Chapter 24

"This must be valuable..." Little Robin murmured. "I can't take it..."

"It's all right. It's a reward for you, Little Robin!"

Adrian placed the small Den Den Mushi in Little Robin's hand.

Little Robin held it in her palm and curiously reached out a finger to gently tap one of its antenna-like eyes.

Puru puru—

The Den Den Mushi immediately withdrew into its shell, making a face and sticking its tongue out at Little Robin as it did.

"Hee-hee!"

Little Robin was still a child, after all, and she burst into delighted laughter.

Seeing this, Adrian nodded to Mrs. Penelope, then left the docks and headed for the Tree of Knowledge Library at the center of the island.

A little over ten minutes later.

Adrian arrived in the familiar first-floor hall of the Tree of Knowledge Library.

Just as he was about to borrow a chart of the West Blue from the geography section, the ever-elusive Dr. Clover stopped him again.

"Doctor, you again?" Adrian said helplessly. "What happened this time?"

Dr. Clover bristled. "Do you think I only come looking for you when something's happened, Adrian?"

Adrian rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Yes."

Dr. Clover choked on his words.

"Doctor—"

"I was going to ask how things went with the Capone Gang, but you look so lively that you clearly didn't run into any trouble." Dr. Clover waved him off with a hint of annoyance. "Go on. Get back to whatever you were doing!"

Adrian breathed a sigh of relief and promptly took his leave.

No matter when it was, being around venerable old scholars like him always made Adrian feel strangely constrained.

After that, Adrian encountered no more interruptions and borrowed the maps without a hitch.

Basic Sea Conditions of the West Blue, Map of the West Blue Islands, Distribution of Common West Blue Marine Life, Illustrated Guide to West Blue Marine Weather...

Looking at the densely packed books on the shelves, Adrian clenched his fist and silently encouraged himself: Once I've worked through these hefty volumes, I'll officially set sail across the West Blue!

A Voyage Across the West Blue

Three months later.

West Blue, Tyran Kingdom, Maldin Town.

It was a fairly prosperous town of moderate size. Its natural position beside the sea brought it wealth, but it also drew the occasional pirate raid.

In the middle of Maldin Town's main street, Captain Kado stood with a huge spiked club across his shoulder. Greed flashed in his eyes as he looked at the chests of treasure laid out before him.

The short pirate captain roared at his subordinates, "Is this all the treasure in town?"

A thin pirate deckhand answered shakily, "That's more or less all of it, great Captain Kado..."

All around them, townspeople knelt on the ground, staring at the possessions that had once been theirs. Their faces were filled with pain and anger, but not one dared stand up to the pirates.

Why?

The bloodstained ground nearby and the tall heap of bodies piled upon it were reason enough.

Captain Kado swept a domineering gaze over the cowering townspeople and gave a contemptuous snort.

"Cowards! Captain Kado's feeling merciful today, so I'll let you live! Have more treasure ready the next time I come! Hahahaha!"

Just as Kado was about to lead his men and their loot off the island, he noticed a young man in a white suit standing at the other end of the street. He had no idea when the man had appeared.

"Where did he come from?"

Captain Kado paused. His crew had already stripped this town bare. Anyone with a bit of backbone had been beaten to death, and everyone else was kneeling over there.

So where had this man come from?

"A bounty of twenty-four million Beli." The young man looked up at the pirates' leader. "Captain Kado of the Beast Pirates, right?"

"That's right! That's me!" Kado swung his spiked club, making it whistle through the air.

"Then I've got the right man!" The young man nodded slightly. He studied Kado, then shook his head. "When I first saw that name, it gave me quite a scare."

"Huh? My reputation scared you, kid?" Captain Kado grew interested. "Have you come to join me?"

"Join you?" The young man blinked.

"Haven't you?" Captain Kado frowned and raised his spiked club high. If he didn't like the answer, he looked ready to smash the young man flat.

"Forget it. I gave people who go to sea as pirates far too much credit..." The young man shook his head and extended an index finger. A small glow of white light appeared at its tip. "At least I didn't mistake you for someone else."

Mini Hollow: Tempting Gift.

Almost before he finished speaking, a tiny, adorable hollow flew from the young man's fingertip and reached Captain Kado in an instant.

Boom!

A violent explosion hurled Kado's short, stocky body more than ten meters away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"That... ability... is..." one pirate deckhand stammered, unable to finish.

"It's White Ghost!" the pirate beside him shouted instinctively.

The rest of the Beast Pirates fell into a panic.

"We're done for! How could Captain Kado possibly beat White Ghost..."

The pirate had barely said it when he suddenly came to his senses. Cold sweat poured down his face as he looked toward where Kado had landed and cried out in terror, "Captain Kado! I—"

Whoosh—

A heavy spiked club flew at tremendous speed. Before the pirate's despairing eyes, it smashed his head to pieces, and his headless body collapsed.

"I'm not dead yet! What are you pieces of trash babbling about over there?!"

