Chapter 14: Training the Subordinates
For a long moment, Charlotte remained still. Just as his Conqueror's Haki was about to dissipate, his eyes snapped open, and a powerful wave of invisible pressure erupted from him once more. This time, it was even stronger than before.
The ocean waves rippled outward, and the palm trees lining the beach swayed under the force.
Charlotte glanced at the fish stunned by his Haki and burst into hearty laughter.
"I'm a genius," he declared with satisfaction.
With a single thought, he retracted the Conqueror's Haki. The surroundings returned to calm, leaving only the unconscious fish washed ashore to testify to what had just happened.
"Finally, I can control the release and retraction of my Conqueror's Haki. I'm one step closer to becoming a true powerhouse," he said, gripping his sword tightly.
As he began to practice his slashes, the sword energy surged even more vigorously, leaving deeper and more expansive marks in the sand.
Noticing the improvement, Charlotte was thrilled and continued swinging relentlessly until he was completely exhausted.
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Time passed, and the year reached 1480 in the Age of the Sea.
Over the past year, Charlotte had focused his training at the beach instead of venturing into the mountains.
The seas, however, were becoming increasingly chaotic due to the havoc wreaked by the Rocks Pirates. The number of pirates had surged, and almost every month, a new pirate crew attempted to raid Kamei Island's port.
Each time, Charlotte dealt with them, turning in their bounties for money. He delegated the collection of rewards to his subordinates to keep his identity relatively low-profile.
Thanks to his efforts, Kamei Island became one of the safest places in the area. Coupled with its transformation into a key hub for the Maritime King Umis's operations, the island flourished. The population grew from just over 1,000 five years ago to more than 7,000, as refugees and liberated slaves sought shelter.
Charlotte's name was revered across the island. Even the new mayor, Randolph Chamberlain—an agent of the Maritime King—showed deference to him. Chamberlain consulted Charlotte on nearly every decision, much to Charlotte's annoyance. Eventually, he delegated those matters to Ivan.
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With the increasing number of pirate raids, Charlotte decided it was time to bolster his forces. In the latter half of the previous year, he handpicked over fifty promising subordinates, using his Observation Haki to ensure their loyalty.
Every week, Charlotte dedicated a day to training them. Most of these recruits were former slaves he had rescued or comrades from his earlier days.
Thanks to his rigorous training regimen, these men became highly capable fighters, able to take on several pirates at once. Some had even begun mastering the techniques of the Navy's Six Powers.
Charlotte also recognized the importance of non-combat skills. He arranged for some of his subordinates to learn navigation, medicine, and shipbuilding under the guidance of skilled professionals. For this, he relied heavily on Chamberlain's connections.
Over the past year, Charlotte liberated many slaves, a significant number of whom were women. With nowhere else to go, they became his personal maids.
With cooks, shipwrights, and navigators ready, Charlotte's crew was shaping up nicely. All that was left was to build a suitable ship.
Initially, Charlotte had planned to construct a modest 50-meter vessel due to limited funds. However, with his bounty earnings soaring from the constant pirate raids, and Chamberlain's full support, he decided to aim higher.
"Build a ship 100 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 30 meters tall!" he declared boldly.
Using high-quality materials just shy of the legendary Adam Wood, construction began in the port. Though progress was slow due to the limited number of shipwrights, Charlotte wasn't in a rush. With three years left before his planned departure, he could afford to wait.
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Charlotte's mastery of Armament Haki came about unexpectedly, during an encounter with a notorious pirate crew.
A pirate captain with a 100 million berry bounty appeared at Kamei Island's port. Charlotte immediately sensed his malice and unleashed a 30-meter flying slash at their ship.
To his surprise, the attack was blocked by a man using his fists, though he was injured in the process. Intrigued, Charlotte allowed the pirates to dock but ensured the port was evacuated beforehand.
As the ship approached, it began bombarding the port with cannonballs. Charlotte calmly deflected them all with his sword, scattering them harmlessly into the sea.
Just as he prepared to confront the pirates directly, he felt a sudden chill in the air. Confused, he glanced around.
It's not winter yet… so where is this cold coming from?
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