Sea Calendar 1517.
At fifteen years old, Ash was still fully committed to his "front line," eating and drinking across the seas.
Information about him, the captain of the Dawn ship and leader of the Dawn Pirate Hunters, known as the Heavenly Emperor, had long been left untouched by major factions. His constant presence between Gourmet Island and Carnival Island in Paradise made him seem almost harmless at a glance.
Even so, no one dared to underestimate him.
Many forces looked down on this former Warlord who appeared obsessed with food, but none were foolish enough to provoke him. More importantly, even when Ash was not aboard, very few dared to challenge the Dawn ship sailing through the West Blue.
That fear had been earned through blood.
Dozens of pirate crews and over ten criminal organizations had paid the price to prove just how dangerous that ship was.
Among the Ten Demon Saints of the Dawn Pirate Hunters stood two especially terrifying figures.
Storm Sovereign, Youki.
A ruthless powerhouse who had personally torn apart the former Warlord, Gecko Moria.
And White Sage Beast, Pini.
Another monster whose strength rivaled Youki in every sense.
When the two fought side by side, it often felt like a competition. If one destroyed a pirate crew, the other would destroy two. Neither was willing to fall behind.
Entering the Grand Line was already difficult. Those who succeeded often ran straight into the bounty hunters stationed at Twin Capes.
If they could not enter, they thought they could at least survive in their own seas.
They were wrong.
After sweeping through the East Blue and South Blue, the Dawn Pirate Hunters had now moved into the West Blue, carrying out another brutal purge.
"They're monsters!"
The pirates of the West Blue could only cry in despair.
The matter of Sali and the others guarding Twin Capes had already spread across all four seas. However, aside from Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru, no one had connected them to the Dawn ship.
If that connection were ever made, the outrage would be unimaginable.
Sea Calendar 1517, March 15th.
The Dawn ship encountered a fleet of pirates returning from a raid. Pini took action and wiped them out completely, seizing their treasures without resistance.
March 22nd.
The Dawn ship was surrounded by a large pirate fleet. The opposing side declared themselves the Thirteenth Generation leaders of the Happo Navy and demanded the return of their captured men and stolen treasure.
Pini and Youki exchanged a glance.
Captured men?
They had none. Their enemies rarely survived.
They were familiar with the Happo Navy. It was the military force of the Kano Country in the West Blue. Though called a navy, it functioned much like a pirate force.
Since Kano Country was affiliated with the World Government, direct conflict could be troublesome.
Still, the decision was simple.
They contacted their captain.
At that moment, Ash was in the middle of a meal on Gourmet Island when the Den Den Mushi rang.
"The Happo Navy?"
He swallowed his food, then called out, "Boss, another bowl of mushroom soup!"
"I want one too!" Bonney's voice came from the castle within the necklace on his chest.
"Two mushroom soups, got it," the shop owner replied calmly.
Only after ordering did Ash respond.
"What's there to hesitate about? They're the Happo Navy of Kano Country, not Marines. Hit them. If anything happens, come find me."
Pini laughed immediately.
"That's what I was waiting to hear."
March 23rd.
The World Economic Journal released a shocking report.
In the West Blue, Sai, the Thirteenth leader of the Happo Navy, challenged Pini, one of the Ten Demon Saints of the Dawn Pirate Hunters.
Complete defeat.
Sai was rescued by Vice Leader Boo, who risked his life to pull him out of the battle. During their retreat, Boo was struck by one of Pini's arrows, leaving both leaders severely injured.
The Happo Navy suffered devastating losses.
From that day forward, White Sage Beast Pini stood on equal footing with Storm Sovereign Youki. The Dawn ship's reputation rose even higher, and no one dared to challenge them again.
March 28th.
The Dawn ship approached Kano Country.
Ash returned as usual, only to encounter an unexpected figure.
Chinjao, the former leader of the Happo Navy, had come seeking revenge.
The moment Ash saw the old man's distinctive cone-shaped head, something clicked in his mind.
The legendary treasure buried beneath the Ice Continent.
His interest was instantly ignited.
Pini and Youki noticed his expression and immediately grew alert.
"Ash, what are you doing? This old man is ours!"
Ash scoffed.
"Why would I bother? Watching is far more comfortable. Hurry up and deal with him, then we'll go after his treasure."
The two immediately lit up with excitement, though they began arguing over who would fight.
Ash gave them a brief warning.
"Don't underestimate him and end up embarrassing yourselves. Over twenty years ago, this old man was a true giant of the New World, with a bounty of 500 million Berries and mastery of all three types of Haki."
That only made them more eager.
"All three types of Haki? Even Conqueror's Haki?" Youki asked, eyes burning with excitement.
"Of course," Ash replied calmly. "He fought Garp head-on and still made it back to the West Blue alive."
That was all they needed to hear.
Kirk, standing nearby, remained relaxed. As the ship's cook, he had no particular interest in joining the fight unless necessary. With his spatial ability, he had little to fear anyway.
Neither Pini nor Youki could convince the other to step aside.
In the end, Pini acted first, launching a long-range attack to claim the fight.
Youki could only stomp in frustration.
Soon, Ash, Youki, and Kirk stood at the bow of the Dawn ship, watching as the battle unfolded. A News Coo from the World Economic Journal captured the scene perfectly.
The fight began near the coast of Kano Country.
After exchanging two heavy blows with Chinjao, Pini quickly realized the difference. In terms of raw strength and Armament Haki, he was at a disadvantage. The old man was still incredibly powerful.
But Pini was not shaken.
With his dual wind and lightning abilities, speed was his greatest weapon.
Switching tactics, he began fighting from a distance. His golden bow hummed as arrows of energy formed one after another, streaking through the air in rapid succession.
The sky filled with relentless attacks.
Chinjao found himself in an unfamiliar situation.
In his era, battles were decided through direct combat, fists clashing against fists. Devil Fruit abilities were only support.
But now, after just two exchanges, he could not even touch his opponent.
He could only stand there and endure the barrage.
It felt completely unreasonable.