Pirates: I Loaded the Game Panel

Gion's words came more and more easily, and she gradually regained the poise of the "Flower on the Ridge" of Marine Headquarters.

"'Scarface' Capone Bell, 'Bandit' Capone Bege, and Hog, the Pillar of the Second Treasure Navy from Flower Country. Tao Ya, you've taken down several major pirates already."

"Nothing to make a fuss over," Adrian said casually. "Just a few local crime bosses throwing their weight around in the West Blue."

"I wish the local Marines in the West Blue could hear you say that!" The admiration in Gion's eyes deepened.

"Marines? Miss Tao Zhi..."

Adrian was a little surprised. Was she going to stop playing this role-playing game already? He hadn't had his fill yet.

"Let's introduce ourselves properly, illustrious White Ghost." Smiling, Gion extended a soft, fair hand. "I'm Gion, a Marine Headquarters Colonel."

Adrian raised his right hand, then looked at Gion and shook his head slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Gion felt a little awkward. She stole a glance at her palm, but there was nothing dirty on it. Her hand hadn't even started sweating...

Adrian sighed. "For some reason, I feel a little disappointed."

"Disappointed about what?"

"Things are moving too fast."

"?"

"I never thought the first time I held Miss Tao Zhi's hand would be for such a ridiculous reason... But please, take the first hand-holding experience of a man who's never even held a girl's hand before!"

After delivering one of Master Azusagawa's classic lines, Adrian took the opportunity to gently clasp Gion's fingertips.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Gion. I'm Adrian."

"...I didn't say you could hold on for this long."

"I want to."

"..."

Gion glanced up shyly, then immediately suppressed that girlish look.

"Adrian, may I call you that?"

"Of course, Gion." Adrian seized the opening to bring them closer on a first-name basis.

"Have you... considered joining the Marines?"

Huh?

Adrian hadn't expected Gion, who had always seemed so socially adept, to say something so mood-killing at such a tender moment.

He let go of her hand, the gentle smile vanishing from his face. "Sorry, Gion. I think I just spotted two familiar figures. Please excuse me for a moment."

As he spoke, Adrian vanished from before Gion's eyes, moving too fast for anyone to react.

Left standing there, the young Momousagi looked down blankly at her right hand, then up at the empty space ahead. Her gaze turned lost and hollow.

Had that bastard just taken advantage of her, then ditched her?

Adrian really hadn't meant to ditch Gion!

Really!

He could swear it on the fine longsword he'd just sold to Ipponmatsu!

There was only one reason he'd done it.

Adrian really had spotted two extremely familiar figures. One in particular was the short, scrawny "Straw Hat Boy" on the right, wearing sandals and an open shirt!

The "Destined Protagonist" of the next decade or so—

Monkey D.—

Sorry, wrong name. Let's try that again.

The "Destined Protagonist" of the next decade or so, the man who inherited the true will of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, gathered elite companions from the four seas and the Grand Line, vowed to become the freest pirate on the ocean, and defeated powerful foes all the way to the rank of Emperor of the Sea—

Red-Haired Shanks!

The genuine article!

Second generation!

"Straw Hat Boy"!

Honestly, Adrian truly believed Shanks was the undisputed "protagonist of the world" for the next dozen-plus years—at least the next sixteen! (Note)

A crewman of the Pirate King, a man with a mysterious past, the (possible) second-greatest swordsman in the world, the Fourth Emperor of the Sea, the Bandit King (scratch that), a man defeated by the Lord of the Coast, and a user of the Face-Face Fruit...

Far too many things about Shanks were enough to leave the entire world dumbfounded.

Most astonishing of all, he had become the Fourth Emperor of the Sea in the New World despite being an ordinary human!

Just look at the monsters among the other Four Emperors!

Whitebeard Edward Newgate: a Remnant of the Old Era, the World's Strongest, and a Tremor-Tremor Fruit user;

Kaido of the Beasts: the Immortal Monster, the Strongest Creature, and a Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon user;

BIG MOM Charlotte Linlin: a Natural Destroyer, the Queen of Totto Land, and a Soul-Soul Fruit user.

But what were Red-Haired Shanks's greatest strengths?

Conqueror's Haki and swordplay.

The former was rare, but hardly unheard of. According to a certain twelfth-generation leader of the Happo Navy who wished to remain anonymous, Conqueror's Haki users were practically everywhere in the New World.

The latter was even more commonplace. Nearly every pirate who set sail knew a few decent sword techniques; the only difference was how good they were.

Yet Red-Haired Shanks had used those two unremarkable abilities to become the fourth Emperor of the Sea—and the Youngest, Fruitless, and, on top of that, One-Armed Emperor!

What did that tell you?

It meant...

It meant he had to have a ton of Specialties!

And most of them had to be top-tier Specialties no weaker than Three Thousand Styles!!

Why waste time flirting with a beautiful woman who couldn't take a hint and only wanted to recruit him into the Marines when he could fawn over a future legend and pirate emperor of the New World?!

As the saying went, fortune favored the flatterer!

As for the guy beside him, there was "His Name Backward Is Taboo," "Conqueror's Luck," "Swordsman Bane," "World-Class Super Streamer," "Strength Entirely Relies on Imagination," "Thousand-Gold Clown," "King of the Real Economy," "Leader of Common Prosperity"...

Damn it, did Buggy seriously have more titles than Shanks?!

