Next Bonus, 100!!
<><><><><><>
The year 1522 had only just begun, but the world was already reeling from a series of unprecedented shocks.
It was a clear sign—this year was destined to be a turbulent one.
In the chaos, the Five Elders had no time to spare for Jin.
And from the sidelines, he watched it all unfold with a cold, calculating gaze.
It took a full month of coordinated effort—from the Marines, Cipher Pol, and the CIU, working in conjunction with various kingdoms—to finally restore a semblance of order.
Countless people were arrested, hunted down, and eliminated.
But the damage was done.
In an era dominated by pirates, where every soul had heard of the [One Piece], the allure of the key to unlock it was too powerful to resist.
The more the World Government tried to suppress it, the more "truth" it gave to the story.
Ordinary people might still be cowed by their authority.
But the pirates—the ones who had already had enough? They didn't care.
Especially the younger generation.
They had grown up in an age of chaos. They were more rebellious, more vicious, and possessed a fiercer spirit of defiance than any who had come before.
The winds of change were blowing.
And when the new era arrived, some things became simply unstoppable.
The times create the hero.
—————————
North Blue.
On the deck of a ship, a blond man was reading tarot cards. Ahead, a towering wall of water—the Red Line—shot toward the sky.
"Captain!"
"Don't worry," the man said calmly. "It's a good day to set sail."
—————————
"Look out! It's X Drake!"
BOOM!
Cannon fire roared.
Drake stood at the prow of his ship, his face to the wind, his gaze fixed on the endless sea.
—————————
Paradise.
"Careful, Kid!"
"What the hell is with the weather on the Grand Line??"
"One minute it's sunny, the next it's hailing, and now it's snowing! It's completely insane!"
For every rookie crew that entered the Grand Line, the first challenge was always adapting to its volatile "moods."
It changed faster than your girlfriend's mind.
"Hey! Look!"
"It's the coastline!"
The ship cut through the waves.
Kid stared at the snow-covered shoreline.
"We're here. That's Drum Island!"
"We made it!"
Behind Kid, a couple dozen pirates hugged each other, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
"Finally!"
"I can see the wine, the food, the women, all waving at me!"
"It's been so hard... drifting for so long."
"Dammit, it's freezing!"
"Hey! Anyone got an extra coat?"
Used to the warm climate of the South Blue, the crew shivered more and more the closer they got to the island.
Just then, two white patrol boats sped toward them. A voice boomed from a loudspeaker.
"You in the ship ahead! You have entered the territorial waters of the Winter Blossom Kingdom! Heave to and prepare for inspection!"
Kid raised a fist. "Inspection? I'll give them an inspection!"
"Hey! Kid! Don't be an idiot!" Killer grabbed his arm. "Doruyanaika is still on that island. Besides, we're no match for them right now. Let's just focus on getting her back."
The name—Doruyanaika—was enough to stop the hot-headed Kid in his tracks.
Three years ago, that man had come to his kingdom, effortlessly defeated his crew, and taken his childhood friend.
For three years, Kid, Killer, and their men had trained, scouring the North Blue, searching for a Devil Fruit. And finally...
Kid took a deep breath, forcing himself to be patient.
—————————
"You're pirates?"
After the Kid Pirates had stopped and agreed to the inspection, a young man leaped from one of the patrol boats onto their deck.
His name was Leica. He was a local who had joined Dalton's guard after Jin's arrival. When Jin had become king and enacted his Twelve Decrees, he had been one of the first to sign up. He had fought at Hannabal, trained at G-3, and then returned home, working his way up from a squad leader.
Now, he was the captain of Drum Island's coastal patrol, under the Department of Public Safety.
In fact, nearly all of the original men from Drum Island who had followed Jin and trained at G-3 now held positions on the various islands. Those who had been wounded in battle had been transferred to administrative roles, and the families of those who had died received generous benefits.
And with the implementation of the military merit and conscription systems, a new class of nobility, risen from the ranks through military achievement, had already begun to emerge.
Leica scanned Kid and his men, not a trace of fear in his eyes. In fact, he looked almost... hopeful.
His military merit was stuck just below the threshold for promotion from a First-Class Baron to a Fifth-Class Viscount. The difference in pay and privileges was significant.
"The Kid Pirates?" he said, taking out a small notebook. "Where are you from, and what is your business here?"
The kingdom's military service didn't just teach basic drills and weapons training. There were also night schools. For the average person, it was a chance to learn to read. But for those who wanted to become officers, further education was mandatory.
And since the establishment of the Department of Education, in addition to compulsory schooling for children, literacy and skills-training classes had also been set up for adults.
Leica was a student at one of these night schools.
And men like him were also required to regularly study the "King's Ideology" and learn the "King's Spirit," to ensure they understood the reasoning behind the kingdom's decrees.
It might have seemed pointless, but it was, in fact, incredibly effective.
All of this was the result of Jin's reforms, and Drum Island was where those reforms had taken the deepest root.
"Hey!" Kid snarled, his voice laced with aggression. "We're from the South Blue! We're here to honor the agreement we made with your king! We're trading a Devil Fruit for our friend!"
"Hm?" Leica glanced at him. "Alright. There's a special port for pirates on the island. I'll take you there."
He paused, then added, "And one more thing. Although the ports of the Winter Blossom Kingdom allow pirates to dock for a short time, and we don't care what crimes you've committed in other countries, if you break the laws of this kingdom, on this island, you will be arrested and punished. So, even if you have an agreement with His Majesty, I'd advise you not to cause any trouble."
Kid just snorted. "I get it. Now take us to the port. We're freezing our asses off."
<><><><><><>
~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)