Kado emerged from the dust, his appearance transformed. He now had sharp fangs and claws, and coarse black fur covered his body, leaving only a smooth white stripe down the middle of his head.

A Zoan Honey Badger Fruit!

"You bastard! How dare you attack me by surprise!" Kado advanced on his enemy step by step in his animal form, his face twisted with fury and a terrifying aura pouring off him.

"A honey badger—wait, doesn't the Honey Badger Fruit make you any taller?"

The unexpected question stunned Kado for a moment. Then an even fiercer rage erupted from deep inside him.

Quit picking on short people!

Kado stamped hard against the ground. The force of his push-off sent him hurtling toward his enemy at incredible speed.

"Die, you bastard!"

His gleaming claws closed in instantly, driving through the enemy's head with a rush of wind!

Yet Kado felt none of the familiar satisfaction of crushing an enemy's skull. It felt as though he had only swiped through air.

But both the residents of Maldin Town and the Beast Pirates could see it clearly: Beast Kaido's thick, powerful arm had passed straight through White Ghost's head and was still lodged in the middle of it—yet White Ghost had not suffered the slightest injury!

"White Ghost can't be killed!"

"He's an even scarier monster than the captain!"

The pirates screamed in terror.

"You! Damn you!"

Kado roared and charged White Ghost again, swinging his arms over and over in an attempt to tear his enemy in two.

Faced with Kado's furious assault, White Ghost merely gave a lazy yawn. Then he raised an index finger again.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Mini Hollow: Withering Heart-Piercer.

"I'm—"

Kado's expression changed instantly. The little white hollow had passed through everything in its way and flown straight into his body.

"What—"

Thump!

Kado heard a heartbeat from inside his chest, far louder than usual. Agonizing pain followed, and then all his strength vanished.

"You..."

His heart was completely shattered. Not even a Zoan Devil Fruit could save him.

Kado slowly reverted to his original form. Blood kept spilling from his mouth as he stared bitterly at the young man in the suit. "Why, White Ghost..."

"I really was just passing by."

Adrian shrugged, drew the long sword at his right hip, stepped forward, and took Beast Kaido's head with a single stroke.

Then he unleashed another wave of Mini Hollow: Nova Fire, killing the remaining Beast Pirates where they stood.

At the same time, notifications appeared on the panel.

[You killed Beast Pirates captain Kado (LV33). You gained 165,000 EXP.]

[You killed a Beast Pirates deckhand... You gained EXP...]

Adrian couldn't help curling his lip at the notifications.

For him now, that amount of experience wasn't even worth mentioning...

Adrian had left Ohara three months earlier and begun sailing around the West Blue, partly to complete his [Navigator] advancement quest and partly to gain experience.

Although [Legend: White Ghost] increased the experience he earned in the West Blue, it was nowhere near enough to fill his current experience bar!

Even after three months of steady gains, Adrian had only reached LV39.

LV40 was just one step away.

Marine Branch

Hardship at the edge of life and death always made people tougher than before.

The shadow of death and suffering had not entirely lifted, but the residents of Maldin Town knew they had been fortunate.

"Lord White Ghost!" The town's mayor, a man past fifty, stepped out of the crowd. "Thank you so much for helping us!"

Adrian smiled and brushed off his thanks with a few casual words.

He had heard plenty of similar thanks over the past three months. They had pleased him at first, but the feeling had gradually faded.

Adrian casually picked up Beast Kaido's head and waved to the residents of Maldin Town. Without looking back, he flew toward the sea and soon reached the shore.

Two boats were moored there. One was a medium-sized, three-masted ship flying a black pirate flag; the other was a pure-white boat built for one—Adrian's own handiwork.

The pirate ship naturally belonged to the Beast Pirates. A few pirates had stayed aboard to guard it, but Adrian had dealt with them on his way into town.

Thud!

Adrian dropped Beast Kaido's head into a wooden box he had prepared, leaped lightly aboard his boat, and deftly untied the mooring line and lowered the sail. His boat gradually disappeared beyond the coastline.

A few hours later.

Adrian sailed to the island nearest the Tyran Kingdom that housed a Marine Branch base. He had visited it several times on earlier voyages and was on fairly good terms with both the islanders and the Marines stationed there.

At the Marine Base.

"Major Yamakaji! Major Yamakaji..." A communications sailor ran excitedly to the office door with a report.

Behind the desk sat a smiling man with a cigar in his mouth. He wore a pale orange suit, a red tie, and a white shirt.

Like most senior Marine officers, he had a Justice Coat draped over his shoulders.

He was Major Yamakaji of the Marine Branch!

"Has something happened?"

"It's... White Ghost! White Ghost is here again!" the sailor said excitedly.

Before long, Yamakaji arrived in the base's main hall.

"Who is it this time, Lord White Ghost?" the Marine major asked with his usual gentle smile.

"Beast Kaido. Bounty: twenty-four million Beli." Adrian gently set the wooden box and the bounty poster on the table.