{}
Author's Note:
Hey guys!I'm happy to share some exciting news — our story has officially crossed 1,000 Power Stones! 🎉I just noticed it actually passed that mark in the last chapter, but I missed it then — oops! 😅
Also, with this chapter, we've crossed 200k words in total! That's a huge milestone, and I couldn't have done it without your amazing support.
Thank you all so much for reading, voting, and being part of this journey.Now, enjoy the chapter! 💫
{}
[Note:
" * " : Indicates abilities that can be upgraded with practice, experience, or unique opportunities.]
> System inner voice ["speaking"] <
> Ash inner speech "speaking" <
{}
As the last pirate fell. Ash looks around to check if anyone escaped and even checked with his Observation Haki. Noticing no one he nods to himself.
Ash then dragged Rho's unconscious body across the ground and dumped him next to the defeated Vargas. Meanwhile, Ace and Selina sat down, leaning against each other for support, both exhausted and injured.
As the dust settled, Uta and Lucy ran over.
Uta's eyes widened with worry as she took in their injuries and exhaustion. She immediately crouched down beside Ash, checking his wounds with concern.
"Are you guys, okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
Ash chuckled lightly despite the pain. "I'm fine, Uta. I can handle this."
He reached into his inventory, pulling out a healing pill. After swallowing it, he followed up with a basic healing potion to speed up recovery.
Ace and Selina, both still breathing heavily, did the same, relaxing as their pain and exhaustion began to fade.
Lucy, standing with her arms crossed, let out a mocking laugh.
"Shishishi! You guys took so long just to beat one guy."
Ash, Ace, and Selina all turned to mock glare at her.
Selina smirked. "At least we fought someone strong."
Ace grinned and added, "Yeah, not like someone who only went after the weaklings."
Ash stuck out his tongue playfully. "Oh, and Lucy—Rho was a Devil Fruit user, by the way, didn't you see it when I fought him?."
Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "What?! A Devil Fruit user?!"
She pouted, crossing her arms. "Next time, I'm taking on the strongest enemy! Just watch!"
Seeing her pout, the group burst into laughter, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as the tension from the battle faded into relief.
Ash then reached into his inventory and pulled out a small, mysterious looking core—the Devil Fruit Extraction Core.
Selina's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What's that?"
Ash glanced at her before giving a short explanation.
After understanding, Selina and the others watched silently as Ash knelt beside Rho's unconscious body, holding the core over his chest.
The moment the core activated, a dark, circular barrier formed around Ash and Rho, cutting them off from the outside world.
The girls instinctively tensed, panic flashing in their eyes. But remembering Ash's earlier explanation—that since this was his first time using it and he didn't know exactly what would happen—they forced themselves to stay silent and observe.
Inside the black dome, Rho's body convulsed violently.
A strange smoke-like essence began gathering around the core in Ash's hand, swirling like a black mist.
Seconds passed, and then—Rho suddenly stopped shaking.
A tiny glowing dot formed within the core.
Seeing this, Ash wasted no time. He took out the Eternal Fruit Basket from his inventory.
The moment he did, the core turned clear, and inside the basket, a plain pear suddenly began transforming—its shape twisting, strange patterns forming across its surface.
A few more seconds passed, and the transformation completed.
The black dome vanished, revealing Ash and Rho once again—Rho still completely unconscious.
Ash stored the Devil Fruit Extraction Core and the Eternal Fruit Basket back inside his inventory but kept the newly converted Devil Fruit in his hand.
It looked like a pear-shaped with a rugged, wild appearance. Its skin is a mottled blend of beige, dusty gray, and muted black, resembling a hyena's fur tones, and swirls like a devil fruit.
The surface has a rough, fur-like texture with uneven ridges, and from its top sprouts a thick black stem, branching into jagged, mane-like leaves that resemble the scruffy fur along a hyena's back.
Selina and Ace leaned closer; eyes wide with fascination.
"Wow… this is my first time actually seeing a Devil Fruit up close," Selina murmured in awe.
Lucy, on the other hand, crossed her arms and tilted her head. "So, are you gonna eat it?"
Ash immediately made a disgusted face. "What the f—?! No way."
The girls blinked at his extreme reaction, and he quickly composed himself before explaining.
"This is a Zoan-type fruit, the Inu Inu no Mi: Model Hyena (Dog-Dog Fruit: Hyena Model). Even though it's a Zoan, it's at the lowest level."
