Become the Pirate King...?

Become the Pirate King?

"That's an extremely dangerous thing." An aged, hoarse voice suddenly came from behind him, startling the man.

He had thought that only he and the Empress were in this room, so he could chat with her freely. The Empress did not need to put on the airs and majesty of the Amazon Empress around him, and he could be more casual.

But if someone else was present, he had to maintain respect for the Empress's position before outsiders.

It was not that he respected the position itself, but because those in power needed that respect and authority to command obedience.

If you did not help those in power preserve their authority, they would "preserve" you instead. That was what he had learned at the side of the Celestial Dragons.

He turned around and looked at the frail old woman who had appeared in the bedchamber at some unknown time, without showing the slightest hint of contempt.

He knew this old woman. She was Amazon Lily's Empress from three generations ago, the key figure who had brought the Empress and her two sisters back to Amazon Lily from Fisher, as well as one of the people who had raised the Empress. Though she had now retired from the front lines, she remained one of the most indispensable people in the entire Amazon Lily Kingdom.

Leaning on her cane, the old woman, who stood less than five feet tall, slowly approached them and looked at the young man. "But what I'm curious about is how you came to know such secrets."

"As far as I know, a slave would have had no way to come into contact with such things." She stared at him. "Who are you?!"

"My name is Leo." He stretched, rose from the cushion, and his entire bearing suddenly changed. He became refined and scholarly, standing straight before placing a hand over his chest and bowing to the old woman who was barely five feet tall. "I was once the butler of the Chateau Saint Family, one of the twenty Celestial Dragon families."

He looked courteous, upright, and full of spirit, completely unlike his previous lazy appearance.

Clearly, he was merely disguising himself now. Perhaps that disguise was the reason he had been able to return alive from serving the Celestial Dragons—and even earn their favor.

"Because I was too weak, the Chateau Saint Family trusted me greatly. And because they trusted me too much, nearly all of Chateau Saint's affairs passed through my hands. So I knew almost every secret of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government's intentions. And if you have not yet become one of the Shichibukai, then what happens next will prove my guess."

He shrugged. After revealing another side of himself, he relaxed again, but his credibility had increased enormously.

"And this grandmother, may I ask your name?" He lowered his head and asked the former Amazon Empress from three generations ago, who was less than five feet tall.

He knew her, but he did not really remember her name anymore.

"Gloriosa." Her expression was grave as she looked at him. She had to admit that he was extremely valuable. Though ignorant pirates failed to realize it, intelligent and perceptive pirates had all discovered the value of information.

For example, when to avoid the Marines, or where vast amounts of treasure were gathered. That was why the World Economic News had become popular all over the world—the News Birds that sold news everywhere each month. For pirates, it was an absolute necessity.

And now, a man who had served as a butler within a Celestial Dragon family, who knew countless secrets of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, had appeared before them. There was no way they could let him leave so easily.

No, judging from his expression, he did not seem to have any intention of leaving either.

"What is your purpose?" Gloriosa, the short old woman, looked at him and asked each word distinctly.

That was the heart of the matter.

He might not directly tell them his purpose, but they could still find clues in his answer.

"The heads of the Celestial Dragons." He raised one finger and spoke words that made the Empress's very soul tremble.

"The dissolution of the World Government."

"The collapse of the Marines."

"And the establishment of a new country." He raised four fingers, looked at Gloriosa, but let his gaze pass through her and settle on the supreme leader of the Amazon Lily Kingdom—the future Shichibukai, the Flower of Pirates, the Empress, Boa Hancock. "Beyond that, I seek nothing."

He gently closed his eyes and let out a breath, his whole body slowly relaxing.

After keeping that vision buried in his heart for ten years, he could finally speak it freely. He could not help releasing a long breath.

"You want to become the Pirate King too?!" Gloriosa looked at him in astonishment. She had not expected the man before her to possess such ambition. Though he had once been a slave, did he actually harbor the ambition to become the Pirate King?

"The Pirate King?" Leo froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha..." He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, tears streaming from his eyes as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world. He laughed for a full twenty seconds before collapsing limply to the floor.

He climbed back up, wiped away his tears, and sat on the cushion as he looked at Gloriosa. "How could you have such a ridiculous idea? Wealth, freedom, status, adventure—the position of Pirate King represents many things, but it alone does not represent power."

He raised one finger. "There is only one thing that represents power: the World Government."

"To be precise, the people who control the World Government!"

"The Pirate King has never represented power. Before becoming the Pirate King, Roger was chased all over the world by Garp, the Hero of the Marines. After becoming the Pirate King, Roger was publicly executed and hanged by the Marines. After his death, his wife did not dare give birth to his child until she had carried him for twenty months. What power did he have? Other than leaving behind a chaotic era, he left nothing for this world. What use is the Pirate King?" he asked with a cold laugh.

The Empress and Gloriosa were both stunned by the madman's wild words. Gloriosa could not help sneering mockingly. "Then you want to usurp a kingdom?"

She was not talking about a country like Amazon Lily, peacefully isolated in the Calm Belt. She meant a World Government member nation—a legitimate country that paid Heavenly Gold, could attend the Reverie held once every four years, and possessed speaking and voting rights within the World Government. That was extremely important.

The Kingdom of Dressrosa, which Doflamingo, one of the future Shichibukai, had usurped, and the Alabasta Kingdom, which Crocodile had attempted to usurp, were both World Government member nations. Once they seized a kingdom and gained the World Government's recognition, cleansing their reputations and stepping into the open, they would gain a certain degree of influence within the World Government.

Perhaps that was the ultimate path for pirates to legitimize themselves.

But upon hearing Gloriosa's words, Leo snorted and laughed disdainfully.

PS: Good morning, everyone. I'm getting ready to return to intense daily updates. Get your recommendation votes ready—extra chapters are coming!

PS1: Since the Qidian editors have not started work yet, I have not even signed a contract. Until I do, there will only be one update a day, but I'll remember every recommendation vote you give!