Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Cautious Navy, Never Step Forward
Chapter 1: Cautious Navy, Never Step Forward
East Blue, waters under the jurisdiction of Base 153.
Amidst the raging storm, a Navy warship drifted precariously.
"Kuro Sergeant, a Pirate Ship has been spotted ahead!"
Inside the cabin, a mustachioed Navy officer reported to the man before him.
The figure opposite him wore the standard Navy uniform. His hatless head revealed jet-black hair, neatly parted at the forehead. His eyes exuded lazy indifference. At a glance, he appeared no older than twenty-three or twenty-four.
Lucius Kro scratched his head, set down his newspaper, and stubbed out his cigarette. "Sergeant Kass", he said solemnly, "how many times have I told you? When encountering a Pirate Ship, first determine the bounty. If it exceeds three million, we proceed with caution. If it's under three million, we attack with cannons. Avoid boarding actions. Prioritize sinking their vessel."
"Aye, sir!"
Sergeant Kass saluted, then turned to leave.
The mustachioed man was alright in most respects, but far too rigid. He insisted on reporting everything, no matter how many times Kro repeated his orders.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannon fire erupted outside.
Lucius Kro sighed helplessly.
"Why, why was I born into One Piece?"
Here, in the world of One Piece, the Great Pirate Era raged. Vast seas churned with rising heroes and clashing titans—yet all of it felt...
incredibly tedious.
I, Lucius Kro, age twenty-four, dream of a single thing—
surviving this life without incident!
Ah, One Piece, where everyone regenerates from fatal wounds, where vitality flows like rivers—"Life Return"—a world where healing requires nothing more than a hearty meal and two days' rest.
Who in their right mind would get excited about this place?
Certainly not Kro.
After twenty years in this world, he’d learned one truth: without sufficient strength, he’d stay hidden.
Thankfully, he’d been born with an advantage—the Shinmeiryu Style inherited from Kyuugan Kyou Kaitai. After decades of training, he’d mastered this kenjutsu.
Even more thoroughly than the legendary Mibu Kyushiro himself.
But was it enough here?
Admirals, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, powerful GM Army officers, and countless freakish deviants—this world teemed with danger.
He needed caution. Hence his decision to join the Navy.
Becoming a pirate? No. He was Lucius Kro, not Wang Kuro. He lacked the audacity for such a path.
A pirate hunter? Too provocative. Risked drawing unwanted attention.
After careful consideration, the Navy proved safest.
Especially here, in the East Blue—the weakest of seas. Devil Fruit users were practically myths here, average bounties barely reached three million. Perfectly safe.
Kro enlisted at age fourteen, carefully navigating a decade of service to become a Sergeant.
Still, even the East Blue demanded vigilance. He couldn’t afford to reveal his strength—drawing attention from powerful figures could be fatal.
He wielded a blade, a dangerous choice in a world where the title "World’s Greatest Swordsman" belonged to the ever-watchful Hawk-Eye. If he gained fame, that crimson gaze might settle on him—unthinkable.
Thus, Kro’s principle: bounties over three million were off-limits.
Crossing that average bounty threshold? Who knew what bizarre techniques or abilities those pirates might possess? Better to avoid risk altogether.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannons roared. Kro lit a cigarette with a match—tobacco and cigars were Navy essentials, after all. His body, though, belonged to this world. Its vitality let him smoke freely without worry.
Crash! The cabin shuddered violently, sending the match clattering from his fingers.
"Attack!"
The next instant, a deafening battle cry rang out.
"Crashed already?"
Kro’s expression shifted. Snatching his regulation-issue cutlass, he swiftly exited the cabin.
Rain poured like waterfalls beneath the storm, the warship heaving in the tempest.
Almost nose-to-nose with their vessel loomed a battered Pirate Ship. On its deck, a ragtag crew clashed with Navy soldiers.
"Sergeant!"
Kass charged, blade in one hand, pistol in the other. He fired, dropping a pirate. "It’s the Axe Pirates!"
Kro didn’t need telling. His eyes weren’t blind.
Among the pirates, a hulking brute over two and a half meters tall wielded a massive double-edged axe—easily two meters long. With one swing, he sent a cluster of Navy men flying.
"Boys, kill them all and seize the ship!" the giant roared, smashing another group aside with his axe.
Kolmo, captain of the Axe Pirates, bounty: six million Beri.
Twice Kro’s comfort zone.
Kro glanced skyward, cursing, "Damn this weather."
The pirate ship, having barely survived a mutiny and entered the storm near collapse, had latched onto the Navy vessel out of desperation. Normally, a cannonade would send such foes fleeing—unless they were particularly ruthless.
"Now’s not the time to act. Their numbers are inferior. Maybe we can win without me intervening. If they capture these pirates, I avoid drawing attention."
Elbow resting on his sword hilt, Kro pondered.
Lucius Kro’s survival strategy relied on two words—
Cautious. Definitely not cowardly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Navy soldiers fired flintlock muskets at Kolmo.
It bore mentioning—aside from rare sharpshooters, both pirates and Navy alike relied on rudimentary marksmanship. Accuracy? Abysmal.
Most bullets struck the deck around Kolmo. A few lucky shots clanged off his axe.
And yet, these flintlocks fired in the rain—what physics governed this world?
"Die, all of you!"
Kolmo charged like a wild ox, using his axe as a shield to scatter the shooters.
Kro’s eyelid twitched. The tide of battle shifted—pirates surged forward, Navy lines buckled.
"Sergeant, watch out!"
Sergeant Kass’s warning cut through the chaos.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Kolmo barreled straight at Kro, his axe descending in a thunderous overhead strike.
Old trick—play it safe.
Kro feigned righteous fury, drew his cutlass, and roared, "Justice Prevails!!" charging forward.
But the rain-slick deck betrayed him—a clumsy slip, perfectly timed, dodged Kolmo’s strike.
Crack! Kolmo’s punch sent Kro flying. Fortuitously, he soared far, crashing into a pirate. Even more fortuitously, his cutlass pierced the pirate’s chest.
"Cough! Cough! Still, as a Navy officer, I’ll never yield!"
Without glancing at the fallen foe, Kro coughed, gripped his blade, and charged Kolmo again.
"Ha! Weakling!"
Kolmo laughed maniacally, smashing another Navy man aside. "These Navy dogs are trash! None can match my axe!"
He raised his weapon for a killing blow—
But at the last moment, Kro "slipped" again, dodging effortlessly. His blade arced, slicing at Kolmo.
Kolmo’s combat instincts were sharp—missing his strike, he kicked out. Kro flew backward, crashing into another pirate. The force wrenched his cutlass from his grasp. It spun through the air, landing—most fortuitously—straight in another pirate’s chest.
Pfft!
"Justice Prevails!!"
Kro drew his blade again, charging for the third time.
(End of Chapter)
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