Chapter 63: Rules of the Road
The New World is currently in a state of relative stability. While small-scale conflicts occur frequently, wars that engulf the entire New World are rare.
After all, while the Four Emperors have grown powerful and commanding, they have essentially evolved into warlord-like powers similar to the World Government, no longer simply pirate crews that rely purely on plunder.
With the establishment of such dominant forces, order becomes essential. Order is crucial for economic and technological development, and it's necessary to sustain large-scale operations like the Yonko territories, which require massive resources.
For most merchant ships, simply entering a Yonko's territory offers considerable security, ensuring they won't encounter particularly powerful, rogue pirate crews. This is because the more established pirate groups have personally experienced the might of the Four Emperors and know their limits.
Conversely, the rookie pirates who have just arrived in the New World—those Supernovas with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries—are far more reckless and unpredictable.
However, merchant vessels generally have little to fear from these newcomer crews.
Merchant ship captains are formidable fighters themselves, often employing skilled mercenaries and battle-hardened guards, making their defensive capabilities quite impressive.
Of course, merchants generally prefer to avoid conflict entirely—peace is the most profitable course of action.
When they encounter pirate crews, they usually display their strength first as intimidation, then negotiate and pay tribute. Only when absolutely cornered will they resort to a bloody battle.
Inside the cabin, Rhodes sat in meditation, his body emanating a faint blue luminescence. Upon closer inspection, this light moved in precise patterns, flowing like rippling water across his skin.
After a considerable time, the ethereal blue glow gradually faded.
His eyes suddenly opened, gleaming like twin stars piercing through the darkness of night.
Rhodes stood and stretched, feeling the tremendous power coursing through his body, and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
Compared to Lao G and the other Donquixote Family executives he had defeated previously, his physical capabilities had improved—he was now faster, but still lagged behind in raw strength, endurance, and overall constitution.
Generally speaking, he remained at the level of a Marine Branch Vice Admiral.
To advance further and surpass fighters like Lao G, or even reach the caliber of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, he would need to strengthen his internal organs. This would drive overall improvement and, with perfect physical harmony, allow him to step into even greater realms of power.
Any Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters represents a formidable force on these vast seas, possessing a complete fighting system with few obvious weaknesses. Even in battles as intense as those at Marineford, they could shine brilliantly.
If a Branch Vice Admiral barely scratches the upper tier of the pirate world's powerhouses, then a Headquarters Vice Admiral stands firmly above that level. Even the strongest rookie pirates might not be guaranteed to reach this threshold.
This level could be considered the pinnacle of ordinary human potential—the next step up would mark the realm of true monsters.
With Rhodes' lightning-based Devil Fruit powers and his swordsmanship, once his physique reaches Headquarters Vice Admiral level, his overall combat strength would likely leap into the ranks of the truly elite, rivaling even some of the legendary figures.
"Still a little way to go, but it should be soon," Rhodes murmured softly, his eyes filled with anticipation.
The vision of cutting down the Four Emperors and Seven Warlords with his blade, striking down Admirals and the Five Elders with lightning—it all seemed distant now, but with each step forward, that distance continued to shrink.
A knock echoed at the door, and Rhodes casually opened it.
A beautiful young woman with fiery red hair stood outside—Elsa, the captain's daughter.
She seemed quite taken with Rhodes' youth, handsomeness, and exceptional strength, frequently visiting under the pretense of learning swordsmanship.
However, the woman was tactful, always timing her visits around mealtimes, which didn't particularly irritate Rhodes.
"I knew you'd finish your training right about now. You've become the most mysterious person on this ship, you know that?" Elsa said with a playful roll of her eyes, her crimson lips curved in an alluring smile.
However, after three months of intense training with Momousagi, Rhodes had developed incredible mental discipline, completely immune to Elsa's subtle charms. He turned and walked back into the cabin to put on his shirt.
Elsa studied Rhodes' profile from behind, observing his muscles that seemed forged from steel cables.
He's really attractive... and that inhuman strength of his...
It wasn't that Rhodes was devastatingly handsome by conventional standards—he was simply good-looking. But combined with his youth, power, and the stark contrast to everyone else around him, Elsa's perception was completely skewed.
"What are you thinking about?" Rhodes had suddenly appeared before her.
"Nothing... nothing at all!" Elsa quickly averted her gaze, her face flushing red.
Good grief, what was I even thinking?
Although she had been sailing with her father since childhood, Elsa was still an inexperienced young woman. This was entirely new territory for her.
Rhodes didn't give it much thought and said casually, "Come on, it's time for dinner."
"Okay... okay." Elsa took a deep breath, thinking to herself that it was just this guy's natural charisma affecting her, not any lack of self-control on her part.
That's right!
But unexpected events always seem to occur at the most inconvenient times.
Before they could even reach the dining hall, the ship, which had been sailing smoothly, suddenly lurched violently, nearly sending Elsa tumbling to the deck.
Rhodes frowned, steadied Elsa with one arm, and quickly made his way to the upper deck.
Before they even got close, they could hear shouting:
"Pirates approaching off the starboard bow!"
"All hands! Prepare the cannons!"
"No good—they're too fast! Prepare for boarding!"
The deck erupted into controlled chaos. Under the bearded captain's commanding presence, the crew and guards quickly organized themselves and took their positions with practiced efficiency.
"Experienced veterans," Rhodes observed with approval, scanning the distant horizon.
A large pirate ship was cutting through the waves toward them. On its deck, numerous fierce-looking pirates brandished cutlasses and rifles, shouting with bloodthirsty, fanatical expressions.
"What rotten luck! You usually don't encounter pirates along this trade route," Elsa muttered worriedly. "Hopefully we can resolve this peacefully."
Even as she said this, she already had a flintlock pistol in her left hand and a cutlass in her right, her face practically glowing with excitement. She clearly wasn't the peaceful type at all, leaving Rhodes somewhat speechless.
Women who can survive on these seas are truly something else—not a gentle soul among them.
Whether it was Koala, Ain, Momousagi, or even the ship's guards—none were exceptions to this rule.
The pirate vessel, equipped with some kind of impressive propulsion system, quickly overtook the merchant ship and began forcing a boarding action.
"So this is how pirates conduct their business..." Rhodes observed the pirates leaping across the gap between ships—each jump covering seven or eight meters—with a slight frown.
Simple, direct, and brutally effective.
Very pirate-like indeed.
Thanks to the bearded captain's restraint, both sides avoided immediate bloodshed.
The pirates also understood the unwritten rules quite well. They remained on deck, laughing and jeering while waiting for their captain to make his appearance.
Soon, two imposing figures strode confidently across the boarding planks. They moved with the bearing of apex predators, their eyes radiating murderous intent—quite the intimidating sight.
"My rules are very simple," announced one of the pirate leaders in a booming voice.
"If you can defeat us two brothers in combat, we won't take a single Berry and will even provide safe escort through these waters!"
"But if you can't beat us..." His grin turned predatory. "Hand over ninety percent of your cargo and any beautiful women aboard, and you can keep your worthless lives."
This pirate crew clearly understood the concept of sustainable business practices. They knew better than to completely eliminate useful merchants—and likely wanted to avoid heavy casualties that might provoke a desperate last stand.
Smart pirates, Rhodes mused. They understand that dead merchants can't pay future tributes.
End of Chapter 63
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