That being said, coming up with a name for the pirate crew and designing a pirate flag proved to be a surprisingly difficult task for Carnes.
After all, fighting was his specialty.
Naming things, however, was completely outside his area of expertise.
“Ah…
naming things.
What a troublesome matter.” After muttering a brief complaint, Carnes fell deep into thought.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
The name still hadn’t come to him.
Instead, it was Demiurge’s voice that pulled him back to reality.
“Captain-sama, all preparations have been completed.
The ship is ready to set sail at any time.” Snapping out of his thoughts, Carnes subconsciously looked up at Demiurge.
Noticing that Carnes seemed preoccupied, Demiurge asked with concern, “Captain-sama, is something troubling you?” Carnes paused briefly before smiling.
He had no intention of hiding it.
“There is indeed something on my mind.
I’m trying to come up with a name for our pirate crew, but I can’t decide what it should be.
Do you have any suggestions, Demiurge?” Demiurge looked slightly surprised when he heard what Carnes was troubled over.
Then he immediately fell into deep thought.
This was a question from Captain-sama.
His answer couldn’t be careless.
Even if it was only a suggestion, it had to be considered with the utmost seriousness.
After a long silence, Demiurge finally spoke.
“How about naming it after you, Captain-sama?
I can’t think of any name more noble or more worthy than your own.” Hearing the suggestion, Carnes carefully considered it.
Use my own name?
Carnes?
The Carnes Pirates?
The moment he imagined it, he fell silent.
It didn’t take long for him to reject the idea.
No, no, no.
Naming it after myself is far too embarrassing.
Something else would be better…
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Carnes suddenly paused.
Sensing the change in his expression, Demiurge asked, “Is something wrong?” “No, nothing.” Carnes shook his head, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
“Your suggestion gave me a great idea, Demiurge.” Receiving Carnes’ approval, Demiurge immediately revealed a pleased expression and bowed respectfully.
“Being able to assist you is my honor.” Still smiling, Carnes raised his head and looked toward the pirate flag fluttering atop the mast.
He spoke softly, almost to himself.
“It’s been so long that I’d nearly forgotten the nickname you all used to call me.” As he spoke, he turned toward Demiurge.
“I’ve decided.
We’ll be called the Pale Emperor Pirates.” The instant those words left his mouth, the Eternal Galebreaker suddenly reacted.
Vmmmm!
A strange tremor ran through the ship.
The originally dark-brown Eternal Galebreaker began changing as though a snake were shedding its skin.
The dark paint covering its surface started peeling away.
Beneath it was a brilliant silver-white hull.
The flaking paint scattered into the air like ashes after a fire before vanishing completely.
At the same time, the pirate flag atop the mast began to transform.
Burn-like marks spread across the fabric.
Moments later, the plain skull emblem that had adorned the flag changed.
As the burning pattern expanded, a silver-white crown appeared atop the skull’s head.
Two crimson lights ignited within its hollow eye sockets.
The crossed bones behind the skull transformed into a pair of silver-white crossed sabers.
At the bow of the ship, a massive crowned skull sculpture rapidly formed.
The sudden series of changes left even Carnes, the captain himself, completely stunned.
Question marks practically filled his head.
Huh?
This ship can transform too?!
In only a few moments, the Eternal Galebreaker had undergone a complete metamorphosis.
A gigantic crowned skull now stood proudly at the bow.
The entire vessel had become silver-white.
Surveying the transformed ship, Demiurge adjusted his round glasses and spoke seriously.
“An emperor, huh?
It suits your identity perfectly, Captain-sama.” Hearing that, Carnes suddenly felt a strange sense of embarrassment.
Truthfully speaking, the title “Pale Emperor” wasn’t something he had come up with himself.
It was a nickname given to him over forty years ago by members of the Rocks Pirates and the Marines.
Just like Newgate was known as “Whitebeard” and Shanks as “Red-Hair.” As for the origin of the title…
That story dated back to a kingdom conquered by the Rocks Pirates more than forty years ago.
At the time, Carnes had led a portion of the crew and smashed straight through the royal palace’s defenses.
Eventually, they reached the king himself within the palace’s grand hall.
Curious about what it felt like to be a king, Carnes had killed the monarch, placed the crown on his own head, and sat upon the royal throne.
The result?
The crew immediately began teasing him, calling him King and Emperor.
But because Carnes had slaughtered so many people during the kingdom’s fall, the surviving citizens also started referring to him as a grim reaper.
When the information eventually reached the Marines, they combined the two titles together.
Thus, the nickname “Pale Emperor” was born.
It was even printed directly onto Carnes’ bounty poster.
As a result, the title became firmly attached to him and spread throughout the seas.
Now, Carnes had chosen to name the crew the Pale Emperor Pirates partly because of Demiurge’s suggestion.
But more importantly…
It was a message to a few old monsters still lurking out there.
The former vice-captain of the Rocks Pirates— The man known as the Pale Emperor— Had returned.