Someone Has to Become the Pirate King. Why Can't It Be Me? (Please Keep Reading! Please Vote!)

Ahhh—

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared freely through the skies above South Blue.

Two heart-rending cries rose and fell around the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, their echoes lingering in the air.

Kid and Killer were firmly clasped in the dragon's claws, carried high into the sky.

The fierce, frigid wind at such altitude blew so hard that the brothers could barely keep their eyes open!

"This is a trial."

Storm's calm voice rang clearly in Kid and Killer's ears.

"Start climbing up from the dragon's claws!

"When you two make it onto its back, you can ask me a question."

After saying this, Storm focused his attention on the sea chart and compass in front of him.

The brothers had just offered them to him of their own accord. They showed the precise coordinates of the Sorbet Kingdom.

The final destination of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon—

The Sorbet Kingdom!

The dragon's claws.

Kid and Killer exchanged a silent glance, then gritted their teeth and began climbing.

Climbing at such an altitude was an extreme test of Physique and willpower.

It took Kid and Killer nearly half an hour to finally reach the dragon's back, panting heavily.

Before they could rest for even a moment, Storm's voice rang in their ears again.

"Ask whatever you want!"

Killer kept quiet, leaving the right to ask a question to Kid.

Kid gritted his teeth and asked about the thing he was most curious about.

"This dragon! What's the deal with this dragon!? And that Nine-Tails Fox from before!"

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon. That's its name. It's an important companion of mine."

Storm gave a brief reply.

The next moment,

the Blue-Eyes White Dragon suddenly shook its body and performed an elaborate twisting maneuver high in the sky.

Ahhh—

Kid and Killer screamed as they were flung off.

Just as they were about to go "soaring off into the distance,"

the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's tail hooked around them, catching them with ease.

Still shaken, Kid and Killer clung tightly to each other, trying to soothe their pounding hearts.

Just then, Killer asked a question that struck at the soul.

"Kid, does this mean we've gone out to sea?"

Kid grinned and gave a dry laugh.

"Ahaha, I guess, maybe, yeah!"

After the brothers exchanged a few words, Storm's voice rang in their ears once more.

"This time, the route is from the tail to the back."

Kid and Killer drew in a deep breath at the same time, perfectly in sync.

With their first attempt behind them,

the second climb took considerably less time.

Kid asked the question again.

He stopped dwelling on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the Nine-Tails Fox, and asked about something else instead.

"Yesterday, you poked me with a stick..."

For some reason, Kid felt a little weird saying it, but he gritted his teeth and continued.

"What exactly was that stick?"

"Seastone."

Storm gave him the answer without hesitation.

"You're a Devil Fruit User. The sea—and all bodies of water—are your natural enemies.

"Seastone contains the essence of the sea's power.

"Any Devil Fruit User who touches Seastone will be unable to use their abilities."

The climb had been incredibly grueling and painful,

but Kid was still filled with excitement.

What Storm had told him was like opening a door to a whole new world!

It was a world of knowledge he could never have encountered on Belfast Island, where news traveled poorly!

It was also why Kid had chosen to follow Storm in the first place.

He and Killer had planned to go out to sea together—

Kid had already abandoned the so-called "underlings" who'd run away when faced with a powerful enemy.

If loyalty isn't absolute,

then it's absolute disloyalty!

Kid didn't want underlings that disloyal.

He'd originally planned to be Captain himself, with Killer as his First Mate.

But before they could even go out to sea, Storm had beaten him down with a casually conjured white-haired Masira.

In Kid's simple "gangster brain,"

there was nothing shameful about acknowledging someone stronger as his boss.

So why not just follow the new boss and see where it took him?

Riding a dragon through the sky—

that was ten thousand times better than wasting away on Belfast Island!

Storm had no idea what Kid was thinking.

After explaining the basics of Seastone,

he flung Kid and Killer aside, making them start their third climbing exercise.

Since Storm planned to bring Kid and Killer along on this inevitably brief trip through South Blue,

he would naturally take care to help them grow stronger.

It was also a way of repaying them for their "kindness in sharing a meal" earlier.

Killer was one thing.

Kid was a bona fide "Supernova" with tremendous potential!

Among the future members of the Worst Generation,

setting aside the two special cases, the Sun God and Blackbeard,

Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law were undoubtedly the two most promising Supernovas!

They just weren't lucky enough to stay alive...

This time, Kid and Killer completed the latest round of climbing in no time.

They began asking one question after another.

"Is there a lot of Seastone?"

"Do you think there's a lot of seawater? Go climb!"

