The South Blue was renowned for producing some of the Navy's most formidable figures; both Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Kuzan hailed from this sea. Kuzan's close friend, the Giant Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul, was also a South Blue native.
Yet, despite birthing such massive Marine legends, the pirate population in the South Blue hadn't diminished in the slightest. Because Vice Admiral Garp frequently returned home for 'vacations' and completely eradicated local pirate crews, the East Blue had earned the title of the 'Weakest Sea'. In comparison, Sengoku and Kuzan's home sea seemed rather chaotic.
It had been less than ten days since Bardock and his crew arrived in the South Blue, yet they had already been attacked no less than five times. Three of those attacks came from ships openly flying the Jolly Roger; the other two were unmarked vessels.
The World Government strictly prohibited unauthorized sailing. To a certain extent, the law made sense: the vast, lawless ocean was a breeding ground for sin. Murder and theft were easily hidden by the waves, and human nature rarely withstood the temptation of unchecked greed.
However, the crushing burden of the Heavenly Tribute, the endless exploitation by corrupt kings, and the constant threat of pirate raids were the exact reasons so many civilians were forced out to sea in the first place. Obtaining an official sailing permit was an impossibly complex, bureaucratic nightmare for commoners, leaving them with no choice but to set sail illegally.
Set sail illegally and break the law, or stay on land and be exploited to death. The choice was obvious.
Inside a bustling restaurant on a local island, Bardock and his crew were casually enjoying a meal.
Suddenly, Enel dissolved into a flash of lightning and vanished from his seat.
Ever since they acquired the Automata, the crew no longer needed to leave members behind to guard the White Dragon, nor did Perona need to deploy her Hollows for surveillance. However, because Bardock wanted to keep the robotic army a secret, Enel was designated as the ship's primary security response.
"Bardock, do you think our ship might be a bit too... flashy?" Robin suggested politely, sipping her coffee.
Since entering the South Blue, they had primarily been sailing on the ocean's surface rather than in the clouds. The White Dragon was heavily plated in solid gold. It was a blindingly radiant beacon of wealth. Any pirate who saw it and didn't immediately try to rob them would be a disgrace to the profession. Hell, even ordinary merchant vessels were blinded by the gold and attempted impromptu piracy—only to be swiftly eradicated.
"Exactly! We're practically doing the Navy's job for them," Perona complained, crossing her arms. "I swear, we've sunk more pirate ships this week than the local Marine branches have all year."
Bardock sighed heavily. "It's my fault. I severely overestimated the average pirate's intelligence. I genuinely thought that sailing a massive, solid gold ship would act as a deterrent. Logically, anyone who dares to blatantly flaunt that much wealth must possess the terrifying strength to protect it, right?"
He had known pirates were generally brainless, but their sheer, suicidal greed was staggering.
"Oh. Is that what you were thinking?" Daz Bonez muttered, looking genuinely surprised. "I thought you plated the ship in gold specifically to act as bait, Boss."
BZZT!
A flash of lightning illuminated the restaurant, and Enel reappeared at the table.
"Bardock, I caught a surprisingly tricky rat," Enel announced, grabbing a piece of meat from a platter. "The Automata couldn't handle him. If I hadn't gone back, he probably would have escaped."
Bardock blinked in surprise. "Really? Everyone who tried to sneak aboard so far has been a third-rate thug. Did we catch a big fish? What's his deal?"
"I electrocuted him until he passed out. You can interrogate him yourself," Enel mumbled through a mouthful of food. "He's a Devil Fruit user. I've already locked him up in Seastone cuffs."
After finishing their meal, Bardock led the crew back to the ship.
Down in the White Dragon's brig, Bardock examined their new prisoner. The man looked incredibly familiar. After a moment of thought, it clicked.
'Ah, it's a younger Mr. 3.'
Because Galdino was currently sporting a different hairstyle and outfit than his iconic Baroque Works uniform, Bardock hadn't recognized him immediately.
A short while later, Galdino—who was not yet a Baroque Works Officer Agent, and likely never would be now—groggily woke up. He felt incredibly weak; the heavy Seastone cuffs securely locked around his wrists were a grim reminder of his capture.
Normally, a cautious, calculating man like Galdino would absolutely never attempt to infiltrate a solid gold ship. He knew full well that the owner would be a terrifying monster. However, he had recently stumbled upon one of the sea's greatest treasures: a Devil Fruit.
Having consumed the powerful Paramecia-type Wax-Wax Fruit, his ego had massively inflated. He had wanted to leave this backwater island to seek greater opportunities, and he needed a ship. The White Dragon had caught his eye.
