One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

"Huh? No one's here?"

Kumo scratched his little head, confused as he stared at the small, lumpy tent in front of him.

Just then, Karina flashed a mischievous smile, reached into her ample cleavage, and pulled out a small whistle. Bringing it to her lips, she blew a series of sharp notes.

"Whistle~ whistle~"

The sound echoed through the surrounding forest, clear and penetrating, setting off a flurry of activity. Birds scattered, animals howled, and a cloud of dust rose as the local wildlife fled in panic.

A whistling sound sliced through the air, and soon, a slender boy riding a large bird appeared, carrying a massive sniper rifle on his shoulder. Landing with practiced ease, Eirin stopped about a hundred meters away from Natsu and the others, observing them with a cautious eye.

"Hey, Eirin! Long time no see!" Karina waved excitedly, grinning as she greeted the familiar face.

Eirin's face softened into a smile as he responded, "Yeah, it's been a while, Karina. You're looking even more beautiful." Clearly, the two shared a close bond.

Turning to Natsu, Karina introduced, "Captain Natsu, this is the person I told you about—the bounty hunter Nikola Eirin, a highly skilled sniper."

"Eirin, this is my captain, a pirate with a bounty of 300 million Berries," Karina continued, not yet aware of the crew's latest bounty increase.

Eirin's eyes widened as he took in Natsu's youthful face. Tightening his grip on his sniper rifle, he studied the young captain intensely, his eyes shining with admiration and a hint of challenge. This was the highest bounty he'd encountered; it made sense that such a powerful crew would come to his island.

"Three hundred million Berries? How strong is he, really?" Eirin muttered to himself, his lips curling with the desire to test himself.

"Want to find out?" Natsu smirked, taking a slow step forward. As he did, he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, flooding the clearing with a wave of pressure directed straight at Eirin. From Karina, Natsu had learned that Eirin harbored a grand ambition—to become the world's greatest sniper. Such ambition often pointed to hidden potential.

"What… what's happening?! My body's trembling, and I can't even muster the will to fight back!"

The overwhelming force of Natsu's Haki bore down on Eirin, who struggled to keep his gaze fixed on Natsu. A vision of blood-red waves flashed before his eyes, and he was struck by the realization of what it meant to face a pirate wanted by the World Government for 300 million Berries.

Beside him, the large bird Eirin had been riding—a majestic creature resembling a hawk—started to shake uncontrollably, its fierce gaze clouded with fear. After a few moments, the great bird collapsed to the ground with a crash, its eyes rolling back as it lost consciousness, leaving a plume of dust in its wake.

"Not bad!" Natsu said, withdrawing his Haki as he looked approvingly at Eirin, who had managed to remain standing. Although Natsu's Conqueror's Haki hadn't reached the terrifying level of Red-Haired Shanks, the fact that Eirin withstood it indicated strong potential.

"Hey, Big Blue, are you okay? Wake up!" Eirin hurried over to shake his bird, trying to revive it.

"Don't worry, it's just passed out," Natsu assured him.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Eirin," Natsu said, holding out his hand, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Join my crew. Be my sniper! Let's venture into the New World and shake things up together!"

"Wait… you're inviting me?"

"Absolutely. We came here specifically for you. Karina told me about your incredible sniping skills, and that little test just now proved you're qualified to join us."

After a moment's contemplation, Eirin's face lit up. "Alright, I accept! But you've got to teach me that move you just did. That was so cool!"

Natsu chuckled, seeing the enthusiasm in Eirin's eyes. "No problem, but only if you can learn it! Conqueror's Haki isn't something just anyone can pick up; it's a gift one in a million people possess."

"What? Seriously? Σ(°△°|||)" Eirin's eyes widened in shock, realizing the rarity of the skill he'd just witnessed.

"Hahaha! But even if you don't have Conqueror's Haki, you can still learn basic Haki. There are two other types—Observation Haki and Armament Haki. Blah, blah…"

Natsu launched into an explanation of Haki, and Eirin listened attentively, his interest intensifying when he heard that Haki could counter Devil Fruit abilities. Driven by his ambition to become the strongest sniper, Eirin eagerly soaked up every detail.

With their new crew member in tow and a fresh supply of provisions from the island's beasts, the Smile Pirates once again set sail, heading toward the New World.

Before they ventured into unknown waters, Natsu planned to pay a visit to Red-Haired Shanks. After all, as Luffy's older brother, he wanted to personally thank the man who had set Luffy on the path of piracy. Shanks, destined to be one of the Four Emperors of the New World, was someone Natsu admired.

It was the end of the year 1515 in the Sea Calendar, and Shanks was on the cusp of becoming one of the Four Emperors. Soon, the Navy, the World Government, the Four Emperors, and the Seven Warlords would enter a period of relative stability, each faction maintaining a delicate balance.

For Natsu, this was the perfect time to aim for a position among the Seven Warlords. With both Crocodile and Gecko Moria defeated, two positions had opened up, making the opportunity ripe for the taking.

The Seven Warlords, acknowledged pirates under the World Government's authority, enjoyed unique privileges and could carry out certain tasks with relative freedom.

…

On the Grand Line, a Navy warship marked with a dog head emblem was speeding toward Natsu's direction. Garp had returned to his usual self, lazily munching on donuts at the bow of the ship while dozing off.

On the deck behind him, a middle-aged man wearing an eye patch reclined on a deck chair, occasionally lifting his eye patch to yawn while gazing at the sky.

"Admiral, are you sure it's okay to be here?" a Navy soldier asked helplessly. As Garp's trusted aide, he knew this voyage was meant for Garp, the Navy's grandfather, to meet his grandson, the pirate. It was likely to unfold a scene reminiscent of a 'grandfather's kindness and grandson's filial piety.'

"Ah~ don't worry about me; I'm just here for a vacation," Aokiji waved his hand dismissively, appearing lethargic.

"Pop!"

A bubble burst from his nose as Garp rubbed his eyes and glanced at Aokiji without saying a word.

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