Under the night sky, Loguetown Harbor stretched into darkness.
The salty sea breeze stirred the waves, their steady rhythm echoing like a quiet lullaby under the moonlight, washing away the noise of the town.
In the shadows, a streak of lightning flashed across the harbor at incredible speed.
In an instant, every pirate aboard a medium sized ship collapsed unconscious.
Sven reappeared as his body returned to normal.
He secured Dracule Mihawk’s small coffin boat onto the deck, then raised the anchor and kicked the unconscious pirates off one by one, sending them onto the shore.
With practiced ease, he took control of the ship and steered it out of the harbor.
Originally, he had considered catching up with Shanks and Buggy, but the thought of Monkey D.
Garp nearby made him abandon that idea immediately.
Right now, speed was everything.
No one understood the terror of Garp’s fists better than the Roger Pirates.
Since the God Valley Incident, Garp had only done two things.
He refused promotion to Admiral.
And he chased Gol D.
Roger across the seas.
Within the Roger Pirates, from the legendary trio to the apprentices like Shanks and Buggy, nearly everyone had experienced those fists firsthand.
Everyone except Sven.
Fists that locked onto their target without reason, overwhelming and unstoppable, infused with Conqueror’s Haki.
Sven steered with one hand while watching the Eternal Pose with the other.
Not far behind him, Mihawk sat calmly, holding a glass of iced black tea.
“What is the One Piece?”
Sven smirked.
“You want to know?”
“Mihawk, call me Captain, and I will take you to Laugh Tale right now.”
With the rise of the Great Pirate Era, the seas would only grow more dangerous.
Given his past, joining the Marines was no longer an option.
If he wanted to survive, he needed more than just strength.
He needed a crew.
And not just any crew.
His first target was standing right in front of him.
Mihawk.
The strongest swordsman in the world was not someone he could afford to ignore.
After that, there were others worth recruiting.
Bartholomew Kuma, a man whose fate was filled with suffering, yet whose strength was undeniable.
Sven had no intention of letting such a man fall into ruin.
Then there was Jinbe.
A Fish-Man like Jinbe would eliminate the greatest weakness of any Devil Fruit user.
But before any of that, Sven understood one thing clearly.
He needed to become stronger.
This was a world where power decided everything.
The weak had no voice.
Mihawk placed his teacup down, stood, and drew the black blade Yoru.
The massive sword rested lightly against Sven’s neck.
“You seem to misunderstand something about me.”
The cold edge snapped Sven back to reality.
He raised both hands immediately.
“Relax, Mihawk.”
He knew very well that Mihawk was no saint.
The title of Marine Hunter was earned through blood.
Mihawk sheathed Yoru.
“You are already being watched by CP agents.
From now on, the World Government and the Marines will pursue you relentlessly.”
“If it becomes known that you were part of the Pirate King’s crew, even pirates will come after you.”
“Do not speak carelessly about Laugh Tale or your past.”
Sven blinked, then realized something.
Mihawk was warning him.
He scratched his head slightly.
“I know what I am doing.
I only speak openly in front of you.”
Mihawk paused at the cabin entrance.
“Why?”
Sven grinned.
“Because I trust you.”
The glass in Mihawk’s hand shattered into powder.
The air turned heavy for a moment.
Sven swallowed, his heart beating faster.
Only after Mihawk entered the cabin did he let out a breath and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
Winning someone like Mihawk over would take time.
But Sven was patient.
He would not let him go.
Pulling out the Eternal Pose pointing to Reverse Mountain, Sven focused on navigation while browsing the trading platform.
One request immediately caught his attention.
A bounty of 50,000 points for the death of a figure named San-du-ge.
The requester came from a brutal world filled with endless war.
Sven shook his head.
Anyone surviving there was beyond ordinary.
Setting that aside, he searched for tasks he could complete.
A simple request appeared.
Food and water for 9 points.
Sven accepted without hesitation, sending ten portions through the system.
A notification appeared confirming completion.
His balance increased to 9 points.
It was not much, but it was a start.
Another listing caught his eye.
Ten cases of iced black tea for 1 point.
Sven paused.
If something as simple as tea could be traded for points, then the unique dials from the Sky Islands would be far more valuable.
After a brief hesitation, he spent 1 point and purchased the tea, placing a case into the ship’s storage.
Since Mihawk preferred black tea, Sven saw no harm in investing a little.
His balance dropped to 8 points.
Closing the system interface, he reviewed what he had learned.
Both purchases and commissions were limited each month.
Points were difficult to obtain.
If he wanted to grow quickly, he needed resources.
That meant heading to the Sky Islands.
Gold, rare materials, and unique dials.
Everything he needed was there.
And more importantly, it would give him a solid foundation.
Sven understood the future of the seas better than anyone.
Shanks would rise to become one of the Four Emperors.
Buggy would remain hidden for years.
As for the World Government, their focus would eventually fall on those they considered the greatest threats.
Among the remnants of the Roger Pirates, Sven was the easiest target.
He opened a bottle of iced black tea and drank it in one go.
“Damn it.”
“A former member of the Pirate King’s crew, yet treated like nothing.”
“This world truly belongs to the strong.”
Over the following month, Sven and Mihawk alternated steering the ship.
They crossed Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line, sailing toward Jaya.
During that time, Sven focused on three things.
Eating endlessly.
Resting when needed.
And pushing his body through constant training.
Eventually, supplies ran low.
Money was gone.
As Sven stood on deck, a pirate ship bearing a Jolly Roger appeared in the distance.
A faint smile formed on his face.
“Mihawk, bring us alongside.”