"Oh? You all don't exactly look like the decent type, yet you actually know who I am?"
Shirogai smiled faintly at the pirates staring at him with starstruck admiration. Their expressions reminded him of crazed fans meeting their idol, and the sight carried a certain awkwardness.
He never thought anyone in the pirate world would idolize him. There was nothing glorious about it, but a strange feeling still stirred inside him.
The way they looked at him wasn't any different from obsessive fanatics. Laughable.
Wanted posters were created by the Marines to curb piracy. Now they were little more than gossip sheets, fueling hero worship among criminals.
Shirogai sneered inwardly. Was this the sorrow of the world, or its twisted hope?
Still, it wasn't surprising. In this fractured age, history had been broken and the seas divided. Entire islands lived cut off from one another, dependent on merchant ships for survival. The rise of the "Great Pirate Era," sparked by Roger, had turned seas into hunting grounds.
Merchant ships carried vital supplies—grain, oil, tools, medicine. Pirates preyed on them relentlessly. To defend trade, guilds hired strong escorts or Marine warships. Survival on the islands depended on the protection of strength.
Ordinary people worshipped the strong because their survival depended on them. Pirates worshipped the strong because only overwhelming force could shatter Marine escorts and seize riches.
Strong crews flourished, taking women, feasting on meat, and drinking without restraint. The weak were left starving, stealing fish off broken boats just to live.
So of course pirates revered powerful captains who could lead them to plunder and glory.
---
"A supernova with limitless potential—he seems so approachable?"
The surrounding pirates whispered eagerly as Shirogai's harmless smile lulled them.
"If I could just get aboard his ship…"
Their eyes gleamed. Joining the crew of a man with a hundred-million-berry bounty meant endless treasure, food, women, and a place in history. As Shirogai's name grew, they would grow alongside him, perhaps even rising to the ranks of the Four Emperors.
A golden chance to cling to a giant.
Some licked their lips nervously, pretending nonchalance while glancing at one another. Their guilty eyes betrayed the same thoughts.
Then one less-cautious pirate shouted:
"Captain Shirogai! Let me join you! You're my idol!"
The dam broke.
"Me! I'm stronger than him—I've got a bounty of five million Berries!"
"Captain, I've got ten million! I'm also a chef, I'll cook for the crew!"
"Shirogai San, I can dive, repair ships, anything you need!"
"Captain, I'm your long-lost crewmate! Pick me!"
The battleground erupted into a recruitment fair.
Shirogai chuckled. "Hah. Interesting. Truly interesting."
This world was insane. Pirates begging to serve like desperate fans chasing stardom.
He shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm not the captain. I'm the Vice Captain. If you want recruitment, talk to my captain instead."
The pirates blinked, trying to recall. Then one snapped his fingers.
"Right! The Plunderer's captain is Straw Hat Luffy! He's here in Mock Town!"
Chaos exploded. Pirates scrambled into taverns and shops, shouting Straw Hat Luffy's name, hoping to join his crew. Rumors spread like wildfire.
First, it was said Shirogai was recruiting. Then that he planned to attack Navy Headquarters. Soon, someone swore he was mustering a fleet to challenge the Four Emperors.
---
"You didn't ambush me."
Shirogai glanced at Burgess curiously. "Did you fail to find the chance?"
He had deliberately exposed his back several times, practically inviting an attack. Yet Burgess hadn't taken it.
The masked champion laughed darkly. "Heh. Shirogai, do you think I didn't notice your trap? Wahahaha! I saw right through it!"
Burgess wasn't just a brute. He was sly enough to recognize Shirogai's tactics. Revealing his identity earlier hadn't been a slip—it was a way of spreading word across the island. He wanted Blackbeard and Doc Q to be aware.
For now, he was stalling, waiting for reinforcements.
"So that's it," Shirogai said, a small smile tugging his lips. "A delaying tactic. I underestimated you, Burgess."
The champion stiffened. How the hell did he see through me?
But he barked laughter. "I don't know what you're talking about. If you're so eager to die, I'll oblige!"
Shirogai crooked a finger. "Come."
"Don't underestimate me! I'm the Champion of combat! Wahahaha!"
Burgess surged forward, Armament Haki coating his massive fist.
"Take this! Champion Power Punch!"
The blow crashed into Shirogai's chest.
Dust exploded across the street, shrouding the scene.
"Did he hit him!?"
"No way… did The Plunderer fall?"
The crowd held its breath. A hundred-million-berry supernova, defeated by a single blow?
The dust cleared.
Shirogai stood tall, completely unharmed, his smile unchanged.
Burgess still held his punching stance, grinning wickedly—until his eyes rolled back and his body collapsed to the ground.
Shirogai brushed his chin thoughtfully. "The Champion packs power… but one punch, and he's out cold."
The crowd froze for a heartbeat. Then the street erupted in wild cheers.
"Long live The Plunderer!"
"As expected of a man worth a hundred million Berries—he wins in a single strike!"
---
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