https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-977-You-Can-Just-Stay-Ignorant-of-Everything/13540525/
Chapter 976: East Blue Isn't That Weak!
Chapter 976: East Blue Isn't That Weak!
"Muda da!!!”
“Too weak! Too weak! Show me more joy!”
“Hahaha! East Blue pirates, witness the terror of the Grand Line!”
“They’re just too pathetic! Not even worth dodging. You trash can’t even compare! All East Blue people are garbage!!”
Kuro, who had just stubbed out a cigar and picked up a glass of wine, furrowed his brows at Sazil’s roaring voice outside.
“What’s going on out there?”
A nearby Navy officer soon stepped out to check before returning, standing stiffly at attention. “Report, Vice Admiral. A group of pirates is outside. Commander Sazil is handling them.”
“Pirates, huh?”
At that, Kuro lost interest. From Sazil’s delighted tone, it was probably just some small-time East Blue bandits.
“East Blue trash,” Klah adjusted his glasses, a cold glint flashing across the lenses. “Sazil’s gotten a bit too cocky lately. Looks like he needs another round of special training.”
This Baratie had two Navy Vice Admirals hailing from East Blue. One was himself, Klah. The other, though technically not his superior in rank anymore, was effectively above him—Kuro.
Calling East Blue people trash? What did that make him? Or Kuro, for that matter?
From Roger and Garp’s generation down to Luffy, and including the deceased Ace and the Revolutionary Army’s Chief of Staff Sabo—whose fate remained unknown despite being officially declared dead by the World Government—they were all East Blue natives. Sure, the generations varied widely in age, but the middle layers were there too. There was Dragon, the Revolutionary Army’s leader, plus Kuro himself, the newly promoted Navy Vice Admiral, Kuro’s right-hand man, strategist, and “Black Wolf” Klah.
All East Blue-born.
As for why East Blue seemed weak…
Having spent time in both the Grand Line’s first half and New World, Klah did think East Blue was weak. But the reasons…
He glanced at Kuro.
He always suspected Kuro had something to do with it, though Kuro refused to admit it. But with Kuro loitering in East Blue for a decade, his personality alone probably eliminated most potential threats. If the original quality was poor and Kuro kept weeding out the rest, of course nothing would remain.
East Blue pirates did exist in the Grand Line, though few in number. But those who survived could rival any other sea’s pirates, even the native Grand Line ones. As for Navy personnel, there were even more.
“Kuro, now that I think about it, isn’t it strange how few East Blue pirates actually leave the region?” Lida asked, finishing his soup and grabbing a chicken leg.
Kuro took a sip of wine. “If your hometown had a One Piece, the West Blue’s pirates would stay put too. The World Government’s crackdowns are totally normal.”
After Roger died, the World Government didn’t just cleanse East Blue once or twice—it was like a thunderstorm sweeping through. Add Garp constantly returning to patrol the area, and what pirates could possibly survive?
“Eh? So it’s the World Government? I thought you took out plenty of pirates yourself,” Lida said, biting into the leg.
“I’ll sue you for defamation, Lida!”
Kuro rolled his eyes. “I didn’t do anything. Those pirates were just eaten by passing sea beasts. I just happened to be watching. That’s all.”
“Is that so?”
Lida tossed the bone and picked up a bowl of noodles, slurping loudly.
“Anyway, let’s keep talking about East Blue. Honestly, it’s not that weak. Sure, the average quality’s low, but the upper tiers are just as strong.”
Kuro shifted topics smoothly. “Garp, Roger, Dragon, and the new generation like Luffy—they’re all part of that elite.”
Garp and Roger had toppled the greatest pirate king of their time, Rocks. Dragon carved out his own legacy, becoming the World Government’s greatest thorn as leader of the Revolutionary Army. Even Luffy stood at the forefront of the new pirates.
Sure, most of these examples belonged to the Monkey family line besides Roger, but they still proved the upper tiers weren’t weak—they were monstrous.
It was like those tiny nations back in his past life, Kuro mused.
You could mock their poverty and low standards, but you couldn’t deny they produced prodigious warriors. Sure, their people were poor and uneducated, but could you say those warriors lacked vision? Not at all. The upper echelons were just as strong. Similarly, even if East Blue was crushed under pressure, its upper tiers wouldn’t be weak either.
The World Government crushed them from above. Garp added pressure from below. And Kuro had noticed—the Navy’s presence in East Blue was denser than in any of the Four Seas.
People called West and North Blue dangerous, but only because they bordered New World’s Calm Belt. The New World teemed with strongmen, and the nations there were fierce. Sometimes, the Navy didn’t even need to garrison there. Though the Four Seas were the Navy’s strongest regions, their presence was actually weakest in West and North Blue.
Many pirates hailed from those strong nations. The Flower Country, for instance, had eight fleets, each with elite combat power. Their soldiers could even use Haki before reaching the Grand Line—nothing East Blue or South Sea could match.
Even a single pirate from the Grand Line could devastate East Blue today. But they’d only last a short time. The Navy reacted quickly.
Besides, no one wanted to go to East Blue anyway.
What was there to do there? Visit Roger’s execution platform?
Ambitious pirates aimed for the New World within the Grand Line. The unambitious ones, though weaker, weren’t foolish enough to go either.
Unlike himself, Kuro thought. He knew his own weakness and always longed to return to East Blue to retire peacefully.
Too bad Headquarters wouldn’t allow it.
But now, with G-3 still under repairs, he had temporary freedom. He could roam anywhere.
Just as well. He’d use the Seven Warlords of the Sea selection as an excuse to disappear from Headquarters’ sight. Better to keep them from noticing his leisure and tossing another batch of “troublesome” civilians his way.
Hearing Sazil’s cheerful roars, Kuro grew impatient. “So noisy. Tell Sazil to wrap it up quickly. Klah, handle it.”
“At once, Kuro Mr.”
Klah adjusted his glasses and strode out.
Though he was now a Vice Admiral himself, he still didn’t dare argue with Kuro.
Why risk it? What would defiance prove—his unique status as a Vice Admiral? Or was he craving another round of “special training”?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
