Julian had spent the past few days aboard the ship. Every day, seeing these newly recruited workers filled him with excitement. Life aboard the ship was not bad either; whenever he had nothing to do, the crew waited on him with fine tobacco and liquor. Julian thought to himself, This is the advantage of being captain. As the saying goes, better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
Julian often trained in the training room as well. Every day followed a strict routine: practicing Body Techniques, developing his Devil Fruit ability, and using his Earth-Earth Fruit ability to create an extremely heavy Earth Weight-Bearing Suit for himself to train in.
Although the training process was painful, it had its benefits. Julian could clearly feel that both his strength and speed had improved dramatically.
In private, Julian often chatted with the crew about everyday matters and dreams. Every day, he could instill core values in them: unity and friendship. He also guided the crew members and Division Captains in their training. Julian required everyone to practice a bootleg version of Soru, a simplified version 0.5. Though he had yet to see anyone succeed, not even George and Pekki, the two Division Captains, and not even Julian himself, their speed had visibly improved.
Julian was quite satisfied. Though it was not the genuine article, it still trained their bodies. Once they got their hands on the real Marine Rokushiki, would not everyone's training progress speed up?
At last, the Mud Dragon reached the next island. This island was called Ilusigal Island. It looked enormous, covering roughly over thirty thousand square kilometers, about the size of a ... The island was jointly ruled by its king and nobles, with a population of more than eight hundred thousand. It was indeed huge.
Julian had someone take down the Mud Dragon Pirates' flag. It had been made by the shipwrights during the voyage: the head of an Eastern dragon, yellow and dazzlingly eye-catching. Julian prepared to disembark at the harbor.
Many ships were docked in this massive harbor, with perhaps several hundred anchored at the port. Quite a few of them flew pirate flags. Julian had an idea. Once I get ashore and gather some information, I can seize a few ships to increase our strength. He had some of the crew disembark first, while the strongest, George, remained behind to guard the ship. George was now at least as strong as a Marine Headquarters lieutenant commander. He was already exceptionally powerful, and with his Ancient Giant-Toothed Bear Form Devil Fruit, if Julian could not use Elementalization, he might not necessarily be George's match.
George had also developed several immensely powerful techniques. Million Ton Giant Strike could deliver more than ten tons of force with a single slap. He had also developed the Hybrid Form, changing from a seventeen-meter-long giant bear into a bear-man over nine meters tall, with bear forearms over five meters long, bear claws nearly half a meter in length, and gray bear fur covering his body. His defense was immensely strong, and ordinary people truly could not withstand his repeated swipes.
A few crew members who had been practicing the bootleg version of Soru could barely walk anymore. The method of practicing Soru was to leap off the ground with their feet and continuously kick the air, causing the air to generate a reactive force and explosive acceleration.
Julian looked awkward. These Elite Crew Members had trained their feet into cramps. Still, he had encouraged them to practice more with the mentality that they might somehow succeed. With a dark expression, Julian said, "You few should stay aboard and recover from your injuries." The injured crew members respectfully replied, "Thank you, Captain."
After the Mud Dragon docked at the harbor, Julian stood on the deck and gave his orders. "George, stay behind and guard the ship. This is our only ship. If someone takes it, we're finished." George replied with a solemn expression, "Don't worry, Captain. I'll guard the ship. Not even a mosquito will be able to fly aboard."
Julian praised him with satisfaction. "Once I return after gathering information, I'll let you all go ashore and have some fun." With that, Julian patted George on the shoulder and took Pekki, Garud, Rose the ship's doctor, and the others off the ship.
All the crew instinctively followed behind Julian. He thought to himself, With this many people, the imposing presence is there. Though these crew members are a bunch of ugly misfits, they make their captain look even more mighty and imposing.
Julian led the way, and the scenery before him was indeed beautiful. A broad road led toward the city ahead. He could see people moving within it and hear the noisy clamor drifting out from the city. Julian said excitedly, "Brothers, pick up the pace!"
All the crew quickened their steps and followed Julian toward the city. As Julian and the others looked at the people in the city—women with children, workers busily dressed in uniforms, old men carrying canes, and chattering, noisy children—these ordinary people saw Julian and his crew and commented approvingly, "That handsome young man is ridiculously handsome. The ugliest one is that crewman called Monkey, the ugliest of all these ugly misfits. He looks shifty and rat-faced. Being mocked like that, he practically looks like a Sea King."
