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

Under the setting sun, two pirate ships, one large and one small, were moving forward at a steady pace. Little White and Little Gold, feeling the excitement of truly being aboard, happily rolled around on the deck, curiously looking around at everything, much like Kumo when they first boarded.

Perhaps friendship is really this simple. Soon, Little White and Little Gold had integrated into the team, playing games with Eirin and Noriyuki, although Enel, as a god, maintained a certain level of dignity and refused to engage in such childish behavior.

"Hmph, if you're not joining, then forget it! I don't need you to play with me!" Kumo, with a sly glint in its eyes, snorted and proudly declared.

Three days later, in the Riot Sea, the Smile ship slowly docked along the coastline. Jack's pirate ship also came to a smooth halt under Noriyuki's skilled navigation.

"Bru Bru! Bru Bru!"

"Gin, we're back! Send people to distribute the weapons and equipment!" Natsu took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number. During the past few days of travel and adventure, Gin had already sent over a report on the island's general situation, so Natsu knew that there were about three to five hundred members there.

"Got it, Captain, I'll send them over right away!" Gin answered quickly, his voice full of familiarity and warmth. Over the past few days, he'd been managing everything on the island, constantly worried about whether things were up to Natsu's standards. Now that Natsu had returned, he could finally relax and focus on his role as an executor—this was a relief!

"Captain Natsu's back? Gin, big bro!" A newly joined non-core member of the Smile Pirates excitedly approached with a serious question.

"Yeah, he's back. Go gather everyone and head to the eastern coast; the captain said he brought back a lot of weapons!" Gin instructed.

"Whoo-hoo! Brothers, Captain Natsu's back, and he's at the east coast! Let's go!"

The pirates, upon hearing Gin's command, cheered loudly. Their excited voices echoed across the land, and all the pirates, who had been busy working, stopped and looked up with bright, eager eyes.

"Did you say Captain Natsu's back?"

"No way, the legendary rookie captain's really back?"

"Is it true?"

...

Everyone was excited, asking questions, as they had joined the Smile Pirates and were working to build a town on this deserted island because of Natsu's power and his title as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Now that the leader had returned, they were eager to meet him.

Led by Gin, the group marched swiftly towards Natsu, their pace quickening as they stirred up dust behind them.

"(⊙o⊙) Wow, so many people! Are all these people from our Smile Pirates? Gin's amazing!" Kumo hopped up and down with excitement as they noticed the increasing number of people. It felt that its role as the vice-captain was becoming more important, and its little eyes twinkled, perhaps scheming something.

"Whoo-hoo~"

Finally, everyone reached Natsu. Although they were a bit tired from rushing, they all eagerly looked towards Natsu.

"Wow, it really is him!" One pirate stared at the bounty poster in his hand in awe. After multiple comparisons, he confirmed Natsu's identity.

"I finally get to meet him, my idol! The man who stole the golden treasure from the heavens!"

"Yo-ho, Captain Natsu! You're my goal in life!"

...

"Alright, quiet down!" Hearing the loud noise from the crowd, Natsu raised his hand to signal for silence, ready to begin his speech. Ahem, time to make grand promises.

"Hello, everyone. I am Natsu, captain of the Smile Pirates. Since you've all chosen to join us, we are now one family. We share our fortune and hardships together. From now on, let's build a name for the Smile Pirates on these seas!"

"I have only one rule: the Smile Pirates never betray our comrades! If you do, I'll personally hunt you down to the ends of the Earth. Even if you hide in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, there will be no escape!" Natsu's face turned serious as he began his speech. The Smile Pirates don't just value strength in their members—they also prioritize loyalty, especially towards those who stab others in the back. No matter how strong, such people would never be accepted.

"The Smile Pirates never betray our comrades!" Kumo shouted loudly, raising a fist in agreement.

"The Smile Pirates never betray our comrades!"

"The Smile Pirates never betray our comrades!"

...

The chorus of voices echoed across the land, with every member's face flushed with excitement. In these seas, where the strong rule and no one cares for the weak, Natsu's declaration resonated deeply with the hearts of many, giving them a sense of security they had never felt before.

"Alright, alright, everyone quiet down. Now, line up and start moving the weapons into the warehouse!" Natsu clapped his hands and gave orders.

"Weapons?!"

"Hey, this flag looks so familiar. Where have I seen it before?"

The newly joined pirates stared at the flag of Jack's pirate ship, murmuring in confusion, scratching their heads, unable to recall where they had seen it.

"This looks like the flag of the Beast Pirates. Look at the ship's bow—doesn't it look exactly like Jack the Drought's ship!" Finally, a pirate with a sharp eye spoke up. The Beast Pirates, part of the Yonko's fleet, were something every rookie pirate entering the New World learned about, because if you angered them, there would be no place to hide in the New World.

"Just get to work, don't make a fuss. It's just a Yonko warship, nothing special!" Kumo, though excited, feigned annoyance and gave a lesson to everyone. If one wanted to compete for the position of vice-captain, they had to start from the bottom and establish themselves first, even if it meant giving others a little reminder.

"A Yonko warship?!"

A series of question marks appeared in the minds of the pirates. Could it be that their pirate crew was so strong that they were unafraid of the Four Emperors?

Two hours later, everyone had finished distributing the firearms. Gin led the way as he showed Natsu and Kumo around the island, where they were met with newly constructed high-rise houses and shops, which everyone was very pleased with.

...

Three days later, while Natsu was diligently training, he received a letter, a pitch-black envelope with no designs or writing on it.

Rip!

Natsu tore open the envelope, revealing a letter inside—an invitation to a Dark World auction.

"The Dark World? If I remember correctly, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Doflamingo, is part of it, and the great newsman Morgans is also involved," Natsu thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. After some consideration, he decided to go take a look, since in the Dark World Auction House, both legal and illegal transactions could take place.

"In the Dark World, aside from interests, nothing else is trustworthy."

"The Dark World, here I come!"

To be continued...

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