Hey, amazing readers!
To celebrate the holiday season and show my appreciation for your fantastic support, I'm excited to announce a Christmas Giveaway with 5 lucky winners! Here's what you can win:
✨ 4 Winners will receive the Astral Bolt Tier on Patreon, which includes 35 advanced chapters!
What are advanced chapters? If there are already 20 public chapters, you get 55 advanced chapters before anyone else to bring your total count up to 75 chapters to read immediately! And the beauty of it all? The number of advanced chapters will increase over time as the public chapters increase. Thus, if there are 30 public chapters later on, you will still be ahead by 55 chapters.
✨ 1 Grand Winner will receive the Supernova Charge Tier, including 75 advanced chapters and early access to my latest book!
How to Enter: It's super simple! Just be among the Top 100 fans of the book by Christmas. (Hint: Supporting the book with Power Stones, gifts, or comments can help boost your rank!)
Winners Announcement: The lucky winners will be revealed on Christmas Day!
Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy these exclusive benefits and dive deeper into my stories. Thank you so much, incredible support! You totally make this journey special! ❤️
Good luck, may the odds be ever in your favour!
Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari
Also more 70 ps for bonus chapter
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Recruitment scenes like those at the Mannoroc Kingdom are happening all over the world.
Many strong individuals who yearn for freedom and don't want to be bound by Marine rules, whether for berries or simply to make the world a better place, are flocking to the nearest "Rehabilitation" to apply for the job.
Of course, no matter their motivation, the well-funded Marine Headquarters won't treat them poorly.
For those seeking wealth, as long as they rise to power, they can earn a significant amount of money.
For those driven by ideals, in addition to issuing the "Certificate of Honor for Voluntary Donation," the headquarters is also formulating follow-up welfare plans.
For these individuals, both Akira and all the officers have deep admiration and have reached a consensus that they will be well-treated.
The news department is not stingy either and has been actively promoting the deeds of such individuals.
In the future, these "noble people" will benefit from this certificate no less than those who come for berries now.
The difference is that one focuses on the present, while the other focuses on the future.
On the other hand, the strong pirates have little interest in this matter.
They know that helping the Marines only to have it used against them later would be foolish.
Just as the Marines don't trust the pirates, the pirates don't believe that the Marines will allow them to participate and profit.
But if they don't make any money and end up getting caught and sent to Impel Down, that would be truly ridiculous.
However, in this era of great pirates, the camp with the most strong individuals is indeed the pirates, who are constantly being tested in survival-of-the-fittest scenarios.
If the pirates don't participate, the number of recruits will undoubtedly increase by several percent.
For this reason, Akira, who was far away in Marineford, issued a direct order to the staff, instructing them to find a way to make the pirates willing to participate in the recruitment for the money.
He didn't expect all of them to join, just a few thousand or tens of thousands would suffice.
The staff department was at their wit's end, staying up several days and nights with no solution in sight.
But just when the deadline set by Akira was approaching...
Someone suddenly made a suggestion that left the entire staff department in silence.
"As Marines, we can't let the pirates in directly, so what if we get another group of pirates to force them in?"
"Now at sea, who would be willing to force those pirates into participating for the money?"
A certain name involuntarily popped into the minds of everyone in the staff department.
"God of Fortune," God of Fortune Lu Feld!
Everyone knew about his previous schemes to defraud the world, and it was clear that the only ones hurt by those plans were not just the foolish pirates, lawbreakers, and nobles.
He suffered a great and unreasonable disaster.
He had lent money to many pirates, but those pirates were swindled out of their money.
They didn't even have enough for food, so how could they pay him back?
In terms of conversion, it could be said that the staff's scheme was really all at Lu Feld's expense.
But now, the person who lacks the most money and also wants to make money the most should be him.
That day!
Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, who had just returned from Impel Down, praised the subordinate who proposed this strategy and then submitted it to the Fleet Admiral's office without hesitation.
Akira also agreed wholeheartedly and instructed the staff to arrange for someone to contact Lu Feld.
Late at night, aboard the Moby Dick.
The Whitebeard Pirates had just finished a banquet.
The air was thick with the scent of wine, and countless crew members lay sprawled across the deck, snoring loudly.
Even the captain, Whitebeard, was blushing and fast asleep in his seat.
Of course, the necessary precautions weren't overlooked.
The 3rd Division was on duty tonight.
"Captain Jozu, there's nothing unusual around, and everyone's asleep," a crew member named Bob reported softly as he approached from a distance.
