Rustle, rustle...
The swift water coursed over the smooth porcelain surface.
Gin, wearing a pristine chef's uniform, watched as the delicate plates in his hands grew steadily cleaner. He couldn't help but lose himself in thought.
In just one night, he had gone from being a notorious pirate commanding nearly a thousand men to washing dishes in a restaurant.
This inexplicable change was hard for him to accept.
But when he glanced to the side...
He noticed his former captain, Krieg, intently scrubbing a stubborn stain on a plate. His muscular frame was hunched over, gripping a rag no larger than his palm, attacking the oil stains as if they were the murderers of his kin.
"…"
Forget it. If even his Captain had accepted his fate, what right did he have to complain?
Better just get to work.
Maybe in the near future, he could rise to become the manager of a restaurant on the sea...
Recalling the enticing promises their new boss Zeff had made, determination flashed in Gin's eyes. His grip on the rag tightened.
With a squirt of dishwashing liquid, the day of a rookie dishwasher began.
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——
"Hey, boss! A warship this big for just 50 million Baileys!? Isn't that a steal!?" On an island in the East Blue famous for its shipbuilding,
Johnny, dressed in a crisp jacket, swung a long sword in his hand, glaring menacingly at the dock owner.
However…
The dock owner flexed his muscles, completely unfazed by the threat. He scoffed and replied,
"Inappropriate? You think it's inappropriate? I think so too!"
"Go ask around all the shipyards on the island. Who else besides me would dare to touch a battleship from the Krieg Pirates!?"
"If Krieg finds out, they'll blow me to smithereens tomorrow!"
With that, the dock owner hefted a sledgehammer and strolled towards the steel beams nearby, looking indifferent.
"What Krieg Pirates? They're just…"
Johnny, about to retort, suddenly fell silent.
It dawned on him…
Following Brother Zoro around recently had broadened his horizons so much that he had started to overlook big-time pirates like Krieg.
Even though the Krieg Pirates were still being hunted by them a few days ago, to the ordinary folks of the East Blue, they were still a fearsome force on the sea.
Yet, a pang of regret hit him when he thought of the escaped Krieg Pirates.
If they had managed to seize that main battleship, the haul would have easily been worth hundreds of millions.
What a pity.
Despite the strength of Brother Zoro and Brother Scyther, they couldn't take on two warships at once.
Resigned, Johnny nodded, and with a satisfied grin from the dock owner, handed over the warship.
——
——
A short while later,
A small warship slowly left the port.
Zoro looked at the large bag of cash Johnny had brought back and broke into a broad grin.
With these 50 million Baileys, his savings now totaled 150 million!
Once he converted all these Baileys into points, his accumulated total would reach 2,000 points...
This meant he would soon become a VIP level 2 member of the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce, gaining the eligibility to participate in next year's Pokémon League Championship!
A faint green light flickered in Zoro's eyes at the thought.
Recently, many trainers have been appearing on the seas.
What was even more surprising...
Just a few days ago, several businessmen who had been fortunate enough to earn the favor of dimensional traders organized a public Pokémon ranking competition!
Although the main purpose of the event was to promote their chamber of commerce's products and rake in ticket sales, it still captured the attention of countless people across East Blue.
Because the merchants themselves were relatively weak, only Pokémon fought in the matches.
But even so...
When battles that frequently caused landslides and tremors unfolded before the audience, the people of the East Blue Sea once again recognized the incredible power of Pokémon!
On the day of the competition, Zoro and his crew happened to be near the stadium and managed to snag a few tickets.
Through those battles, Zoro realized the terrifying strength of VIP level 2 traders.
By his estimation, the Pokémon competing had to be at least level 30 or higher...
Maybe even stronger!
Reflecting on his own situation,
Zoro admitted that even the combination of himself, Honedge, and Scyther would struggle against those formidable Pokémon.
And with the Pokémon League qualifying rounds allowing only one Pokémon per trainer...
Zoro felt his impatience growing.
With a sigh, the thrill of acquiring a small fortune vanished.
Once he saved up to 200 million Baileys, he would find the dimensional trader to make a deal.
He hoped that the items in the shop, designed to strengthen Pokémon, would bring him some surprises.
"Come on, Scyther, Honedge!"
Zoro suddenly called out to his two Pokémon.
Recently, Scyther, who had been training with him in swordsmanship, had shown remarkable progress and even seemed on the verge of mastering swordsmanship before him.
Fortunately, with the power of Honedge, Zoro could now wield a strength surpassing that of a swordsman.
Cutting iron? Cutting steel?
To Zoro, who could now soar with his sword, these were trivial challenges!
The small ship sliced through the sea like a blade, surging forward with a bold, unstoppable momentum.
——
——
It seemed luck was on Zoro's side today.
Not long after departing the port, Joseph, perched in the lookout tower, suddenly shouted,
"Brother Zoro! There's a strange pirate ship directly ahead!!!"
Immediately after, the sound of pages flipping could be heard.
"Found it!"
Joseph exclaimed with excitement,
"It's the ship of the female pirate Alvida, who has a bounty of 5 million Baileys!"
"5 million?"
Hearing the mention of a bounty and a ship, Zoro, who had been lifting massive dumbbells, suddenly perked up and yelled at Johnny, who was steering the ship:
"Head towards it! Don't let them get away!!!"
"On it, Brother Zoro!!!"
Johnny, well-versed in the life of chasing pirates, shouted back enthusiastically.
After securing the rudder, he expertly unfurled the sails to their fullest and adjusted the course.
Though they lacked fighting power, Johnny and Joseph were experts at sailing and navigating!
With a few quick maneuvers, Zoro's ship reached its maximum speed, racing towards the distant pirate ship.
——
——
Alvida, Luffy's first enemy in the original timeline when he set out to sea.
She was obsessed with beauty, convinced she was the most beautiful woman on the seas, yet her face was covered in freckles, and she was obese and unattractive.
Although in the original story, after consuming the Sube Sube no Mi (Slip-Slip Fruit), she transformed into a "slippery" beauty,
Right now, Alvida was nothing more than a large, ill-tempered woman.
And at this moment,
This foul-tempered woman was grinning wickedly, preparing to claim the gift the gods had delivered to her...
A young boy with pink hair and an innocent face.