Pirate: I Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki First Because I Can't Die

The Marines in the meeting room immediately stood up.

Xia Le's expression, however, was grave.

"What's wrong, Xia Le?"

"South Blue should be an easy assignment, right? North Blue is the one giving me a headache. There are some powerful people there!"

Kuzan sighed.

In truth, the assignments across the Four Blues were not difficult. The problem was how much ground they had to cover. If pirates were determined to flee, the Marines had few ways to stop them.

"My assignment in South Blue might be harder than yours!"

Xia Le sighed.

"How hard can it be? It's not like you'll run into Roger."

Kuzan grinned.

Xia Le's mouth twitched. He ignored his old friend.

Because he knew full well that, if the timing was right, Roger really was in South Blue.

As Xia Le left the meeting room, Sakazuki hurried after him again.

"What is it?"

Xia Le's tone was flat.

"Next time, I won't lose to you!"

Sakazuki gritted his teeth.

"Heh."

Xia Le gave a brief laugh, strode past him, and left.

Roger was a far bigger headache right now. He had no time for this sore loser still in the throes of adolescence.

Should I leave him alone?

Or should I arrest him?

Outside Marine Headquarters, Xia Le faced the sea breeze and murmured to himself.

P.S. Thanks to Yu Yi Wang Danshui, Jian Qi Liu Xing, and reader 20190719094033644 for the monthly tickets!!

The Holy Knights?

The meeting ended quickly, as Marine meetings usually did.

It left Xia Le troubled, though the feeling did not last long.

As he remembered it, after reaching Laugh Tale, Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, disbanded his crew, hid on Baterilla Island in South Blue, and married Portgas D. Rouge.

Roger should be busy trying to make a baby with Rouge about now, shouldn't he?

That was Xia Le's guess.

After nearly a year of peace, the world-famous Pirate King would turn himself in to Marine Headquarters.

What is the Pirate King like now?

He had endured a grave illness until he became Pirate King. In the end, his health—or perhaps some other reason—had forced him to disband his crew and disappear onto an obscure island in South Blue.

Even if Roger did not turn himself in a year from now, he had little time left to live.

So what condition was Roger in now? How much of his strength at its peak remained?

Xia Le's mind had raced ever since he learned he had been assigned to South Blue.

Suddenly, he felt nervous. Then came anticipation, followed by an indescribable urge to fight.

How far was he now from the Pirate King, the World's Strongest?

Could he defeat Roger in a head-on fight?

With that anticipation, Xia Le remained at Marine Headquarters for about a week.

Once the technology for Seastone warships reached the headquarters shipyard, it prompted a program to refit the ships. Because of Xia Le's successful mission, his warship was given the highest priority, alongside Sengoku's and Zephyr's.

Seven days later, the refit was complete.

He could now set sail for South Blue.

Xia Le did not delay. Many officers of admiral rank or below with nearby assignments had already departed. They had not waited for their warships to be refitted and would have the work done later.

At the port, Xia Le ran into Borsalino, who was also preparing to set sail.

"Long time no see, Xia Le."

Borsalino walked over with a broad smile. Then he glanced at Crocodile, Bullet, and the others behind Xia Le, and his expression shifted slightly.

"You and your subordinates all look terrifying!"

Xia Le burst out laughing.

"You're the most terrifying one here!"

Borsalino waved a hand. "I just want to do my job in peace."

He paused, then sighed.

"But the world's been anything but peaceful lately!"

"Pirates, Marines, the World Government..."

"Each one is scarier than the last."

Xia Le caught the implication and asked, "What do you mean, Borsalino?"

"Has the World Government made a move too?"

Borsalino glanced around. His smile faded, and he lowered his voice. "You haven't heard?"

"They're clearly taking the impact Roger has had even more seriously than we are."

"This time, they've sent Cipher Pol to investigate Roger and his crew's movements."

"I've even heard that the Holy Knights have appeared."

Xia Le froze. "The Holy Knights? What are they?"

"Who knows?"

"They sound terrifying."

"But I don't know whether they're involved in this affair."

Borsalino shrugged and straightened up.

Xia Le fell into thought, wondering what other forces the World Government had at its disposal.

They chatted a little longer. Borsalino curiously poked Xia Le's broad chest and clicked his tongue.

"You've changed a lot in two years."

"That sturdy build of yours would probably send plenty of delicate young beauties trembling into a corner of the bed."

Xia Le stared at him. "You lecherous old man."

"Heh."

"I'll accept 'lecherous,' but I'm still young. I'm only a few years older than you."

Borsalino shook his head.

Then he stretched and looked toward his warship, which was ready to depart.

"I'd better get going!"

"Once this busy spell is over, I'm definitely taking a proper vacation."

Xia Le had no words for him. Then he said wistfully, "Sometimes I really envy the way you clock in, do your job, and leave on time."

"It is a job, isn't it?"

With his back to Xia Le, Borsalino waved and boarded his warship.

Slo was waving to Xia Le from his own ship now.

"Then we should be off too."

Xia Le sighed softly.

The warship slowly sailed through the Gate of Justice. Slo and Mina then studied their route, brows furrowed.

"Since our ship can cross the Calm Belt, there's no need to go through the Grand Line to reach South Blue."

"We can sail straight across the Calm Belt to our east."

The two soon settled on a route.

Xia Le had stopped involving himself in the handling of the ship long ago. Once he set a destination, his navigator and shipwright took care of the rest.

It had often made him appreciate having capable people under his command.

The ship entered the Calm Belt at around two or three that afternoon.

The moment it crossed into the Calm Belt, everyone's expression changed. The difference was unmistakable.

The once-billowing sails went still. Their fluttering clothes and capes stopped moving. Nothing stirred the air.

There really was no wind at all!

Even the sea beneath the warship lay eerily still.

Xia Le found it strange. Everything in the world was in motion, and motion moved air, creating winds and currents.

A butterfly might beat its wings in some distant place and set off a storm across the strait.

That was how the motion of all things worked.

Simply put, the Calm Belt made no scientific sense. Yet here it was.

Evens, Rosinante, and the others leaned over the rail, tense and watchful.

Enormous shadows hung motionless just beneath the surface. Though they made no sound, they filled everyone with dread.

They were Sea Kings. There was no doubt about it.

Crocodile and Bullet also stared gravely into the water. Neither spoke.

Xia Le had never seen creatures so huge. The sight left him awestruck.

He had seen a giant—Saron—but even he seemed small beside these rulers of the sea.

As the warship sailed slowly onward, they spotted the largest of them. It rivaled a mountain, floating like an island with only its black-scaled back above the water.

A monstrous creature!

A while later, they made out an island thick with jungle.

"There's an island in the Calm Belt?"

Crocodile sounded surprised.

"Amazon Lily. The island of the Kuja."

"Only women live there!"

Bullet's voice was deep.

He had heard stories about the island when he sailed with Roger.

They watched the island from afar as they passed it.

That evening, the ship crossed out of the Calm Belt.

A breeze swept over the deck, lifting everyone's spirits.

"We've reached South Blue!"

"That was fast!!"