“I appreciate the warning, Boss.”
Sammy sighed.
“But I’m still sticking to my rules.
Skills can be trained.
I’ll be staying on the island for three days, so if you happen to come across anyone suitable, keep an eye out for me.”
With that, he drained the rest of his rum and gave his companions a look, signaling that it was time to leave.
Before Sammy could stand, however, Groff planted one thick hand on the table in front of him.
The old tavern owner gave him the weary look of a man who had already seen far too much in his life.
“Kid, I’m not trying to discourage you.
But the people on these seas who are truly talented?
Almost every one of them is proud as hell.”
Groff shook his head.
“With your current reputation, combined with all those rules of yours…recruiting people like that won’t be easy.”
He paused before continuing.
“Of course, if all you need are ordinary sailors, hardworking men who can follow orders and fill the empty positions on your ship, then that’s different.
Plenty of people who come through this tavern would fit the bill.”
Groff gestured around the room.
“A lot of men drifting from port to port aren’t chasing some grand dream.
They just want food in their stomachs, money in their pockets, and a little stability.”
A faint grin appeared on his face.
“And your reputation for paying your crew generously?
That’s one hell of an attraction to men like them.”
Sammy nodded.
He understood exactly what Groff meant.
Truly exceptional talent was still beyond his ability to recruit easily.
But that was fine.
He wasn’t looking for legendary fighters or future monsters right now.
He simply needed enough reliable sailors to bring his crew back to full strength, keep the ship running smoothly, and maintain their basic combat capability.
“As long as they can work and follow the rules, that’s enough.”
Simple and straightforward.
Groff shrugged.
“All right.
You’re the captain.
Your call.”
He tossed the cleaning cloth over his shoulder, turned toward the tavern, and slammed his fist against the counter several times.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
“ALL RIGHT, YOU BASTARDS!
SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!
I’VE GOT SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOU!”
The chatter gradually died down.
Once enough people were listening, Groff threw an arm around Sammy’s shoulders.
“See this young man here?
Captain Ribera Sammy!
I’m sure most of you know who he is by now.”
Groff pointed toward the wanted poster on the wall.
“Seven-million-Berry bounty!
A proper big shot!”
Sammy’s eyebrow twitched.
Groff continued without caring.
“His ship is recruiting sailors to replace some missing crew!”
A few heads immediately turned.
“You’ve probably heard a few things about Captain Sammy already.
I can’t personally guarantee everything people say about him, but when it comes to splitting money with his crew…”
Groff raised a thumb.
“He’s one of the best captains in the West Blue!”
The tavern immediately became more interested.
Then Groff’s tone changed.
He raised one finger and slowly waved it.
“But there’s a catch.”
The room quieted again.
“Captain Sammy has rules.
If you join his ship, you follow those rules.
You’ll hear the details before you officially join.”
Groff grinned.
“If you think you’re man enough to earn his money, come over and show him what you’ve got!
Captain Sammy will choose his new crew personally!”
The moment he finished, whispers spread throughout the tavern.
“What do you think?
You were interested in joining a crew earlier, weren’t you?
If you go, I’m coming too!”
“A captain with a seven-million bounty?
At least we probably won’t starve.”
“Yeah, but everyone keeps saying he has a ton of rules.
What exactly are they?”
I need money!
If the pay is good enough, I can follow a few rules!”
Just as Groff expected, Sammy’s offer was extremely tempting to sailors struggling near the bottom of society and bounty hunters who hadn’t found much success on their own.
A strong captain who paid generously?
That was difficult to ignore.
As for the rules?
When real money was sitting on the table, most people were willing to compromise—as long as the rules weren’t completely ridiculous.
Of course, plenty of people remained seated.
Bounty hunters who already had bounties worth several million Berries and were accustomed to working alone merely watched with cold eyes.
The same went for enforcers who already belonged to established gangs.
They had no reason to move.
After a short while, chairs began scraping across the floor.
The first to stand were several rough-looking men packed into a corner.
Then a few others hesitantly left their seats.
One after another, more people approached.
Eventually, around twenty men had gathered around Sammy’s table, crowding the area so tightly that there was barely room to move.
A huge man who reeked of fish leaned so close that his face was almost directly in front of Sammy’s.
“Captain!
I’m strong!
I can carry cannons!”
Sammy didn’t waste time with unnecessary conversation.
Still seated, he calmly studied the applicants.
Most were ordinary-looking men with rough skin weathered by years of saltwater, wind, and hard labor.
Exactly the kind of men found on ships throughout the West Blue.
There was hope in their eyes.
And a little nervousness.
Sammy wasn’t searching for anything complicated.
He checked whether they were physically strong.
He looked at their hands for the thick calluses left by years of hauling ropes, raising sails, and working aboard ships.
He studied their eyes and expressions, trying to judge whether they seemed reasonably honest or whether they carried the slippery, calculating look of men who would stab someone in the back the moment an opportunity appeared.
Then he asked several basic questions.
How would they handle certain sails and rigging?
Could they judge changes in wind direction?