Monkey said angrily, "Captain, can we rob these people?" Julian looked at him disdainfully. "What? You can't accept their assessment of you? Don't be so thin-skinned." Monkey said furiously, "Their insults are way too vicious! They said I'm not human!" Julian smiled. "That's simply what the people think. Don't sweat the small stuff." Pekki said with an expression of enjoyment, "Captain, seeing this city makes me feel very comfortable."
Julian looked down the city streets and saw the dazzling array of goods. There was ice cream, lollipops, all kinds of snacks, and many beautiful women walking along the streets. Julian turned to the crew behind him and said, "Pekki, accompany Garud to buy a Log Pose. The rest of you, go buy whatever you need. Gather around five in the afternoon." Julian then warned them, "We're principled, high-class pirates. Don't go robbing things at random." Everyone nodded and replied, "Got it." Monkey also said with a dark expression, "Got it, Captain."
Julian was also preparing to see whether this city had any treasures. He wanted to buy some clothes too; the outfit he wore was what the previous owner had worn while fishing, and it had no style at all. He casually entered a clothing store. It was much like his previous life, with clothes displayed everywhere. Julian looked at the very beautiful female clerk at the counter and asked, "Do you have any cloak coats here?" The female clerk replied enthusiastically, "We do have cloaks. What kind would you like?" Julian answered, "Could you take me to look at them? I'd like to choose one myself first."
He went up to the second floor with the clerk and saw more than ten styles of cloaks before him. The most stylish one was the same pink cloak worn by Doflamingo. Julian instantly recalled a famous saying: the pinker you wear, the firmer you stand. But according to the timeline, Doflamingo was still a fifteen-year-old kid. Thinking of Doflamingo, Julian could not help laughing. The Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit, the Paramecia Op-Op Fruit, and the Logia Flame-Flame Fruit had all passed through Doflamingo's hands. Making that bit of blood money selling weapons every day was nowhere near as worthwhile as a single Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit.
Julian also thought of the Golden Bell of Shandora on Sky Island. It could probably buy at least ten Op-Op Fruits, right? And that Golden Ark was truly incredible. Thinking of this, Julian could not wait to head to the Grand Line, follow the route to Jaya Island, wait for the Knock Up Stream, go to Sky Island, beat up Enel, and preferably seize the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. He would beat up Gan Fall and become the CEO. The beautiful women of Sky Island even came with wings. Once he found an Eternal Pose for the Grand Line, he could charge into the Grand Line.
After thinking it over, Julian chose a yellow cloak coat. He put it on and looked in the mirror. "This is indeed quite good," Julian said. He looked over his appearance again: black hair, a handsome and refined oval face, and a fit, sturdy physique. Julian asked the female clerk, "What do you think?" The clerk replied, "I think you look very handsome." After paying one hundred thousand Berries, Julian left. The female clerk remarked, "What a generous and handsome young man."
Wearing his cloak, Julian found a large restaurant on the street, ate a meal, and asked the owner about the king's castle and the local nobles' estates. He thought to himself, Tonight, I'll play dirty. He also bought a great deal of ingredients and seasonings, then activated his Earth-Earth Fruit ability and stored them inside his Mud Space. The Earth-Earth Fruit could place other objects into his body. When Julian used Elementalization, his body was entirely Mud Space, but only objects could be placed inside it. A human would lose the ability to breathe.
Seeing that it was nearly time, Julian headed to the meeting place he had agreed upon with the crew. Everyone had already arrived. Seeing Julian, Pekki said with a smile, "Captain, you look so handsome wearing that cloak." Julian casually replied, "A hundred-thousand-Berries cloak. From now on, I'll get every member of our Mud Dragon Pirates one." Pekki said gratefully, "Thank you, Captain."
Julian immediately transformed into a master of success studies and said with a smile, "Brothers, if anyone wants to retire early from our Mud Dragon Pirates, I'll give him one million Berries." Everyone was startled. "Really, Captain?" Julian continued in the tone of a success guru, "I'll give one million to every crew member who leaves our pirate crew. But how much will I give the brothers who stay with me? A full one billion! Once we carve out territory in the future, we'll have money if we want money and people if we want people. Do you understand? Applause!"
