Flame Dragon Pirates

One Piece Lawless Area usually travel in groups of three or five. Even those who walk alone exude an imposing aura and look like they are not to be trifled with.

The reason why Oboro's body was enslaved by the Celestial Dragons was the same as what the previous Marine soldiers had guessed: firstly, because he was handsome and dashing... such a appearance was particularly glaring to someone like Saint Charlos.

There is another reason, which is his identity.

He was originally a prince of a kingdom in the West Blue, but because his kingdom failed to pay tribute on time, known as "Heavenly Tribute," he was deemed disrespectful to the Celestial Dragons and punished, becoming a prisoner. Then, after many twists and turns, he became a slave of Saint Charlos.

In other words, he was able to become Celestial Dragons's slave not because of his bloodline or strength, but simply because of his status and appearance.

Having suffered years of torment, Oboro was extremely thin, and his attire didn't resemble that of One Piece, so he quickly attracted the attention of those who were interested. He walked ahead, flipping through a newspaper, while several One Piece followed behind, sizing him up... When Oboro turned into a dark alley, the One Piece began their operation, immediately surrounding him from both sides.

Several men, armed with sharp weapons, looked menacing.

"Robbery?"

Long put down the newspaper, his eyes calm.

Although it's a world of One Piece, he never thought of One Piece as 'righteous' figures. They're just portrayed in the manga for fun. Analyzing the plot and the current situation, most One Piece are ruthless, committing all sorts of evil deeds like burning, killing, and looting.

Small groups like Luffy and Ace, who share a common belief, formed a crew, and have a special atmosphere, are rare.

It could even be described as extremely rare.

Compared to One Piece, they are more like 'adventurers' on the high seas.

"Hehe... kid, I can tell you're not One Piece at first glance." The leader, a blond-haired man, slowly approached, twirling a dagger in his fingertips, a strange smile on his face.

You were right.

Long smiled gently.

Whether it's his aura or his attire... he certainly doesn't fit in with the people on the street.

Have you heard of the Flame Dragon Pirates?

The former took a few more steps closer and asked smugly.

As he spoke, he deliberately raised his arm, revealing a conspicuous tattoo on his skin.

This is the symbol of their One Piece crew.

However, as the distance closed, when the man saw the scarred face under the hood, he couldn't help but twitch and subconsciously took a step back.

Even the dagger almost fell to the ground.

He was clearly frightened.

"No."

"You've hit the jackpot. My name is Dom, and I'm a member of the Flame Dragon Pirates... You seem pretty good, kid. How about it... I'm being generous and giving you a chance to join our Flame Dragon Pirates. From now on, you'll be working for me... It won't be long before your name is known throughout the entire Grand Line."

The man showed a slight hesitation, but quickly composed himself, coughed, and extended an invitation to Long.

Long was somewhat surprised, then suddenly realized.

This is the Sabaody Archipelago, after all. The One Piece crews that can appear here are generally of much higher quality than those Paradise like the Four Blues. Although robbery often happens in Lawless Area, they wouldn't rob someone like him.

After all, he didn't look like a wealthy person at all.

However... the fact that the Flame Dragon Pirates used this method to win over their crew members shows... they're pretty lousy.

"Our captain, Dragon King Baolnans, is a big shot in this Grand Line, with a bounty of fifteen million... You should know that not everyone has the opportunity to receive such protection when they first become a One Piece pirate."

Guan Long remained unmoved, Dom reiterated.

Fifteen million.

That's too little.

Even though the World Government's bounties aren't as rampant as they will be a year from now, with powerful figures worth over 100 million being commonplace, 15 million is indeed just a small fry in the Grand Line. In the Four Blues, however, it would certainly be among the top tier.

"As expected... it won't work."

Long suddenly sighed.

"What's wrong?"

Dom was taken aback.

Oboro's soul abilities still exist, but many of his methods seem to be 'sealed'. For example, he had been sensing the soul wavelength of the pirate Dom in front of him. He had sensed it and perceived that the person's soul was extremely fragile, but he was unable to use the soul to probe the target's thoughts and ideas.

The power of the soul exists in One Piece... but it is not fully integrated into the power system of this world.

"Hey... you little brat, are you looking for trouble? Don't push your luck, believe me or not..."

At this moment, a burly man standing behind him became impatient and swung his hand to slap Long on the back of the head.

Long slightly turned to dodge, but the hood covering her head fell down.

This revealed his true appearance to the group.

"..."

The big man's arm froze in mid-air.

The alleyway fell silent for a moment.

Because they saw Oboro's 'fierce' face, covered with scabbed Scarface from cuts and lacerations. He looked more like One Piece than the menacing men they were, and was definitely a ruthless character!

That face alone is terrifying.

The group of friends suddenly understood why Dom had been dragging his feet and unwilling to use force.

"Can we leave the Sabaody Archipelago by following you?"

Long was not angry at the man's actions, but instead asked a question.

"Huh? You agreed?"

Dom snapped out of his daze.

"Um..."

Long nodded.

"Of course! We were originally just going to stop in Sabaody Archipelago to make some preparations and recruit some people. We'll set off as soon as we've purchased the supplies."

"Captain... then I..."

Long changed his tune and called out.

His situation is very bad. Since he is being targeted by the world's will, even if he manages to escape temporarily, he will need to rely on external forces to leave.

One Piece are a great 'stepping stone'.

You can also learn about the 'rules' of the high seas by using the Flame Dragon Pirates.

Dom seemed quite pleased with the address of "Captain." As if he knew what Oboro wanted to ask, he naturally put his arm around Oboro's shoulder and said in a senior's tone, "Don't rush, take it one step at a time. After all, I recruited you, so I'll definitely protect you. Besides, the captain and I have a very close relationship..."

"That is..."

"You'll start as a boatman."

"Good."

Long nodded.

Not surprising at all.

Why would he have any expectations for such a small One Piece crew? It's obvious that the Flame Dragon Pirates encountered some accident before arriving at Sabaody Archipelago, leaving them short-handed. After all, a One Piece crew has a clear hierarchy; it's impossible for the captain and officers to do everything themselves... they inevitably need to support a group of underlings as laborers.

Moreover, the environment of the Grand Line is extremely harsh... Repairing, maintaining, steering, and hoisting the sails of the ship are all done by the crew, while the higher-ups can simply enjoy themselves and give orders.

To put it bluntly, it's just about hiring a bunch of laborers without spending any money.

Oboro was very lucky... to be chosen.

"Run! It's the Navy!"

"Damn it, what are the Navy doing here?"

"We haven't received any news from outside the island, but there are naval ships docked there!"

"Stop standing there, let's go!"

"What serious incident has occurred?"

A moment later, just as Oboro followed several One Piece out of the alley, chaos suddenly broke out on the street. All the One Piece ran in one direction at the same time, running wildly with panicked expressions.

"What's wrong?"

"Navy?"

Dom and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

Just as I was completely bewildered, gunshots suddenly rang out from the distant street, along with the shouts of fighting. At the same time, I could see a neatly organized 'white team' advancing and spreading towards us, gradually forming an encirclement.

"Walk!"

Dom's face turned pale, and he immediately cried out.

Then, the group blended into the fleeing crowd.

During this time, Oboro pulled the hood over his head again to cover his face.

He glanced back.

Unsurprisingly, the Navy's massive operation was aimed at him.