“Lower the pirate flag!
Prepare to dock!”
Hans’s booming voice echoed across the deck.
The crew immediately sprang into action, but the atmosphere aboard the Swordfish felt different from usual.
Beneath the excitement was a faint tension that seemed to grip everyone on board.
And the reason was right in front of them.
Through the thin morning mist, the hazy outline of Echo Harp Island slowly came into view, the final stop in the West Blue before the journey toward the Grand Line.
Sammy stood at the bow, letting the sea breeze wash over him.
It carried the distant noise of the island’s bustling port, along with a strange flutter of emotion deep inside his chest.
Six years.
During his six years sailing across the West Blue, Sammy had docked at more islands than he could count.
But this time was different.
“Hans.”
Sammy called out to the navigator as he hurried across the deck.
Hans stopped and looked over.
“The Grand Line’s weather is supposed to be completely unpredictable.”
Sammy’s expression became serious.
“You ready for it?”
“Of course, Boss!”
Hans confidently thumped his chest.
“I’ve practically worn out every navigation log and climate journal I could get my hands on.
And I already asked around; there are specialty shops in Departure Town that sell Log Poses.”
He grinned.
“Once we go ashore, I’m buying several of them.
Better to have backups than regret it later.
I’ll also get whatever charts and information about the Grand Line I can find.”
“Good.”
Sammy nodded, feeling slightly more reassured.
Thanks to the anime he had watched in his previous life, he had at least some understanding of how dangerous the Grand Line could be.
But knowing about it from behind a screen and actually sailing into that legendary sea himself were two completely different things.
A complicated feeling churned inside him.
Was it nervousness about stepping into the unknown?
Or excitement for the beginning of an entirely new adventure?
Probably both.
And this wasn’t even the same era of piracy Sammy remembered from the story.
Roger hadn’t died yet.
The Great Pirate Era hadn’t begun.
This was an older, rougher, and far more brutal age.
Most of the people sailing as pirates right now weren’t dream-filled adventurers like Luffy.
They were genuine outlaws.
Killers.
Criminals.
Men who lived every day with one hand on their weapon and the other reaching for someone else’s treasure.
The Swordfish smoothly entered Echo Harp Island’s crowded harbor.
Masts rose everywhere like a forest.
Merchant ships packed with cargo were docked alongside humble fishing vessels, while pirate ships of every shape and size filled whatever spaces remained.
Several pirate crews were especially brazen.
They hadn’t even bothered lowering their Jolly Rogers.
Their skull-and-crossbones flags snapped proudly in the sea breeze for everyone to see.
“Stay away from those idiots who refuse to lower their flags.”
Hans carefully guided the Swordfish around the more conspicuous pirate ships before lowering his voice toward the helmsman.
“Sooner or later, the Marines or one of their enemies will come looking for them.
Cannonballs don’t care which ship they hit.”
He gestured toward the other side of the harbor.
“Keep us out of the crossfire.”
Once the Swordfish was safely docked, the crew immediately divided into teams according to the plan they had prepared beforehand.
Food.
Fresh water.
Medicine.
Rope.
Sailcloth.
Ammunition.
Every supply needed for a long voyage had to be purchased, checked, and loaded aboard.
Hans took his own shopping list and prepared to visit the town’s specialty navigation shops.
His priorities were Log Poses, the latest available sea charts, and any reliable information concerning the Grand Line.
After all, Echo Harp Island was the West Blue’s final gateway before Reverse Mountain.
When it came to information about the Grand Line, few places in the West Blue could match the accuracy and variety available here.
Sammy wasn’t taking any chances.
“Fitch.
Marcus.”
The two officers looked toward him.
“You’re going with Hans.”
Sammy’s tone became serious.
“Keep your eyes open.
Especially around shops selling specialized navigation equipment.”
He glanced toward the town.
“The Marines know pirates heading for the Grand Line have to buy this stuff somewhere.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they had people watching those stores or even set up traps nearby.”
Sammy pointed toward Hans.
“Whatever happens, don’t let our navigator get captured.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
His eyes narrowed.
“If we lose him here, our entire plan gets thrown into chaos.”
That was exactly the kind of situation Sammy hated most.
Unplanned chaos.
If Hans were captured, they would have to organize a rescue, prepare an escape route, rearrange supplies, and possibly abandon their departure schedule entirely.
The more things went wrong at once, the easier it became to make a fatal mistake.
Sammy preferred everything organized.
Step by step.
Keep the risks under control.
Avoid unnecessary surprises.
That was how he had survived for six years.
Fitch, carrying both a long gun and a shorter firearm across his back, silently nodded.
Marcus rested one hand near the curved blade at his waist.
“Yes, Boss!”
Buying supplies for a voyage this large would probably take half a day.
After watching the procurement teams disappear into town, Sammy turned toward the other two officers who had remained aboard.
