"Yeah, me too. Rather than being defeated again, it's better to regroup, strengthen ourselves, and come back stronger..."
"I agree with your idea, but what exactly should we do? And what identity should we present in the New World —pirates? Or...?"
Violet, who had previously worked under Doflamingo collecting and processing intelligence, thought more deeply about this and wanted to clarify the group's future arrangements with Luo Chen before making a decision.
"Mercenaries, part-time Pirate Hunter —this will serve as our definitive identity for the next year or so. It won't restrict our actions, nor will it arouse the enmity of the Navy or the Four Emperors. In this way..."
Luo Chen didn't finish his sentence, but Lulith and the others understood what he meant and prepared to go all out.
"Alright, now let's choose our codenames and use them to stir up a storm in the New World!"
"Oh!!"
The crowd cheered.
"First of all, my codename is Shura..."
"Okay, then I'll be the Staff King."
" Butterfly Woman "
" Violet!!"
What about me?
As the group was happily brainstorming and calling out their own code names, a soft voice rang out. It was Nayako. After deciding to Luo Chen and the others, she also wanted a nice-sounding code name and couldn't help but raise her hand to ask.
"Uh... Nayako, your codename... right, how about Little Shrine Maiden? Your healing abilities are very similar to those of legendary shrine maidens, so it's perfect as your codename!!"
Upon hearing Nayako's words, Luo Chen scratched his head and thought for a moment. One Flash of inspiration struck him, and he recalled the image of the priestess from Inuyasha, which was very similar to the methods Nayako used. Moreover, this was very similar to their Japanese culture, so he immediately made the decision.
"Good!!"
Hearing the nickname Luo Chen gave her, Nayako was overjoyed. Her eyes narrowed, and a smile spread across her face. Anyone could see her satisfaction.
"Alright, let's eat first, then rest for the night, and start planning tomorrow!!"
"Oh..."
And so, a somewhat immature plan was put into action after a few people made the decision. Afterward, everyone sat quietly in their chairs to continue their unfinished mission and enjoy the delicious food that Monbuma had carefully prepared for them.
Time slipped away quietly, and before they knew it, it was the next morning.
On the shore, many people who knew about Luo Chen and his companions' deeds the day before, along with news of the island's little sprite Nayako leaving the island, came to see them off. Amidst the reluctance of everyone to part, Luo Chen stood on the boat and loudly reminded Nayako.
"Alright, Nayako, now that you've said goodbye to the villagers, it's time to go!!"
"Okay, everyone, uncles, aunts, and grandmas, I'm leaving now..."
Nayako turned around, nodded to him, and then said her final goodbye to the villagers.
After saying that, he turned and walked up the wooden ladder onto the boat without looking back, his back to them, not wanting them to see his reluctant and sorrowful expression.
"Have a safe trip, Nayako!!"
"Take good care of her, young man!!"
"Have a good time out there, and come back home if you miss home Nayako!!"
Although the villagers were reluctant to see her go, they still offered their blessings.
With the island's residents seeing them off, the Isel slowly lowered its sails, raised its anchor, and, carried by the wind and currents, slowly sailed out of the waters toward the rising sun.
The residents on the shore watched Isel sail away until he disappeared from their sight before gradually dispersing.
At this moment, on the Isel, Lulith, holding the helm, turned to Luo Chen and asked him about the direction they were heading.
"Captain, which way are we headed now?"
"Let's head east towards the rising sun, first to a prosperous and populated land, to make our name known. Oh, and let's hide the ship's flag first; it's far too conspicuous!"
Luo Chen stroked his beardless chin, then looked at the skull pattern hanging on the canvas and said.
"Clear!!"
Shululu...
With Lulith the rudder to flip rapidly, Isel slowly turned its course toward the rising sun.
clatter...
Meanwhile, in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, within the Pangaea Castle, in a manor spanning tens of thousands of square meters belonging exclusively to the Glücksburg Family Clan, a figure slowly walked towards the ancestral home within the castle.
laugh...
The figure stopped, gazing at the two sealed doors before him, doors even more solid than diamonds, forged from the same materials used to create Poneglyph. This place of heritage could only be opened by the purest bloodline of the Glücksburg Clan and their inherited tokens. The figure murmured to himself.
"This is it, the place my father once spoke of as the ancestral home of our clan. I thought I'd never have the chance to return here again, but I never imagined I'd return in this way..."
Here, the person finally revealed her face, her stunning beauty hidden beneath the cloak and coat Glücksburg Catherine was Catherine, no, the Celestial Dragon, who, along with Lulith and the others, had been taken back to the Holy Land by members of the Celestial Dragons Seven Deadly Sins on the ship.
Without much thought, Catherine picked up the scepter of the highest royal authority of the Glücksburg Clan, which she had specially brought back, and placed it into the special recess next to it.
She then reached out and aimed at a bowl-shaped groove next to her wrist, pulled out a small knife, and cut her wrist. Blood spurted out instantly, filling the entire groove. Only then did Catherine pick up the bandage she had prepared and wrap it around her injured wrist several times to stop the bleeding.
Clang clang clang...
Just then, as the scepter embedded itself in the groove and blood filled the entire bowl, the engravings on the two stone doors directly in front of her lit up, illuminating the entire secret chamber.
A sound like a machine chain being driven arose, and the entire stone door opened and rattled.
"Hmm??? Is this... the inheritance of Glücksburg about to begin?"
In an unknown flowerbed in the Holy Land, a person also cloaked and concealing their face—it was unclear whether it was him or her—stopped watering the plants, looked in their direction, and spoke softly.
"Have you also awakened the legacy of that clan? I wonder if, having received the inheritance of your ancestors, you can, like Orange, restore their former glory and allow that clan to once again reign supreme!"
Meanwhile, in the castle hall of the Gustav estate, the current patriarch Saint Norris, who shared the same feeling as that person, sat in the main seat, his gaze fixed on this side, his expression calm and unfathomable, and he spoke in a deep voice.
Turning back to Catherine, the sound of the chain finally stopped, and the huge stone door directly opposite slowly opened, revealing a scene that had been sealed for a long time.
Crack crack... Boom!!
The strange noises from the stone gate completely ceased, and Catherine walked in, immediately greeted by a corrosive smell, an unbearable odor, and smoke.
As the smoke and odor slowly dissipated, Catherine stepped forward again.
The interior was not as magnificent as she had imagined, with jewels, gold, Beli filling the room. Instead, she saw a small, dusty, square space with only a throne placed directly opposite it and a longsword stuck in front of the throne, its shape obscured by cobwebs and dust.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Catherine slowly began to walk towards the throne.
laugh...
He stopped just a meter or two away from the throne, stared at the longsword with its hilt in front of him, pondered for a long time, and then reached out to pull it out.
Clang!!
As Catherine drew her sword, a sword's cry resounded throughout the entire Holy Land, reaching everyone on Mary Geoise, including the Five Elders. Moreover, the famous Famous Sword she carried trembled and hummed in response to that kingly call.
"What... what's going on? How can the swords and blades not obey my commands?!"
One of the bald Five Elders gripped his beloved, long-time sword tightly, and asked in bewilderment.
"This situation seems familiar, like the call of the King of Swords..."
"Eight hundred years ago, it was recorded in confidential documents as the highest heirloom of the Glücksburg Clan, the Holy Sword, also known as the Sword of Promised Victory..."
" The Sword in the Stone... Wait, no way, could it be...?"
They were all immediately on edge. The emergence of the strongest weapon, once ranked among the top three of the twenty kings, reminded them of Catherine, the last bloodline of Glücksburg, whom they had previously welcomed back. They stood up with solemn expressions and said...