One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror

Right now, Dante stared at the intelligence sent back from the front lines and fell completely silent. It wasn’t because someone was imitating Mock that he went quiet, but...

"These East Blue pirates are really slipping. A 5-million-Berry bounty qualifies as an Overlord now? And they actually have the audacity to copy Mock?"

The bar was way too low.

"After all the chaos, an East Blue pirate with a 5-million-Berry bounty is already quite good," Robin said, with a helpless shrug. "Even back in the day, a 5-million bounty marked a great pirate here. Of course..." She seemed to recall something. "There are still quite a few pirate crews whose bounties are low, but their strength is genuinely impressive."

To raise a bounty, one had to either antagonize the World Government, attack the Marines to draw their attention, or take on a Member Nation. Raising the number without doing those things was extremely difficult. Given the current situation in the East Blue, attracting the notice of Marine HQ was incredibly difficult unless they committed major atrocities.

Dante understood this well. To sum it up: some of these guys truly became pirates for the sake of adventure and the One Piece. They were the so-called adventurers, and simultaneously the type of scum the World Government found most troublesome.

With that in mind, he looked back at the intelligence report. Dante pondered for a moment, then nodded and said to Robin and Viola beside him, "About time. Notify the forces over there... they can close the net." He paused slightly. "And tell Zephyr-sensei... the Plan can be implemented."

Robin and Viola fell utterly silent. Both immediately wore hesitant looks. That Plan...

But they nodded in unison and replied, "Understood!"

Thanks to the East Blue Marine’s recent bloody suppression, the once-chaotic waters had grown quiet. But beneath that calm, everyone felt it: a storm brewing just under the surface.

People’s dreams would indeed never end.

To stand against the dictator-like bloodshed, and to secure a future for East Blue piracy, the captain of the Scissor Pirates sought to inherit Mock’s will and raise the banner of rebellion. He sent a Challenge Letter to every remaining pirate in the sea.

Today was the appointed time.

Countless crews answered the call, descending on this remote speck of land: Hope Island. That name signified an island carrying the dreams of outlaws. Though the landmass originally bore a different name, from today onward it would be known as Hope Island.

All at once, the once-desolate rock bustled with activity. Arriving captains wore grave expressions as they led their crews ashore, ready to seek hope for their brothers.

"Hey, isn’t that the Captain of the Black Kiri Pirates? You came too?"

"Oh, it’s the Captain of the Ame Pirates! Didn’t expect you to show up."

"Captain of the Kiny Pirates, hahaha, you made it too?"

Spotting familiar crews in the crowd, several captains relaxed. They breathed a sigh of relief. So many crews had shown up. It seemed the Scissor Pirates stood closer to claiming the title of Overlord than the Quick Blade Pirates had.

Truly, turbulent times make heroes.

However, memories of the Marines’ terrifying might crept back in. The relieved captains’ faces darkened again.

Captain Black Kiri looked at his acquaintances. Their home waters lay close together, situated on neighboring islands. Although they had never met before turning pirate, chance had thrown them together during an adventure. Conversation later revealed their hometowns sat right next to each other. Moreover, as rookie crews, they differed from the bloodthirsty old-timers who only wanted to settle down and retire. They craved adventure and sought the One Piece. After a few parties, they had become fast friends.

"Didn’t expect you both to come." Captain Black Kiri looked at Ame and Kiny, sighed in resignation, and shook his head. Worry edged his tone. "I don’t know if this Scissor Captain is reliable."

"Rumor has it the Scissor Captain is a great pirate who survived the Pirate Feast." Ame spoke with a heavy expression. "His strength is considerable. With him leading us, we might actually have hope."

"A survivor of the Pirate Feast? I’m just here to see for myself. I don’t actually hold out much hope. If the East Blue Overlord couldn’t pull it off, what makes this bastard think he can? Not to mention, the Marines today are way stronger than they were two years ago." The aloof Kiny scoffed, then added, "Besides, I never liked Mock. I heard he loves capturing poor people to sell as slaves, and he always does it with a smile to trick people. He’s absolute scum!"

Kiny voiced his disgust outright. Black Kiri and Ame, who knew him well, said nothing. While they also disapproved of Mock’s actions, they wouldn’t say it out loud like Kiny.

"Very well, let’s observe first," Captain Black Kiri declared. "If things go south, we’ll flee and keep hiding. The sea is vast, I don’t believe the East Blue Marines can find us. We’ll enter the Grand Line once the opportunity arises." His eyes gleamed with longing. "Legend says the Grand Line holds a Pirate Paradise, teeming with treasure hunters. They say the sea overflows with gold, you could supposedly strike it rich just by sailing blind. I wonder if it’s true. I can’t wait to find out."

"I heard that too!" Ame’s eyes lit up, his voice thick with the same craving. "They say the place is full of Cities of Gold. One swing of a pickaxe and you strike riches! And unlike here, the pirates there are strong, the Marines don’t dare mess with them. Freedom fills the air. Rumor has it that only in the Grand Line can you find true freedom."

"Enough." Captain Kiny’s eyes betrayed a flicker of temptation, but he reined it in. "We haven’t even entered the Grand Line yet. Why obsess over it here?" He pointed to the side. "It’s time. Everyone else has gone in. Weren’t you the ones who wanted to take a look?"

The words silenced them. Captains Black Kiri and Ame cast aside their fantasies. They watched pirate crews file into the cave one after another. Without hesitation, they led their own members forward.

"Let’s go! We’ll go in and take a look too."

The three captains followed the group toward the hidden cave. The Scissor Captain was clearly cautious regarding the Marines. The cave was extremely well-concealed. After crossing a river, one had to take an inward turn and traverse a narrow path to even spot it. Without a guide, an ordinary person would never find it. No one knew how the pirates discovered it in the first place. Doubts lingered, but the crews followed inside.

Passing through the narrow entrance, they finally stepped into the main cavern.

Instantly, the space opened up. Contrary to the cramped mouth, the interior was vast and remarkably cool. Strange banners hung on the walls, inscribed with words promising hope to pirates. Rumor had it that the Scissor Captain was a fan of Mock. Looking at the evidence, the rumors were true. After all, legend claimed the former Overlord loved hanging banners during his meetings, even boasting of personalized ones carried by two underlings.

None of that mattered right now. They came seeking hope, not to watch a show.

They didn’t wait long. Once the arriving captains seemed to have all entered, an excited shout rang out: "Welcome our Captain, the man most likely to inherit the seat of the East Blue Overlord, Captain Scissor!"

Instantly, a cloaked figure strode out. The outfit was a dead ringer for the rumored Overlord. Unlike Mock’s burly frame, the captain of the Scissor Pirates was tall and gaunt. He wore shoes as slender and sharp as blades. No, those were blades. Two frost-emitting swords were embedded in the soles, matching his long, straight legs. At that moment, everyone understood his title.

The cloaked Captain ascended a rock-carved platform. His eyes narrowed, but those slitted pupils, devoid of visible irises, exuded no dominance. They only radiated an icy chill. Scissor didn’t care. Looking down at the assembled pirates, he imagined he understood how Mock felt in the past.

Authority. No wonder so many wanted to be the Overlord. The feeling was intoxicating. Captain Scissor took a deep breath, savoring the thrill. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I’ve gathered you all here today to discuss how to fight back against the East Blue Marines..."

However, he didn’t finish his sentence.

At that moment, a terrified shout echoed from outside the cave: "The East Blue Marines are here!"

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