The Strongest Rookie (1) / The Strongest Rookie (2)
Franky braced both hands on the railing, looking excitedly and happily at the Dong Stallion not far away. The ship was one and a half times the size of the Thousand Sunny, with a white horse's head on its bow and a silver-white hull. Neither its flag nor its sails bore any markings.
"Whoa—that's the first ship you ever built, Franky? The Dong Stallion, a masterpiece even more perfect than the Thousand Sunny?"
Hearing Franky, the Straw Hat Pirates gathered and lined up along the railing, looking at the Dong Stallion ahead of them.
Usopp spoke in surprise.
"Amazing... It's even bigger than the Thousand Sunny." Luffy gazed at the Dong Stallion's horse-head bow, his eyes sparkling. "I wonder if it can fly like the Thousand Sunny?"
"It looks just like a ship a noble would travel on. It's so magnificent and luxurious," Lila said enviously.
"Yo~hohoho~~~ Whoever owns such a magnificent ship must be an elegant noble, right?!" said their newest companion, Brook, a former member of the Rumbar Pirates, with his distinctive laugh.
"Yeah, he must be a noble, right?!" Chopper agreed, nodding as he hopped onto the railing.
"Huh? Didn't I tell you?" Franky turned to look at the Straw Hats in surprise. "This ship belongs to the young knight."
"The young knight?"
"A knight?!"
"Which knight? You don't mean..."
At Franky's words, everyone's expression changed slightly, except for Luffy, Chopper, and Brook.
Zoro and Sanji's faces turned particularly grim.
Zoro and Sanji's faces turned particularly grim.
The word "knight" immediately brought to mind a certain guy who made them feel suffocated.
Franky's next words confirmed their suspicions.
"Aww~~ I mean the world's number one bounty hunter, the one who defeated a Shichibukai and is called the 'Knight of Knights'!" Franky hopped a few steps aside, raised both hands, and struck that comical pose as he shouted.
"Tch, it really is him—" Zoro and Sanji both curled their lips in a rare show of agreement.
"Boohoo... It's really him? Why have we run into him again?!" Usopp grabbed Luffy's arm, trembling and covered in cold sweat. "Luffy, I've come down with the can't-go-ashore disease. How about we land somewhere else?"
"Knight..." Luffy tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"Hey, Usopp... Is that knight scary?" Chopper walked over and tugged on Usopp's trouser leg, asking curiously.
Usopp immediately crouched down and said in a trembling voice, "Of course he's strong. When we first came to the Grand Line, that guy beat Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji really easily. They didn't have any chance to fight back."
"Ehh... H-he's... he's that scary?" Chopper's voice began to tremble too.
"Knight... knight... Ah, I remember! He's that guy who stepped on me! The super-strong guy in white who can walk on water!" Luffy suddenly shouted.
"Just how slow can you be?!"
"You guys go on. I'm staying here to look after the Thousand Sunny and the Dong Stallion."
On the shore of area 41, Franky waved to Luffy and the others, then turned to the Dong Stallion with a toothy grin. "I'm going aboard to take a look. I wonder if the young knight ran into any trouble, or if the Dong Stallion got damaged anywhere."
"Are you sure it's okay? Couldn't it be dangerous?!"
Zoro suddenly spoke up, looking at the dozen or so charred corpses on the shore beside the Dong Stallion.
Franky didn't answer. He jogged straight over and jumped onto the Dong Stallion.
"Let's go! To the amusement park~~~ The amusement park!" Seeing that Franky was fine, Luffy strode inland without a care, a bag slung over his shoulder.
"Has Franky arrived already?"
In a room filled with the scent of decadence, Arthur stepped out of the bathroom. As he put on his knight's attire, he said to himself, "Hachi's death really did change the plot. Neither Camie nor that starfish is here."
"Then will the incident where a Celestial Dragon gets punched still happen?"
"Arthur, Robin and I are going shopping later. Do you want to come?"
Nami emerged from the bathroom after Arthur, a snow-white bath towel wrapped around her perfect figure, and asked him.
"You two go ahead and have fun." Arthur put on his gloves, walked over to Nami, and bent down to kiss her. He smiled and said, "I have something to do today, and it might cause quite a commotion. No matter what you and Robin see, don't pay it any attention. Just pretend you don't know anything."
"Mm-hmm... Remember to be careful." Nami hugged Arthur back and rubbed her head against his chest, then looked up with a sweet smile.
Chapter 67: The Strongest Rookie (1)
(My exams start today and won't end until Friday! Hopefully I won't fail any courses, lol!)
What was a Supernova?
A Supernova was a rookie pirate who rose rapidly in a short time and had a bounty exceeding 100 million Beli.
Generally speaking, whether they debuted in one of the four seas or on the Grand Line, anyone who reached the Sabaody Archipelago with a bounty of over 100 million Beli was a Supernova.
Supernovas appeared on the Grand Line every year, though their numbers varied.
This year, however, there were as many as eleven. In the future, the world would call this group of Supernovas the Worst Generation.
The Worst Generation's rankings were as follows—
"'Captain' Eustass Kid—South Blue—bounty: 315 million Beli, Supernova No. 1.
"'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy—East Blue—bounty: 250 million Beli, Supernova No. 2.
"'Magician' Basil Hawkins—North Blue—bounty: 249 million Beli, Supernova No. 3.
"'Red Flag' X Drake—North Blue—bounty: 222 million Beli, Supernova No. 4.
"'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law—North Blue—bounty: 200 million Beli, Supernova No. 5.
"'Roar of the Sea' Scratchmen Apoo—Grand Line—bounty: 198 million Beli, Supernova No. 6.
"'Massacre Soldier' Killer—South Blue—bounty: 162 million Beli, Supernova No. 7.
