The Black Pearl arrived at the port of Sphinx early in the morning.
It was a small town. From the Black Pearl's lookout tower, one could see all the way to the town's far end.
A ring of ships of varying sizes surrounded the port. Most flew pirate flags, while a few bore the flags of underground gangs and slave traders.
Fierce-looking pirates disembarked from their ships. Some cursed as they headed toward the town's taverns, while others went straight to its pleasure district.
Yeah, that kind of place.
Sailing was a tedious affair. Most pirates had little desire to grow stronger; they robbed the weak of their wealth, then spent most of what they stole indulging their own desires.
Rocks was different.
Ever since Magnus had laid everything out with Rocks, he had found the kid terrifyingly disciplined.
He did nothing but train all day long.
There was clearly a gorgeous woman right beside him, yet he stubbornly refused to so much as glance at her.
February in Sphinx still carried a chill.
But Ripley had long grown accustomed to this weather in Elbaf. Aside from a fur coat, she wore denim hot pants and a fitted top, radiating youthful energy from head to toe.
No one would have guessed that she was already over fifty.
Well, fifty for a member of the Giant race was no different from being in one's teens for a human. A few years earlier, Ripley would not even have been considered an adult.
"Is this Sphinx?"
Ripley leaned over the ship's rail, looking around curiously. It was easy to forget that although she had defeated three CPO agents in her debut, she was a genuine rookie pirate. She had spent her entire life in Elbaf, and now that she was out here, everything felt new to her.
"Yeah. The port has grown quite a bit since I left, and it's much cleaner and tidier. At least there aren't any pirates fighting in the streets."
In the New World, two pirate crews might start a brawl simply because they disliked the look of each other. If neither side could do anything to the other by the end, they might sit down together for drinks and a chat.
But if one side was weaker, the other would swallow them without mercy.
"Once we're ashore, Ripley, you're coming with me to the underground market. Rocks, stay on the ship and guard the Black Pearl."
"Alright."
"Got it."
Ripley and Rocks answered in unison.
There was no such thing as order in a pirate port. If no one was left aboard a ship, it would not be long before everything inside was stolen clean.
If the pirates learned that the Black Pearl currently carried items worth a full two billion Beli, the entire pirate population of Sphinx would soon attack them.
Of course, that was assuming they weren't afraid of dying.
Magnus swept the surrounding area with Observation Haki and confirmed that there were no particularly powerful Great Pirates nearby. At most, there were small fry with bounties of ten or twenty million. If it came to a fight, Rocks might not be unable to hold his own.
And as soon as anything happened here, Magnus could return to the port in an instant, given the size of this town. Having Rocks guard the ship was more than enough.
He had only brought Ripley along to take turns.
When they had landed on another island last time, Ripley had stayed behind to guard the ship. This time, it was Rocks's turn.
"We still have too few people!"
Magnus sighed. Other pirate crews either gathered enough crew members in the Four Seas or on the Grand Line before entering the New World.
But Magnus had started out in the New World.
Of the three of them, Ripley and Rocks were both combatants. Thanks to the Mini Fruit, Ripley could barely be counted as half a logistics officer. Other than that, Magnus, as captain, not only served as navigator but also worked part-time as cook and doctor.
"The navigator part is fine, but I'm not really a doctor or a cook."
"In that case, should we recruit a few crew members here?"
Ripley giggled, a backpack slung over her shoulders.
"Pirates who can make it here shouldn't be weak, right?"
"Haha, that depends on our luck."
Though he did not hold much hope, Magnus still felt some anticipation.
What if?
What if he happened to meet that man?
Edward Newgate—the man who would one day be known as the strongest man in the world. But Magnus wanted him for more than Edward Newgate's potential to stand atop the world.
It was because of Edward Newgate's dream.
Though he possessed tremendous strength, Edward Newgate had little ambition. All he wanted was a family at sea.
As a captain, Edward Newgate would be a steadfast support.
As a crew member, Edward Newgate was equally someone one could trust with their back.
As long as you treated him as family, he would return that sentiment in kind.
For a captain, could there be a better crew member?
The Black Pearl docked.
After paying a docking fee of one hundred thousand Beli, Magnus and Ripley headed toward the town.
Along the way, they drew plenty of scrutinizing looks.
"Captain, I get the feeling those people mean us no good."
"Yeah, you're right."
Observation Haki could detect hostility by nature. Those born with Observation Haki could even sense the emotions of others.
Magnus could not do that, but he could still distinguish goodwill from malice.
At the same time, he was puzzled.
Had the White Wolf Pirates' flag become so useless after only a year?
Not only did the Marines attack them on sight, but even these pirates who were little better than street thugs dared to openly show such hostility?
Not until he heard the pirates whispering among themselves.
"Another White Wolf Pirates flag?"
"Tch, how many times has this happened this year? There are always fools using the White Wolf Pirates' name to scam people. Do they really think the White Wolf Pirates are all dead?"
"Who knows? I heard the White Wolf Pirates have disbanded. They haven't recruited any new crew members for a long time, have they? Everyone on the ship is an old-timer."
"..."
Only after hearing the pirates' conversation did Magnus understand what had happened, leaving him both amused and exasperated.
In the future, after the Straw Hat Pirates had been scattered, a group of pirates impersonated them to swindle others. They had even managed to recruit a whole group of high-bounty pirates.
Now that news of the White Wolf Pirates' disbandment had spread, pirates were actually impersonating them to bluff and deceive people too. And it seemed they had succeeded?
At the port.
A group of youths hid in a corner. After seeing Magnus and Ripley leave and walk far away, they quietly slipped into the water and swam toward the Black Pearl.
"Newgate, will this really be okay? What if that really is a White Wolf Pirates ship?"
As they approached the Black Pearl, one youth lowered his voice and asked worriedly.
"Impossible." The youth at the head of the group shook his head and said seriously, "How could the White Wolf Pirates have only three people?"
He had already watched carefully. There were only three people aboard that ship. After the woman and old man left, only a young man about their age remained.
"Don't overthink it. We'll grab the money and leave."
The youth burst from beneath the water. Though he was bigger than a grown man, he was astonishingly fast, appearing aboard the ship almost instantly.
"Move!"
He shouted, taking the lead as he charged at Rocks, who was seated at the bow.
"Hmm?"
Rocks, who had been training with his eyes closed, saw the youth rushing toward him and grinned.
"Interesting."
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