Pekki and the Division crew members all applauded and shouted, "Captain is mighty! Captain is generous!" Pekki also shouted, "Captain is a man of loyalty and righteousness on the Sea!" Monkey asked, "Captain, if someone accidentally dies in battle, how much will you give?" Julian immediately cursed, "If you die in battle, I'll burn one hundred million in paper money for you! You little brats never train properly. How many weaklings die on the Sea every year? Once you're dead, you won't be able to spend money no matter how much you have!" Everyone expressed that they would train properly in the future and improve their strength.
Julian chatted and laughed with everyone along the way as he led the crew back to the ship. He returned to his cabin to sleep. When night fell, Julian activated his Logia Devil Fruit, the Earth-Earth Fruit ability, and turned into a tiny lump of mud. He raced across the island, bouncing through the earth like a bullet.
Julian entered the kingdom's castle and thought to himself, Sure enough, the stench of corruption. Look at all this gold embedded in the walls. It will take Lord Julian to liberate you. Julian turned into tiny mud and traveled beneath the ground, passing through one palace after another until he quickly found the treasury.
Julian sprang out from underground and looked at the treasures before him: Berries, gold, Gold Coin, and silver coins. He activated his Earth-Earth Fruit ability and packed everything away in one go. He then discovered two treasure chests. Opening the first, he found a Devil Fruit. Opening the second, he found another Devil Fruit. Julian did not recognize either fruit. Smiling, he said, "Same old rule: pack them up first, then study them later." He looked around for anything else.
Julian continued searching through the treasury and found several books. He opened one that resembled an album. "Holy shit, a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia!" Julian was startled, then immediately became delighted. "Just what I needed. Nice."
Julian left the castle fully satisfied and went to rob several particularly greedy noble estates. Why their homes? Because greedy people were fat. The first one he visited belonged to an Earl with a face like a fat pig. It was another huge castle. Julian took anything he could find. As long as it was an object, he did not even leave behind a rag. He also discovered a Dungeon underground.
Inside the Dungeon, he found several young women and many young men. Judging from their tone, they were slaves, sold to this Fat Pig Count by other slave traders. They had likely been brought here to be tortured for a while and turned into obedient tools. Seeing them all locked inside iron cages, Julian suddenly had an idea. Julian smiled. "If I save these people, won't they willingly work for me? If I pay them, won't they work themselves to the bone for me? Let's do it."
Julian instantly appeared before several guards. Several Mud Spears shot out like bullets and instantly killed them. The imprisoned slaves looked at Julian with terrified eyes, while others looked at him numbly. Julian looked at the people locked in cages and complained, "This is really unbelievable. How could they imprison so many people?" The men and women before him were all locked in cells. He even saw a thin, weak man tied to a wooden stake. They truly did not treat people as people. This was outright corruption. The nobles of this country were truly capable of bleeding people dry. Even Luffy being captured and sent to Kaido's Udon Prison Mine in Wano Country had not been this dark. At least they only made people wear Seastone handcuffs and mine every day.
Julian said, "I am the captain of the Justice Mud Dragon Pirates. Today, I have come to uphold justice and liberate you slaves." He thought to himself, What a shame there isn't the music of the Drum of Liberation. This scene really has no BGM, so its momentum is cut in half. I'll have to make a Sound System when I get the chance. Then I'll turn it on whenever I fight, boosting morale while weakening my opponents' fighting spirit.
Julian thought to himself, Gear Five Luffy only had one more thing than Kaido: the BGM of the Drum of Liberation. If Kaido had BGM louder than Luffy's Drum of Liberation, enough to drown out the sound of his heartbeat drums, Kaido would not have ended up lying in magma. Julian planned to imitate the sound of the Drum of Liberation later. A band would solve the problem. He could use Sky Island Sound Shells to record the Drum of Liberation's sound, then resell them to Kaido. Drawing a tube of blood should not be a problem. Then Kaido could proudly call himself Joy Boy too. Luffy needed to awaken Gear Five to activate the Drum of Liberation, but all it took was a Sky Island Sound Shell Sound System to listen to the Drum of Liberation every day.
Then Joy Boy would become commonplace. He could even sell the Sound System to the World Government and tell them that Julian had replicated the power of the Drum of Liberation. Trading it for two Devil Fruits would not be too much, right?
Before you continue