"...This dragon is so cool! Could I make a mechanical tyrannosaurus of my own?"

"That depends on how well you develop the Magnet-Magnet Fruit. Though I doubt you've developed your Fruit at all! Climb!"

"...Huff, huff. How do I develop the Magnet-Magnet Fruit's abilities?"

"How do I use your right and left hands? Do you want me to cut them off for you? Climb!"

"...You've got a sword on you. How come I've never seen you use it?"

"Because my Swordsmanship isn't good... Climb!"

Another round of climbing ended.

Exhausted, Kid lay flat on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's back.

He stared at the sky and asked haltingly,

"T-the Pirate King... What do I have to do to become the Pirate King?"

"The Pirate King?"

Storm had been sitting alone on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's head. At last, he couldn't help turning around when he heard the question.

"Eustass Kid, is that your real name?"

"Yes."

"Your full name?"

"That too."

"Good."

Storm's attitude changed abruptly as he spoke coldly.

"Then you have no hope! Not the slightest chance!"

"Why not!?"

Kid somehow found a burst of strength and sat up on the dragon's back.

"Gol D. Roger became the Pirate King! Why can't I!?"

"Why can't you?"

Storm raised an eyebrow.

"The Great Pirate Era has been going on for almost twenty years.

"Someone has to become the Pirate King. Why can't it be me?

"If I put it that way, would you feel a little more fired up?"

When Kid heard Storm say, "Someone has to...,"

he did indeed feel a rush of excitement.

If he ignored the mocking tone in Storm's voice, that was.

"The Pirate King? Gol D. Roger? Hah!"

Storm let out a cold laugh, then turned away and stopped looking at Kid and Killer.

"You've even got the Pirate King's name wrong.

"Gol D. Roger? It's Gol D. Roger!

"Eustass Kid, are you a member of the D Clan?

"You're going out to sea to be a pirate without even a D in your middle name, and you still want to become the Pirate King!?"

After hearing Storm's words, Kid and Killer were completely bewildered.

How could two young South Blue natives possibly know the legends of the D Clan?

"D... What's that?"

But this time, Storm didn't answer.

Kid and Killer could only fall silent and digest the "knowledge" they'd gained so far.

Before they knew it,

the Blue-Eyes White Dragon had reached the waters near the Sorbet Kingdom.

"Is that a warship down there? It's huge!"

Riding on the dragon's back, Kid looked down at the sea and was instantly startled.

"I never saw a warship when I was on Belfast Island."

"That's because Belfast Island isn't part of the World Government's Member Nations."

Killer, who was leaning nearby, replied coolly.

"The 'just' Marines don't care whether people from non-member nations live or die.

"If we ran into Marines on Belfast Island, they'd only be there to hunt down babies and pregnant women!"

Most of South Blue's people would never forget what the World Government had done to their sea.

Back then, in their search for the possible "son of the Pirate King," the Marines had turned almost all of South Blue upside down.

Any baby born within ten months of Roger's imprisonment—and even pregnant women—had been subjected to strict screening.

At the slightest suspicion, the fate awaiting a pregnant woman or baby was the same—

They were all executed!

While Kid and Killer were talking,

the lookouts in the crow's nests of the three large warships below also spotted the white dragon in the sky.

"A dragon! It's a dragon!"

On the deck of the large warship in the center, an elegantly dressed old man ordered the Marines beside him,

"Shoot that dragon down at once! I'm going to present it to the supreme Celestial Dragons!"

The Marine officer beside him remained unmoved and replied calmly,

"King Beckley, that dragon is flying too high. It's already out of range of the warships."

"You can't even handle something this simple?"

King Beckley seemed deeply offended and spoke furiously.

"The Marines' food and expenses are all paid for with the Heavenly Tribute I give you!

"You're all useless!"

Just then.

King Bekley suddenly spotted the lone little skiff drifting across the sea ahead of the warship.

He let out another scream.

"It's that guy!

"Navy! Kill him!!

"He's the one who stole the Sorbet Kingdom from me!

"The brutal, tyrannical 'Tyrant'—

"Bartholomew Bear!"

Highly doubtful.

A sign had been put up on Laugh Tale, the Final Island—

[NO ENTRY WITHOUT THE HUMAN-HUMAN FRUIT, MYTHICAL ZOAN, MODEL: NIKA!]

--

Regarding the "World Government executing pregnant women and babies" mentioned in this chapter.

It came from [Manga Chapter 551].

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It's Friday again, so there should be a second round of recommendations... right?

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