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

"Navigation complete. You have arrived at your destination, Loguetown. Please dock responsibly and be aware of vessels behind you!"

After three days of drifting, the Smile finally reached Loguetown—the birthplace and deathplace of Pirate King Gol D. Roger, and a pivotal location in the history of piracy.

Loguetown holds significant meaning for young pirates. Today, many famous strongmen of the seas have come here to witness the execution of the Pirate King and to see the hometown of the man who conquered the Grand Line.

This is the place where countless pirates' dreams begin, and it's also a site where the world quietly started to change.

Because of one sentence from Roger, the seas have become turbulent, heralding the dawn of the Great Pirate Era. This moment not only paved the way for a future peace but also brought more trouble to ordinary people. After all, most pirates do not engage in productive labor. With countless pirates flooding into the New World, they naturally resorted to plundering to supply themselves, often resorting to burning and killing.

"Attention, Vessel 356! Attention! Pirates have landed! It's the currently notorious Smile Pirate Crew, led by a captain with a bounty of 30 million berries."

"Received. Vessel 356, please keep a close watch. I will report this to Colonel Smoker!"

In a corner of Loguetown, a hidden naval officer reported the arrival of Natsu and his crew after observing them land. Natsu was already gaining some notoriety.

Indeed, with the powers of a Logia-type Devil Fruit, Colonel Smoker is nearly invincible in these waters of the East Blue, where few have mastered Haki. Since his appointment, incidents of lawlessness in Loguetown have significantly decreased.

Some unruly pirates who dared to land on the island were quickly dealt with and imprisoned for thought and labor education, making Loguetown a relatively safe place.

"Wow, this town is huge! Boss, I have to explore every corner of it!" The little one, with big eyes shining with excitement, had only ever seen the largest buildings in Windmill Village. Now, upon entering the bustling town and seeing cotton candy, they were utterly thrilled.

"Alright, explore to your heart's content, but don't forget to gather in the afternoon. There are even bigger places for you to enjoy in the future."

Natsu smiled and nodded in agreement, planning to visit the execution platform himself. After all, coming to the world of pirates, such a historic location deserved a commemorative photo. He made a mental note to take pictures wherever he went from now on.

Of course, he also wanted to complete the system's random check-in task.

[Random Task: Check in at the execution platform in Loguetown and experience the perspective of the Pirate King for one minute. Completion Reward: 1 Lottery Chance + 50 Points]

"Gin and Karina, you should also take a look around and see if you need anything. Let's regroup at the Smile's docking point in the afternoon."

After Natsu finished speaking, he waved goodbye and headed towards the execution platform, feeling a surge of excitement.

"Don't even think about running away, or I'll toss you into the sea to feed the fish~," Gin coldly glanced at Karina, saying this expressionlessly.

"Of course, I won't run away! I, Karina, am the most trustworthy thief!" Gin's icy tone startled Karina. After spending a few days together, she realized that he was as unyielding as ever, except when it came to Natsu, treating everyone else as if they owed him billions of berries.

Following the principle of "survival through intelligence," Karina never let herself be at a disadvantage. After all, Natsu had seized all her hard-earned treasure, and she needed to find a way to reclaim it.

Meanwhile, in the office of Colonel Smoker in Loguetown...

A navy soldier rushed in, panting heavily, nearly choking on the smoke that filled the room. There, a man sat shirtless, puffing on two cigars.

"Colonel Smoker! It's bad news! The new pirate crew that defeated the Black Cat Pirates has landed, and since their captain has a bounty of 30 million berries, it's something only you can handle!"

The soldier hurriedly began explaining. That's right—after defeating the Black Cat Pirates, Natsu's bounty had indeed risen to 30 million berries, while Gin had also received a bounty of 12 million berries. As for Kumo, he had a mere 100 berries—still considered high because of his beastly identity. If he were a "raccoon," it would be lucky to reach 50.

"What's all this racket about?! Getting worked up over such a small matter isn't acceptable! I have my own methods. Since I took office, has any pirate ever escaped?" Smoker frowned, turned away, and opened the window, allowing the smoke to drift out. He then picked up the bounty poster for a look.

"30 million berries? That's quite high!"

After all, this was the East Blue, a remote sea known as "the weakest sea." Such a bounty was nearly at its peak; anything higher would be from the Grand Line.

Smoker casually grabbed his clothes from the table, equipped himself with Seastone weapons, and walked out of the office, two cigars still in his mouth.

More than just the high bounty, Smoker was intrigued by Natsu's name—Monkey D. Natsu. It was an unexpected coincidence to share a surname with the naval hero, but he wondered if there was any connection.

Meanwhile, at the secret base of Ace and Luffy on Goru-Po Mountain...

Ace held Natsu's bounty poster, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"Ace! Ace! Natsu is amazing! His bounty has already reached 30 million berries in such a short time! I can do it too!"

Luffy looked up, fixated on the bounty amount, and declared with confidence.

"Of course! We will definitely become great pirates!"

"Luffy, keep training. Natsu said that Haki is the true means of becoming a real strongman. We've only mastered the first stage; it's still far from enough."

While Luffy was thrilled, Ace was more focused on his strength. Natsu's earlier teachings had ignited a stronger desire in Ace to become powerful.

"Wait for me, Ace!" Luffy jumped up, running after Ace. He was determined to train hard, or else being hit by Ace's Haki would be too painful.

Back in Loguetown...

Natsu entered a small tavern, pushing open the rickety door.

"Creeeak~"

"Boss, give me a barrel of rum!"

"Hmm, this isn't a place for a kid like you. Hurry up and leave."

"This is where the Pirate King Roger used to frequent, right? Old man, kicking me out like this isn't how you treat guests!" Natsu was unfazed, taking a seat at the counter.

"Oh? You know a lot! Looks like you're a pirate too?"

"Hehe, of course! Old man, hurry up with that rum! I want to visit the execution platform. As the initiator of the Great Pirate Era, I must raise a glass in honor! If I'm late, it'll be a problem since I need to set sail with my crew again in the afternoon. After all, the New World is where I really belong!"

"Interesting little brat, just wait!" The old man slowly retrieved a barrel of rum from the shelf.

"Goodbye, old man!" Natsu took the barrel, dropped some berries on the counter, and waved as he prepared to leave.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?"

"Monkey D. Natsu!"