No matter how the world defines pirates—
at their core, pirates are thieves.
They sail for riches, stopping at nothing to fulfill their ambitions.
If he could choose his identity freely…
Astrix wouldn't mind living as a Celestial Dragon in Mary Geoise—waited on by maids, escorted by Marines wherever he went, enjoying endless wealth without lifting a finger.
But there are no what-ifs.
Surviving in this pirate world is hard enough. If being a thief is what it takes, so be it.
"Mihawk, I'll be right back."
Mihawk, holding a cup of iced black tea that faintly steamed in the cold air, gave a silent nod.
After more than a month, Astrix's height hadn't changed much, but his physique had grown significantly stronger.
Even without using his Devil Fruit, he could now defeat two—and a half—versions of his past self.
Such was Innate Divine Strength.
Such was the Big Eater constitution.
No wonder everyone loved hacks.
The first half of the Grand Line was called Paradise.
Yet compared to the four Blues, its climate was anything but gentle—calm one moment, crackling with lightning the next.
On the rolling sea, the Black Gorilla Pirates' captain—code-named "Gorilla," the fat, dark-skinned rogue Gaute—stood triumphantly at the prow.
"Lads, bring her alongside! Let the name Black Gorilla shake the seas!"
"Ooo-ooo-ooo!!!"
"Gorilla! Gorilla!"
"Great treasure! Great treasure!"
They were the perfect image of the Great Pirate Era—pirates, bandits, and refugees flooding into the Grand Line from every sea.
In a world where nine out of ten people couldn't read, the promise of great treasure was more enticing than life itself.
Between the two ships, a bolt of lightning crossed hundreds of meters in an instant—
the most basic application of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit:
Flash Step.
In terms of pure speed, only that flashy bastard with the Glint-Glint Fruit could surpass it.
Astrix dropped out of his elemental form and landed atop the Black Gorilla's sail.
"Oi. I'm right here."
The pirates—Gorilla included—nearly had their eyes pop out.
"What?!"
"Who are you?! When did you get here?!"
Astrix, a relic of the old era, decided it was time these rookies learned a lesson.
"Thunder Dragon."
A dragon of pure lightning roared across the deck. After a single pass, only the captain remained standing—barely.
The fat rogue clenched his fists, chest heaving.
"I'm a gorilla man who ate the Gorilla Fruit—die!"
His body swelled, transforming into a four-meter-tall black-backed gorilla. Beating his chest, he charged forward with a strange, lurching gait.
"Animal types…" Astrix murmured. "Tough as nails."
With a single swing, the gorilla shattered the mast.
Astrix hovered lightly in the air, shaping lightning between his palms into a blade—
Thunder Sword.
A rare chance to fight another Devil Fruit user.
Ever since leaving Loguetown, he had sparred with Mihawk again and again—but one-sided beatings taught him nothing.
He needed a real measure of his strength.
The gorilla kicked off the deck and launched skyward.
"Gorilla Fist!"
Shuk—
Astrix mimicked Roger's stance, pouring all his strength into a single swing of the Thunder Sword.
The blow smashed the gorilla straight back into the deck.
Silence.
Looking at the unconscious beast, Astrix clicked his tongue.
"Innate Divine Strength…"
[Innate Divine Strength: You are strong.]
It felt less like a skill and more like a passive law.
If Mihawk fought him without Armament Haki, purely on strength—
Astrix might now have the advantage.
And just now, he had one-shot the gorilla.
"No wonder everyone loves hacks."
Dispelling the Thunder Sword, Astrix landed and kicked the stunned pirates awake.
"Men to the left, women to the right—line up. This is a robbery."
The rookies trembled, their mighty captain—rumored to rival the Pirate King—lying unconscious at their feet.
Steam still rose from the charred wound across his chest.
"Anyone here know how to sail?"
No one moved.
Astrix kicked one pirate straight into the sea.
"You can't sail, you can't fight—why are you even in the Grand Line?"
"Sir! Our captain can sail!" one of them cried.
Astrix rolled his eyes. "So he's been steering the whole time?"
They nodded frantically.
"What a joke…"
He sighed, then muttered coldly:
"Next life—don't follow fools to sea."
Rule one of the outlaw world:
Leave no loose ends.
You never know which nobody might turn into the chosen one—coming back later screaming about friendship and revenge.
After tossing the rest into the sea, Astrix looted everything of value.
He placed an apple beside the unconscious captain—and ended him with a single slash.
Then he crouched, waiting.
This was a gamble.
Within miles, this was the only fruit available.
Ten minutes later—
the apple's skin began to twist, forming the iconic swirling patterns of a Devil Fruit.
Astrix's eyes lit up.
"…Lucky."
He picked up the newly formed Animal-Type Gorilla Fruit, stored it, and sold it directly to the system.
1,200 points.
Better than the platform's stingy 1,000.
That extra 200 points?
Two thousand crates of iced black tea.
Worth it.
[Ding! 1,200 points gained. Current balance: 1,266.]
Lightning split the remains of the Black Gorilla's ship apart.
Turning into a bolt of electricity, Astrix shot back toward Mihawk.
"Mihawk, let's find an island to resupply. We're close to Jaya."
The legends of Shandora and Sky Island were the only reason Mihawk was still here. Otherwise, he would've already left in search of stronger opponents.
Perhaps because of the steady supply of iced black tea, Mihawk offered a rare piece of advice:
"If you want your own crew, get a proper ship. This one won't survive the New World."
Astrix nodded.
"True."
The ideal vessel would be the Oro Jackson, built by Tom from the Adam Tree.
But that ship belonged to the Pirate King.
Too famous.
Too conspicuous.
For now, keeping a low profile was far wiser.
Besides, his plan was to take Sky Island as a base and grow stronger in peace.
With Mihawk at the helm, Astrix sat on the deck, staring at the system shop.
[Swordsman Training Manual: 1,000 points]
In truth, his swordsmanship wasn't bad.
After all—a chef and a swordsman weren't so different.
One cuts food.
The other cuts people.
Astrix tilted his head slightly.
"Mihawk… do I count as a swordsman yet?"