward: Special ability, "Heightened Vigilance."

William noted how the paths of fate seemed increasingly arduous and time-consuming. Initially, the most challenging tasks involved becoming the captain of a small pirate crew. Now, assassinating a notorious pirate of the East Sea was just one part of a mission.

It also appeared that accessing a new path required more than the lines of fate forming a monument. A trigger was needed in reality to reveal the path and its mission.

In this case, William's infiltration of a mastermind's crew had likely activated the new path.

The early safety nets of these "requirements" were gone, replaced by a higher degree of difficulty in finding a path aligned with his desires.

Still, as William gazed at the broader road before him, he felt it might symbolize the vast potential of his future.

Taking a bold step forward, the plaza behind him was once again shrouded in darkness. How long it would take for the Plaza of Fate to reappear—and what new surprises it would bring—remained unknown.

When William woke, it was to the noise of his cabinmate, Klo, bustling around.

Klo, who had once enjoyed the rare luxury of a private cabin, was now forced to share. On a space-limited ship, this was a privilege hard to come by. His disdain for pirates, combined with his disrupted accommodations, ensured he had no kind words for William.

Unfortunately for Klo, the "Stolt" persona William had adopted wasn't one to take things lying down.

With a loud thwack, William grabbed a heavy wooden cup and hurled it at Klo's back. Klo barely dodged, but the cup struck the edge of a water basin, spilling its contents all over him.

"You!"

Klo turned angrily, only to see William, now fully awake, jumping from his hammock with his curved blade in hand, glaring back at him.

Under normal circumstances, William wouldn't confront someone directly. If he wanted revenge, it would be subtle and unseen. But as "Stolt," a greenhorn pirate lacking experience and guile, a different approach was necessary.

From his observations and Rhys's descriptions, it was clear that Barbarossa had little tolerance for Klo's associations with external factions.

William had overheard the older crew talking last night and learned much about Klo's...

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