Jozu, who was sitting cross-legged on the fence, nodded silently.
He was much more mature now than he used to be.
The simplicity and passion he once had were no longer visible in his eyes.
Instead, he exuded an aura of calmness.
Bob smacked his lips and left wisely, knowing that his captain was likely to spend the night lost in thought again.
The sea breeze came from afar, brushing against Jozu's body, bringing him back to reality for a moment.
"I wonder how Dad dealt with Lu Feld," Jozu thought to himself as he wrapped his clothes around him.
In truth, after all these days, he had come to terms with the situation.
It didn't matter if he'd been swindled out of all his savings—he could chalk it up to a learning experience.
But what gnawed at him the most was how foolishly he had borrowed a large sum of money from Lu Feld.
Now, he could only hope his father would help clean up the mess.
He didn't know what kind of agreement his father had reached with Lu Feld, and whenever he asked, Whitebeard would just brush it off, telling him not to worry about it.
But...
The more his father downplayed it, the more Jozu worried.
They'd been family for decades—who didn't know who? Where would his father get the money?
"No, I have to take responsibility for my mistakes, and I have to earn that money back," Jozu resolved, taking a deep breath and clenching his fists.
Suddenly!
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
The sound of the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang out.
"Moshi moshi!" Jozu answered without hesitation.
But in the next second, he regretted it.
From the other end of the Den Den Mushi came the voice he dreaded most—his creditor's.
"Jiejiejiejie, little brother Jozu, long time no contact! How have you been?"
Jozu subconsciously lowered his voice, trembling as he replied, "Please, what can I do for you, God of Fortune?"
"Oh, don't call me the God of Fortune. Lately, I've been more like the God of Misfortune. No one's paying back their debts, it's driving me mad."
"..."
Jozu didn't dare to speak.
But Lu Feld, who had come to collect his debt, wasn't expecting much conversation from his debtor.
He continued on his own, "It's time to pay back the money. Do you know how long it's been?"
Gulp.
Jozu swallowed hard.
Even though he had resolved to earn money, he had no intention of paying back Lu Feld's loan.
This guy's usury was outrageous, with interest several times higher than the principal.
How could he ever repay that?
He couldn't afford it.
"Didn't Pops negotiate with you?" Jozu asked, his voice tense.
"Oh, yes, your father personally discussed the plan with me, but I've changed my mind now."
Lu Feld admitted without hesitation and then, not giving Jozu a chance to speak, continued:
"Relax, just listen to me! Do you know how Whitebeard talked to me?"
"He threatened me, telling me to waive your interest and only repay the principal."
"Honestly, that's pretty reasonable. I've heard about your situation. Even if I asked you to pay back the principal with interest, there's no way you'd be able to, even if it killed you."
"So I agreed."
When Jozu heard this, his eyes lit up with surprise.
The God of Fortune actually agreed to only require the repayment of the principal.
In that case, the debt would be reduced by two-thirds!
In an instant, the long-suppressed tension in his heart eased, and a smile began to creep onto his face again.
"But..."
Lu Feld's voice suddenly turned sour with anger.
"He even demanded that the principal be repaid in 30 installments, one per year!"
"And if I don't agree, he threatened to never repay it, and promised to kill me if he ever sees me on the seas again."
"Whitebeard, that old geezer, has no shame. What a disgrace to the name of the great sea emperor."
For a moment, Jozu's expression became incredibly conflicted.
He hadn't expected his father, who was known for being reasonable and valuing his reputation, to go to such lengths for him.
Paying back the principal over thirty years?
Even though he was the beneficiary, Jozu still felt embarrassed.
But after hearing Lu Feld's last insult, his anger flared up.
"Don't you dare insult Pops!"
"Then you pay back the money! I'm only asking for the principal, and it's not my fault you were swindled. You've got to have some honor, right? Brother Jozu!!!"
Jozu was suddenly at a loss, caught between anger and embarrassment.
He really couldn't argue with that.
If Lu Feld had demanded the principal plus interest, Jozu could have easily justified refusing to pay it back. But now, with Lu Feld only asking for the principal, it felt like the right thing to do.
The way Jozu had been raised made it impossible for him to turn down such a reasonable request.
After all, even Whitebeard, as strong as he was, wouldn't deny the debt. He'd just negotiated a very extended repayment period.
The atmosphere between them grew tense and silent.
Lu Feld was audibly frustrated, while Jozu avoided his gaze.
Finally, the silence was broken by Lu Feld . "I know you don't have the money, so how about this—I've got a good job for you. It's not an exaggeration to say you'd be making money every day. Are you interested?"
