Above the tranquil, deep-blue sea, a gentle ripple passed by.
The reflection of the endless sky on the water was shattered into fragments by rising waves, as if the ocean itself was breaking the sky in a different way.
At the horizon's edge, a hazy, massive silhouette slowly approached from afar.
The sudden surge of waves disrupted the rare calm of the sea.
The colossal Pluton warship advanced toward a little-known, chaotic island on the Grand Line with an unstoppable majesty.
Up close, an even more astonishing sight could be seen!
Compared to the massive warship, the seemingly insignificant Golden Merry charged forward bravely, dragging the Pluton behind it across the vast sea at incredible speed—its size hundreds, even thousands of times larger.
The terrifying draft of the Pluton created monstrous waves under Merry's rapid movement, capsizing countless unlucky pirate crews who happened to be traveling nearby.
Beside the giant warship, a similarly huge figure occasionally broke the surface of the water.
Laboon, swimming below, let out the occasional cry, communicating with the two tiny figures aboard the Merry.
The two "tiny figures" were:
One, Merry in her ship-spirit form.
The other, a Kung Fu Manatee—a mere twenty centimeters tall—with a green tortoise shell on its back, a green turtle cap, a face puffed outward, and a single fin in place of legs.
This story was a long one.
After Luffy and the crew said goodbye to Vivi, and when they were preparing to set off from a port near Yuba with the Pluton, a baby Kung Fu Manatee blocked their path on the desolate shore.
Through Chopper's translation, Luffy and the others learned, with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, that this little manatee had been separated from its herd during the chaos caused by the crew's earlier battles.
Struggling to survive, it had started hijacking passing ships—a skill passed down through its species.
And the Starry Sky Pirates were unfortunately the first crew to wander into its territory.
Gathering courage for its first attempt at piracy, the baby manatee was easily won over by a piece of chocolate handed by Chopper.
It swore loyalty to Chopper as its "big brother," determined to follow him wherever he went.
Seeing its cuteness, and noting the species' natural talents, Luffy casually threw the last Pokéball and added it as a new companion.
Pet: Kung Fu Manatee
Stamina: 54
Strength: 37
Agility: 40
Mental Power: 8
Special Skill:Eight Gates Formation
…
Jaya Island, a typical, lawless island in the Grand Line.
Even something as mundane as strolling through the streets required extreme caution.
Petty theft was considered lucky; murder and robbery were common occurrences.
Blood was a familiar sight—they walked on it daily.
Until today.
Jaya Island finally fell into a rare, complete silence.
…
At a regular bar on the west coast port of Jaya Island:
"Olios, a Marine officer who massacred an entire warship. Bounty: 26 million."
"Pieteran, former West Sea mafia boss. Killed an entire village to eliminate rivals. Bounty: 17 million."
"Malley… hmm… nothing too evil, but constantly chasing women. Rumor has it he got a Marine admiral's daughter pregnant and ran away. Bounty: 15 million."
Robin slowly laid out a stack of yellowed papers on the table, explaining each one with her usual composed voice.
These were bounty sheets she had "acquired" from informants on Jaya Island.
Every wanted pirate on Jaya Island was accounted for here.
The Starry Sky crew, except for Sanji, gathered around a simple wooden table, carefully noting each wanted criminal's face.
After Robin placed the last sheet, everyone straightened and turned to Luffy, who had been waiting silently.
With all plans thoroughly explained, Luffy rose from his chair.
Stepping forward, he examined the fully spread bounty sheets, then looked up with his serene eyes and told the crew:
"Since everything is ready, let's begin our Hero mission!"
At Luffy's command, the crew's expressions varied.
This was the plan he had coordinated with Vivi before departing.
To establish the Hero Academy's reputation, they would dominate the seas with unmatched strength.
All for the rapid development of the Hero Academy!
For Luffy's vision of the Gold Arena to come to fruition!
Zoro, Nami, and Brook were already used to this kind of reckless behavior.
Killing a few people didn't faze them in the slightest.
Merry still looked innocent, though she understood much more now.
She had no objection to such bloody affairs.
Usopp felt uneasy but more so worried about his own abilities—afraid he couldn't complete the task—not about taking lives.
This was a unique psychological trait of his.
Koby, though still afraid of killing due to his innate kindness, had matured enough to act without hesitation.