"'Glutton' Jewelry Bonney—South Blue—bounty: 140 million Beli, Supernova No. 8.
"'Gang' Capone Bege—West Blue—bounty: 138 million Beli, Supernova No. 9.
"'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro—East Blue—bounty: 120 million Beli, Supernova No. 10.
"'Mad Monk' Urouge—Sky Island—bounty: 108 million Beli, Supernova No. 11."
Those were the bounties and rankings of the Worst Generation's Supernovas. Eustass Kid held the top spot firmly as the only one with a bounty exceeding 300 million, though a large part of that enormous bounty was due to the harm his actions had caused civilians.
Below him was Luffy, known as Straw Hat Luffy. His stunning exploits at Enies Lobby truly demonstrated what it meant to rise in the shortest time.
Furthermore, the term Supernova was mostly used for pirates, but this year it had also been applied to another person.
That person was—
"'Knight of Knights'—East Blue—bounty hunter—the strongest rookie! He defeated one of the Shichibukai, [Crocodile], as soon as he debuted, making his name known across the seas faster than any other Supernova. He then sank his attackers into the sea time and again. The world's number one bounty hunter, whose real name is unknown."
Because of him, East Blue had shed its title as the Weakest Sea this year.
Because of him, the Worst Generation's Supernovas paled in comparison.
In the eyes of the powerful, the Grand Line was Paradise, and the so-called Supernovas were just a bunch of kids who had never seen the wider world.
Arthur alone had not only drawn the attention of many powerful figures, but had also become the target of countless people.
Arthur alone had not only drawn the attention of many powerful figures, but had also become the target of countless people.
After all, the Shichibukai, Marine Headquarters, and the Four Emperors were known as the Grand Line's three great powers. Every one of them was a true powerhouse of the sea.
When Arthur defeated Crocodile, the government could not cover up the news, giving him a reputation on par with a Shichibukai. His successive attackers had all been wiped out, quickly cementing that standing,
as did the King's Way Straight Sword, suspected to be one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades.
He inevitably brought Mihawk to mind. This knight who had debuted in East Blue could be said to have established his status as the strongest rookie in an instant.
Many compared Eustass Kid to the Knight of Knights, but Kid was outmatched in both accomplishments and presence.
One had defeated a Shichibukai single-handedly, while the other ravaged the seas as a pirate. There was simply no comparison.
Thus, many believed that although Eustass Kid was this year's No. 1 Supernova, the strongest rookie was the bounty hunter known as the Knight of Knights.
Sabaody Archipelago, area 21.
"Are you Mad Monk Urouge?"
On the street, a Skypiean about four meters tall, dressed in monk's robes, carrying a huge black pencil over his shoulder and sporting a pair of wings on his back, suddenly heard a voice.
"I am."
Urouge turned and looked down at the short figure who had called out to him. Smiling as always, he made a praying gesture to the man.
"Then I've got the right person." A smile also appeared on the handsome, composed face of the man who had called out to him.
"Whoosh—boom!!"
Almost the instant the words left his mouth, a violent explosion rang out on the street.
The Mad Monk's enormous body vanished like a phantom, and a building in the distance crashed to the ground.
The man held a kicking pose where Urouge had been standing.
"I see. Blond hair, knight's attire... So it was you!" The Mad Monk Urouge walked out of the dust, his clothes disheveled but his body unharmed. Still smiling, he looked at Arthur and said, "I'm fortunate to meet the Knight of Knights."
"Your aura is growing stronger. Is that because of your fruit ability?" Arthur asked with a smile, both hands in his pockets.
"Ah..." Urouge once again made a praying gesture with one hand, then swung his enormous pencil as he charged at Arthur, sweeping it toward him with a layer of wind pressure. "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!"
Boom—
Heavy sounds collided, and a gust swept out in all directions, whipping up a wave of sand.
The people nearby had quickly scattered the moment Arthur made his move. Those who remained were either thugs or pirates who had gathered from all over.
It caused no particular commotion. Fighting was a feature of the Lawless Zone to begin with.
Even so, quite a few people watched the fight with anticipation.
A battle between the legendary strongest rookie, the Knight of Knights, and the Supernova Mad Monk Urouge was far too interesting.
Chapter 68: The Strongest Rookie (2)
(About updates: For now, three chapters a day are guaranteed because I have final exams this week and am especially busy! After the fifteenth, three chapters a day are guaranteed, and if inspiration strikes, there'll be four, five, or six. In short, there'll be at least three every day! I write very carefully, so I'm a little slow.)
"Impressive—"
After the roaring air and the dust it had stirred up settled, two figures, one tall and one short, were revealed. The enormous black pencil had been blocked by an exceptionally magnificent Golden Sword.
Looking at the smiling Mad Monk Urouge wielding the black pencil, Arthur's lips curved slightly. "Do you return twice the force?" he asked appreciatively.
"Unless you exceed my limit or kill me in an instant, all damage is converted into power, making me stronger." Urouge put away his enormous black pencil and freely disclosed his own ability.
"I see. Thank you for the answer." Arthur nodded slightly, gripping Excalibur in both hands as he smiled at Urouge. "The sword of kings, Excalibur. Please remember it."
"One of the legendary Twelve Supreme Grade Blades?" Like everyone else, Urouge couldn't help showing a flicker of amazement as he looked at Excalibur in Arthur's hands.
"Then let's begin the second round."
Arthur gave an almost imperceptible smile but offered no answer.
No matter how he explained it, no one would believe that a weapon more powerful than the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades existed in this world anyway.
"Whoosh—clang!"
"So fast."
A sound of rushing air rang out, followed in the next instant by the clang of colliding metal.
Urouge, who had barely managed to block the sword strike, stared at Arthur in shock.