The moment he had stepped foot on the golden deck, the Automata and Enel's Mantra had simultaneously detected him. Enel hadn't bothered to intervene immediately, assuming the robots could handle the intruder.
Since Galdino wasn't a natural physical brawler and was still a novice with his fruit, he had panicked when swarmed by the mechanical guards. Utilizing his Wax-Wax Fruit—which could produce wax that hardened to the density of steel—he managed to fiercely defend himself and break through the encirclement, intending to retreat.
Unfortunately, he had jumped out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. Enel had blocked his escape route.
'I might not be able to handle an army of robots, but I can definitely take down this arrogant idiot with the long earlobes!' Galdino had thought, boldly launching an attack.
A second later, he was violently electrocuted.
'Crap! He's a Lightning Logia! I'm screwed!'
Fortunately, Devil Fruit abilities were driven by willpower. "Candle Champion Sphere!" Galdino had frantically encased himself in a massive, thick sphere of solid wax. It was his absolute strongest defensive technique. If it failed, he planned to instantly drop to his knees and beg for his life.
Initially, Enel had casually fired a few bolts of lightning at the sphere, but the attack failed to penetrate. Wax was an excellent insulator; Galdino remained completely unharmed inside. The extreme heat melted the outer layer, but the wax simply re-hardened a moment later.
While Galdino was hiding inside his shell, desperately trying to formulate an escape plan, Enel had grown irritated. Recently, he had encountered far too many opponents who were immune to electricity. He had been pondering how to fight without Armament Haki.
That was when he remembered his secondary application: Lightning Metallurgy.
Acting like a hot knife slicing through butter, Enel superheated his golden staff and easily plunged it straight through the solid wax wall. Then, he discharged a massive electrical current directly through the conductive gold rod into the enclosed space. With absolutely nowhere to run, Galdino was violently electrocuted until he lost consciousness.
Back in the present, Galdino stared up at Bardock. As a man who prided himself on his intellect, he religiously read the newspaper.
"It's you... the adventurer, Bardock!" Galdino gasped in realization. "I should have known! Only someone who plundered the legendary Golden City could afford to build a ship out of solid gold!"
Bardock wasn't surprised that he had been recognized. "Care to explain, Mr. Glasses?" Bardock asked casually, crossing his arms. "Why exactly did you sneak onto my ship and attack my crew?"
"W-Well, you see..." Galdino stammered, his mind racing before he quickly formulated a plausible excuse. "I was merely curious! Yes, pure curiosity! I just wanted to see if the ship was truly made of solid gold! I mean, a ship this size... how much gold would that take?! But the moment I stepped aboard, I was brutally attacked!"
"Oh? So it was just a simple misunderstanding?" Bardock smiled pleasantly.
"A misunderstanding! Yes, just a tiny little misunderstanding!" Galdino nodded vigorously, bowing and scraping to appear as harmless as possible. "Please, I bear no ill will! Just let me go!"
"He's lying, Bardock," Enel sneered, perfectly playing the 'Bad Cop' role. Electricity violently arced across his fingers. "Let me fry his brain. He'll talk."
"No, wait! I'll talk! I confess! I left a few details out!" Galdino shrieked. He knew he wasn't a tough guy; rather than enduring horrific torture just to confess anyway, it was much smarter to spill everything immediately.
"Hold on, Enel. Let's give him a chance to explain himself," Bardock said, smoothly sliding into the 'Good Cop' role.
"Here is the absolute truth," Galdino gulped. "My name is Galdino. A short while ago, by pure chance, I consumed the Paramecia-type Wax-Wax Fruit. It allows me to produce wax from my body that hardens to the density of steel..."
Galdino resigned himself to his fate and confessed everything from start to finish. Put simply: his newfound power made him arrogant, he felt he had outgrown his small island, he needed a ride, and he had decided to 'borrow' the White Dragon.
Bardock nodded gravely. "Galdino, do you understand the severity of attempting to steal the White Dragon? We poured our blood, sweat, and tears into this vessel! She is a sworn brother to this crew! And you dared to lay your hands on her?!"
Hearing Bardock's furious tone, Galdino panicked. "It was entirely my fault! I was a fool! I swear I will compensate you for the damages! I'm completely broke right now, but the moment I earn enough Belly, I will pay you back in full!"
Galdino thought Bardock was just trying to extort him for cash. In reality, Bardock had specifically set his sights on the Wax-Wax Fruit. Coating the White Dragon in a thin, painted layer of hardened wax was the absolute perfect solution to seamlessly camouflage their flashy, highly targeted golden hull.
