18: Bring Me a Story, He really is something else…
Shakky’s expression softened.
If she were twenty years younger, she might actually have fallen for a man like Kael.
There was something undeniably attractive about someone who carried so much responsibility without constantly talking about it.
Even as nothing more than his friend, being around him gave her an unusual sense of security.
“So where are you headed next?” If Kael truly intended to travel, there wasn’t much left in the first half of the Grand Line that could challenge him.
Most of it was either directly controlled by the World Government or occupied by affiliated kingdoms.
Which left only one real direction.
The New World.
“If you’re really going that far,” Shakky said, “you’ll probably have to pass through a Marine-controlled route.” Kael rubbed his chin.
He had been thinking about the same problem all the way here.
Zephyr and Garp were both away.
The only Marine currently on Sabaody whom Kael actually knew was Borsalino.
And even then, they had only shared one proper drinking session.
Whether Borsalino would be willing to bend the rules for him was another question.
“Either way, I want to see the New World for myself.” Kael smiled.
“I hear it makes the first half of the Grand Line look tame.” “Then come back alive.” Shakky waved the list in her hand.
“Give me a month.
I should have everything you asked for handled by then.” “Thanks, Shakky.” Kael smiled, rested his left hand on Requiem’s hilt, and turned toward the door.
A light breeze caught the hem of his coat as he left.
Effortlessly composed.
…
At the Marine base in Grove 66, Borsalino was still stationed on duty.
Though compared to the last time Kael had seen him…
He somehow looked even lazier.
“So that’s what you want…” Borsalino rubbed his chin, a faint gleam passing through his eyes.
“If it’s you, Mr.
Kael, I don’t really have a reason to stop you from going through.” His lips pursed slightly.
“But once you reach the New World, please try not to cut random ships in half.” He paused.
“Especially Marine ships.” Borsalino sighed.
“If Headquarters starts asking questions, it’ll be very troublesome for me.” “Ahahaha…” Kael scratched the back of his head.
So they had figured it out after all.
Apparently the rumors had spread farther than he expected.
“I understand.” “I’ll try not to cause you any trouble, Mr.
Borsalino.” Borsalino was genuinely doing him a favor by opening the way.
What Kael didn’t know was that Borsalino had once been far more ambitious than his current manner suggested.
From a young age, he had poured most of his energy into the things he believed mattered most— Strength.
Career.
Status.
He had ambitions of his own.
Then he shared a drink with Kael.
And heard that conversation about justice.
The words hadn’t even been directed at him.
Kael had been speaking to Zephyr.
But somehow, Borsalino had been the one who couldn’t forget them.
The winners decide what gets called justice.
After that night, something in him changed.
Gradually, he began taking things less seriously.
And he had every intention of keeping it that way.
Why exhaust himself chasing the rank of Admiral?
Wasn’t staying comfortably at Headquarters good enough?
If the “justice” he upheld could be twisted by those above him into an excuse for invasion and cruelty, then charging forward with complete devotion suddenly felt rather foolish.
Being used as someone else’s weapon while convincing yourself it was noble…
What was the point?
So Borsalino relaxed.
A lot.
Under his authority as Vice Admiral, the Marine checkpoint issued Kael and Mihawk formal travel clearance.
The paperwork listed them as wandering swordsmen traveling for study and swordsmanship training.
It was a harmless enough designation—used for people who journeyed across the seas to broaden their knowledge, hone their skills, and experience different ways of life.
The same label was sometimes used for wandering ascetics, but it carried no religious requirement.
Kael couldn’t have cared less what the document called him.
As long as it opened the gate.
…
Days passed.
Eventually, the two brothers entered the waters of the New World.
The sea was vast.
Far larger than most people could ever truly comprehend.
The Grand Line alone circled the entire planet, and sailing its full length could consume decades of a person’s life.
And most who attempted it never reached the end at all.
Deep in the New World lay a region known as the Azure Sky Sea.
No single power controlled the region.
Outlaws were everywhere.
Pirates gathered in particular around a settlement called Lucien Town.
The name Lucien came from an old word meaning “light.” Perhaps that was why pirates had gradually come to regard the town as a kind of sanctuary.
Situated near the center of the Azure Sky Sea, Lucien Town operated under an unspoken agreement.
No unnecessary fighting.
No grudges settled inside town.
No ruining the peace.
Here, pirates exchanged information, traded secrets, drank together, and pretended—at least for a while—that the outside world didn’t exist.
The liveliest establishment in town belonged to a pirate named Biggs.
His bounty was an astonishing— 830,000,000 Berries.
Despite that number, Biggs wasn’t known as a killer.
His greatest talent was making friends.
Now around forty-five or forty-six years old, he belonged to an older generation of pirates and had spent decades building connections across the sea.
In his younger days, he seemed to know someone everywhere he went.
But the story that made him famous had nothing to do with wealth or territory.
It had become a legend.
Biggs had once studied under a truly vicious pirate.
His teacher had made countless enemies throughout his life.
Eventually, when age caught up with him, the old man withdrew from the sea and tried to live quietly.
His enemies had other ideas.
A fleet of pirates gathered to settle old grudges and surrounded the island where the old pirate was hiding.
Biggs happened to be traveling at the time.
The moment he heard what was happening, he abandoned his own crew.
One man.
One sword.
That was all he took with him.
When he reached the island, however, he discovered something bitterly ironic.
Most of the pirates seeking revenge were people he knew.
Friends he had made across years of sailing.
Men he had drunk with.
Shared meat with.
Held banquets with.
So Biggs sat down with them.
And drank.
One final time.
They broke off their friendships over cups of alcohol.
His debt to his teacher could not be abandoned.
But friendship could be severed.
Once that bond was gone…
They were free to kill one another.
“That day, I drank twenty-eight bottles.” Biggs spoke with theatrical seriousness, his voice dropping into a rough growl.
“And then I cut down twenty-eight famous pirates.” He had lost an arm in that battle.
Covered in blood and barely able to stand, he nevertheless held the line long enough to keep his teacher alive.
Only after the old pirate finally screamed at him did Biggs withdraw.
“Idiot!” Biggs slammed his cup onto the table, perfectly mimicking his former teacher.
“You threw away your future for some old bastard who’s already halfway in the grave!” “I don’t have a disciple as stupid as you!” “Get out!” Biggs threw his head back and drained another bowl of Tusu Wine.
The liquor was smooth and refreshing, sliding down his throat with almost no burn at all.
His eyes immediately widened.
“Damn!” He smacked his lips.
“That’s good wine!” Biggs leaned toward Kael eagerly.
“Kael, how much more of this do you have?” Kael was seated on the tavern’s second floor.
For a pirate worth 830 million Berries, Biggs had been remarkably respectful from the moment they met, speaking to Kael with surprising courtesy despite their difference in age.
And with a bounty that high, he was clearly no ordinary pirate, even by New World standards.
Mihawk sat beside Kael.
His expression remained cold as ever.
He lifted his cup, tasted a small sip, and stared blankly at it.
This tastes awful.
How is this good wine?
Kael raised his own cup.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
“As long as you’ve still got stories to tell…” He took a drink.
“I’ll keep pouring the wine.”
Add to library.
Send some Power Stones.