"Whoosh."
The punch skimmed past his ear, and the gust it stirred sent Mario's greasy hair fluttering like tentacles.
"Uncle? You just suddenly swung at me."
Mario's lips curled into an excited grin.
"Hey! Customer, please stop! This is Admiral Golden Lion's territory,"
the owner called from behind the counter, his expression turning stern. "What you're doing is a provocation against Admiral Golden Lion!"
"Hahahaha! Hic—hahahaha! Golden Lion?"
The drunk burst into laughter. "I'll take that bastard down sooner or later! Might as well start right here!"
"Oh?"
In the corner of the tavern, a drunken man raised his head.
"Take down Golden Lion? You've got some nerve,"
Mario said, cracking his knuckles. "You think you can do it, uncle? Does being drunk really make you fearless?"
It had to be said: alcohol really could shake people to their core. It could make the greatest hero burst into tears, and the most cowardly wretch become a brave soul willing to challenge a dragon.
"Brat!"
The drunk swayed unsteadily, belched, and swung his fist straight at Mario.
"Heh."
With a soft chuckle, Mario twisted aside and easily dodged the drunkard's blow. Then he pressed a hand against the back of the man's head and slammed it down.
"BAM!!"
The impact blasted a hole straight into the ground. The drunk had completely lost consciousness.
"However you look at it, Admiral Golden Lion is a big shot who protects this island, uncle. He's not someone you can joke about."
Mario said casually, "Look, now you've gotten yourself in trouble."
"Bastard! What did you do to our captain?!"
"Brat, die!"
"Get him!"
The drunk's companions, who had been sitting back and watching with smug ease, charged at once, snarling as they attacked.
"Ah, come on. I haven't even had a drink yet, and now I have to fight?"
Mario sighed, then suddenly grinned. "Still, this works too."
"Whoosh!"
As quick as a cat, Mario darted into the crowd like a shadow. One punch sent the man in front flying; he easily dodged the swords swinging at him from behind, then spun around and swept two pirates away with a kick. The rest of the fight was a complete rout. Whether they were drunk or simply a weak bunch of pirates, not one of them could withstand a single blow from Mario.
"All done!"
Mario said cheerfully. The pirates lay scattered across the floor, and he began rummaging through their pockets with a delighted grin. "Tch, they're so poor. So poor! Are these really pirates?"
"Hey, Mario, you brat—you're paying for the damages,"
the owner said quietly.
"Here, take it."
Mario casually tossed the money he'd taken from the pirates to the owner. "Haha, lucky me. Now I've got a drink, too."
Without a care, he picked up the unfinished drinks left by the pirates and gulped them down, looking pleased with himself.
"You little punk."
The owner shook his head.
"Hey, your name's Mario, right?"
Another drunken man stumbled over. "You said you wanted to be a pirate?"
"Huh?"
Mario raised an eyebrow.
"Uh..."
The owner froze too, and one of the pirates lying on the ground twitched an eyelid.
"Whoosh..."
The sea breeze was gentle, stirring ripples across the water. Under the New World's exceptionally rare clear skies, the large ship sailed across the sea. The clear ocean and the blue sky seemed to merge into one, and beneath the cloudless expanse, it felt as if the ship were sailing through the sky.
He looked up at the pirate flag hanging from the ship's mast. Beneath the skull, two bloodstained hands were crossed, radiating such a thick sense of cruelty and terror that it seemed ready to spill out.
Louis sighed inwardly. This graduation test had truly been a near-death experience. That man named Skello really was the type to do nothing until he struck—and then leave no way out.
Mario was Louis, of course. There was nothing complicated about that. With help from the many CP series operatives working undercover, he had infiltrated this ship and become a pirate.
He had only one task: find out the reason behind a certain person's unusual movements. That was all. The mission was simple; there was only one person to investigate, and he was famous, so figuring out what he was up to shouldn't have been difficult. At least, that was how it should have been in theory. The only problem was that the man Louis had to investigate was named Shiki—Golden Lion Shiki, Admiral of the Golden Lion Pirates and one of the New World's three great pirates.
Infiltrating the Golden Lion Pirates to investigate Golden Lion's movements was no different from seeking death. Any one of Golden Lion's main subordinates could probably kill Louis in an instant. So, it had to be said: Commander Skello was ruthless.
Louis knew, of course, what Golden Lion was up to. The many pirate crews under the Golden Lion Pirates were beginning to gather, with only one target in mind: Roger. Of course it was Roger. It was now 1495 of the Sea Circle Calendar. The Aethelwold Sea Battle, the clash that would truly decide the New World's supremacy, was probably about to begin. Golden Lion was about to get into serious trouble.
But could Louis report this information directly? Naturally not.
That was why he'd been sent on this infiltration mission. The CP series operatives working undercover were quite capable. They had easily arranged an identity for Louis, then created an opportunity for him to board this ship—a vessel belonging to one of the pirate crews under Golden Lion.
"Hey, Mario, you brat,"
a hearty voice called from behind. "Still missing your faraway hometown?"
"No, Captain, of course not!"
Louis plastered a smile on his face. "A real man is bound to set sail one day. I'm just wondering what kind of scenery is waiting for me beyond the bow! The sea is such an exhilarating place!"
"Hahahaha! That's right, that's right, Mario!"
The tall, middle-aged man, Rhode, captain of the Blood Hand Pirates, laughed loudly. "You really were born to be a pirate! The sea is so beautiful—that's what's drawn heroes from every age to sail its waters! The world is beautiful because of adventure! The very essence of a person's life is one adventure after another!"
With a bounty of 150 million, the Blood Hand Pirates were one of the crews under the Golden Lion Pirates. They were now on their way to join the gathering in response to Golden Lion's summons. That was why Louis had chosen this crew.
"Hey, Captain! Rookie! There's a ship ahead!"
The long-bearded middle-aged man calling down from the lookout was Cutter Barlo, the Blood Hand Pirates' first mate. "Oh! Oh! Whoa!! It's a merchant ship!"
"Oh? Hahahaha, business is here!"
Rhode patted Louis on the shoulder. "Mario! Come on, it's time for your first fight as a pirate!"
"Yeah!"
Louis answered excitedly. After all, he was a pirate now. Just a pirate.
Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince who fell into an enchanted sleep after a witch cursed him. Mesmerized by his beauty, countless princesses gathered around him, but no one knew when he would wake. All they could do was sigh helplessly—until one day, the supreme god issued a divine decree: if enough recommendations were offered, the prince could awaken. Recommendations? But where were they? No one knew where to find them, so the prince could never wake. To this day, an old princess still stood outside the prince's castle, lamenting,
"Where are the recommendations!!"
Before you continue