Furthermore, while Galdino was undeniably a cunning, opportunistic coward, he also possessed hidden, redeeming qualities. In the original timeline, he had bravely stepped up to help Luffy fight Magellan in Impel Down, and he had boldly infiltrated the execution platform during the Paramount War to save Ace right under Sengoku's nose. The man possessed both brains and a surprising amount of clutch courage.
"The ocean is a massive place, Galdino," Bardock said, patting the terrified man on the shoulder. "If I let you go now, who knows if I'll ever see you again? Let's do this instead: you will remain on this ship. You will work for me, and I'll let you leave... whenever I feel your debt is fully paid off. Congratulations on your new job, Galdino!"
"Whenever you feel the debt is paid?!" Galdino internally screamed. He wasn't stupid; he instantly recognized the permanent indentured servitude trap.
"Hmph!" Enel scoffed loudly, electricity crackling threateningly.
"T-Thank you for your incredible mercy, Captain!" Galdino instantly bowed. "I will work diligently to atone for my unforgivable crimes!"
He knew perfectly well that a man standing under a low roof had to bow his head. Keeping his life was already the best-case scenario.
"Welcome aboard, Galdino," Bardock smiled, unlocking the Seastone cuffs and leading the bewildered man up to the main deck.
Robin had already gathered the rest of the crew, and they were waiting for them.
"Everyone, this is Galdino. He ate the Wax-Wax Fruit. As of today, he is the newest member of our crew," Bardock announced.
Galdino blinked in utter confusion. 'Wait, I thought I was just a prisoner doing forced labor? I'm an official crewmate now?! I don't even know who you people actually are!'
Feeling the intense stares of the crew, Galdino nervously adjusted his glasses. "I am Galdino. It is a pleasure to meet you all!"
After a round of polite applause, the crew introduced themselves one by one.
The introductions were absolutely staggering.
Captain Bardock: Mythical Zoan Great Ape. Mansherry: Heal-Heal Fruit. Leo: Stitch-Stitch Fruit. Nico Robin: Renowned Archaeologist and Flower-Flower Fruit. Perona: Hollow-Hollow Fruit. Daz Bonez: Dice-Dice Fruit. Sai: Master Martial Artist and Hasshoken expert. Enel: Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Galdino's jaw practically hit the floor. What kind of godly, apocalyptic lineup was this?! A single pirate ship harboring this many terrifying Devil Fruit users was completely unheard of! He suddenly didn't know whether he was the unluckiest man in the world for trying to rob them, or the absolute luckiest man alive for accidentally joining them.
After hearing the roster, any lingering resentment Galdino held vanished instantly. He wasn't content with living a mediocre life anyway; if he was going to make a name for himself, associating with a terrifying powerhouse crew like this was the ultimate golden ticket.
Bardock's psychological manipulation had worked perfectly; he wanted Galdino to join willingly, not out of sheer terror.
"We're currently doing a relaxed patrol around the South Blue, Galdino. Take the next few days to acclimate to the ship," Bardock said. He wasn't in a rush to have Galdino camouflage the ship just yet; they would handle that once they left the island.
"Understood, Captain! I will adapt immediately!" Galdino replied, his posture perfectly straight.
The White Dragon remained docked at the island for one more day to allow Galdino to purchase his personal supplies. Early the next morning, they raised their sails and departed for the next island.
Barely two hours into the voyage, Bardock was relaxing on the deck, casually fishing over the railing.
With a flash, Enel materialized next to him. "Bardock. Another ship is rapidly approaching us. Care to guess who it is this time?"
"Based on your tone, it's not a standard pirate ship," Bardock replied without taking his eyes off the water. "Another greedy merchant vessel?"
Enel glanced down at the empty fish bucket and smirked. "Nope. It's a Marine warship."
"A warship?" Bardock turned to look at Enel, slightly surprised. "Why is a warship actively charging at us? Did Marine Headquarters actually dispatch one of the heavy hitters all the way to the South Blue?"
Enel shook his head. "No. Based on their conversation, it's just a local Marine Branch Captain and his grunts." Enel paused, his smirk widening. "Honestly, judging by the way they're talking, they sound less like actual Marines and more like pirates who just happen to own a warship."
"Ah, I see what's happening," Bardock sighed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Hold your fire, Enel. Let them approach. I want to see exactly what kind of game they think they're playing."
Bardock looked down at his fishing line and let out a disappointed sigh. The fish had gotten lucky today; they had escaped his hook. Reeling in the line, he grabbed his empty bucket and headed back into the cabin.
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