“Hey, Kalmande, why don’t you help think of a name for our pirate crew?”
After finishing their meal, the two rested on the deck, preparing to brainstorm a name for their team.
Then, they could design the Jolly Roger based on the name’s characteristics; that would be much more fitting, wouldn’t it?
“How about the Kazi Pirates?”
“Or, we could name it after my hair—the Golden Hair Pirates?”
Kazi went on enthusiastically, while Kalmande simply curled his lip and said, “Could you be any more cliché, Captain?”
Hearing Kalmande’s words, Kazi was unconvinced.
“You think you’re so refined?
Let’s hear a better one from you, then.”
Kalmande picked up his red wine glass, swirled it, took a sip, and said, “Since you’ve asked so sincerely, I shall be merciful and tell you.”
“What do you think about calling us the Dream Pirates?”
“We are warriors galloping across the ocean for the sake of our dreams!”
“Rejected!”
“Tch, tasteless Captain.”
Kazi shook his head, feeling that asking Kalmande had been a mistake.
“Forget it, let’s just go with the Golden Hair Pirates.”
Kazi thought to himself: his biological father’s crew was called the Whitebeard Pirates, and he was also naming his after hair—wasn’t that a stroke of genius?
Besides, hair was on top of the head, which was clearly higher than a beard.
He was destined to surpass his father; otherwise, how could he fulfill his mother’s dying wish?
“Fine, fine, you’re the Captain, you call the shots.”
Kalmande waved his hand dismissively.
After all, Kazi was the Captain, and it was his ship, so it was only right for him to name it.
“Hey, Kalmande, stop lying around.
Let’s go design our Jolly Roger.”
Kazi pulled Kalmande up, full of energy, and the two began drawing the Jolly Roger on a piece of black cloth on the deck, facing the sea breeze.
There was no help for it; Kazi’s drawing talent was mediocre at best, while Kalmande, who often drew sea charts, was an expert.
With a flick of his hand, a perfect skull was complete.
Kazi wanted to draw golden hair on top of the skull, following his own hairstyle.
The teeth also had to be shown—it had to be grinning; this was called maintaining tradition.
“Hmm, not bad, looks pretty cool.”
“Come on, Kalmande, raise our Jolly Roger.
I’ll give you the honor of raising it for the first time.”
Kazi handed the flag to Kalmande, who showed no impatience.
Although he didn’t know why Kazi liked this name and design, he had already joined the team, so he would learn to love it.
Kalmande briskly raised the flag.
As they watched it flutter, a surge of spirit filled their hearts.
As for the previous pirate crew’s flag, Kazi had long since thrown it into the sea.
The two continued sailing for another two days.
Besides charting their course, Kalmande often asked Kazi how to become stronger.
As Captain, Kazi naturally hoped his crew member would be stronger, so he didn’t hold anything back.
He taught Kalmande taijutsu and advanced applications of Armament Haki, and even provided guidance on Observation Haki, though it would take a long time to master—not something that could be learned in a day or two.
In the distance, the outline of an island was already visible.
Kalmande excitedly ran from the crow’s nest to the deck and shouted, “Captain, I see an island!
Judging from the map, it should be the Goa Kingdom.”
“Hahaha, we’re finally here, huh?”
Ever since Kazi bought the map, he had set this as his first stop.
The feeling of stepping into the manga’s plot was quite novel for him.
After all, since they were in the East Blue, the Goa Kingdom and Loguetown were must-visit places.
“Let’s go, steer the ship toward it.”
The two had been drifting at sea, so Kalmande was also looking forward to a break now that they had reached land.
They were in agreement, and the pirate ship sped toward the land.
“Captain, there’s a pirate ship on the far right.
Should we go over and take a look?”
Seeing that ship, Kazi’s heart instantly raced.
Wasn’t that the ship of the future Four Emperors, Shanks?
Calculating the time, Luffy was already seven this year.
It seemed this was the year he ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi—ah, no, the Sun God, Nika fruit.
“Let’s go, let’s join in the fun.”
Before long, Kazi and Kalmande arrived at Foosha Village.
“Boss, look, a pirate ship is coming.”
The chubby Lucky Roux held a chicken leg in his left hand, eating while gazing at the rapidly approaching pirate ship.
“Hmm?”
“It’s a pirate flag I’ve never seen before.
Are they rookies from the East Blue?”
Shanks and his crew were just about to leave to continue their voyage, with Luffy making a racket nearby.
Now, the appearance of Kazi and his crew immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
The Golden Hair Pirates finally arrived, docking right next to the Red Hair Pirates’ Red Force.
“Hahaha, Red Hair Pirates, are you welcoming us?”
Kazi stood at the bow and jumped down, with Kalmande following closely behind.
Shanks and his crew were already famous pirates by now; in a few years, they would become one of the Four Emperors of the New World.
In the original story, the Red Hair Pirates and the Beasts Pirates often clashed in the New World, fighting constantly without ever being able to wipe each other out.
It seemed their strength was roughly equal.
This was the most powerful person Kazi had encountered since arriving in this world.
Even if Shanks hadn’t reached his peak Four Emperors level yet, he was likely at the level of a top-tier commander.
After all, a two-handed Shanks was someone who often sparred with Hawkeye.
And that gluttonous Kid, who would later get one-shotted for three billion Berries, was still twelve years away.
“Although I don’t know who you are, if you’re here to cause destruction or disturb the peaceful life of my friends, I won’t just stand by and watch.”
Shanks drew his Gryphon first, staring at the approaching Kazi and Kalmande with eyes like torches.
Kalmande was fine, but Kazi gave him a feeling that he wasn’t simple.
It puzzled Shanks that such a figure would appear in the East Blue.
“Hey, hey, don’t be so nervous.
I only came over because I saw your pirate ship.”
“How about it?
Interested in a spar?”
Kazi’s tone was very relaxed, not at all like someone who had come to cause trouble.
This relaxed Shanks quite a bit.
Since the other party had put it that way, as a man of the sea, he had no reason to refuse Kazi’s challenge.
“No problem.
I, as Captain, will be your opponent.”
Shanks took a few steps forward, and the Red Hair Pirates members on the side made no move to stop him.
They could also tell that the other party had come specifically for this, so a fight was inevitable.
Besides, they had confidence in their Captain; otherwise, they wouldn’t be following this idiot Captain.
“Hey, who are you?
Shanks is super strong; he’ll definitely beat you!”
Little Luffy didn’t care about any of that.
He didn’t know Kazi, but his relationship with Shanks was unbreakable.
If he didn’t support Shanks now, when would he?
“Hey, Luffy, don’t stand so close.
Get behind me.”
Beckman grabbed the somewhat agitated Luffy and pulled him behind himself.
Battles between strong fighters weren’t exactly gentle; even the shockwaves were more than the current Luffy could withstand.