Did they understand basic work aboard a sailing vessel?
After that, Sammy briefly explained the core rules of his crew.
Don’t harass civilians.
Maintain proper hygiene.
Follow orders.
And a few other basic requirements.
“That’s it?”
The same thought appeared in many of their minds.
From all the rumors, they had expected Sammy’s rules to be insanely strict, the kind of rules that could get someone thrown off the ship for the smallest mistake.
But what he had actually described sounded perfectly reasonable.
In fact, to most of them, these were barely more than basic expectations.
Sammy quickly made his decision.
He pointed toward eleven of the strongest-looking men, choosing those who also seemed calmer and more dependable than the rest.
“You eleven.”
The chosen men straightened immediately.
“You’re in.”
Relief and excitement appeared on their faces.
“Go home and gather whatever belongings you need, or come directly to the ship with me.
Once you’re aboard, someone will explain the full rules and your pay in detail.”
“Yes, Captain!”
“Thank you, Captain!”
The eleven men eagerly accepted.
But one tall, skinny applicant who hadn’t been selected immediately protested.
“What the hell?!
How am I worse than that damn fisherman?!”
Sammy didn’t even bother answering.
The skinny man spat bitterly onto the floor.
Then Groff glared at him.
The man instantly shrank back, lowered his head, and hurried away.
Once Sammy and his officers had finished eating and drinking, Sammy pulled out a thick stack of Berries.
He placed it beneath his empty mug and slid it across the counter toward Groff.
The stack was obviously much larger than what their food and drinks had cost.
Groff glanced at the money.
He didn’t ask a single question.
With one smooth motion of his cleaning cloth, he swept both the money and the mug behind the counter.
Then he grinned at Sammy.
“Safe travels, kid.”
Sammy and his men left the noisy Sea Monster’s Throat with the eleven newly recruited sailors.
But almost as soon as they stepped through the tavern door, several men sitting at tables in the corners also began moving.
They staggered to their feet as though they had simply drunk too much, grabbed their weapons, threw their arms around one another’s shoulders, and stumbled out after them.
Outside, the sea breeze carried the familiar scent of salt—and freedom.
Sammy stopped and turned toward his eleven new crewmen.
“Our ship is called the Swordfish.
She’s docked at Pier Three.
Just look for the ship with the tallest masts.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The recruits listened carefully.
“We’ll be resting on Barrel Island for three days.
Today is the first day.”
Sammy continued calmly.
“We sail the night after tomorrow, right on the low tide.”
He looked over the eleven men.
“Use these next two days to gather your belongings.”
His voice softened slightly.
“And…say a proper goodbye to your family and friends.”
A few of the sailors became noticeably quieter.
“Once you leave this island with us, there’s no telling when or if you’ll ever come back.”
Sammy’s gaze passed over them.
“Understood?”
“Yes, Captain!”
All eleven answered together.
Their voices rang clearly through the relatively quiet street.
Soon afterward, they separated into small groups and disappeared into different streets and alleys throughout Barrel Town.
Sammy, meanwhile, continued toward the docks with his four officers.
They walked at an unhurried pace along the stone-paved road.
The setting sun stretched their five shadows across the uneven stones, turning them into long, distorted silhouettes.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until they turned into a quieter street.
Sammy stopped.
His four officers stopped with him.
Figures had appeared around them.
Front.
Back.
Left.
Right.
Seven or eight men blocked every possible path, surrounding Sammy’s group in the middle of the street.
They were the bounty hunters who had followed them out of the tavern.
The man leading them was a muscular brute with two scars crossing over his face.
A rusty cutlass rested casually across his shoulder.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
“We’ve been sitting in that tavern watching you act like some big shot for long enough.”
His eyes gleamed greedily.
“Seven million Berries just walking around in front of us?”
The man chuckled.
“We’d be idiots not to take that easy money.”
Beside him stood the tall, skinny man Sammy had rejected during recruitment.
He tilted his head and spat onto the ground.
“Take all those precious rules of yours and preach them to the fish at the bottom of the sea.”
Sammy slowly raised his head.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of surprise on his face.
If anything, he looked amused.
“I thought you’d wait a little longer.”
The bounty hunters frowned.
“Maybe follow us until we reached a darker alley.
Somewhere narrower, with fewer witnesses.”
Sammy smirked.
“But I guess you people really couldn’t wait, huh?”
The cross-scarred bounty hunter licked his lips, greed shining in his eyes.
“Ribera Sammy, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being worth so much money.”
He shifted the cutlass on his shoulder.
“And for being stupid enough to wander off alone.”
“Alone?”
Sammy chuckled.
Beside him, his four officers moved without needing a single command.
Their backs turned toward one another as they formed a tight defensive circle.
Sammy slowly raised one hand.
At his fingertips, a strange translucent liquid began to seep from his skin.
The bounty hunters’ expressions changed.
“Who told you…”
Sammy’s smile widened.
“…that we were alone?”
The liquid continued gathering around his fingers.
“We’ve been waiting this whole time…”
His eyes turned cold.
“…for you idiots to make the first move.”
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