"Hahaha, Boss Ralph, when are we going back to Minion Island? The women there are truly amazing."
"Indeed, but the expenses are high too. We've looted several merchant ships, and the money was only enough for one trip there."
The sky was blue and the clouds were scattered, with the sea breeze gently blowing.
There was a twenty-meter long two-masted sailboat, sailing on the shimmering sea.
The bow deck was bustling with activity.
More than a dozen drunken pirates were exchanging jokes and laughing loudly.
Occasionally, they would tell crude jokes that made everyone on the ship burst into laughter.
A strong man named Ralph was lying comfortably on a wicker chair, holding a bottle of rum beside him and pouring it into his mouth.
Although the rum was very ordinary, Ralph liked to drink it in a long-stemmed glass, savoring it slowly.
He believed this enhanced his taste and distinguished him from his rough crew.
Although before becoming a pirate, he was just a butcher in the capital of the Kingdom of Lubnitro.
But Ralph aspired to live like the nobles of the kingdom, elegantly drinking fine wine in luxurious halls.
He thought that after becoming a pirate and looting more money, he could try living that life.
But reality hit Ralph hard.
Piracy at sea was not as free as he had imagined, especially in the North Sea, known as the strongest and most chaotic of the four seas.
In the North Sea, it wasn't just pirates that were dangerous.
There were dominant naval branches patrolling the sea, the Germa army using pirates as practice targets, bounty hunter guilds, and the mafia.
Even some slaver teams, when encountering pirates, thought not of running away but of capturing them for a good price.
"Damn this piracy! Why did I think of becoming a pirate? With these two steel knives in my hands, I could have become a captain of the guard in the capital of the Kingdom of Lubnitro. Isn't that better than this hard life with these rough men?"
Ralph felt a surge of anger at these thoughts.
While thinking about the luxury of Minion Island, he drank the rum greedily.
"These fools, do they think the entertainment on Minion Island is expensive? Don't they know that the island is under the control of the Warlord of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo?"
The prices there were high because the entertainment on that island was safe. Whether you were a pirate, a sailor, or a bounty hunter, you had to follow the rules of the Donquixote family.
Piracy at that level was truly enjoyable.
Ralph's anger grew, and he was about to order the crew to find a small village to vent his frustration through a frenzied slaughter.
At that moment, one of the pirates on the ship shouted.
"Captain! There's a ship on the horizon, it's a warship!"
The panicked voices of the pirates interrupted Ralph's thoughts. He narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction they pointed.
Not far away, there was a fifteen-meter single-masted sailboat slowly heading toward the right side of the sea.
Despite the distance, the naval seagull emblem embroidered on the sails was clearly visible, confirming that it was a naval warship.
After confirming it was a warship, Ralph dropped his nonchalant attitude and seriously asked, "Can you tell which branch that warship belongs to?"
The pirates looked through telescopes, and finally, a bearded captain said, "I think it's from the 177th branch. Captain, should we withdraw? The 177th branch is the strongest naval branch in the North Sea. I don't think we should engage them lightly."
Ralph's nostrils flared as he stared at the distant ship.
"A fifteen-meter single-masted sailboat means the highest rank on board is a lieutenant. Even if it's from the 177th branch, it won't be dangerous. I can handle a lieutenant easily."
With that, Ralph decisively ordered, "Turn around, steer away from them!"
"Yes!"
The pirates on the ship breathed a sigh of relief and quickly began to execute the orders.
But at that moment, the warship started to pursue them, increasing its speed!
"Captain! They're chasing us!" the old navigator shouted.
Ralph slammed his hand on the ship's side with such force that the wood cracked. He then drew his two steel knives and angrily said, "A mere lieutenant dares to chase us? They're asking for death!"
"Get closer! I'll kill every sailor on that ship!"
"Yes!"
The pirates dared not oppose Ralph's orders and steered the ship toward the warship.
Meanwhile, on the warship.
"Pirate ship spotted. Based on the pirate emblem, it belongs to the Steel Blade Pirate Crew. The captain, Steel Blade Ralph, has a bounty of 25 million Berries."
A towering man with a deep voice reported.
"Shall we fire?" a nervous marine asked.
"No need."
A calm voice came from inside the cabin.
Then a tall, silver-haired young man stretched his arms, twisted his neck, and walked to the bow of the sailboat, lightly jumping onto the bow's cannon.
The marines tried to speak but held back, while the tall, strong-legged man rolled into the cabin with incredible speed.
In the next moment, the silver-haired youth bent his legs, his muscles tensing and stretching his loose trousers.
With a grin, the youth launched himself into the air like a rocket.
The fifteen-meter-long single-masted warship tipped, its bow sinking into the sea, creating a steep angle.
The marines on the warship turned pale, falling into the sea one by one.
Then, the silver-haired youth, like an eagle swooping down from the sky, headed toward Ralph's pirate ship with incredible speed.
He crashed down hard onto the pirate ship.
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Additional chapter when the power stone reaches 25
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