Whiskey Island.
After passing through here, Ye Zhuo and his group did not linger for long.
They arrived at Twin Cape.
Laboon and Crocus lived here, quietly waiting for Brook.
Aside from the Calm Belt, this was also the route into the Grand Line.
If they wanted to get from here to the East Blue, they would undoubtedly have to sail against the current.
Ye Zhuo stretched lazily, preparing either to fly over or to make the Demon King go full speed ahead.
"Hey, are you newcomers? It's very difficult to get from here to the Four Seas!"
Crocus spotted Ye Zhuo's group, as well as their pirate ship.
Of course, he read the newspapers too, but he had once been the ship's doctor of the Roger Pirates.
He had also followed them on adventures for three years. What storms had he not seen?
No matter how famous Demon King Ye Zhuo was, he could not frighten him.
"Old man, is there only one route from here to the East Blue?"
"Of course, brat. Do you want to go feed the fish in the Calm Belt?"
Crocus walked toward Laboon and stopped answering.
Laboon let out a cry when he saw Ye Zhuo, then continued quietly waiting for the person he had promised to meet.
"Strange."
Ye Zhuo paused.
Wasn't East Blue Commodore Krieg chased by Hawk-Eye and forced to flee from the Grand Line back to the East Blue?
There was no way he had gone through the Calm Belt.
Ye Zhuo quickly put the question out of his mind.
He simply chalked it up to Krieg being absurdly lucky.
After all, Gin, the combatant under his command, might still be anyone by now.
"Old man, goodbye!"
"Good riddance!"
Crocus grumbled.
Ye Zhuo pressed one hand against the Demon King and accelerated at full power.
With the Rabbit Talisman's enhancement, even sailing upstream was just as fast.
Whoosh!
The Demon King became as swift as a rabbit and soon vanished from sight.
Seeing this, Laboon's huge eyes widened.
"Nani?"
Crocus froze for a second, unable to help marveling at how formidable the younger generation had become.
Devil Fruits truly came in every imaginable variety.
East Blue.
Built through the exceptional craftsmanship of Iceburg and the others, the Demon King somehow did not fall apart from the strain.
Ye Zhuo stood with his hands on his hips and looked over his crew.
First mate Empress, a Love-Love Fruit user with Three-Color Haki.
She also led a group of combatants capable of using Haki.
Masseuse Robin, a Flower-Flower Fruit user who had yet to awaken Haki and was still learning.
She harbored many questions about Ye Zhuo in her heart.
Shipwright Kalifa, a Mythical Zoan user in Nine-Tailed Fox Form, proficient in the Six Naval Powers. She was learning Haki and progressing rapidly.
In private, she was also studying the art of shipbuilding.
Ship's doctor Vivi, a Disease-Disease Fruit user who grew stronger while researching medicine.
What she cared about most was how to develop the Disease-Disease Fruit and make Ye Zhuo beyond treatment.
Looking at this group of powerful, dependable crew members,
Ye Zhuo understood.
If he did not have a crew member who could use swordsmanship, his adventure would be utterly dull.
So,
he had come!
East Blue, Loguetown.
Known as the place of beginnings and endings.
Pirate King Roger had been born here, and his life had also ended here.
"Disembark."
At Ye Zhuo's command, the vast and imposing Demon King Pirates stepped onto Loguetown.
They swiftly drew the encirclement of numerous Marines.
He had no intention of wasting time here. One burst of Conqueror's Haki knocked them all unconscious.
Until he arrived beneath the execution platform.
Ye Zhuo looked at the place. As the man who had ushered in the Great Pirate Era, how would Roger be judged by later generations?
Any Marine would certainly find him utterly detestable.
As a pirate, Ye Zhuo could not help but smile.
If one day he also grew weary of traveling through the Myriad Heavens and Ten Thousand Realms, would he start a Great Myriad Heavens Era as well?