He held the fruit up before continuing, "Celeste told me that I can exchange Devil Fruits for other ones. The power level has to be equal, or if I collect enough lower-level ones, I can trade them in for a stronger fruit. So, I'm just going to store this for now."
Selina's eyes sparkled at the idea. "Really, Ash? Then we need to collect as many good Devil Fruits as possible in the future so you can trade for the best ones."
Ash chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan."
Ace suddenly giggled, covering her mouth slightly.
Ash and the others stared at her in confusion.
Seeing their looks, Ace smirked. "You guys do realize that Devil Fruits sell for millions, right? I just imagined what would happen if Nami found out Ash has one now."
There was a brief pause. Then—
The girls burst into giggles.
Ash, on the other hand, broke into a cold sweat. "...Crap."
Ash simply shook his head, already mentally preparing himself for the storm Nami would bring when she eventually found out. "I'll deal with that when the time comes," he muttered to himself.
Shifting the topic, he turned to the girls. "You see, it's not just Devil Fruits. I can also exchange unwanted items for weapons, equipment, or even other special things."
Uta's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wow! So, it's literally like Celeste opened a shop where you can buy or trade things with her?"
Ash glanced at her how nearly accurate she got and shrugged. "Yeah… something like that. I can even trade for money, not just items."
Selina, curious, tilted her head. "When did this happen? You never told us about it before."
Ash chuckled sheepishly. "Haa… I wanted to keep it as a surprise." He scratched the back of his head before continuing, "You see, Celeste usually sends me gifts on my birthdays. When I turned eleven—after we left Cocoyashi—she gave me a choice this time: a regular gift or a mysterious offer. I was curious, so I picked the mysterious offer… and this is what I got."
The girls exchanged glances, impressed.
"That's actually kind of cool," Ace admitted with a grin.
Selina smirked. "Still, I wonder what kind of 'gift' you missed out on for this."
Ash sweat dropped. "...Don't remind me."
Ash smiled. "But you know, I'm really happy with this offer. Now, I can search for even stronger Devil Fruits—not just for myself, but for all of us."
Hearing this, Selina and Ace jumped in excitement, clearly thrilled at the idea.
Meanwhile, Uta and Lucy both pouted, crossing their arms.
Ash noticed immediately. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Uta sighed dramatically. "We're just jealous, that's all. You get to look for a stronger fruit, but Lucy and I already ate ours."
Ash laughed. "Oh, that reminds me—I actually still have another surprise to tell you guys."
Lucy's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Really?! What is it?"
Ash smirked, his tone teasing. "Not now. I'll tell you later."
Lucy immediately grabbed his collar, pulling him close. "You… you…! Don't mess with me, Ash!" yells dramatically.
Ash gently pushed her back, grinning. "Relax. You'll find out soon."
Then, regaining his serious expression, he continued, "For now, let's finish what we came here for. There are still people we need to save, and we have to hand these guys over to the Marines… and, of course, collect their bounties."
He turned to Lucy and gave instructions. "Lucy, stay here with Selina and Ace. Gather all the pirates we knocked out and tie them up together with Rho and Vargos."
Lucy pouted but reluctantly nodded, understanding the situation. "Fine…" she grumbled as she started helping Ace and Selina.
Meanwhile, Ash stored the Devil Fruit inside his inventory and turned to Uta. "Alright, let's go. We've got some villagers to rescue."
With that, Ash and Uta dashed toward the hillside cave, ready to finish what they started.
It took only a few minutes to reach the hillside cave. Since the island was small, they arrived quickly using Soru.
As they approached, Ash immediately noticed that there were no guards stationed outside. However, he also spotted two familiar young women they saved before moving silently toward the cave.
Ash and Uta stopped near the entrance, startling the two women. They shrieked in fright, backing up slightly.
Uta quickly raised her hands in a calming gesture. "Hey, hey! Relax! Remember us? We're the ones who saved you."
Alice and Daisy, still breathing heavily, finally took a better look. Their eyes widened in realization, and they frantically scanned the surroundings.
Understanding their fear, Ash reassured them. "Don't worry. The pirates have been defeated—we took care of them. We'll be taking them back to the Marines, so you won't have to worry about them ever again."
Hearing this, the two women visibly relaxed, their shoulders sagging in relief.
With that settled, Ash, Uta, and the two women stepped into the cave. The inside was dimly lit, but it didn't take long for them to spot a large iron cage containing the captured villagers.
As soon as they entered, the villagers began murmuring in surprise.
