"Out of the way, out of the way!"
Luffy sprinted past carrying a massive log, his shout trailing away on the wind.
"I'm definitely going to be the King of Brick Haulers!!"
Watching Luffy energetically run back and forth between the construction site and the logging yard, the other workers were infected by his enthusiasm.
"Come on, everyone, put your backs into it!"
"Hahaha, Nami's companions are really enthusiastic~~~"
"With them helping, more than ten days... no, maybe we can build a fortress in just a few days?"
This world had no excavators or large construction machinery. Yet in terms of efficiency, it was no worse than Roman's previous life. The key lay in the physical constitution of the people in this world:
Not to mention Luffy, a Mighty Type all-purpose human tool; Zoro could fell an entire row of trees with one slash, enough to make Kuma and Kuma furious but helpless, while Sanji could kick giant boulders around like footballs...
With them around, they were far quicker and more efficient than any mechanization. After all:
In Roman's words, while he had yet to fully recover, it was the perfect time for the trio to do more rehabilitation training.
And Roman, who claimed he had yet to "fully recover," was currently:
"...That concludes the outline of the 'alliance' I proposed."
In Cocoyasi Village's most spacious building—the village chief's home—Roman sat at the head of the conference table. To his right was the scar-faced police officer named Ken, while Nami sat to his left, serving as the meeting recorder. Behind him stood Joseph and Johnny, gripping swords on either side like guardian statues.
Twenty people sat around the long conference table. They came from the other villages and towns ruled by Arlong.
Incidentally, before Roman and the others arrived, the neighboring Housha Town had just been destroyed by Arlong's crew because it could not afford the Poll Tax. More than half its population had been slaughtered, and the survivors had now been gathered in Cocoyasi Village.
"I've said my piece."
Roman swept his gaze around the room. There was not a trace of threat in his calm eyes, yet no one dared meet his gaze.
What nonsense. This was the savage who had ground Arlong to dust in a one-on-one fight!
It felt like sitting with a tiger... no, a Tyrannosaurus rex.
"Who's in favor? Who's against?"
After a brief silence in response to Roman's words, voices of agreement naturally filled the room. Whether they meant it or not, none of the prominent figures from these villages and towns formerly ruled by Arlong dared raise the slightest objection to anything Roman did.
"Very good. Then we'll use what I've said as the foundation. As for details such as daily maintenance, military expenses, and material trade..."
Roman rose and stepped aside.
"The village chief of Cocoyasi Village will discuss the rest of the meeting with you."
"Is this really okay?"
After leaving the village chief's house, Roman rubbed his chin and answered Nami's question seriously.
"Isn't it better than doing nothing?"
This world was in a turbulent age. Whether it was called the Great Pirate Era or the Great Age of Exploration, behind the revelry of the "heroes" lay the blood and tears of countless "ordinary people."
When a hero drew his sword, the common people suffered for ten years!
Perhaps Roger had his own reasons. Perhaps Roger had merely followed his heart. Perhaps Roger... had simply played a joke on everyone.
But no matter what, when the King of the Pirates shouted, "Do you want my treasure? You can have it all if you want it. Go find it... on the Grand Line! I left everything in the world there!" he had set this world's turmoil in motion.
For the strong, it was naturally the beginning of a dream.
But for the overwhelming majority of ordinary people, it was the start of a nightmare.
"We'll soon set sail for the Grand Line. Before then, we at least need to give Cocoyasi Village the strength to protect itself."
Heroes could not be relied upon, because heroes who upheld justice were destined to wander across the Four Seas.
The Marines could not be relied upon either, because too many unjust people had mixed themselves into the cause of justice.
"That's why I'm forming this alliance of twenty-one villages and towns: to give the people here a measure of strength. With the hundred million Berries you provided as startup capital, plus the weapons aboard my ship, we can form a militia and build a coastal fortress. That will be enough to deal with ordinary pirates."
Of course, if they encountered experts like Roman or Luffy, or someone like Black Cat Kuro who excelled at crushing the weak, an army made up of large numbers of ordinary people would still be utterly powerless.
"Joseph, Johnny."
Roman turned to look at the two third-rate Pirate Hunters behind him.
"How about it? Have you considered my earlier proposal?"
"Uh... Brother Roman..."
"...We... still want to be Pirate Hunters."
"Don't be stupid."
Roman rubbed his forehead. "I'm not trying to stop you from pursuing your dreams. But with that swordsmanship you practice so recklessly..."
