Shing!
A piercing flash of white light suddenly sliced through the air—so sharp and dazzling that, for a moment, it was all anyone could see.
Pop!
The air shimmered faintly from the disturbance.
Boom!
The plaza erupted in an explosion. Dust billowed into the sky as a tall figure was blasted backwards, stumbling out of the smoke.
Cough, cough…
The towering man dropped to one knee, blood dripping from his mouth.
As the smoke cleared—
"What?!"
"No way...!"
"Isn't that the pirate with a 20 million bounty?!"
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd. The man kneeling on the ground was none other than the rising pirate from the East Blue—Enrod the White Mane Swordsman, with a bounty of 20 million berries.
"Cough... Cough... Cough… Who… are you?"
Enrod, leaning on his katana for support, stabbed the blade into the dirt. The weapon was cracked near the edge. His left hand clutched his chest as he knelt, coughing up blood, staring in disbelief.
"'White Mane Swordsman'—Enrod? Impressive title. But you're nothing more than an ignorant fool."
Aeridar casually retracted his right hand. A flicker of disdain curled at his lips. He hadn't even needed to go all-out—this guy wasn't worth the effort.
Then, with a smirk, Aeridar threw a glance toward Big Cat Sams, whose face was now flushing red with embarrassment.
"Oi, Big Cat—is this the guy you were counting on? Bit weak, isn't he?"
Truth be told, Enrod wasn't weak by East Blue standards. In fact, he was slightly stronger than Zoro was at his debut in the original timeline. He hadn't yet manifested sword waves with his slashes—not because he lacked the power, but simply because he hadn't realized he could. Of course, he still had a ways to go before reaching the level of cutting steel.
"I… I…"
Sams trembled all over, struggling to form a full sentence. He was terrified. He never imagined Aeridar would be this powerful—capable of downing a 20 million Berry pirate with a single strike. It was horrifying.
"Your power… is that a Devil Fruit ability?" Enrod asked weakly, pushing himself to stand with the help of his blade, fear and confusion written all over his face.
"You know, among the Four Seas, the East Blue is called 'the weakest.' Sure, someone like you—well-known and skilled here—might be top-tier locally. But compared to the other seas? You'd just be another decent fighter. And in the Grand Line—where monsters roam and legends walk? You'd be third-rate at best."
Aeridar idly twisted the black gemstone ring on his right index finger. He didn't bother answering Enrod's question directly. Instead, he stared him down with contempt.
The truth was, Aeridar feared those Grand Line monsters—feared he'd be crushed by a Marine Admiral or one of the Warlords of the Sea. He wasn't about to rush in unprepared. This was real life, not a game—you couldn't just power-level in a vacuum. So he trained in secret, building strength behind the scenes until he could stand tall on the open sea.
That's why he wasn't out there already. He was waiting—for age, for readiness, for power. Twenty was his threshold. Not before then.
Enrod's face twisted with shame and shock. He'd always thought his strength was something to be proud of. But this defeat—so sudden, so total—woke him up. He realized, for the first time, just how big the world really was.
"The world's a big place, Captain. No shame in facing that. Just know where you stand."
A heavy hand landed on Enrod's shoulder. A gaunt, dark-skinned man had appeared behind him—silent and still as a shadow.
"Hey, hey! Who the hell is that?! Isn't that Black Ghost Galan—the White Mane Pirates' first mate? The guy with a 10 million bounty?!"
Aeridar pointed exaggeratedly, grinning with mock surprise. "Man, you're dark—scared me half to death!"
Galan stood calm in a long black coat, chest bare like his captain's. His face was lean and sharp, exuding quiet precision. A flintlock pistol and a short, half-meter blade were strapped at his waist. Black sandals adorned his feet.
"Cut the act, Aeridar-sama. A man like you—hiding in a backwater gang instead of setting sail? You've got bigger plans, don't you?"
He sneered, then spoke seriously.
"You wouldn't be hoarding the finest timber on Shiga Island unless you were planning to build a ship."
Aeridar laughed—a deep, echoing chuckle—but his eyes grew cold. He raised his right hand again, thumb pressed atop his curled index finger like a gun.
"You know too much. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you for it?"
"Afraid? Of course. If our captain can't beat you, we sure can't."
Galan's honesty was blunt, without pride. Behind him, Enrod's expression darkened further, but he stayed silent, sheathing his chipped blade.
"Hmph…" Aeridar smirked quietly.
"But if Aeridar-sama knows this much about the Grand Line," Galan continued, "then surely you're close to setting sail. Why not form an alliance?"
Everyone froze. The idea was so sudden, so shocking, that it stunned the entire crowd.
"Galan…?" Even Enrod hadn't expected his first mate to say such a thing.
"An alliance?!" Arlan and Gorbo were equally dumbfounded. Just moments ago they were trading blows, and now this?
"That's right," Galan said with a calm smile. "Like Aeridar-sama said—our captain may be nothing special in the Grand Line. But here in the East Blue? He's one of the highest-bounty pirates around. A rising star."
"Heh… I don't think you're qualified to ally with me," Aeridar said, laughing softly. "But I'm curious—go on, give me your pitch."
He looked amused. They didn't even realize how strong he really was. Sure, Enrod had potential—but could he compare to the Supernovas? A tiger forming a pact with an ant—wasn't that absurd?
And even the most promising pirate would still be trash if they couldn't survive to grow.
"I know you're not ready to leave just yet, Aeridar-sama. But if we form an alliance now, we can scout the Grand Line first—using your intelligence to chart safer routes."
"By the time you set sail, we'll have grown stronger. And when you arrive—we'll be there, ready to back you. Together, we could carve out our own dominion."
Despite Aeridar's condescension, Galan didn't waver. His voice was steady, his gaze sharp. Even Arlan and Gorbo seemed tempted by the vision.
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