Chapter 17
May 1480, [-] in the lunar calendar.
That day, Charlotte practiced swordsmanship by the sea.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.
"What's going on? Why do I suddenly feel uneasy?"
Charlotte stopped mid-swing, sword in hand.
His eyes instinctively scanned the sea.
But the waters were calm, empty...
"Captain Rocks! You've taken out another Navy branch!"
Amid the thunder of cannon fire, screams, and battle cries rang out.
A tall man with fiery red hair stood impassively, watching the chaos unfold as the pirates around him roared in triumph.
"Guhahaha! Once we destroy this stronghold, the Navy will lose control of the mid-Grand Line completely."
Beside the red-haired man stood a blond giant, nearly six or seven meters tall, gripping a massive blade with a smile.
"Newgate's right! The mid-Grand Line will soon belong to us pirates!"
A roughly two-meter-tall man, two swords in hand, puffing on a cigar, added:
"Well then, Lingling can have even more desserts!"
A tall woman in a red leather jacket, with a striking figure, laughed.
She towered even over the giant beside her.
If Charlotte were here, he'd instantly recognize them as Edward Newgate—Whitebeard, the Golden Lion Shiji, and Charlotte Lingling.
"Move quickly! No time to waste!" ordered the red-haired leader in a deep voice.
"Guhahahaha! As you say, Captain! Time to strike!"
Edward Newgate lunged forward, his blade gleaming with a white aura, slicing through the Navy general commanding the fleet.
The shockwave smashed the general, whose eyes widened in terror before he was swallowed by the destructive force.
The shockwave continued, cleaving through the land, making the island tremble.
"Ha ha ha! Newgate, save some for me! Golden Lion Shiji, I'm coming!"
The Golden Lion slammed his hands on the ground, summoning three roaring lion heads made of clay that attacked indiscriminately.
"Boss Shiji, we're on our own!"
"Help! Boss Shiji!"
"Hey, help!"
"Justice will prevail!"
Both Navy and pirates caught in the lion heads' assault screamed for help.
"Ski, if you keep this up, our whole crew will die!"
Edward Newgate frowned as he watched the carnage.
At this time, Newgate's beard was not yet fully white, but it was already beginning to turn.
"Ha ha! A crew member who can't take one of my moves doesn't deserve to be on my crew. There are plenty of small-time pirates in the sea. We can catch more anytime. What's there to pity?"
Golden Lion Shiji sneered at the pleas.
Edward Newgate fell silent at his words.
No one dared speak after that.
After a long battle, the Navy's G-8 branch was completely wiped out under Shiji's assault.
Only ten pirate fleets returned, laden with treasure.
"Shaqi! Is there a nearby island where we can resupply?"
The red-haired Rocks asked the navigator Xia Qi.
"Let me check."
Xia Qi studied the chart and spotted a small island nearby.
"There's an island that can support about a thousand people. But my intel says there's a powerful individual there. Over the past year, many pirates who approached have been killed, and their heads brought back to the Navy branch as bounty."
Xia Qi held out the report.
"A powerful person? How strong?"
Golden Lion Shiji took a puff of his cigar, scoffing.
"Apparently, he can unleash a swordsman's slash. The report says he's young, and the island is under the influence of Umis, one of the Six Kings of the Underworld."
Xia Qi explained.
"Umis? An underground rat?"
Shiji sneered again.
Xia Qi glared at the interruption, then looked to Captain Rocks.
"Interesting—still young but capable of wielding a swordsman's slash. Let's go check him out."
Rocks' interest was piqued.
He loved collecting talented individuals, and this island seemed promising.
"It's the captain!"
Xia Qi quickly signaled the fleet to change course and warned the other nine ships.
"Guhahaha! Looks like we have a new ally!"
Edward Newgate chuckled and took a sip of wine.
"Partner? If you can't even take a hit from me, you don't deserve to be a partner of Golden Lion Shiji!"
Shiji scoffed disdainfully at Newgate's words.
Newgate ignored him and continued drinking.
Shiji turned away, silent.
Lockes stood at the bow, staring blankly at the endless sea, lost in thought.
The fleet swiftly changed course toward Kame Island.
Meanwhile, Charlotte stood alone at the port, his unease growing.
Others wondered why he was so still.
They asked, but Charlotte ignored them, eyes fixed on the sea.
The town folk laughed at his behavior and left.
Just as everyone began to disregard Charlotte's unease—
"All townspeople, head up the mountain! Hurry! Pirates are coming!"
Using his Observation Haki, Charlotte instantly detected a massive fleet approaching the port.
The workers, merchants, and vendors were shocked by Charlotte's warning.
They instinctively looked toward the sea.
But the water was calm—no ships in sight.
"Run! Head up the mountain! There are pirates this time!"
Charlotte shouted again.
More people reacted.
Seeing the seriousness in Charlotte's expression, they abandoned their work and fled to the hills behind the town.
These were people who trusted Charlotte—because he had saved them countless times over the past year.
But some didn't believe—outsiders, businessmen unfamiliar with Charlotte's reputation.
They dismissed it as a child's nonsense.
None saw any ships.
Most chose to stay, even ordering dock workers not to flee.
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