The Girl Roland!

Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 1.

"Where's my welcoming party? Did they all run off? Nobody's here to greet me?" Swain said shamelessly.

Norton gave Swain a serious look.

"Our captain really is... completely shameless!"

Are they even here to welcome him...?

Norton complained inwardly.

Jordi rubbed his forehead in speechless exasperation.

What a freak!

"Let's split up." Swain assigned everyone their tasks.

Norton went to buy daily necessities and food.

Jordi went to have the Neptune coated. To reach the New World, they had to pass through Fish-Man Island.

The pressure ten thousand meters beneath the sea was no joke.

Meanwhile, news of Swain killing the Celestial Dragons gradually spread.

Grove 39.

Inside a tavern, aside from a white-haired middle-aged man, there were no other customers left.

"The Navy seems to have increased its forces lately."

"Yeah. I heard a pirate named Swain killed two Celestial Dragons," a middle-aged woman replied.

"That kid has guts. He actually did what I've always wanted to do!" the middle-aged man said with a hearty laugh.

"Indeed. There aren't many young people with that kind of nerve."

"I really want to meet that young man," Shakky said with a smile.

Slaughtering Celestial Dragons and burning their flag.

Looking throughout the history of the pirate world, no one had ever managed such a thing.

That was Swain's boldness!

The two conversing were none other than Rayleigh and Shakky, who had secluded themselves in the Sabaody Archipelago.

"It depends on whether he can withstand the World Government's frenzied retaliation next," Rayleigh said calmly.

After all, if Swain could not even endure one wave of retaliation, then he could only be considered a tyrant.

Not a hero!

Elsewhere.

Great Eruption!

Akainu stood at the bow of a warship, attacking the fleeing pirates ahead.

When the Magma landed on one pirate, the man turned to ashes before he could even scream.

Absolute strength!

"Report! The Fleet Admiral has sent orders asking you to return and reinforce the Sabaody Archipelago!" a soldier reported to Akainu.

"What the hell? I still have pirates to capture! Why issue a recall order now?"

Akainu clenched a cigar between his teeth, looking thoroughly unwilling.

"What's the reason? Unless Marine Headquarters has been overrun by pirates, I'll finish this mission before returning!"

A general in the field need not obey every order from above!

Though Akainu had never heard that saying, he had put it into practice plenty of times.

When it came to carrying out justice, he could not stop for even a moment!

"Two Celestial Dragons have been killed by pirates!" the soldier answered nervously.

Seeing Akainu angry, he panicked as well! He was terrified that Akainu would pour some Magma down his throat the next second.

After all, Akainu's harsh reputation was well known!

"They only killed a couple of scum! And that warrants calling me back?"

"What a buzzkill!"

He then ordered the ship to turn around, heading for the Sabaody Archipelago!

Meanwhile, in Dressrosa, Doflamingo suddenly received a message from Marine Headquarters.

"All Shichibukai near the Sabaody Archipelago, assemble immediately!"

"Hm?" Doflamingo was somewhat puzzled.

"What is it, Young Master?" Baby-5 asked from beside him.

Dressed in a maid uniform, she showed off her figure beautifully, while her flushed cheeks made her look even cuter.

"It's nothing." He then went back to sleep.

They're too far away! And they think they can mobilize us with just words? Doflamingo thought disdainfully.

The Shichibukai in other locations received the same message, but like Doffy, they all chose to ignore it.

If the Navy wanted to mobilize them, it had to produce an official order!

Swain knew nothing of this yet.

Sengoku had actually dispatched a Marine Headquarters Admiral and the Shichibukai to intercept him.

But even if he had known, he would not have worried.

If I can't beat you, can't I just run?

At that moment, he was soaking his feet in a massage parlor!

He looked utterly relaxed.

"Ah, this feels great!" Swain could not help sighing.

The female attendant washing his feet blushed when she heard him moan like that.

Anyone who did not know better would have thought they were doing something naughty.

But Swain suddenly remembered that he still needed to recruit a maid!

Looking at the innocent young girl before him, both her face and figure were excellent.

It had to be said, there were many beauties in this world.

Even getting his feet washed had brought him face-to-face with such a stunning woman.

An idea formed in his mind, and he probed, "Miss, are you from around here?"

"Ah! Are you talking to me?" She took a while to respond. Her reaction time was really rather slow!

"Yes. Aren't you the only girl around here?"

"No, I was sold here," the girl said with a smile.

Her rosy cheeks and that chillingly calm tone seemed utterly mismatched.

"Oh, is that so?" Swain said.

The girl seemed to be expecting something, but when she saw that Swain had fallen silent again...

She hid that thought away once more.

There had been seven or eight girls purchased alongside her.

The others had either been sold as sex slaves, abandoned, or died of illness.

Only she remained. Because she had a little beauty, she had been kept behind to continue working for others.

Although she desperately wanted to escape this place and see the world outside...

"What can you do?" Swain asked again.

This reignited her hope.

"I can wash clothes, cook, do housework..." she began listing her skills without pause.

"Alright, alright!" Swain raised a hand to stop her.

She knows quite a lot, Swain thought.

The girl thought Swain was annoyed and hurriedly stood to apologize. "I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to. Please don't tell the boss."

Her pitiful, pleading appearance was truly heartbreaking.

"That's not what I meant..."

"What I mean is, this is what I mean!"

Heaven knew that Swain had no experience dealing with girls in his previous life.

Even now, he stumbled over his words.

"Huh?" The girl's cherry lips parted slightly in confusion.

"Would you like to come to my bed?"

"No, no, I said that wrong. Would you like to come to my ship?"

Swain felt thoroughly embarrassed.

That was beyond humiliating!

The girl froze for a moment, then laughed through her tears. "Mm-hm!"

"Good. From now on, you're one of my crew. You'll handle my daily needs and serve as the steward aboard my ship."

"You'll be in charge of purchasing supplies."

Swain put on the "dignity" of a captain as he said this.

As for the other "steward," he was still drinking competitively with someone else, completely unaware that his financial authority had already been stripped away.

Swain then called out, "Boss! I'm buying this girl's freedom!"

"Name your price!"

Whether a female attendant at a foot-washing parlor could be redeemed by someone else was entirely up to the owner.

After all, he held her contract. He could sell her to whomever he wished.

That was a law stipulated by the World Government!

The owner bowed and scraped. "No, no need!"

He hurriedly waved his hands, indicating that he did not want Swain's money.

"Roland, hurry up and leave with this guest!"

Swain gave the owner an approving look, frightening the man into immediately lowering his head.

The owner had been present when the Celestial Dragons were welcomed, so he had naturally seen Swain's methods.

Besides, if he conducted a transaction with Swain and the Navy investigated later, his head might be on the chopping block!

So he hurried Roland along.

His life was more important!

Far away from the Sabaody Archipelago, Akainu's warship was also about to arrive!