The "Lord Dragon" and the "Roaring Beast", ships belonging to Souta Kiryuu and Edrago, cut fiercely through the open sea.Behind them, a cluster of pirate ships gave desperate chase. A few came dangerously close, but were quickly blasted back by the sonic cannons mounted on Edrago's ship. One unlucky vessel was struck dead-on, splitting apart and sinking beneath the waves.
Those who fell behind were simply unworthy — they had no right to join the banner of Lord Dragon.
Souta Kiryuu stood proudly at the stern, a crooked grin on his face as the pursuing ships vanished one by one over the horizon.The "Lord Dragon" was an imposing vessel. Both sides of its hull were carved into the shapes of two massive dragons, their design echoing the Scarlet Divine Dragon form of the man they revered.
Its style faintly resembled that of the Revolutionary Army's flagship, the Winter Grammar, except that Kiryuu's dragons gleamed crimson instead of steel-gray.
"Oi, old man," Souta called out with his trademark smirk, "what exactly can you do? You look way too weak to be of any use!"
He was referring to the frail, coughing man leaning against the railing — Doc Q, whose bounty, despite appearances, was the highest among the three newcomers Souta had recruited. Yet Souta clearly didn't like what he saw — a sickly, gloomy man who looked more ready for a coffin than for battle.
"Cough, cough... Captain Souta," the man replied hoarsely, his tone soft but strangely composed, "I'm not actually that old. I'm twenty-six. A doctor… and a mortician. My weakness is just… a disguise."
Even his words seemed barely alive, and no one aboard believed that pathetic excuse.
"What?! You're only twenty-six?" bellowed Burgess, the musclebound fighter of the group. "You look sixty if you're a day! You're younger than me?!"
The huge man's jaw dropped. He was twenty-seven, yet this decrepit doctor was somehow younger.Even Van Augur, the calm sniper polishing his long rifle, looked doubtful — the man's frail appearance made him seem as old as his father.
"Caught some bad sickness when I was younger," Doc Q admitted with a ragged smile, "made me… a bit unpleasant to look at."
Despite his frailty, his eyes were razor sharp — calm, focused, with a deadly glint that revealed a ruthless soul beneath the weakness.
After a round of introductions, Souta Kiryuu finally learned the truth about the trio:the so-called "brute" Burgess was the eldest at twenty-seven,Van Augur was twenty-five,and the corpse-like Doc Q was twenty-six.
It was a bizarre group — appearances were clearly deceiving.Souta himself was only twenty-two, yet he had become their temporary captain, leading them all on a mission to locate the Dragon Pirates.
"So you're a Devil Fruit user too, huh?" Souta asked, curiosity flickering in his voice as he sized up Doc Q.
He had already learned a bit about each of them:
Champion Burgess, a physical powerhouse whose sheer endurance made him a human fortress.
Sound-Step Van Augur, a sniper of extraordinary precision — a man who claimed his marksmanship rivaled that of the famed "God Sniper" Yasopp, and who dreamed of claiming the title of World's Greatest Marksman.
Reaper Doc Q, both physician and poison master, a user of the Disease-Disease Fruit, capable of spreading strange and deadly ailments with a touch.
Souta couldn't help but grin. "Not bad… not bad at all."If he could bring such talents to Lord Dragon, his captain would surely reward him handsomely.
Suddenly, a sharp bang cracked through the sea breeze — Van Augur had fired several precise shots into the sky. Moments later, a handful of birds dropped lifelessly into the ocean far behind them.
"Captain Souta," Augur said coolly, blowing smoke from his rifle's muzzle, "we're being tracked. Those birds were spies. I suggest we divert to one of the uninhabited islands ahead to shake them off before heading to our destination."
"What? They're using birds to track us now?!" Souta peered into the distance but saw nothing — Augur's range was unreal.
"Cough, cough... Never underestimate the World Government's intelligence network," Doc Q murmured, his voice still thin but serious.
"Wahahaha!" Burgess roared. "Then let's slaughter every last one of them! If we keep our heads down, our bounties won't rise fast enough to catch Lord Dragon's attention anyway!"
His bloodlust was unmistakable. He'd already crushed a pirate captain worth fifty million, but that was nothing.To earn a place in Lord Dragon's crew, he'd need a bounty over a hundred million at least.
Doc Q gave a sly grin. "Word is… that ruthless upstart Eustass Kid, one of this year's worst Supernovas, has been rampaging across Victoria Island on the Third Route. If we can find him — maybe take him down or recruit him — it'd be a perfect cover and a fine trophy."
Souta's eyes lit up. "Kid, huh? That red-haired hedgehog... I've seen his wanted poster. Cocky bastard looks like he needs a good beating. Fine by me!"
But there was one problem — their meeting point with Lord Dragon was on the Fourth Route of the Grand Line. Without a Log Pose set to that route, they couldn't cross safely. Worse yet…
They didn't have a navigator.
"Wait… you guys," Souta asked suddenly, glancing around in suspicion, "none of you happen to know navigation, do you?"
The three men froze.
"Navigation?" Burgess repeated blankly.
Doc Q's coughing stopped mid-hack.Van Augur slowly lowered his rifle.
"Wait," Doc Q croaked. "You mean… there's no navigator on this ship?"
All three men turned pale.
They'd boarded a pirate ship on the Grand Line… that didn't even have a navigator.
Just what kind of insane captain had they chosen to follow?
Far above a remote stretch of the Grand Line, countless floating islands drifted among the clouds.At the center of this airborne maze stood a grand palace — home to the legendary Golden Lion, Shiki.
Inside, a white-coated messenger pirate rushed into the hall, face tense."Lord Shiki! Linehand was killed — by a newcomer named Souta Kiryuu! His entire crew was wiped out by pirates!"
"A pack of useless worms," Shiki snarled, his voice cold as steel. "The brats born in this 'pretend-play' era can't handle anything!"
He rose slowly from his throne, golden mane glinting under the light.
"But a dog bite still depends on its master," he growled. "Anyone who dares strike my men is declaring war on me."
He picked up several wanted posters, scanned them, and crushed them into powder between his fingers.
"Find their location," he ordered. "I'll deal with these arrogant little punks myself."
His grin was sharp and terrible. He was rebuilding his Flying Fleet, intent on showing the World Government once again what true terror looked like.
"But, Lord Shiki," the messenger stammered, "that man Souta Kiryuu… he might have ties to the East Sea's Dragon, Lord Aratsu..."
"Enough!" Shiki thundered, cutting him off. "You think I'd be afraid of that bastard Aratsu?!"
The Golden Lion's fury echoed through the palace.Only two names he truly despised:the World Government —and Lord Dragon Aratsu.