Admiral Aokiji, Have You Really Never Considered Becoming a Pirate? (Please Keep Reading! Please Vote Monthly!)

"I suddenly feel like you just said something very dangerous..."

Aokiji carefully pondered Storm's remarks, shaking his head involuntarily.

With the strength of one man alone, he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor Pirates who ruled the New World?

Over the past several decades, only Lone Red Patrick Redfield had managed that!

But even the legendary Lone Red...

Patrick Redfield had ultimately been defeated by the Marines and thrown into Infinite Hell in Impel Down.

The power of the Yonko crews did not come solely from their "emperors."

Reputation, status, wealth, influence, territory...

There were far too many requirements to become one of the "Yonko"!

Otherwise...

Shanks would not have had to wait until this year to officially be ranked alongside Whitebeard, the Beasts Pirates, and Big Mom as one of the "Yonko."

Aokiji felt that Storm's idea was somewhat dangerous, but he had no intention of stopping him.

Members of the Sword Unit could disregard orders from their superiors and act freely.

That had been the rule established when the Sword Unit was founded!

Even Aokiji could not casually break that rule.

He would just have to see how far Storm could take things...

"Still, the idea of looking for helpers is the right one."

Aokiji spoke up.

"Do you need me to introduce you to a few other Sword Unit comrades?"

"Other Sword Unit members?"

Storm had not expected Aokiji to bring that up, but he refused outright.

"No! If the Sword Unit members are all on Peacock's level, then they're far too weak.

"I want to recruit like-minded companions with suitable strength, not become a babysitter for children!"

Back then, Aokiji had believed that sending Storm straight to the New World was tantamount to sending him to his death.

Now, Storm likewise believed that the other Sword Unit members were not qualified to enter the New World.

At least, not yet!

Just look at the future captain of the Sword Unit, X Drake.

They were both members of the Worst Generation.

Some had already become Yonko.

Yet X Drake's strength did not even reach the level of a Lead Performer in the Beasts Pirates!

He was practically disgracing the Worst Generation!

Even the captain, X Drake, was only at that level.

The standards of the other Sword Unit members were easy enough to imagine.

At this stage...

Storm had no intention of training rookies.

Playing pirate make-believe or whatever...

Without the destiny and background of the Sun God, did they really think just anyone could pull it off?!

"But then again."

Storm abruptly changed the subject.

"Admiral Aokiji, there is indeed someone in the Sword Unit that I have my eye on.

"I just don't know whether you'd be willing to let them go."

Aokiji was intrigued.

"Who?"

"Kuzan."

"...Huh? Who?"

"The World Government's highest military power, a Headquarters Admiral, the user of the Ice-Ice Fruit—Aokiji, Kuzan."

"Me?"

Aokiji froze on the spot.

"Wait! Let me sort this out."

"So you mean you want me to go undercover as a pirate with you?"

"That's right!"

Storm replied animatedly.

"Admiral Aokiji, you're a member of the Sword Unit too!

"Every member of the Sword Unit should be prepared to temper themselves in the darkness!"

Aokiji opened his mouth, but had no idea what to say.

You wanted a Headquarters Admiral to serve under you as your subordinate?

Storm, you had the hierarchy completely backwards!

Storm's sudden invitation had thoroughly scrambled Aokiji's thoughts.

He had originally had quite a few things he wanted to tell Storm.

But now, his head was buzzing.

"Ah la la..."

Aokiji rubbed his muddled head.

"That joke wasn't funny, kid.

"Fine. Just keep operating on the seas according to your own ideas!

"If there's anything you need to watch out for, I'll contact you immediately."

Seeing that Aokiji was about to hang up the Den Den Mushi, Storm hurriedly called out.

"Admiral Aokiji, are you really not going to consider becoming a pirate?"

"...Don't forget your own identity, Storm! You're a Marine!"

After a moment of silence, Aokiji gave him a stern reminder.

"Even if members of the Sword Unit cannot openly wear the coat of justice.

"We have always been Marines of justice!"

"Justice? Justice that preserves the World Government's rule? Justice that preserves the Celestial Dragons' brutality?"

Storm scoffed at this so-called "Marine justice."

"Forget it, Admiral Kuzan. I don't want to argue with you over what 'Marine justice' really means.

"I have one more question. How much is my bounty this time?

"...What? No bounty!?"

Click—

Storm angrily hung up the Den Den Mushi.

"Isn't the World Government being far too stingy!?"

"Such a huge incident happened in Impel Down. At least put out a bounty as a gesture!"

Storm had originally thought that as long as the World Government issued a bounty, he would have gained a preliminary level of "fame."

To become a Great Pirate, making a name for yourself was the first step!

And once he had fame, his plans to recruit subordinates would proceed much more smoothly.