“Isaac.
Aldo.”
Both men looked over.
“Let’s go take a walk around town.”
Then Sammy raised his voice toward the crewmen staying behind.
“BOYS!
Keep your damn eyes open and guard the ship properly!”
“Yes, Captain!”
The response came from all across the deck.
Sammy jumped down from the Swordfish with Isaac and Aldo and stepped into the noisy streets of Echo Harp Island.
Aldo quickly caught up with him.
“Boss.”
He lowered his voice.
“We lost more than twenty men after everyone who wanted to go home left.”
Aldo scratched his chin.
“Should we recruit some replacements while we’re here?”
Sammy thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.
“Not yet.”
Aldo raised an eyebrow.
“We still have enough people to operate the Swordfish without any problems.”
Sammy looked ahead.
“Once we enter the Grand Line, we’ll see what the situation looks like and recruit more people if we need them.”
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
“Besides…”
Aldo looked at him.
“I’m actually curious.”
Sammy’s grin widened.
“I want to see just how different people from the Grand Line really are compared to the guys we’ve been dealing with in the West Blue.”
“Hahaha!
Fair enough!”
Aldo laughed and rubbed the back of his head.
The three wandered leisurely through the crowded streets.
Sammy’s eyes passed over rows of shops and roadside stalls.
The town was certainly lively, but the merchandise wasn’t anything particularly interesting.
Fresh fish.
Fruit.
Cheap weapons.
Tools.
Clothes.
Everyday supplies.
It was mostly the same kind of stuff found in port towns throughout the West Blue.
Sammy quickly lost interest.
Then his attention landed on an old tavern sign farther down the street.
The building looked like it had been standing there for decades.
Sammy’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Perfect timing!”
He stopped and grinned at his two officers.
“All right.
Same rule as always.”
Sammy raised his fist.
“Rock-paper-scissors.
Loser pays!”
A few seconds later…
Sammy stared bitterly at his open hand.
Paper.
Then he looked at Isaac.
Scissors.
Aldo.
Scissors.
Sammy sighed dramatically.
“Damn.”
He shook his head.
“And here I was hoping I’d get another free meal today.”
Still joking among themselves, the three approached the tavern.
But just as they reached the entrance and were about to open the door, several stern-faced men dressed in black suits immediately stepped forward to block them.
“The tavern is closed today.”
One of them waved impatiently.
“Get lost.”
“Huh?”
Sammy’s cheerful expression stiffened slightly.
“Closed?”
He shrugged helplessly and turned toward Isaac and Aldo.
“Aw, what a shame.”
Sammy sighed theatrically.
“Looks like we’re not eating here after all.”
Then he grinned.
“And just so we’re clear, it’s not because I’m too cheap to pay.”
Aldo snickered.
Isaac remained as expressionless as ever.
Sammy was already preparing to leave.
Unfortunately, the men in black suits didn’t seem satisfied.
When they saw the three pirates still standing near the entrance, joking instead of immediately disappearing, one of them stepped forward and shouted even more aggressively.
“Are you bastards deaf?!”
Sammy’s foot stopped.
“I said the tavern is CLOSED!”
The man pointed down the street.
“Now get the hell out of here!
Stop standing around and making the place look ugly!”
Silence.
Sammy slowly lowered the foot he had been about to move.
Then he turned around.
The easygoing smile had vanished from his face.
His cold gaze passed over the men in black.
“Oh?”
The suited men stiffened slightly.
“I was actually in a pretty good mood today.”
Sammy spoke calmly.
“I was even planning to be reasonable.”
He paused.
Then the corner of his mouth slowly curved upward.
“But apparently…”
His eyes became cold.
“…whoever you work for never taught you how to speak to people properly.”
Before the last word had fully left his mouth…
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Several heavy impacts exploded almost simultaneously.
Short screams followed.
The suited men didn’t even see Sammy move.
One moment they were standing arrogantly in front of the tavern.
The next…
Their bodies were flying through the air.
CRASH!
One slammed into the wooden door.
Another smashed against the wall.
The others collapsed across the ground in twisted positions, completely unconscious before they even understood what had happened.
Sammy casually rolled his wrist.
His expression made it look as though he had merely brushed a little dust from his sleeve.
He didn’t even bother looking at the unconscious men scattered around his feet.
Instead, he tilted his head toward Isaac and Aldo.
Both officers were already grinning, clearly eager to see what happened next.
Sammy looked toward the closed tavern door.
“Well…”
His smile returned.
“Looks like this tavern is going to make an exception for us today.”
He lifted one leg.
BOOM!
His boot smashed into the wooden door and blasted it open.
Without the slightest hesitation, Sammy walked inside.
Isaac and Aldo exchanged a glance.
Neither looked worried.
Quite the opposite.
Excitement spread across their faces.
Then the two immediately followed their captain into the tavern.
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