Pirates: Invincible from the Start

The old man was wrapped in a coat from head to toe. His hair and beard were white, and the lines on his face suggested he had once been well-fed. Now, like this town, he seemed to be slowly drying up.

The young man was bare-chested, with goggles hanging around his neck. His short, tousled hair was dark greenish-brown, and a thin vertical scar ran beside his left eye.

He was Koza, the current leader of the Alabasta Kingdom's Rebel Army.

The old man was his father, Doto.

They had both helped build Yuba.

How had Yuba become a major trading hub and tourist destination in the west?

It wasn't because there was a vast oasis here.

Nine years ago, Doto had brought Koza and countless others to develop this place together. Only then had it gradually begun to prosper.

Clang!

Doto stopped working and turned toward Koza's back. His brow furrowed as he said sternly, "Don't doubt him, Koza."

Koza kept digging, ignoring Doto.

Over the past few months, he had asked himself countless times whether what he was doing was right. But each time he heard that another town had died, his resolve grew stronger.

When Koza didn't answer, Doto turned to face him. "You know what kind of man His Majesty is."

Clang!

Koza's shovel stopped. He kept his head down and said calmly, "That's what the older generation always says."

He raised the shovel

and went back to digging. "I didn't come to Yuba with you for the king, Dad."

"I know."

Doto laid his shovel flat and sat on it, smiling at Koza. "It'll be all right. Haha! Once it rains, those strange rumors will stop."

Clang!

Koza paused, set down his shovel, and rested his right hand on the handle. "I want to believe