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Chapter 1099: Strength, Not Rights
Chapter 1099: Strength, Not Rights
At this moment, a Pirate Ship was speeding toward the Dominica Archipelago.
The ship’s sail bore a Skull Jolly Roger wearing a captain hat, with two blades piercing upward from below, crossing at the skull’s center.
‘White Admiral’ Sam William, the white hawk of the Grand Line and a distinguished Daimyo among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had already become renowned across the Grand Line. He had achieved his ideal—becoming a Great Pirate.
Reaching the Seven Warlords of the Sea level meant he was unquestionably a Great Pirate. What else could qualify as “great” if not this?
“Young man, don’t reach too high. You must take it step by step!”
At least William himself was satisfied now. As a Seven Warlords of the Sea, he had gained much of what he desired.
Controlling the taxation rights of an entire Navigational Route’s merchant ships alone brought immense wealth. William had always possessed sharp business instincts—after founding his own merchant guild in the East Blue, he had used his accumulated wealth to expand into Grand Line commerce. His Seven Warlords of the Sea status further deterred pirates from ever daring to target his guild.
Otherwise, he might have had to adjust his priorities and eliminate pirates first.
There were only two points that dissatisfied him. First, his Bounty had remained stagnant at one billion Belly. Even during the New World’s bloodiest battles, the Navy had refused to reassess his threat level. This was a lingering regret.
Yet as a Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Bounty itself had become less important. The title alone carried weight. Most who dared challenge him were already rotting in Impel Down.
The second grievance was that despite founding his own merchant guild as a Seven Warlords of the Sea, he still had to pay taxes.
Initially, he had assumed the Seven Warlords of the Sea would be exempt. But Kuro had personally called him out on this.
“What? You want to stop paying taxes? On what grounds? Even the Seven Warlords of the Sea pay taxes!”
Kuro’s exact words had forced William to comply.
He personally funded his merchant guild, yet still had to pay himself taxes—taxes that were split between the World Government, the Navy, and Kuro himself.
The G-3 base was gone, so technically they no longer needed to send that portion. But everyone knew the truth—it had never been about G-3. The payments were always meant for Kuro alone.
As a Seven Warlords of the Sea, William and the others were now fully under Kuro’s command as Admiral. Kuro had formally seized the Seven Warlords of the Sea’s rights, and his orders carried absolute authority.
At least William couldn’t defy orders, such as Kuro’s current command to proceed to Dominica and resolve a crisis.
Thankfully, William had been handling nearby affairs and was already close. Their destination loomed near.
Inside the Captain’s quarters, several officers still sat around. Elmira broke the silence, deep in thought.
“According to Kuro’s intelligence, a World Noble was attacked in the Dominica Kingdom. This is a massive incident. Our primary mission upon arrival must be rescuing the World Noble. Saving him could bring unexpected benefits. If the World Noble is pleased, we might gain a new layer of protection. Perhaps we could even loosen Kuro’s grip a little.”
They had to admit—even if they despised World Nobles, they knew better than to cross one. Pirates’ only real strategy regarding World Nobles was avoidance.
But now, direct contact was possible.
If handled well, this situation might even let them escape Kuro’s control.
“World Noble, huh?”
Montblanc crossed his arms, frowning.
He loathed World Nobles—viewing them as parasites. Yet he couldn’t deny Elmira’s logic. If used wisely, a World Noble could indeed become an asset.
Sverre idly twirled a dagger, silently nodding.
William glanced at the three of them and shook his head. “Don’t be naive. That guy doesn’t care whether World Nobles help us or not. He doesn’t value any of this. Have you forgotten the intelligence we gathered on Kuro before?”
“He slaughtered dozens in Shabondy, personally obliterating the World Noble’s slave-trading operation there. He treats World Nobles like trash himself. While aligning with a World Noble is a good thing, don’t overestimate its significance. Kuro’s strength doesn’t come from status or rights.”
William tightened his fist. “His power lies in his own strength. That’s what we must understand. He fears nothing because his strength is absolute! Even if he weren’t an Admiral, we’d still need to approach him with utmost caution. Now that he is an Admiral—one who can deploy Pacifista—it’s foolish to dwell on distractions. Focus on fulfilling Kuro’s command first.”
Elmira fell silent, then nodded.
His words rang true. Kuro’s terrifying might was undeniable.
Back when the four of them faced him alone, they had been like chicks beneath an eagle’s claws—utterly helpless.
That level of power left no room for rebellion. The most Elmira could hope for was using the World Noble to limit Kuro’s interference.
“Captain!”
Suddenly, a pirate’s voice rang from outside. “We can see Dominica!”
“We’re here.”
William stood, ordering, “First, rescue the World Noble. If he’s dead, we’ll hunt the perpetrator. If no single culprit exists, we’ll create one. After all, we are pirates.”
Kuro’s personal support for this mission stemmed not just from Dominica lying within William’s Navigational Route but primarily from his status as a pirate.
Unlike the Navy, pirates operated with far fewer restrictions. Where the Navy couldn’t act, pirates could.
This was William’s understanding.
Stepping out of the Captain’s Room, he gazed at the approaching archipelago, narrowing his eyes.
“This blood qi…”
“It’s heavy!” Montblanc followed, his expression darkening. Even from a distance, he could smell the island’s overwhelming stench of blood.
Elmira raised her telescope, scanning the horizon with a grim expression. “The battle is fierce. There’s war on the island!”
The moment she spoke, William’s lower body dissolved into steam as he shot skyward, soaring above the Dominica Archipelago. From his vantage point, the combatants below resembled ants swarming together, their bloodshed’s stench nearly touching the heavens.
War?
No—this was a Meat Grinder.
William had spent considerable time in the New World but had never seen chaos on this scale.
What was happening here?
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose from below.
From the ant-like crowd, a figure erupted skyward, rapidly closing the distance to William.
“Impact Tide!”
As the figure neared, a voice roared:
“Chaotic Winds!!”
Whoosh—Whoosh!
Howling winds shrieked like blades, swirling into a massive tempest that crushed downward, tearing William’s form apart in an instant.
“Hahahaha!!”
Below, Sazil leaped into the air, laughing wildly. His Crimson eyes burned with excitement. “I’ve been itching to unleash this Evil Flame! Now come—play with me a while!!”
(End of Chapter)
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