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Chapter 488: White Butterfly and Black Wolf
Chapter 488: White Butterfly and Black Wolf
Cultivation is something you dabble in casually—let fate decide your strength gains, said Lucius Kro.
Some people might not realize what half a year of cultivation truly means. We usually call these folks "cultivation freaks!"
Kuro, of course, maintained his daily cultivation without fail. Though his Xian Yu technique was unique, he understood perfectly well that in this world, Xian Yu's foundation ultimately determined one's potential.
That "unique" technique had already lasted half a year.
At the Shabondy Navy Base...
In the office...
Kuro lounged on a reclining chair outside the office balcony, cigar in his left hand, drink in his right, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he basked in the sun.
Below, the rhythmic sounds of Navy drills reached his ears—loud, steady, and oddly comforting.
His subordinates, with Klah and Lida promoted to Commanders alongside Sengoku, had things well under control. He no longer needed to lift a finger.
Shabondy itself remained stable under Wilbur Commander's oversight. While the man's combat prowess wasn't exceptional, his sharp wit and organizational skills were top-notch—Kuro had complete confidence in him.
For the past six months, Kuro had essentially delegated all responsibilities, letting them handle matters independently. As Commanders, they wielded significant autonomy, often leading subordinates on pirate-hunting missions aboard warships.
Cultivation, after all, required practical combat experience.
Though he occasionally worried about Lida, he reasoned her strength had finally reached the point where he could let go. Otherwise, she'd grow complacent, idling away beside him with nothing but feasting and drinking, losing her edge until she became useless.
As for himself...
He took a sip of his drink, shifted to a more comfortable position, and exhaled contentedly. "Comfortable."
With capable subordinates handling affairs, why shouldn't he relax and enjoy life?
Living peacefully and comfortably was his dream, after all.
Though Shabondy attracted waves of pirates annually, his governance had deterred most common threats. As for the more dangerous ones, he'd stationed patrols outside to handle them.
Klah and Lida strictly followed his teachings—any pirates attempting to infiltrate Shabondy met immediate execution, swiftly frozen into ice statues by Aokiji's Ice Age technique.
As for merit...
It wasn't so easily earned. Unlike pirates, whose World Government bounties increased with every major incident, Smoker had spent years in East Blue's Loguetown eliminating countless pirates yet remained a Commander.
Defending one's post and eliminating pirates was a basic duty. If every accomplishment required merit points, the Navy would be overflowing with Vice Admirals.
Some veteran Navy officers spent forty or fifty years as Commanders without promotion.
Kuro's meteoric rise from Sergeant to Vice Admiral within a year was unprecedented.
Another promotion would require even greater achievements—and universal recognition of his value. Not that he feared sudden advancement.
The leap from officer to flag rank was a massive threshold, a qualitative leap. He had no concerns about Klah or Lida rising through the ranks either. After all, their promotions were their own affairs, unrelated to his position.
Besides, as a Vice Admiral, his direct subordinates couldn't ascend while under his command unless Gramps personally requested their transfer.
But Gramps would never do that.
All circumstances favored Kuro, allowing him to lounge in comfort without a care.
Shabondy's environment left something to be desired, but perfection was unrealistic. He wasn't particular—close enough worked fine.
"Kuro, I'm back!"
The office door slammed open as Lida entered, munching snacks from a bag. She walked onto the balcony, eyeing him with disdain.
"You're slacking off again."
"Nonsense! This is strategic relaxation", Kuro waved a hand, gesturing toward the base. "I'm savoring the peace of Shabondy—the environment I created. This is achievement, Lida. Achievement!"
He turned toward her. "How was patrol?"
"Fine. We encountered some minor pests on the way—Ju Geng handled them with her Ice Age. I didn't even need to lift a finger", Lida replied.
Their subordinates had benefited from Kuro's influence during the Charlotte·Big Mom incident six months ago, earning a collective promotion. Another round of promotions followed for their pirate-elimination efforts.
Ju Geng, Sazil, and Fen Ni had all been promoted to Lieutenants.
As for Lida and Klah, their exceptional performances earned them nicknames within the Navy—similar to Smoker's "White Demon" and Tina's "Black Cage."
Klah gained the epithet "Black Wolf." Though "black" was already used in "Black Cage", the Navy avoided repetition by adopting "Black Wolf" instead.
Lida's nickname was "White Butterfly"—a poetic reference to her graceful appearance. Originally, her epithet was "White Whale", alluding to her prodigious appetite, but she'd protested to Kuro.
"Where's my huge appetite? I just eat slightly more than average! They're insulting me!" she'd complained.
Kuro had petitioned Gramps to change it, arguing, "Epithets are just casual labels. Look at Smoker's 'White Demon'—he doesn't look like a demon. Some even call him 'White Hunter,' but I don't see him using a bow. Just pick something pleasant-sounding!"
Lucius Kro naturally accommodated such minor requests. Epithets were informal titles coined by the public and later adopted by the Navy, unlike official codenames reserved for Vice Admirals like Togeko Aokiji.
Kuro secretly wished for an epithet himself—something grand like "Asura", "War God", "Dragon King", or "Tiger General."
Yet after inquiring, he found none. Most simply knew him as "Lucius Kro of the Navy."
Did he truly not deserve an epithet?
Codenames? Absolutely not. Those were too dangerous.
Before defeating Lucius, his reputation had matched Smoker's. Afterward, his fame nearly equaled a Vice Admiral's.
The Navy had countless elites. Eliminating Lucius alone didn't make one a legendary hero.
Otherwise, how could Kuro continue his work?
The elite Vice Admirals had decades of battle experience, capturing countless pirate elites.
A single Lucius wasn't that significant.
Especially now, after six months of quiet, few even mentioned his name anymore.
Time made people forget. Why dwell on complicated, irrelevant matters?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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