How should one put it about Joseph and Johnny? Measured by bounty, their durability had reached the ten-million level, but their swordsmanship remained at the 2.5-million level. To put it bluntly, they just swung their swords around like idiots. Yet they were weak and addicted to fighting, insisting on heading out to sea every day.
They lost by just a little every time...
"Calm down and polish the swordsmanship I taught you. Then it won't be too late to pursue your dreams."
Although Roman had always claimed that he only knew "a little bit" of everything, his "little bit" was different from Joseph and Johnny's "little bit." At the very least, Roman's "little bit" was absolutely a level most pirates could never reach in their entire lives.
So his swordsmanship was more than enough to give Joseph and Johnny a qualitative leap in strength!
Well, to solve Cocoyasi Village's lack of "experts," Roman could only sweet-talk these two tanky swordsmen into staying. With Joseph and Johnny's strength, combined with a large militia equipped with firearms, they would have no trouble defending themselves in the East Blue as long as they did not encounter an opponent like Krieg.
"You should have noticed it too, right?"
"With nothing but your own haphazard swordsmanship, facing a true expert is just serving yourselves up on a platter. But if you stay in Cocoyasi Village, you can both help Nami protect her loved ones and settle down to improve yourselves."
Roman deliberately smiled. "Or are you planning to take my swordsmanship and run?"
"Th-That's impossible!"
"Don't joke around, Brother Roman!"
"We'll accept it—"
"Very good. Manpower, weapons, 'strong people'... Once the coastal fortress is complete, this place will have the strength to resist ordinary pirates."
Roman pondered as he walked.
There was nothing wrong with walking away gracefully after upholding justice, but this was Nami's hometown after all. Roman did not want to suddenly see news in the paper one day saying something like "Cocoyasi Village Destroyed."
Only self-improvement was the proper path!
As for the Marines...
Though he could not remember clearly, Roman still knew that Luffy's grandfather was in the East Blue around this time. He had even created the classic old meme, Axe-Hand Morgan. Given that man's status and authority in the Marines, he would certainly be keeping a "close" eye on his grandson, so:
"I'll leave the Marines to that old man."
Although Vice Admiral Garp usually seemed unreliable, he was never muddled when it came to major matters of right and wrong. In that respect, he was very much like Luffy.
"Roman, what did you just say?"
Faced with Nami's question, Roman waved his hand.
"Nothing. Let's go see how those guys at the construction site are progressing first."
"Though it's fine to have them help with construction, we're pirates, not construction workers. Staying too long won't be good for anyone."
"Good, put those stones over here..."
"Stand those logs upright—"
"Here, dig half a meter down..."
By the time Roman and Nami arrived at the construction site, the outline of a "fortress" had already appeared. And the foreman was:
"Usopp, how's the progress?"
"Mm, the main structure should be finished in two days at most..."
Don't forget, Usopp was truly a man of many talents. After Roman provided the main framework, he quickly drew up the construction plans and directed everyone's work.
"Very good. Once the main project is complete, the Second Alliance will be established as well."
With Cocoyasi Village's courage to fight the fish-men, once they received the weapons Roman provided, ordinary pirates would be no match for them. In that case:
"In two days, we'll prepare to set sail—Luffy, what do you think?"
"Shishishi, sounds good!"
PS: Thanks to readers "Silent Empty City" and "Brother Liang Loves Reading" for the monthly tickets.
The issue of the female lead is already very obvious. Although many people support the Empress, after thinking it over, I realized that making Hancock the female lead means facing three problems: first, immunity to the Mero Mero no Mi ability; second, enduring the Empress's tsundere personality; third, beating up the Celestial Dragons.
For the vast number of transmigrators, the third and hardest point in the One Piece world was actually the easiest. But the first and second...
In the Hancock-as-female-lead One Piece fanfics I used to read, those protagonists all looked as steady as old dogs before Hancock while going wild inside like huskies. I always wondered how they were immune to the Mero Mero no Mi ability. Did they just rely on the author ignoring the setting?
As for the Empress's personality... as everyone knows, natural airheads counter tsunderes. For a "true Queen" like Hancock, being simply kind and gentle would not work. You needed someone like Luffy, naturally gentle without even trying, to win her over. In the fanfics I've read, they basically just reduced the Empress's intelligence to below zero, even twisted her personality, in order to make her the female lead. If that's the case... I can't write it.
Before you continue