Then, a woman—her clothes tattered and covered in dirt, yet still beautiful despite her age—rushed toward the cage rails with urgency.
"Alice! Daisy! You're safe!" she cried out.
Alice and Daisy, eyes brimming with tears, rushed toward the cage.
"Mom!" they sobbed, reaching through the bars to hold her hands.
Though the cold iron rails separated them, they clung tightly to each other, crying in relief.
With a single, swift slash of Kashu, Ash shattered the iron lock. The heavy metal clattered to the ground, the sound echoing through the cave.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the cage door creaked open, and the imprisoned villagers hesitated, as if unable to believe they were finally free.
"It's over," Ash reassured them. "You're safe now."
His words seemed to break the spell. One by one, the villagers stepped out, relief and disbelief washing over their faces. Some clutched each other, whispering words of comfort, while others simply stared at their rescuers in awe.
Ash and Uta waited patiently, ensuring no one were left behind before following them out of the cave.
Outside, the freed villagers gathered together, their voices filled with hushed excitement and overwhelming gratitude. Soon, an elderly man stepped forward, his weathered face lined with emotion.
"We've heard everything from Alice and Daisy," the old man said, his voice thick with gratitude. "We owe you, our lives. If not for you, we might never have escaped those pirates."
Ash rubbed the back of his head, giving a small grin. "It was nothing."
At that moment, Alice and Daisy rushed forward, accompanied by a woman who looked no less dignified despite her dishevelled state.
"My name is Lily," she introduced herself, her voice warm yet filled with emotion. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked at Ash and Uta.
Then, before either of them could react, Lily stepped forward and embraced them both.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Thank you for saving my daughters."
Ash stiffened, caught off guard by the unexpected hug, his arms hovering awkwardly in the air. Uta, however, simply chuckled and patted Lily's back gently.
When Lily finally pulled away, Ash struggled to regain his composure, his face slightly red.
"A-Ah… It's… um…" he stammered, trying to say something cool but failing miserably.
Uta giggled at his reaction, nudging him playfully. "What he's trying to say is, it was our pleasure."
The villagers laughed softly, the tension from their ordeal finally easing.
{}
Ash felt his face heat up behind his mask as the beautiful woman embraced him in gratitude. For a moment, he froze, caught off guard by the unexpected affection. After she pulled away, he cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.
"A-Alright… Let us guide you all back to your village safely," he said, regaining his composure.
With Uta at his side, Ash led the rescued villagers back toward their homes. The journey didn't take long, and before they knew it, they had arrived.
As they stepped into the village, Ash immediately noticed that the defeated pirates had been gathered and securely tied down with chains. Standing nearby, Lucy was casually eating—again.
Ash sighed and shook his head with a chuckle. "She definitely only has food hidden in her inventory bag."
Meanwhile, the villagers seeing the bound pirates, a wave of emotions surged through them—joy, disbelief, and an overwhelming sense of freedom. Some of them even cheered, others hugged their loved ones, and a few wiped away tears, unable to believe it was finally over.
After several rounds of grateful thanks from the villager's multiple times, Ash and the girls decided it was time to leave. Ash finally spoke up. "We'll be leaving now then," he announced.
A sudden hush fell over the crowd.
"Already?!" one of the villagers asked in dismay.
The village chief stepped forward, a look of concern on his face. "You've done so much for us. Won't you at least stay a little longer?"
Ash shook his head with a small smile. "We still need to turn these pirates over to the Marines," he explained. "But don't worry—we'll be staying on Wavestone Island for a while. We'll come back as soon as we take care of few things."
Hearing this, the village chief's face brightened. "Ah, I see! Then we'll be expecting you. We still owe you a proper thank-you for saving us and our home."
Ash and the girls led the bound pirates toward the shore, dragging them along while the villagers followed closely behind.
Despite their earlier cheers, many of the villagers still cast wary glances at the unconscious pirates, as if afraid they might suddenly wake up and cause trouble again.
When they finally reached the shore, the gentle sea breeze brushed against them, carrying the scent of salt and freedom. The waves lapped against the sand, and the villagers gathered near the water's edge, watching curiously.
Ash nodded. But then, as he looked at the dozens of unconscious pirates, he frowned. "Moving them all was going to be a pain."
Then, an idea struck him.
Turning to the village chief, he asked, "Do you know where these guys' ship is docked?" He gestured toward the captured pirates.
The chief pointed toward the eastern coast. "Their ship is docked over there."
Ash nodded. "Got it."
Then, in the blink of an eye—he vanished.
