On the vast and endless sea, two ships sailed in parallel.
The lead vessel was a Marine warship belonging to a North Blue branch. Following closely behind was a battered pirate ship, the same one seized earlier off the shores of Diwen Village.
So, the location was finally confirmed.
North Blue. Diwen Village.
Standing on the deck of the Marine warship, Ash quietly pieced together the information he had drawn out through casual conversation with the Marines and Sali.
The current year was 1515 of the Sea Calendar, the fifteenth year since the start of the Great Age of Pirates.
They were in the North Blue, specifically Diwen Village, an island settlement under the jurisdiction of the Benbona Kingdom, the closest kingdom to Reverse Mountain.
Once he confirmed these critical details, Ash deliberately spoke less for the remainder of the voyage.
He was not a native of this world. The more he talked, the easier it was to expose inconsistencies. Silence was safer.
He also finally understood why Sali had been unusually friendly from the beginning, and why Lieutenant Commander Nanger had merely ordered Marines to keep an eye on him instead of throwing him into a cell.
It was his appearance.
Smooth skin untouched by labor, strange beachwear made of unfamiliar fabric, and oddly designed shoes that no ordinary villager would ever own. Taken together, they had mistaken him for a noble.
Ash knew that disguise would not last, nor did he intend to maintain it.
In this world, "noble" was not a compliment.
More often than not, it was synonymous with cruelty.
Who knew what Sali or Nanger truly thought of this so-called noble youth? Ash had no intention of gambling his life on their goodwill. His plan was simple. Use this trip to reach the North Blue branch base, then enlist in the Marines properly.
Which meant the fake noble act would end the moment it became inconvenient.
Sitting alone near the edge of the deck, Ash reviewed everything he could remember about the One Piece timeline, anchoring himself firmly in the year 1515.
The first major event that came to mind was Zephyr.
This was the year the former Marine Admiral, now an instructor, took cadets on a training voyage and encountered Edward Weevil. Zephyr lost his right arm. Almost all of his students were slaughtered, with only Ain and Binz surviving.
Thirteen years had passed since the destruction of Ohara in 1502. That meant Nico Robin was now twenty-one years old.
Monkey D. Luffy was born in 1505. He was ten.
By extension, Nami was eleven. Roronoa Zoro and Sanji were twelve. The others were either unknown or irrelevant at this stage.
Luffy had eaten the Nika Fruit four years ago. Sabo had been taken in by Monkey D. Dragon three years ago. Just last year, in 1514, the fish-man shipwright Tom had been executed.
Next year, in 1516, Enel would destroy Birka and ascend as the self-proclaimed god of Skypiea. Around 1517 or 1518, Robin would join Crocodile's Baroque Works.
After sorting through it all, Ash reached a calm conclusion.
Knowing the future meant nothing without strength.
He knew when Enel would rise, but he could not reach Skypiea. Even if he could, he had no idea where the Goro Goro no Mi was. And even if fate handed it to him directly, he still lacked the power to defeat Enel.
Skypiea floated ten thousand meters above the sea. Anyone capable of surviving there was already far beyond Ash's current level.
Trying to challenge such a being now would not be ambition. It would be suicide.
Ash exhaled slowly.
Power came first. Everything else was secondary.
Portgas D. Ace would set sail in four years. From Luffy's departure to the Marineford War was seven years at most.
Whether Ash could carve out his own future depended entirely on what he could accomplish in those four to seven years.
If he could not even reach the level of a Shichibukai by then, staying in the Marines would be pointless. He would resign and disappear into some forgotten corner of the Four Blues to train in solitude.
Why leave the Marines?
The answer was simple.
Marineford.
Tens of thousands of elite Marines died there.
Training hard meant becoming elite. Becoming elite meant standing on that battlefield.
Without Shichibukai-level strength, survival was a gamble he refused to take.
If Monkey D. Luffy could rise to Yonko status in just over two years, then failing to reach Shichibukai level in seven would only prove one thing.
That even in a new world, Ash was still nothing special.
And gods had no use for mediocrity.
After another hour of sailing, a modest island finally emerged on the horizon.
From earlier conversations, Ash knew this was the outermost island of the Benbona Kingdom, a settlement of only a few hundred residents, home to the North Blue Marine branch G-175.
Lieutenant Commander Nanger led the group off the warship, then abruptly frowned.
Two Marine warships were already docked at the pier. That meant the search parties had returned.
Yet not a single Marine stood guard.
No sentries. No watchmen. No sailors aboard the ships.
Even the fishermen who should have been repairing nets along the shore were gone.
Something was wrong.
"Something's off. Stay alert," Nanger ordered.
The Marines immediately tensed. Swords slid from scabbards, rifles were readied, and they advanced cautiously toward the base.
Sally and the villagers followed behind, exchanging wary glances. Seeing the Marines on edge, they kept silent, gripping their weapons.
At the very rear, Ash rubbed his temple, expression flat.
"Again? I have been awake half a day, no water, no rest. I just want to join the Marines. Why does the world insist on testing my patience?"
A sharp crack split the air.
Gunfire.
A Marine collapsed instantly.
The others dove for cover.
"That shot came from the base!"
"What the hell is happening?"
"Silence!" Nanger barked. "Stay sharp!"
They dragged the fallen Marine into cover. A Petty Officer checked him briefly, then shook his head.
"Direct hit to the chest. He's dead."
Nanger slammed his fist into the ground.
Then laughter echoed from within the base.
Harsh. Mocking. Unrestrained.
"Wahahaha! Sharp eyes, Marines!"
Nanger turned toward the sound, disbelief written across his face.
The Petty Officer blurted out, "Kamberna? That's impossible. I personally restrained him!"
"Wahahaha! Mere shackles cannot hold Captain Kamberna!"
A massive, bear-like man strode out from the base, followed by dozens of vicious pirates.
The Wolf-Guzzling Pirate Group.
They were armed to the teeth, herding a group of disarmed Marines ahead of them.
From their battered condition, it was clear they had alr
eady been tortured.
At the very back of the formation, Ash stared silently.
Pirates had taken over a Marine base.
The world truly was insane.
___
🌙 Ramadan Special
Unlock advance chapters on my Patreon with 7 DAYS FREE TRIAL on all Tiers.
40% Discount
Use code: RAMADANPASS
Link: Patreon.com/Zphyr
Limited-time Ramadan offer, don't miss it.