https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-882-The-Pirate-Running-a-Bathhouse/13540058/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-884-East-Blue-Does-Not-Allow-Such-Powerful-Individuals/13540060/
Chapter 883: William's Preparation
Chapter 883: William's Preparation
At Sweets Island in the East Blue...
Panic reigned along the docks as people rushed to load massive crates onto anchored sailboats.
"Faster! Move it!" a well-dressed middle-aged man barked at the port. "Forget the heavy gear—don't take too many Beri! Prioritize food and water!"
"Officer Elmira", a local resident asked hesitantly, "are you all leaving?"
"We have matters to attend to", Elmira replied. "We’ll be gone for a while."
"Really? Can I come too?!" the resident blurted out.
This sparked a frenzy. Crowds surged forward.
"Take me with you!"
"Yes! Let me help Officer William!"
"Officer Elmira, I’ve got strength too—please take me!"
Elmira hesitated, watching the impassioned crowd. "Wait—I’ll ask William first."
He turned and strode toward the largest sailboat, its black flag bearing crossed twin blades and a bowed skull.
Inside the captain’s quarters, a young man sat silently, his eyes fixed on a map spread across the table.
"William."
Elmira entered, but William raised a hand before he could speak. "I heard everything."
"So you’ll say yes?" Elmira pressed.
William glanced up. "What do you think?"
Elmira pondered. "If we’re leaving, taking them would boost our combat strength. Why not?"
William shook his head. "True, but emptying the island might anger the World Government. We need their complacency—let them see us as heroes, not a threat. The Marines respect us here. Leaving civilians behind will make them assume we’re just merchants, buying us time."
"Right. I’ll turn them down." Elmira nodded.
"Make it clear we’re coming back", William added.
As Elmira departed, William sighed. Gripping the dagger on the table, he muttered, "It’s inevitable. The world’s will never bends to my desires."
Sam William was thirty-one now. He’d been seven when Roger died.
Even as a child, he’d dreamed of becoming a pirate. When Roger perished, he sensed the dawn of the Great Pirate Era—a golden age. If he’d been allowed to sail at seven, even as an apprentice, he could’ve amassed enough prestige.
But the Grand Line’s terrors were too vast for a lone child. He’d prayed for a pirate crew to recruit him as a trainee.
Eventually, one came—Dire Wolf Pirates.
Though their reputation reeked of cruelty, William seized the chance. If he could gain strength and prestige, he’d replace their crew entirely.
Opportunity would come. It had to!
Yet just as he’d resolved to fight for his dream, he’d witnessed a two-year-old child swinging a blade—once.
Common sense dictated a toddler’s strike was meaningless. But that single slash shattered the infamous Dire Wolf Pirates.
The memory haunted William. In his nightmares, he’d become a mighty pirate, facing that child—its blade aimed straight at him.
He’d awaken screaming.
Later, he learned the child’s name: Lucius Kro.
Two years old?!
If Kro had been that strong at two, what might he achieve as a pirate?
But the thought barely formed before William heard Kro himself declare—his goal was to join the Navy.
The Navy.
A pirate’s natural enemy. A barrier he could never cross.
Yet Kro’s sheer power forced William to restrain his ambitions. So long as Kro stayed in Shelz Town, William would hide, preparing for the day he sailed freely—never risking capture by that monster.
At fourteen, Kro finally enlisted. Though they lived on the same island, Kro rarely returned. Seizing his chance, William—nineteen and fully prepared—ventured into the sea.
Not that he hadn’t wanted to leave earlier. He’d needed to know which Marine branch Kro joined, avoiding that region. If Kro sailed directly to the Grand Line, so much the better.
But fate mocked him.
The man spurned the Grand Line entirely, joining Shelz Town’s branch instead.
William couldn’t wait forever. When Kro enlisted, William set sail too—cautious, relying on news from Shelz Town allies to track Navy Base 153.
Ten years ago, he’d left. Far from the "nobody" intelligence reports claimed, he’d simply mastered disguise.
Kro never reached the Grand Line nor gained fame in the East Blue. Yet William feared him. If such a man had to hide, what pride could he, with mere swordsmanship, dare claim?
William didn’t immediately form his own crew. First, he infiltrated others—becoming a trainee, winning loyalty, then overthrowing captains to recruit nameless pirates. He remained in the shadows, joining new crews, controlling his bounty’s absence with meticulous care.
Years at sea reshaped his worldview.
He needed more preparation. The Grand Line surely hid others like Kro—unfamous titans dwarfing arrogant pirate captains, who seemed like insects in comparison.
If Kro hid, planning something vast... then William would do the same!
Five years ago, Base 153’s commander changed to Mongar—a man of terrifying dominance. Patrol rates plummeted. William sensed his moment.
He found an island, won influence, and began his East Blue phase. Expanding commerce and covert networks, his fame grew locally, though his reach stretched far.
Hiding in plain sight, he watched Kro—desperate to learn his true intent.
Two years later, Kro entered the Grand Line. William finally breathed easy. Perhaps Kro had begun his move. But William’s habits, forged through decades of waiting, remained. He’d secure the East Blue first—a foundation—before challenging the Grand Line.
Building commerce, he ordered his men to protect civilians, fighting pirates to earn loyalty. Residents would die for him. Even a nearby kingdom bent to his will.
In this sea zone, Kuro’s absence left William unchallenged.
But now, CP investigators came sniffing.
What did they seek? His island control? His plans to overthrow the kingdom, to crown himself king?
No matter. Exposure meant escape.
Sorry… too late.
(End of Chapter)
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