The villagers gasped in shock.
A few minutes later, the sound of waves crashing against the shore made everyone turn their heads. Through the mist, a massive pirate ship appeared, sailing toward them. Standing at the helm, Ash expertly steered it into position.
Once the ship was close enough, Ash hopped down onto the dock.
"Alright," he instructed, "let's load these guys onto the ship."
Working together, they dragged and secured the unconscious pirates onto their own ship, binding them tightly with chains and ropes. Meanwhile, Ash made sure their small sailboat was safely tied to the stern, so they could tow it along.
With everything ready, Ash climbed onto the pirate ship's deck and took the wheel.
The entire village gathered at the shore, waving them off with warm smiles and heartfelt thanks.
"We'll be back soon!" the girls called out, waving excitedly.
With that, Ash and the girls set sail, disappearing into the horizon.
After about an hour, thanks to the larger size of the Mad Eye Pirates' ship, Ash and the girls finally arrived at Wavestone Island, the night sky stretching over them. Along the way, Ash had slowly gotten the hang of steering a bigger ship, gaining some confidence in handling it.
As they approached the port, a few stationed Marines spotted the incoming pirate ship.
When they noticed the flag of the Mad Eye Pirates, panic instantly spread among them. Assuming that the notorious pirates were attacking, the Marines immediately sounded the alarm and called for reinforcements.
By the time Ash and the girls reached the dock, the entire port was flooded with Marines, all with guns, swords, and even cannons aimed directly at them.
Ash anchored the ship securely, ensuring it wouldn't drift, before he and the girls jumped down from the deck. Their sudden movement startled the Marines, and the commanding officer immediately shouted:
"Stop where you are!"
Seeing their reaction, Ash quickly raised his hands in surrender, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.
"We are not with the Mad Eye Pirates! We are bounty hunters! We captured the entire crew—they're tied up on the ship, unconscious!"
Despite his words, the Marine officer didn't seem convinced right away. Suspicion remained in his sharp gaze, and his grip on his sword tightened.
Noticing this, Ash sighed inwardly before adding, "Look, if you don't believe us, you can call Sir Edric to confirm our identity."
Hearing that name, the officer's expression flickered with hesitation. After a moment of thought, he nodded toward one of his men.
"Go call Sir Edric. Quickly."
The Marine soldier rushed off, disappearing into the town.
Meanwhile, Ash and the girls stood their ground, patiently waiting under the watchful eyes of the armed Marines.
The commotion, however, had already caught the attention of some townspeople.
Doors creaked open, and soon, some curious villagers began stepping out onto the streets, their faces filled with concern and confusion as they gathered at the docks to see what was happening so late at night.
After some time, the Marine who had gone to fetch Sir Edric finally returned—with Edric walking beside him.
As soon as Edric came into view, his eyes widened in shock and anger upon seeing the Marines pointing their weapons at Ash and the girls. Without hesitation, he shouted at the Marine officer in charge:
"Mr. Marine! What the hell are you doing?! Do you even realize who you're aiming your weapons at?! These are the people who saved my life—along with my family and many others!"
His loud voice echoed across the port, making the surrounding Marines stiffen in shock. The officer in charge instantly paled, realizing his mistake.
Meanwhile, Edric hurried toward Ash, bowing slightly in apology.
"I'm sorry about this, Shadow. These fools didn't recognize you."
Ash waved his hand dismissively. "No worries, Sir Edric. I figured they wouldn't believe us right away."
After exchanging greetings, Edric asked for a full report on what had happened. Ash and the girls recounted the battle against the Mad Eye Pirates, their rescue of the villagers, and the capture of Rho and his crew.
Edric's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait... you're telling me you actually took down the entire Mad Eye Pirates?"
Ash and the girls nodded firmly.
A stunned silence fell over the entire port. The townspeople and even the Marines stood frozen, unable to process what they had just heard.
The Mad Eye Pirates—a crew that had terrorized the seas—defeated by this young new group of bounty hunters?
Breaking the silence, the Marines boarded the pirate ship and began bringing down the captured pirates, including their captain, Mad-Eye Rho, and even his right-hand man, Vargus the Black Gale who joined.
After securing the prisoners, the Marines escorted them through the town, heading toward the Marine base, with Ash, the girls, and Edric following closely behind.
At the Marine Base
Upon reaching the base, the captured pirates were locked away in the holding cells, one after another.
However, just as the Marines were about to lock up Mad-Eye Rho, his eyes suddenly snapped open.
