NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 1
Six years later... (Seven years before the start of the Canon Storyline)
On the Island that was once the Knowledge Hub of the entire world, stood a group of seven people, looking intently at the remains of the dead Tree of Knowledge.
The young man, who looked to be around twenty years old, wearing a long, open black coat with silver lightning-patterned sleeves and collar, stood in front with his little sister by his side.
His red, fitted shirt, with the top two buttons open, highlighted his muscular lithe figure to the allure of all the ladies. His black pants were tucked inside his high boots, which covered nearly all of his shins. On his waist was a decorated golden belt, that held a Dagger on the left and a pistol on the right. And on his back was a long Odachi with a black draconic pommel that attracted all eyes to it.
The group stood there in a moment of silence to let their Captain, and the first Vice-Captain pay their respects to their fallen kin.
It had been six years since the mysterious disappearance of the three Marine Galleons in the West Blue, and the wanted Nico Robin was now presumed dead by most if not all. There had been no sightings of her in these six years, and even if someone did recognize her, they did not live to tell the tale.
Sin placed his black captain's hat back on his head and took a deep breath.
It would always remain his greatest regret that he failed to save his step-mother, Nico Olivia, who had raised him as her own child and loved him dearly. But he promised himself that he would make all those responsible for Ohara's destruction pay with their lives.
"Everyone," He turned around and addressed his crew, who would officially start their Journey today as Pirates, and with him as their Captain. "I know I don't need to say this to you, but I will still warn you one last time." He seriously looked each of them in the eyes. "Following me on this journey means that you would be the enemies of all of the world. Be it the World Government or the Pirates, everyone will be after us, and we will have to look death right in the eyes several times and survive. But playing with death is a dangerous game. If you fear for your lives, leave now."
His words brought some terrifying smiles to the faces of his crew.
The white Bear Mink, who usually behaved meek and quiet, had an eerie smirk on his face. And the ever stoic and silent Law was madly grinning back at him.
They were the youngest of the Crew, and both had lost their family. The former wanted to live the dream of his late brother, the latter wanted to avenge the person who had given his life to save his.
Augur looked at Sin with a light smile, but that smile conveyed his resolve that he would never back down on his oath. He had already pledged his entire life in service of him, and he would follow him until his last day.
"Sometimes you talk too much." The long pink-haired girl with a pink lipstick pouted at him, but her eyes were determined to follow him to the ends of the world.
"I know, Bonney." He chuckled at her and then turned to look at the face of the girl, who was perhaps the most beautiful girl in existence, standing a few inches over six feet in height. She was Boa Hancock, a girl he had rescued form a Slave Ship headed to Sabaody Archipelago. Unlike her sisters, who decided to head back to Amazon Lily, Hancock followed the siblings and never really stated the reason why she did it.
"Hmph.. I am the Vice-Captain of the Crew. You won't survive a day without me." She haughtily commented, but her smiling eyes were affectionately looking at him.
"Of course, we wont." He smirked at her.
Bepo, Trafalgar Law, Van Augur, Jewellery Bonney, and Boa Hancock. He had met them all in the last six years under different circumstances. Each of them had their own dreams and goals, but all of them decided to follow him and Robin to achieve them. It helped that nearly all of them had common enemies, and they couldn't wait to get back at them.
"What's going to be the name of our Crew, Captain?" Bepo excitedly asked, and everyone turned to look at the pair of siblings to reveal the flag and the name they were going to sail under.
Robin stepped forward and unwrapped the flag that she had prepared in the last few days, revealing their Jolly Roger to the crew.
It was a smiling skull with blue lightning bolts in place of the common cross-bones. Both its hollow eyes were burning in a black flame with small silvery-blue flames forming its pupils. And on its head was a grey crown with a black star crested on it that seemed to be stained with blood.
"We are going to be known as the Blackstar Pirates," Robin informed them.
It was not hard for them to guess after seeing the flag, and they all felt that it quite suited them.
Returning to their Ship, which seemed to be made out of mysterious black wood, and stood hauntingly proud in the waters, they could not help but be in awe of its majesty once more. It was much bigger than a standard galleon, too big for their crew of seven, but it was the ship that they had spent over 600 Million Berries on. And 400 Million of it was just the fee of the Shipwrights they hired from Water Seven.
The blueprint and the wood were provided by Sin, who had found them on one of the islands in the sky. The Shipwrights acknowledged that the wood was on par with the famed Adam's Wood, and the Blueprint was something they had never before seen.
After the ship was prepared, another 200 Million Berries were spent on layering the bottom of the ship with Sea Prism Stone, which were acquired through the underworld channels, and now it could sail through the Calm Belt just like the Marine Ships without being endangered by the terrifying creatures that lived in those waters.
Sin had named it the Black Pearl, and the Shipwrights had made the figurehead of an Angel with black wings, holding a big black pearl in its hands to symbolise the name.
Bepo immediately took the Flag from Robin's hand and adeptly climbed up the middle mast, which was the tallest of the three, and hoisted it on the top.
Seeing their flag wave proudly in the air, all of them felt even more determined to shake the world with their name. Even if they all had different dreams, they had one that they all shared, and that was to make their Captain the absolute King of the Seas.
"Kanpai!" They all raised their mugs before gulping down the honey mead, marking the start of their journey.
"Set Sail!" Sin announced and everyone got to work.
The Captain of Black Pearl walked over to the deck and stood by the side of Beppo, who took the helm.
"Where to, Captain?" The Bear Mink asked.
"East Blue."
Bepo was surprised at his words as he thought they were going to enter the Grand Line, but he did not question why his Captain wanted to go there and silently set the course to the weakest of the four Seas, East Blue.
Augur, with his beloved sniper 'Senriku', climbed into the Crow's Nest, scouting their surroundings. And both Law and Bepo got back to their training, mock duelling against each other.
Bepo was forbidden from using his Mink Arts in the duels, and Law was forbidden from using his Devil Fruit Powers. They were only relying on their Armament Haki and Observation Haki which they were still not proficient in. It had not been long since they managed to unlock them.
Robin was on the front deck, sitting under the shade, reading a book, and both Bonney and Hancock were in the kitchen, preparing the crew's lunch.
It was at noon that a News Coo flew over to their Ship, and waited to see if they were interested in purchasing today's newspaper.
Sin waved at it, and bought one, which made the bird happy and it saluted to him before flying away.
On the front page of the Newspaper was a headline that had shaken up the entire world today.
"Red-Haired Shanks, the Fourth Emperor of the New World!"
Bepo, who was taking a break from the training, came over and gasped as he read the news. He was quite excited that there was another Emperor of the New World even if it meant that they would have one more Powerful enemy to deal with in the future.
"One day our Crew will be just like theirs!"
"No, Bepo." Sin lightly smiled. "We will surpass them all. There won't be any Crew in the world that could be compared to ours."
"Aye, aye, Captain!" The White Mink saluted before starting to laugh along with Sin.