Taking Hachinosu! Ochoku: Are You Here to Tear My Home Down?

There were plenty of good islands in the New World, but most already had owners.

Whitebeard occupied a few, Big Mom had a few, Golden Lion held an entire stretch of sea, and Rocks treated the whole New World like his own backyard. What remained were either dirt-poor, rundown islands or deadly places too dangerous for anyone to visit.

"Isn't there a single place we can live?" Bullet kicked a pebble away.

"There is." Lin Yuan studied the sea chart and tapped a spot on it. "Hachinosu."

Kaido leaned over for a look and frowned.

"Hachinosu? Isn't that Ochoku's territory?"

"Ochoku?" Bullet had never heard the name.

"A veteran of the Rocks Pirates," Kaido explained. "He's pretty strong and has been operating in the New World for over a decade. He's got a bunch of desperadoes under him. Hachinosu is his base."

"Wororororo..." Kaido suddenly laughed. "So we're going to take his territory?"

Lin Yuan put away the chart, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Not take it. Borrow it."

"For how long?"

"Forever."

Two

Hachinosu.

It was called an island, but it was more like a pirate den. There were no civilians on the island, only pirates. Ochoku had spent over a decade building it into a lawless place—the World Government couldn't control it, the Marines couldn't get in, and other pirates didn't dare cross him.

A castle stood at the center of the island. It was Ochoku's lair.

At that moment, Ochoku was drinking in the castle hall. He was powerfully built, with a fleshy face and a long, forked tongue hanging from the corner of his mouth. He looked like a venomous snake poised to strike.

"Boss! Boss! We've got trouble!" One of his men stumbled in.

"What are you panicking about?" Ochoku frowned.

"There are a few people outside! They say they want to see you!"

"Who are they?"

"I don't know them! But one of them is really tall, taller than the castle gate!"

Ochoku put down his cup and stood up.

"Come on. Let's have a look."

Three

Outside the castle, Lin Yuan and his three companions stood in the square, surrounded by more than a hundred pirates.

The pirates held swords and guns, glaring fiercely at them, but none dared make the first move. Kaido stood at the front, and his presence alone was enough to make their legs go weak.

"Wororororo..." Kaido glanced over the pirates. "That's it?"

"Don't rush," Lin Yuan said. "Wait for the man himself."

As soon as he finished speaking, the castle gates opened and Ochoku walked out. His gaze locked onto Kaido at once.

"Kaido? What brings you here?" Ochoku's tone was less than friendly. "Weren't you a guinea pig on Punk Hazard?"

Kaido's face darkened.

"Are you looking for death?"

"Oh?" Ochoku smiled and licked the corner of his mouth. "You think an apprentice like you can kill me?"

"An apprentice?" Kaido tightened his grip on his iron club. "Come and find out."

"Wait." Lin Yuan raised a hand to stop Kaido and stepped forward. "Mr. Ochoku, we're here to discuss something."

Ochoku looked Lin Yuan up and down.

"Who are you?"

"Lin Yuan."

Ochoku paused, then laughed.

"Oh—the Marine recruit who stole the Door-Door Fruit? The one with a one-billion-Beli bounty?"

"That's me."

"What do you want on my territory?"

"I'd like to borrow your island for a while."

"Borrow?" Ochoku's grin widened. "What are you offering in return?"

Lin Yuan raised a hand and opened a door between himself and Ochoku. Beyond it was the castle hall behind Ochoku, the very spot where he had been drinking.

Ochoku's pupils narrowed slightly.

"What's this?"

"The Door-Door Fruit. A spatial ability," Lin Yuan said. "I can go anywhere. Your bedroom, the place where you keep your treasure."

A flicker of killing intent appeared in Ochoku's eyes.

"Are you threatening me?"

"This isn't a threat. It's a negotiation." Lin Yuan took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Ochoku. "This is Hachinosu's 'protection fee' for the next three years—one billion Beli a year, three billion total. Take the money and leave, and the island is mine."

Ochoku took the paper, glanced at it, then tore it to pieces.

"You think you can buy my island for three billion? Do you take me for a beggar?"

Lin Yuan wasn't angry. He smiled and raised his hand, opening another door in front of Ochoku. Beyond it was the Seastone he had stored in the warehouse on Void Island—seventy tons, piled into a small mountain.

"Add seventy tons of Seastone. Is that enough?"

Ochoku's pupils narrowed again.

Seastone. The scarcest resource in the New World. Seventy tons could fetch several billion on the black market.

"What exactly are you after?"