With a frantic yell, he shoved the Marines away, sending them sprawling to the ground. His wild, bloodshot eyes darted around, and when he finally registered where he was, a furious roar erupted from his throat.
"HOW THE HELL DID I GET CAPTURED?!"
His rage-filled gaze landed on Ash and the girls.
"YOU—!! IT WAS YOU!!" Rho snarled, his body trembling in fury.
Fueled by blind rage, he attempted to transform into his Hyena form. But—nothing happened.
A confused look flickered across Rho's face. He tried again. Still nothing.
His eyes widened in horror.
"W-What?! What did you do to me?!" Rho screamed.
Ash remained silent, watching him with cold eyes.
In his desperation, Rho lunged at a fallen Marine, snatching his pistol.
Without hesitation, he fired wildly at Ash and the girls.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
But due to his dizziness and exhaustion, every shot missed. The pistol clicked empty.
Growling in frustration, Rho grabbed a Marine's sword and charged at them like a rabid dog.
"DIEEEE!!"
Seeing his reckless charge, Ash and Lucy reacted instantly.
Lucy rushed forward, her fist glowing with strength, and delivered a devastating punch straight into Rho's chest.
At the same time, Ash slashed across Rho's torso with Kashu, the blade cutting deep.
SLAM! SLASH!
Rho's charge halted instantly.
His bloodshot eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening as if to scream—but no sound came out.
His body trembled before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
This time, he did not get up.
Due to severe blood loss, exhaustion, and the final blow from Ash and Lucy, Mad-Eye Rho was dead.
His eyes rolled back, turning white, his body completely motionless.
{}
Ash casually flicked his sword through the air, and with a single swift motion, the blood slid cleanly off the blade. Then he smoothly sheathed Kashu back into its scabbard.
Then, with a sudden shift in demeanor, Ash turned toward the shocked Marine captain and Edric, his usual calm composure returning.
With a hint of amusement in his tone, he remarked, "I hope you don't deduct this from our bounty on Rho. After all, we did bring him in alive—you saw it yourselves."
The Marine captain and Edric blinked, snapping out of their stunned silence.
After quickly composing themselves, the captain straightened up and nodded firmly.
"Of course, Mr. Shadow. You'll receive the full bounty. In fact, I personally thank you for taking care of him in our stead."
Ash gave a small nod. "Sure."
After completing the necessary formalities, the Marines finally brought out a large chest filled with money—a total of 40,150,750 Berries, the combined bounty for all the captured pirates, including Mad-Eye Rho and Vargus the Black Gale.
As the Marine carrying the chest set it down, he turned to the captain and reported, "Sir, we searched the ship, but we didn't find anything else of value."
Hearing this, the captain furrowed his brows and turned toward Ash.
Ash, whistling lightly, gave an exaggerated shrug and said, "Huh? No idea what happened to their treasure. Maybe someone stole it?"
His poorly acted innocence was so unconvincing that even his own crew resisted the urge to facepalm.
The captain simply sighed and shook his head.
"Yes… What can we do?" He muttered, clearly choosing to let it go.
He had no intention of questioning Ash any further. After all, Ash and his crew had defeated a dangerous pirate that the Marines had failed to capture and had also rescued the people of Drift Reef Isle.
In the end, the captain decided to overlook the matter, knowing that Ash and the girls were the good guys in this situation.
After that, Ash and the girls left the Marine base, bidding their farewells to Edric before heading back to the inn where they were staying.
The moment they arrived, Ash stretched his arms, thinking about going to rest in his own room, but before he could take a step—
"Not so fast."
Selina, Uta, and Ace suddenly grabbed him, dragging him toward their shared room.
"H-Hey, wait! What's going on?" Ash stammered in confusion.
As soon as they got inside, they shoved him onto the bed, causing him to flinch.
"Wait, hold on! I-I'm not ready for these kinds of things!" he blurted out.
Selina, Uta, and Ace instantly turned red, while Lucy tilted her head in pure confusion.
"What the—?! No, idiot! Stop spouting nonsense!" Selina snapped, before all three of them bonked him on the head at the same time.
"We brought you here for something else."
Ash chuckled, rubbing the spot where they hit him. "Ha ha, really? For what?"
Selina crossed her arms. "We want to know what this other surprise you're hiding is."
Ash laughed again, shaking his head. "Wait you guys are still hanging on that?" Ash then murmurs to himself "Woman"
Uta gave a chilling smile looking at him saying "What was that Ash, we didn't hear you?"