In fact… in Koby's eyes glimmered a barely contained eagerness.
After all, his path to strength was purging evil.
He could no longer wait to follow the Starry Sky crew!
The only one showing genuine hesitation was Chopper, inexperienced in slaughter.
But Chopper's discomfort came from inexperience; having been shunned by humans, he was never purely innocent.
…
An inexplicable aura of terror suddenly enveloped Jaya Island.
At that moment, taverns, casinos, and gang hideouts alike felt it.
Dozens of ruthless criminals shivered in fear.
A strange premonition caused them to panic and glance around.
But in the end…
Seeing the familiar surroundings unchanged, they slowly calmed and resumed their activities.
Unaware, however, that the Reaper's scythe was already poised above their necks.
…
In a luxurious mansion on the outskirts of town, a group of confident, arrogant scoundrels reveled noisily.
At the center, a sharp-faced man in a pale pink coat held a foaming beer in one hand, a seductive woman in the other, and asked a muscular blonde:
"Brother Bellamy, will Donquixote Doflamingo really come here?"
Bellamy grabbed the beer on the table, downed it in one gulp, and slammed the cup down with a crash.
His dark-skinned face flushed as he looked up, mouth wide in a laugh:
"Ha ha ha! Of course!!!
Three days ago, Donquixote Doflamingo personally called me to scout this area for information on the Starry Sky Pirates, one of the Shichibukai!
I estimate next week, he'll personally visit us!
This is a big deal—these days, keep your eyes open and don't cause trouble!"
"But Brother Bellamy, can we really gather info on the Shichibukai?
If we don't act quickly, won't it ruin Doflamingo's plans!?"
A conservative man beside Bellamy, adjusting his black glasses, reminded him.
Bellamy glanced at the last drop in his beer, then nodded solemnly:
"You're right.
But since the Starry Sky Pirates recently made big moves, there are surely spies watching. Getting info on them shouldn't be hard!"
"Better be careful, Brother Bellamy!" the glasses man added.
"Tch!"
The pink-coated man scoffed at the warning but was immediately silenced by Bellamy's glare.
Bellamy, standing like a king, snatched a nearby bottle and smashed it on the ground.
The raucous hall fell silent.
All eyes turned to Bellamy, standing on the table, now deadly serious.
He snatched a cup from a subordinate and bellowed:
"Brothers!
As of three days ago, our Bellamy Pirates officially joined under the Shichibukai Donquixote Doflamingo!
From that day, we became part of the world's top dark force—the Donquixote Family!"
Cheers erupted as Bellamy raised his cup.
"To Brother Bellamy!!!
Long live the Donquixote Family!!!"
For pirates barely surviving the first half of the Grand Line, any connection to a Shichibukai was supreme honor.
"Alright, everyone!"
Seeing their excitement, Bellamy grinned and continued:
"This celebration lasts until midnight!
From tomorrow, we will give our all to complete Doflamingo's orders!"
"Search thoroughly… for information on the Starry Sky Pirates…"
BOOM!!!
Before he could finish, a violent gust of wind exploded outside the mansion.
A blade of blue light pierced the entire estate and Bellamy himself, disappearing in an instant.
Whoosh~
The raging wind cut at Bellamy's body.
His messy golden hair whipped wildly, sliced by the wind in places.
Bellamy stood, eyes wide, mouth slightly open—paralyzed, unable to comprehend what he saw.
Crack… crunch…
A fissure erupted across the mansion wall, lightning-shaped, spreading upward.
Warm sunlight poured through the ceiling cracks into the hall.
Rumble…
Bellamy's beer cup was cleanly sliced in two.
Alarmed, Bellamy stumbled back, pupils dilated like a bull's, hearts racing—he had just faced death itself.
The mansion didn't collapse—only rubble fell from the roof.
The ornate chandelier creaked, rattling the hearts of all inside.
Through the chaos, a dark green silhouette emerged in the doorway, accompanied by a tanuki-like pet.
Zoro, carrying his spirit blade, entered confidently, smiling slyly:
"I hear… someone's snooping on us!?"
Beside him, tanuki-formed Chopper peeked from behind, observing the bounty-bearing pirates carefully.
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Completed version available on Patreon P@treon(.)com/Veltoria