"What job?" Jozu asked cautiously.
"Have you read the newspaper lately?"
"Yes."
"Good, then I'll save us some time. I've got an order from the Marines to produce the Transformation Leaf!"
Lu Feld bared his teeth in a persuasive grin. "I urgently need an expert like you to help me with it. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're well compensated."
Jozu took a deep breath. "Pops refused. He said those things were made to deal with us pirates."
"Please, you're part of the Whitebeard Pirates. What are you afraid of?"
"No, no, I have to listen to my father."
"Alright, then pay back the money! I'll give you a month. If you go and plunder a few kingdoms, you can easily gather the principal and pay me back."
Jozu closed his eyes in anguish.
The thought of robbing kingdoms was something he simply couldn't bring himself to do.
If he did, what would his father think of him? What would his brothers think?
He'd be ostracized from the Whitebeard Pirates.
But if he didn't, there was no way he could pay back the money.
"God of Fortune, if I say I won't pay back, what will you do?" Jozu asked cautiously.
The Den Den Mushi's eyes immediately took on a dangerous glint.
No one who could survive in the underground world was a good person, especially not one who started out as a loan shark.
Cunning, ruthless, and influential—those were the tools of the trade, necessary to recover debts.
But in the next second, the Den Den Mushi's expression softened into a smile. "What else could I do? Your father is Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world.
"If I dare to do anything to you, I wouldn't live to see another day."
"I want to live a little longer."
The more Jozu listened, the more uneasy he became.
There was no way Lu Feld, known as the God of Fortune, would back down just because of Whitebeard's name.
If he did, he wouldn't last long in the underground world.
"Really!"
Lu Feld's tone shifted to something more sinister. "But you wouldn't mind if I told some of my old friends that you bullied me, right?"
"Or even spent a little money to get the newspapers to report on it. After all, I'm part of the underground world, so I don't really care about my reputation."
"But you, known for your strong morals at sea..."
"Stop talking!" Jozu interrupted, taking a deep breath. He could sense the threat beneath Lu Feld's seemingly casual words. "It's true that I borrowed money from you, and it's only right to pay it back. I'll take the job."
Jozu could hear that Lu Feld was speaking softly, but the subtext was all intimidation.
He could endure any personal vendetta from Lu Feld, but he couldn't allow the Whitebeard Pirates to be dragged down because of him.
Moreover, it was his responsibility to repay the debt since he was the one who borrowed the money.
"Jiejiejiejie, excellent! I'll meet you at the usual place. By the way, if you bring along other captains or strong individuals, you'll get extra benefits from their participation. I can even give you a bonus per head, a head fee is—"
Jozu hung up the phone with a dark expression before Lu Feld could finish.
Bring his brothers into this mess? No way.
He didn't even care to hear what Lu Feld's "head fee" was.
Having made up his mind, he stood up and looked around, ensuring that no one was aware of his actions. He then quietly tiptoed into the cabin.
After working inside for about half an hour, he emerged with a small backpack slung over his shoulder.
He carefully slipped a farewell letter into Marco's pocket.
Jozu found a small boat, evaded his crew members, and disappeared into the night, drifting away into the sea.
What he didn't realize was that behind him, on the deck of the Moby Dick, Bob was quietly watching.
Early the next morning.
Jozu arrived at the designated meeting place.
Here, he recognized many familiar faces.
Most were people who had also been swindled during that unfortunate incident on the island.
Seeing them all there to work as well, Jozu felt a bit of relief—at least he wasn't alone.
Soon after, Lu Feld appeared, puffing on a cigar, wearing a suit and tie, draped in a high-end leather cloak. He was the epitome of a black-hearted businessman, flanked by nearly a hundred imposing bodyguards.
"1, 2, 3, 4..."
Lu Feld counted the people present like they were mere commodities.
Once he was done, a wide grin spread across his face.
"Alright, everyone, get on the boat. I'll take you to a Rehabilitation factory where you'll start working."
With a grand gesture, Lu Feld pointed to the large ship docked in the port.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, and a burly man stepped forward, hands in his pockets, frowning as he asked, "Rehabilitation is established by the Marines. Are you planning to sell us to them?"
"Jiejiejie, how much money do you think I could make by selling you? Don't worry, the Rehabilitation branch I'm taking you to isn't Marine-run. It's my own 'Rehabilitation God of Fortune Division!'"
Everyone stared in stunned silence, not sure whether to be relieved or more worried.