Dressrosa – The Grand Garden
As the base of the Helgrave Pirates, the Grand Garden had grown increasingly prosperous. Although ordinary citizens were forbidden from entering, not a single one voiced complaint.
Dressrosa had become heavily reliant on the Helgrave Pirates. The people understood clearly: if the crew left now, their days of prosperity would end, and they'd return to a life of poverty.
Having tasted happiness, the people no longer wished to go back to a simpler life. They had only gratitude and loyalty toward the Helgrave Pirates.
"Captain, I've finished tallying this haul. Converted into Berries, it comes to about 40 billion."
After the feast, Salles led the crew beneath the palace into the treasure vault, producing a prepared ledger and reporting line by line to Ashen.
"Damn, Salles, we had this much gold and I didn't even know? You really know how to hide things!"
Walton, as thick-skinned as ever, knew Ashen had returned with a big haul, but he hadn't expected this much.
The night the Pufferfish docked back in Dressrosa, he'd been fast asleep and missed the entire offloading process.
"Haha, Walton, you wouldn't believe it. The ruins of Shandora on Skypiea, the whole city's made of gold."
Tesla added with extra flair, then chuckled at Walton's regretful expression.
Ashen stood nearby without saying a word, quietly observing his crew as they excitedly discussed how to spend the treasure.
No pirate disliked gold. Even Whitebeard needed treasure and Berries to support his massive crew.
Aside from a few idealists, most people became pirates for wealth. From the first day he founded his crew, Ashen had resolved that he would never let his crew worry about survival.
Beyond strength, a pirate crew's wealth was vital. Without it, development would be stifled and dreams would remain dreams.
Take Tesla alone, his scientific pursuits required massive funding. No amount of money ever seemed to be enough for him.
"Captain! You decide, how should we use this gold? We'll go with whatever you say!"
Their heated discussion had reached no consensus, and so, by pirate code, they turned to Ashen for the final word. No matter what they debated, the captain's call was final.
"Simple. We spend where we're lacking the most."
Ashen smiled at the crew, then continued, "So, tell me, what's our biggest shortage right now?"
"We're still short on manpower. Even though we've recruited a lot lately, it's nowhere near enough."
Salles, who handled most of the crew's logistics, spoke first, he was the most qualified to answer.
"Agreed. Our current numbers are holding us back. We need to expand recruitment quickly."
Ashen nodded, pleased with the answer. "Then I'm leaving that to you, Salles. Just make sure no rats sneak in."
"Don't worry, Captain. This kind of task is my specialty," Salles said confidently.
With that settled, the rest of the crew began chiming in with their own thoughts. Walton stepped forward next.
"Captain, I've only got one request, the people in the arena are too damn weak! Even the audience is losing interest."
"That's an easy fix..."
….
Two days later, two major announcements came out of Dressrosa.
The first: the Corrida Colosseum would now host a large-scale combat tournament every two weeks, open to all warriors of the New World.
Normally, this wouldn't have caused a stir. But the reward, printed in that day's newspaper, left the world stunned by Dressrosa's audacity.
"Hey, are you serious? Eighty million Berries?! Has Dressrosa gone insane?!"
In the kingdom of Prodence, the citizens gawked at the headline in disbelief.
They knew their neighbor Dressrosa was no rich nation. To see King Riku offering eighty million Berries to the champion, people thought he'd lost his mind.
But their own king, Elizabello II, was deep in thought. Unlike commoners, he had a full understanding of what had recently happened in Dressrosa.
"What's your take, Dagama?" Elizabello asked, turning to his trusted advisor.
"Your Majesty, I suggest we make contact with the Helgrave Pirates. Who would say no to Berries, after all?"
Dagama's eyes flickered with calculation as he continued, "And besides, you and King Riku go way back. Why not talk to him directly and get the inside scoop?"
"Very well. I'll reach out to King Riku."
…
Elsewhere in the New World, a bar was filled with a group of bounty hunters, raucously discussing the news.
"Hahaha! You see that? Eighty million Berries! And we're allowed to kill! If we take out a few pirates and win the prize, we'll be rolling in it!"
One drunk swordsman laughed uproariously, as if he could already see the Berries raining down.
"You idiot. Do you even know where that is? That's the headquarters of the Helgrave Pirates. You go there hunting pirates, you won't be coming back!"
"Uh... right. Forget I said anything."
,
The second piece of news, less widely publicized, quietly spread among pirates and the criminal underworld.
"The Helgrave Pirates are recruiting."
"No kidding? Should we go check it out?"
Pirates across the seas whispered, speculated, and planned. When it came to opportunities like this, the more information, the better.
"So the kid's finally making his move, huh? He really knows how to pick his timing."
Whitebeard opened his eyes slightly, gazing out toward the sea, toward Dressrosa.
Marco and the others remained silent, watching their captain fall into contemplation.
Crew recruitment wasn't anything new to them. If it were any ordinary crew, they wouldn't have cared.
But the Helgrave Pirates were no ordinary crew.
As one of the true emperors of the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates feared no one, not for numbers, not for strength.
But one man, upon hearing the name "Ashen," clenched his fist tightly, silently swearing an oath to himself.
….
As the days passed, the impact became clear. Within just one week of the announcement, hundreds of pirates had arrived in Dressrosa.
"What?! We came all this way just to be trainees?!"
A pirate shouted in outrage, protesting the Helgrave Pirates' standards.
Thud!.
Before anyone could respond, heavy footsteps echoed across the space, drawing all eyes toward the source.
"If you want to be a full-fledged crew member, you can. Just enter the arena. If you stand out, you'll get your chance."
Standing like a small giant, Uges loomed over the crowd. The stunned silence was exactly what he expected.
"But, just so you know, you might die."
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