Adrian's momentary daze cost him both Shanks and Buggy. By the time he came to his senses, they were gone, leaving him full of regret.

"Should I go back and keep flirting with Gion? Better not. She'd probably cut me down... Huh, wait. Look who else I found."

A young man of average build with short black hair came into Adrian's view.

He wore a dark red coat with a tulip pattern and nothing underneath, a gold cross necklace around his neck, black trousers, and black ankle boots.

More striking than his distinctive hook-shaped sideburns were his bright yellow-brown eyes, sharp as a hawk's.

Dracule Mihawk!

Adrian's regret vanished in an instant. Red-Haired Shanks undoubtedly had plenty of high-level Specialties, but Hawk-Eye probably had no shortage of them either!

Especially swordplay-related Specialties!

After all, this was the future World's Greatest Swordsman!

Just then, Mihawk noticed someone watching him. His gaze met Adrian's.

"Hm? A fine swordsman with a fine blade."

Mihawk looked him up and down, a glint flashing through his sharp eyes. His straight, sword-like brows rose as he drew the longsword at his waist with a shing and pointed it at Adrian.

"Care for a match, stranger?"

"Of course." Adrian raised an eyebrow. He had no reason to refuse.

A swordsman who had just acquired a fine new blade could never turn down a chance to test it!

Yubashiri had barely left its sheath when it lightly tapped Mihawk's sword several times, sending metallic clangs through the air.

"What are you doing? No causing trouble in Loguetown!"

Several Marines armed with pistols and longswords rushed forward, putting themselves between Adrian and Hawk-Eye. Their leader was Bellemere, whom Adrian had glimpsed at the docks earlier.

Mihawk shot back, "What's wrong with two swordsmen testing their skills against each other?"

"Plenty!" Bellemere rejected his argument without hesitation. She glared at Mihawk, refusing to back down. "All disturbances in Loguetown are forbidden right now. Try it again, and I'll throw both of you in jail until you've cooled your heads! In the name of Marine justice!"

Mihawk gave a scornful smile. He looked at Adrian. "Well? Still interested in finding somewhere else to have our match?"

But Adrian had sunk into a strange gloom, muttering so quietly that no one could make out his words.

"My eyes... my eyes... I admit defeat... I'm so jealous I'm falling apart... Mom, why am I on my knees... I despair. I despair of this world that only cares about high-level Specialties... My nose stings. This hurts... I'm absolutely devastated... Having a Specialty like that has to be forbidden for us transmigrators..."

What had reduced Adrian to this state was, of course, Mihawk's status panel—and the extraordinary Specialty on it!

A level-sixty-plus Swordmaster...

Mihawk was already nineteen, after all. In a world where people set sail at seventeen on average, a nineteen-year-old Swordmaster was understandable. All the more so when he was the future World's Greatest Swordsman.

But could someone tell Adrian what the hell Born Swordsman was?

[Born Swordsman] — Specialty: Born for the sword, destined to die by the sword. Experience cost for leveling up Swordsman Class reduced by 20%.

To hell with Gion!

To hell with Red-Haired Shanks!

Adrian swore he would spend the rest of his life fawning over Hawk-Eye Mihawk!

His mind made up, Adrian was about to get better acquainted with Mihawk. But when he looked up, Hawk-Eye—

No, his idol—was gone.

"My idol—ugh! Where did the man who was just crossing swords with me go?"

"He left ages ago!" Bellemere looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Could you tell me which way he went?" Adrian asked urgently.

"Don't change the subject on your own! Did you hear a word I said? Cause trouble in public again while these restrictions are in place, and I'll throw you in jail!"

Adrian paid Bellemere no mind and walked straight off. He had to catch up and fawn over Hawk-Eye for that Specialty!

Unfortunately, his idol was long gone, lost in the crowd...

Over the next few days, Adrian didn't run into Hawk-Eye Mihawk even once. He didn't see Shanks or Buggy again, either.

He did, however, see quite a few other people who would become important figures.

There was Donquixote Doflamingo, with dark sunglasses over his eyes, goggles strapped to his forehead, and a pink feather coat over his shoulders, strutting about with outrageous swagger;

There was Crocodile, with slicked-back purple hair, a black fur coat, and a cigar in his mouth, before the scar across his face;

Adrian even happened to encounter someone he'd admired for ages...

A celebrated actor, part-time kindergarten principal, and occasional singer-dancer, whose works included "How Scary," "Waiting for Rayleigh," "Vision and Footwork," and "Beckman on the Mast"...

That's right. Adrian meant (Monkey D.) Kizaru—Borsalino.

They'd run into each other in a shop at Loguetown's shopping center. Dressed in a white suit and posing as an ordinary tourist, Borsalino had even enthusiastically recommended Adrian a pair of translucent yellow sunglasses.

Adrian should have realized when Gion appeared in Loguetown that a considerable number of Marines had gathered there. What he hadn't expected was just how many major figures had come...

The top office of the Loguetown Marine Base.

"Tsuru, found any good snacks lately? I'm getting tired of seaweed-flavored rice crackers."

In full view of everyone, the legendary Hero of the Marines and Light of the East Blue, Monkey D. Garp, crunched through a rice cracker, scattering crumbs as he spoke around the mouthful.

"Garp, could you at least mind your image in front of the branch Marines?"

Tsuru, a fifty-two-year-old Marine Vice Admiral and Marine Headquarters staff officer, rubbed her forehead helplessly.