Of course, Grimm had only said that to provoke Moriah. He never looked down on anyone — unless they were truly useless.
Watching Moriah, Grimm felt a deep sense of reflection. People changed over time, and Moriah was the perfect example.
After being pushed like this, would he continue to wallow in despair, or would he finally stand up and grow a little stronger? Grimm was very much looking forward to seeing the outcome.
Two days later, Grimm received an unexpected visitor in a small town.
This man represented a kingdom — one that had done business with Grimm ten years ago, and the very place where Grimm had built his first church.
The man kneeling before him on one knee was Rod, Commander of the Royal Army of the Kingdom of Minas.
The North Blue was the strongest of the four seas, and it produced far more pirates than the others.
The reason was simple: constant warfare. When people had no way to survive, turning to piracy was their only choice.
Minas was one of the three most powerful kingdoms in the North Blue, and had once been part of the Alliance of Four Great Kingdoms.
Ten years ago, they had hired Grimm — who had just set sail and had no bounty yet.
Thanks to Grimm's overwhelming strength, they had quickly conquered their rival, the Kingdom of Alanza.
But because of that war, Grimm had drawn the attention of the World Government… and they had captured and dissected the very first loyal follower Grimm had recruited in this sea.
Now, this same kingdom shamelessly wanted to invite Grimm again, hoping he would once more lend his strength to Minas.
When Grimm learned they had traveled all the way from the North Blue to the New World just to find him, he was honestly baffled.
He looked at Rod and his men, kneeling before him, dripping with cold sweat and too terrified to speak a word.
Grimm just sat there, smiling, letting the silence drag on. He wanted to see exactly what kind of trick they were planning.
About three minutes passed. One soldier standing behind Rod could no longer bear the invisible pressure and began breathing heavily.
Compared to this, facing the battlefield felt like a walk in the park.
"Hah… how did trash like you even manage to reach the New World?" Grimm asked casually from his chair.
Rod was the only one who managed to keep his breathing steady. But hearing Grimm's words, his anxiety spiked.
Who could have imagined that a mere bounty hunter from the North Blue would one day become one of the Four Emperors?
Rod wiped the sweat from his face, looked up, and said, "Lord Grimm… we have not come to hire you. We have come only to warn you — your enemies are planning to seize control of the North Blue!"
Grimm sat back, legs crossed, and smiled. "My enemies? The World Government? Or the Marines? It's true, they have always wanted to bring the North Blue fully under their control."
"No, no, Lord Grimm… I mean the Vinsmoke Family!"
Just thinking about what had happened in the North Blue recently sent chills down Rod's spine.
He collected himself and continued, "Their military power now surpasses every other nation in the sea. It is only a matter of time before they crush the Kingdom of Mondra — one of the Three Great Powers!"
"The Vinsmoke Family?" Grimm repeated the name, falling into deep thought.
Rod couldn't help but add nervously, "They are the ones who…"
He stopped himself immediately, realizing he might have said too much. But Grimm didn't mind at all.
"Ah… the clan that destroyed my family and ruled the North Blue with an iron fist?" Grimm said with a faint smile.
Rod immediately dropped to both knees and pressed his forehead hard against the ground. "I have spoken out of turn! I deserve death!"
"Heh… So you want to use me to solve your problems, is that it?" Grimm saw right through their intentions.
To be honest, if they hadn't reminded him, Grimm would have almost forgotten about this "blood feud".
"We dare not hide the truth — yes, that is exactly why we are here," one of the soldiers behind Rod said, mustering all his courage.
"But… the Vinsmokes are your enemies too, are they not?"
"Why not ask the World Government for reinforcements?" Grimm countered.
"The Three Great Kingdoms of the North Blue have been member nations for ten years now. By rights, the Government should never stand by while you are being conquered."
"There are… too many complications involved," Rod replied cautiously.
"The Government has done everything to avoid responsibility. They turn a blind eye as Mondra falls. I believe it is because the Vinsmoke Family has deep connections and influence within the Government itself."
The golden cross on Grimm's chest glinted sharply as he moved.
"And so you come crawling to me without shame?" Grimm's voice turned cold.
"Because I haven't forgotten… you were the ones who handed my first brother over to the Government for their experiments!"
At this, Rod pressed his face even closer to the dirt. "At that time, my Lord, you were gone… and joining the World Government was our only choice…"
"Enough," Grimm interrupted. "You were going to say you were forced, weren't you? It doesn't matter anymore. Lead the way. The World Government is my true enemy anyway!!"
The Vinsmoke Family — North Blue
Sitting on his ship, Grimm let his mind drift back to the past.
Before Dr. Vegapunk joined the World Government, when he was still a "rogue" scientist, his main research partner had been none other than the Vinsmoke Family.
It was perfect timing. Right now, Kaido and Big Mom were busy searching for the Road Poneglyphs.
Whitebeard had no interest in the title of Pirate King or expanding his territory. So for the moment, Grimm's own lands were safe from war.
Besides, the Vinsmokes were technically his enemies. It was worth the trip. Though, truth be told, Grimm had almost completely forgotten about this so‑called "grudge of genocide".
Still… it felt wrong not to seek some form of payback.
To return from the New World to the North Blue, the fastest route was to sail back through Paradise and then cross the Calm Belt — though it put immense strain on the ship.
Meanwhile, while Kaido and Charlotte Linlin remained in the New World, most of their subordinates had been sent out to search for the red Poneglyphs.
Recently, the World Government had spread false rumors claiming that a former crew member of Roger's possessed one of the stones.
This had tricked Kaido and Linlin into fighting each other fiercely, leaving both weakened — a classic case of "when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman wins".
Even though they had been fooled, the incident had made them wiser. They now knew exactly how to find what they were looking for: search every single place Gold Roger had ever visited.
For now, the strongest force in the New World was Whitebeard.
Yet Kaido and Big Mom remained fearless. Because Grimm had once told them in Dressrosa: "Whitebeard is already in retirement."
The Kingdom of Mondra — North Blue
As one of the three most powerful nations in the North Blue, its military strength rivaled any kingdom in the Grand Line.
Bitter winter winds swept across the land. But the snow falling over Mondra was no longer white — it was stained red. A battle of catastrophic proportions was taking place.
The Vinsmoke Family vs. The Kingdom of Mondra
After months of brutal warfare, the Vinsmoke Family had achieved total, overwhelming victory.
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off