When he turned around,
the Demon King Pirates had already taken control of the square.
Only two figures remained.
Smoker the White Fist, and the swordswoman Tashigi.
"Are you Tashigi, miss? I invite you to set sail and become the swordswoman on my ship. What do you say?"
"What are you talking about? You evil pirate!"
Tashigi pointed her sword at Ye Zhuo.
"Stand back. This man is extremely dangerous. His bounty is as high as two billion Beli!"
Smoker shielded Tashigi behind him as smoke began rising from his body.
"What have I done wrong? Have I ever killed an innocent person?"
Ye Zhuo spread his hands. He did not like being accused for no reason.
"You killed Celestial Dragons!"
Tashigi retorted.
"Celestial Dragons aren't good people."
"You also..."
Tashigi trailed off. It seemed Ye Zhuo was not wrong.
"Thank you."
Ye Zhuo thanked Tashigi.
A system notification also rang in his ears.
[Ding!] [Chain Main Quest completed: Crew Completion Plan Four: Invite Tashigi to set sail] [Quest reward: Rumble-Rumble Fruit]
Ye Zhuo handled the Rumble-Rumble Fruit for a moment before putting it away.
A new quest was quickly refreshed.
[Chain Main Quest activated: Crew Completion Plan Five: Find an electrician. She lives in Cocoyasi Village.] [Quest reward: one billion Beli in sailing funds]
Beli?
Not bad. Ye Zhuo had always been someone with an intermittently stubborn backbone.
Whenever he had his fill of soft meals, he liked taking a couple bites of hard food.
He could not always rely on Empress and Vivi to support him. His stomach had grown too pampered.
"Set sail!"
Having received the quest reward, Ye Zhuo turned and left.
"Don't even think about it!"
Smoker wielded a massive jitte made of Seastone and flew over in a cloud of smoke.
White Fist!
Bang!
Ye Zhuo turned and threw a punch.
Two-Color Haki wrapped around his fist, while Observation Haki sought out Smoker's true body.
The force unleashed by that single punch became a powerful shockwave.
Boom!
Smoker's fists instantly lost their strength. His entire body was sent flying, smashing into a wall.
He lost consciousness after just one punch.
"Damn it, I will never allow you to hurt innocent people!"
Tashigi slashed at him with her sword.
Ye Zhuo, who possessed Water Demon Aura, did not defend himself.
He allowed the slash to split him in half.
Ye Zhuo's body transformed into a mass of water, making Tashigi's pupils constrict.
"A Logia user like Captain Smoker!"
"You little girl, I only invited you. I never said I would really take you to sea. Yet you insist on delivering yourself right to me."
Ye Zhuo grabbed Tashigi and slung her over his shoulder.
"Let me go!"
Tashigi attacked desperately, but it had no effect whatsoever.
Seeing this,
Vivi immediately glared at Ye Zhuo. "You're awful. You snatch every woman you see."
"Why wasn't it me whom the captain carried away?"
Empress said jealously.
"Great minds think alike."
Kalifa blushed slightly.
"How dare a mere shipwright compare herself to me!"
Empress boarded the ship arrogantly, making Kalifa so angry that she wished she could attack. If she could beat her, she definitely would not endure it!
"What is wrong with all of you?"
Vivi could not understand the scene at all.
Only Robin silently pondered. She had been wondering why Ye Zhuo had come to the East Blue.
With strength as great as his, Ye Zhuo had surely cultivated himself and bided his time for many years.
He must have some unspeakable objective.
This time, he had come to Loguetown and specifically visited Roger's execution site.
Robin became even more certain of her thoughts.
Ye Zhuo truly had enormous ambitions!
Was he heading for Laugh Tale to become the Pirate King?
Or would he overthrow the world and become the King of the World!
In Robin's mind, Ye Zhuo had become an ambitious man rarely seen in the world!
His strength was unfathomable, and his heart was incomparably dark!
Before you continue