Heading to the West Blue

Yudox Jin looked at the billowing smoke exploding through the air, grinned broadly, and burst into loud laughter.

"Heh heh heh heh, you're finished, brat! Who do you think you're up against? I'm Yudox Jin, captain of the Gray Fin Pirates! My bounty is a full 5 million berries!"

The pirates beside him joined in with loud jeers.

"Wahaha! Where did this little brat come from, thinking he could be mentioned in the same breath as Captain Yudox Jin?!"

The smoke slowly dispersed.

The smiles on every pirate's face froze instantly.

Amina floated in midair, stretched out her little hand, and lightly flicked away nonexistent ash from her wings.

"Sorry, I got a little dust on me. What a bother."

"A monster!" one pirate cried out.

Yudox Jin glared furiously at the pirate who had fired the cannon and shouted, "Keep firing! Blast her!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several cannonballs shot out in succession, streaking toward Amina amid flames.

Amina smiled faintly.

"You really don't learn, do you?"

She gave a slight turn, and three pitch-black feathers appeared in her palm. With a flick of her hand, she shot them out.

The cannonballs collided with the incoming black feathers in midair and exploded with a thunderous roar.

"No, that's impossible!" Yudox Jin staggered back again and again, his face full of disbelief.

But Amina gave him no chance to catch his breath. She suddenly dove down and stomped heavily on his neck.

"My, my, Uncle, 5 million berries really isn't much. It's not even enough for me to eat a fancy meal."

Yudox Jin desperately clutched Amina's calf with both hands, exhausting all his strength to pull her off himself. Yet no matter how hard he tried, she did not budge in the slightest.

"Uncle, you shouldn't waste your energy. Be careful, or if I press down just a little, I might snap your neck."

Yudox Jin opened his mouth wide, trying to speak, but he could not make out a complete sound under her foot.

"What did you want to say? Oh, sorry, Uncle. I forgot you can't talk right now."

A pirate nearby hurriedly raised his musket and aimed it at Amina in the air.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out, and the bullet whistled through the air. Amina merely tilted her head slightly, and the bullet slammed into the mast beside her.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You didn't actually think you could hit me, did you?"

Amina plucked a black feather from her wing and flicked her wrist, sending it shooting out at high speed. The pirate holding the musket fell at once.

Charlos slowly walked to the ship's rail and spoke calmly. "Amina, stop playing around."

Amina turned to look at Charlos.

"Okay, Charlos."

She turned back toward Yudox Jin beneath her foot.

"Sorry, but your lives end here. If we keep playing, Charlos will get upset."

"Goodbye, Uncle."

Crack.

Amina suddenly pressed down with force, then leaped back onto their luxurious ship.

"All done, Charlos."

Amira spread her pure white wings, soared into the air, and hovered overhead. She gestured to measure the distance between the two ships, then suddenly dove down.

Her white wings carried her petite figure like a dazzling streak of white light as she smashed into the pirate ship's hull.

Boom—!

A tremendous roar erupted. The people aboard the pirate ship stumbled and lost their footing. Under that crushing impact, the entire vessel slowly tilted and overturned toward the sea.

The Gray Fin Pirates' ship lay on the surface of the sea, slowly sinking into the deep.

The pirates who had fallen into the water or clung to broken planks screamed in panic, their cries and pleas for mercy rising one after another.

"Help! We don't want to die!"

"We were wrong! Spare our lives!"

A chaotic chorus of wails, curses, and pleas echoed across the sea.

Amira folded her white wings and lightly landed atop the mast of their ship, silently looking down at the scene.

Amina licked her fingertips and tapped her lower lip, her eyes carrying a hint of casual playfulness. "Big Sister is really gentle."

Amira glanced at her from the corner of her eye, her tone gentle but faintly admonishing. "Little Sister, you can't play around for so long in the future."

"Got it, got it," Amina casually replied, clearly not taking it to heart.

Charlos raised his hand and lightly waved the Eternal Pose in his hand.

"Mm, we're almost at Reverse Mountain. Once we pass Reverse Mountain, we'll officially be heading to the West Blue."

Amina immediately leaned closer in curiosity.

"Reverse Mountain? What kind of mountain is that?"

Amira walked over slowly and explained softly.

"They say the water there flows upward against the current, completely opposite to an ordinary sea."

"Wow, that's so amazing! Big Sister knows so much!"

Charlos raised his hand and gently pinched Amina's cheek.

"Learn more from your sister, understand? Don't mess around all day and do pointless things."

"Got it, Charlos."

Amina blinked and deliberately teased him. "But I feel like you clearly like me this way."

Charlos froze slightly. "Nonsense. When have I ever liked that?"

"But every time you sleep, you hold me really tight."

Charlos's cheeks grew slightly warm, and he raised his fist in mock threat.

"Shut up!"

Amina covered her mouth and snickered.

"My, my, someone's embarrassed and angry!"

The wooden door to the Marine Headquarters office slowly opened.

Sengoku, who had been bent over his desk handling documents, raised his head and looked toward the white-clad, masked figure at the door.

"Someone from CP0? What is it?"

The masked person in white nodded slightly, speaking in a cold, official tone.

"Shalria of the Rosy Family will soon be joining the Marines. Sorry for the trouble, please arrange a position for her."

Sengoku's expression darkened, and his tone was blunt and firm.

"A position? Hmph, no."

"Then I will report this matter to the Five Elders," CP0 said calmly.

Sengoku did not care in the slightest and waved a hand.

"Do as you please."

Garp, who was curled up on the sofa beside him eating rice crackers, immediately burst into laughter.

"Puhahaha! So this day finally came for you, Sengoku!"

A crisp, spoiled young girl's voice suddenly rang out.

Shalria slowly walked into the office, raised her eyes toward Sengoku at the desk, and spoke with arrogant confusion.

"Hey, bearded old man. Why don't the Marines want me?"

Sengoku helplessly adjusted his glasses, his gaze falling upon the still-childish Shalria before him.

"Hey, kid, why do you want to join the Marines?"

Garp chewed on a rice cracker and spoke indistinctly, looking at the girl with great interest.

Shalria raised her little face, her tone haughty and petulant, full of childish spirit.

"Why? Hmph! There was a group of pirates before who actually dared to embarrass me!"

She clenched her little fists and shouted with complete confidence, "I'm joining the Marines! Give me a warship! I'm going to sea myself and beat up every last one of those pirates who don't know their place!"

Hearing this, Garp stood up and looked at the little girl before him.

"Oh, catching pirates? The kid's got some ambition. But fighting pirates isn't some game of house."

Shalria glared at him, her face full of defiance.

"A game of house? Who are you looking down on? Old man, believe it or not, I'll beat you up!"

Bonk—

As soon as she finished speaking, Garp raised his hand and gave her a heavy knock on the head.

A large swollen bump instantly rose on top of her head.

The CP0 personnel beside them shrank their pupils and immediately took up guarded attacking stances. The atmosphere abruptly became tense.

Sengoku slammed a palm down on his desk and shouted angrily, "Garp! Have you had enough?!"

Garp remained calm and casually muttered,

"Kid, don't you know you should show some respect to your elders?"