"I told you, I want to borrow your island to live on," Lin Yuan said. "I'll help you move your territory from Hachinosu to nearby Cat Island. It's three times the size of this place, but the Marines have always kept a close eye on it. You can't take it on your own. I can help you take it."

Ochoku fell silent.

He wasn't a fool. Lin Yuan's terms were tempting—seventy tons of Seastone, three billion Beli, and a larger island on top of that. But the question was, could this kid really pull it off?

"Why should I believe you?"

"You don't have to," Lin Yuan said. "But then I'll have to use another method."

"What method?"

Lin Yuan didn't answer. He raised his hand and opened a door beneath Ochoku's feet. Beyond it was the sea off Hachinosu, five hundred meters from shore.

Ochoku looked down at the void beneath his feet, a film of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"You..."

"Either take the money and leave, or I'll send you down there right now," Lin Yuan said. "Your choice."

Ochoku's expression changed several times. He wanted to fight, but Kaido was standing right beside him, while Bullet and King were watching him like hawks. He might not fear any one of them in a one-on-one fight, but four against one, he had no chance of winning.

"Fine." Ochoku gritted his teeth. "I'll leave."

"Smart." Lin Yuan closed the door and handed Ochoku a new agreement. "Sign it."

Ochoku took the pen and signed his name.

"Clear everyone off Hachinosu within three days," Lin Yuan said. "I'll come inspect it in three days."

Four

Ochoku left without a fuss. He was a smart man and knew when to stand firm and when to yield.

Three days later, all the pirates on Hachinosu had withdrawn and moved to nearby Cat Island. Lin Yuan completed his inspection and formally took possession of Hachinosu.

"This is our base now." Lin Yuan stood at the highest point of the castle, looking down over the entire island.

"Not bad." Kaido leaned against the castle wall. "Much bigger than Void Island."

"We'll keep Void Island as a backup base," Lin Yuan said. "Hachinosu will be our base out in the open."

"What's next?" Bullet asked.

Lin Yuan took a piece of paper from his pocket. Several names were written on it.

"Recruit people."

"Who?"

"These people." Lin Yuan handed the paper to Bullet.

Written on it were the names Gecko Moria and Crocodile.

Bullet glanced at it and frowned. "Where are these two now?"

"They're both in the New World. Moria only set out to sea recently and is still making his way. Same with Crocodile. They aren't strong yet, but they have great potential."

"Then why don't we go find them now?"

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"It's not time yet. They're too proud right now and won't follow anyone. The best time will be when they've suffered setbacks and have nowhere left to turn."

"Then what do we do now?" Kaido asked.

Lin Yuan put away the paper, turned, and walked toward the castle.

"First, we take care of our own affairs. Turn Hachinosu into a fortress, expand the business, and set up an intelligence network."

"An intelligence network? We don't even have an intelligence officer," Bullet said.

Lin Yuan smiled.

"We will. But not yet."

Five

Over the following days, Lin Yuan didn't rush to recruit people. Instead, he focused on running Hachinosu.

He renovated the castle, expanded the warehouse, and built a training ground and an armory on the island. The middlemen Vegapunk had introduced became his first customers. The Seastone business grew larger and larger, bringing in hundreds of millions of Beli every month.

Lin Yuan also used the Door-Door Fruit to "deliver goods" for some major powers. His commissions were outrageously high, but no one dared refuse to pay. After all, nobody wanted to offend someone who could appear in their bedroom at any time.

Hachinosu's name gradually spread.

Some said Lin Yuan was a madman, some said he was a genius, and some said he was the next Rocks. Lin Yuan didn't care about any of it.

There was something else on his mind.

That night, Lin Yuan sat on the terrace at the highest point of the castle, gazing at the stars. Kaido was training below, Bullet was cleaning his weapons, and King was standing watch.

"Lin Yuan." King walked over. "What are you thinking about?"

"Someone," Lin Yuan said.

"Who?"

"Someone who hasn't been born yet."

King was taken aback.

"Hasn't been born yet? How do you know?"

Lin Yuan smiled but didn't answer.

He stood up and dusted himself off.

"Come on. Let's go down and have a drink."

Six

Meanwhile, in the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue.

A pink-haired girl was crouched in the church courtyard, gnawing on some dark bread. A powerfully built, brown-skinned man stood beside her.

Ginny and Kuma.

They did not yet know that, in the distant New World, a man named Lin Yuan was waiting for them.

Ginny took a bite of bread and mumbled, "Kuma, do you think there's anyone in this world who can take us away from here?"

Kuma was silent for a moment.

"Maybe. But not now."

Ginny sighed and went back to gnawing on her bread.

Moonlight fell across the church roof, as quiet as a dream.

(End of Chapter 14)