Otherwise...

If an unknown rookie suddenly went up to powerful people and started trying to recruit them into his crew...

That would be really difficult!

The World Government's determination to conceal the truth had significantly affected Storm's plans.

"I need to come up with a new plan. First, I need to make my name known!"

As Storm considered how to revise and improve his previous "subordinate recruitment plan," the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, after flying for most of the day, finally spotted an island amid the vast sea.

When Storm rode the Blue-Eyes White Dragon down onto the island—

he discovered that it was completely deserted, without the slightest trace of human activity.

"I was hoping to get a meal and find somewhere to stay the night. Looks like I'll have to fend for myself..."

Storm looked toward the nearby sea.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon followed his gaze, then opened its enormous, blood-filled jaws.

Clumps of white clay poured from the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's mouth. The instant they struck the sea's surface, they exploded violently.

BOOM—

The formerly calm, boundless sea instantly erupted into towering waves.

Only a few seconds had passed.

One dark shadow after another glided beneath the blue sea.

They were all Sea Kings drawn here by the power of the recent "explosive clay"!

The Calm Belt, the nest of the Sea Kings.

Even the slightest disturbance on the sea's surface could pique a Sea King's interest.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon beat its Dragon Wings and flew toward the sea, then plunged fiercely into the water.

Ordinary clay could easily soften and disperse when washed over by a large volume of water.

But hard, sturdy porcelain clay had no such weakness.

Splash—

Seawater shot high into the air as intense sounds of battle erupted beneath the surface.

Storm waited on the shore for a while.

Several [Big Trophy]s leaped out of the void in succession. They were all—

[Silver Trophy: Sea King]

"Back at Impel Down, if I hadn't trained the Water Monkey, going to the Calm Belt to blow up fish would have been a pretty good way to hunt trophies too..."

Storm glanced at the Silver Trophies, then turned his attention back toward the sea.

Before long.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon crawled out of the ocean with several enormous Sea Kings and arrived at the beach.

Storm drew the [Alcohol Iron Ore Katana] at his waist and awkwardly spun it in a flourish.

Countless inspirations for [Swordsmanship] erupted in his mind.

In an instant, Storm sensed the "breathing" all around him.

The breathing of the sky, the breathing of the sea, the breathing of stones, and the breathing of the Sea King corpses ahead...

"If I were to put it in a swordsman's terms."

"This should be the realm known as—[Iron Cutting], right?"

Storm lightly swung the [Alcohol Iron Ore Katana].

In an instant.

A flying slash laced with scorching flames tore through the air, heading straight for the Sea King corpses.

Slash, slash, slash—

The unstoppable flying slash effortlessly cut the Sea King corpses into several pieces.

After dealing with the corpses, Storm started a fire and began roasting the meat.

He was not much of a cook.

But that did not matter.

After smashing down several Silver Trophies.

Storm possessed four-star [Cooking]!

A rich aroma began to spread across the deserted island.

Once Storm had prepared all the food, he quietly summoned the last remaining [Diamond Trophy].

[Physique] Enhancement!

[Endurance: ★★★★★★☆] (six and a half stars)

The familiar hunger surged up once more.

Storm threw himself into a war against food.

Over the next two days.

Storm remained on the small island in the Calm Belt.

He hunted Sea Kings, obtained food, improved his physical condition, and digested his enhanced abilities.

The many Ability Enhancements he had completed earlier, including two brand-new Devil Fruit abilities, were all brought under his proficient control.

And that was not all.

Over those two days, he also used the "wish" function of the three Death Platinum Trophies he had not used before.

[Byrnndi World], [Plesi], [Bud Wang Grace].

Three Platinum Trophies brought him three new five-star abilities.

That day.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon spread its wings and flew high, leaving the deserted little island hidden deep within the Calm Belt.

Storm only had one [Marine Headquarters Eternal Pose] in his possession—an "freebie" he had received from the Equipment Department.

He had no intention of going to Marine Headquarters right now.

So he flew out over the sea in the opposite direction.

After several days of high-altitude flight.

After passing one uninhabited island after another.

Storm finally spotted a small inhabited island.

He guided the Blue-Eyes White Dragon down, landing at the island's docks.

The arrival of what looked like a white giant dragon from myth and legend instantly sent the islanders into a panic.

At the docks.

Storm picked out a relatively composed passerby from the crowd of onlookers.

"Excuse me, what is this island called?"

"B-Belfast Island."

"Never heard of it... What major islands are closest to this one? Enies Lobby? Water Seven?"

"I've never heard of any of the islands you mentioned, sir..."

"Huh? This isn't the Grand Line?"

"This is the South Blue."

Many thanks to "Dimmed and Faded z" for the Qidian Coin donation!!

Sorry for being late...