Ash starts to sweat bullets and stammers saying "N-N-Nothing."
Ace mockingly yelled, "Tell us now!" while Lucy grabbed his collar, her expression demanding answers.
Ash then says "There's a reason I called it a surprise—I'll tell you when the time comes."
Then, they pulled out their ultimate weapon—
The puppy eyes.
Ash wasn't immune to such an attack.
With a defeated sigh, he finally caved in. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you."
Hearing this, the girls cheered, jumping in joy.
Ash then began explaining, "When I received the option to exchange things for better items from Celeste, she showed me some really cool and powerful Devil Fruits."
The girls listened closely as he continued, "Seeing that, I was just surprised and casually said, 'It would be nice if I could take more than one Devil Fruit.' But you know, a person can't have more than one, right?"
Surprisingly, Celeste told me there is a way to eat more than one Devil Fruit."
"WHAT?!" The girls shouted in unison; their eyes wide with shock.
Selina quickly leaned in. "How?!"
Ash shrugged. "I don't know. She just told me to keep doing what I do. When the time is right, she'll present it to me... but I have no idea when."
Uta's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Wait, does that mean we can have more than one Devil Fruit too?!"
Ash nodded in confirmation.
The girls exchanged silent glances, as if reaching an unspoken agreement.
Then—without warning—
They grabbed him and threw him out of the room!
Ash tumbled onto the floor outside, completely stunned. As he sat there in silence, above him, imaginary crow cawed as it passed, leaving faint dots in the air.
"I've been tossed aside after giving them what they wanted... Sigh."
Shaking his head, he dusted off his clothes and walked back to his room, finally ready to get some rest.
After a good rest, Ash and the girls returned to their routine, enjoying their day and even visiting Edric and his family at his mansion, where they spent some time together.
Meanwhile, the townspeople who had witnessed the events of the previous night began spreading what they had seen and heard.
Unbeknownst to Ash and the girls, news of their capture of the Mad Eye Pirates—an infamously rising crew that even the Marines had struggled to apprehend—was spreading rapidly through the not just streets of Wavestone. Their names were beginning to gain recognition every where.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At Dawn Island, a News Coo delivering newspapers arrived at Foosha Village, landing at Makino's bar. As Makino read through the headlines, her eyes widened in amazement.
"Wow, they really did it! I can't wait for them to come back and tell the full story."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Grand Line, a figure sat in the shadows, their face obscured, a cigar resting between their lips as they read the same newspaper.
"Hmm… let's wait and see if you're truly worthy."
Turning to the person who had brought the paper, the figure ordered, "I need all available information on these five. Bring me everything about them—soon."
The subordinate nodded silently before leaving to carry out the order.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At Marineford, Sengoku read through the report, his expression darkening. "This is a shame for the Marines…" He then turned his gaze toward Garp and snapped, "Garp! What the hell were you even doing during your vacation?!"
Garp, sitting casually in Sengoku's office and munching on rice crackers, simply laughed at his friend's frustration. But deep down, he already had a good idea of who was responsible. A proud smile formed on his face.
Seeing Garp's expression, Sengoku's forehead twitched in irritation. A vein bulged as he bared his shark-like teeth and yelled, "What's with that stupid grin?! What is there to be proud of here, you old jerk?!"
Garp just burst into loud laughter. "Bwahaha! Sengoku, don't get so worked up! You'll turn your hair completely grey at this rate."
Sengoku groaned, rubbing his temples in exasperation before sighing in defeat. There was no arguing with this man.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, in the New World, Dragon received the same news and was visibly surprised. He read through the report carefully before setting the paper down, a hint of pride in his expression. Beside him, Ivankov raised an eyebrow in amusement, Bellemere smirked knowingly, and Kuma remained silent, his unreadable gaze fixed on the article.
As planned, the names Shadow, Ember, Siren, Crimson, Silver—collectively known as The Phantom Vortex—had begun to spread across the seas. Their grand debut as bounty hunters had left a mark, and the world slowly was beginning to take notice.
To be continued...
Hey everyone! I'm always looking for ways to make this story even better, and I'd love to hear your ideas. What powers do you think should be available in Ash's store? Maybe you have some cool concepts for abilities, weapons, or items that could make the adventure even more exciting!
Feel free to drop your suggestions in the comments, and if there's anything specific, you'd love to see in future chapters, let me know! I might even integrate your ideas into the story.
Also, don't forget to give some Power Stones if you're enjoying the journey! Your support means the world. 😊