With his objective on the island fulfilled, it was time for Olbap to return to Brackmor, deliver the news, and let the alchemist work his magic on Red Tide.
But even as the ship sailed back through the South Blue, Olbap did not rest. His mind was already three moves ahead. He needed trusted personnel. Popeye and Liro were far too valuable to waste on guard duty. When he arrived, he would check if the family had managed to recruit the reliable, loyal people he had asked for to take over their former positions.
Marcus had already begun studying Red Tide with his tools. It was all he could do during the travel. According to him, it would take about two months to produce a high-quality version. Olbap accepted his estimate and refused to waste the alchemist's time waiting. Instead, he would begin his next move: gathering information on the other organizations in the South Blue.
It was best to know your enemies before facing them. And he knew that if everything went according to the main plan, sooner or later there would be a war to decide who controlled everything—and he would not lose.
Devil Fruits were a priority in his mind. If he could obtain any kind of information… As Marcus had said, in the South Blue, Devil Fruits were more myth than reality. Yet in the less than five years he had been in this world, Olbap had already encountered five users. Luck? Or something more?
One week later
Upon arriving at Brackmor, Olbap was greeted by Popeye and Liro. They had found a replacement to handle sea patrols. Popeye would remain on the island, overseeing everything, while Liro ensured nothing went wrong on the ocean one time a week.
Anna and Vanessa, for their part, had also recruited two trustworthy individuals to handle the collection of corals and Crimson Flowers. However, harvesting had been paused until Marcus get ready to begin production.
After introducing Marcus to the others, Olbap personally escorted him to the main laboratory so he could see everything.
He couldn't help but smile when he saw Marcus's stunned expression upon seeing the massive stockpile of Red Tide ready for sale.
"This is what we have for now," Olbap said, glancing at Marcus. "Based on previous sales calculations, it'll only last us about one month."
"All this… for just one month?" Marcus asked, eyes wide. "How much do you usually sell per deal?"
"It depends on the buyers," Olbap explained. "We typically move over 100 bricks per sale.
With his objective on the island fulfilled, it was time for Rabocse Olbap to return to Brackmor, deliver the news, and let the alchemist work his magic on Red Tide.
But even as the ship sailed back through the South Blue, Olbap did not rest. His mind was already three moves ahead. He needed trusted personnel. Popeye and Liro were far too valuable to waste on guard duty. When he arrived, he would check if the family had managed to recruit the reliable, loyal people he had asked for to take over their former positions.
Marcus had already begun studying Red Tide with his tools. It was all he could do during the voyage. According to him, it would take about two months to produce a high-quality version. Olbap accepted his estimate and refused to waste the alchemist's time waiting. Instead, he would begin his next move: gathering information on the other organizations in the South Blue.
It was best to know your enemies before facing them. And he knew that if everything went according to plan, sooner or later there would be a war to decide who controlled everything—and he would not lose.
Devil Fruits were a priority in his mind. If he could obtain any kind of information… As Marcus had said, in the South Blue, Devil Fruits were more myth than reality. Yet in the less than five years he had been in this world, Olbap had already encountered five users. Luck? Or something more?
One week later
Upon arriving at Brackmor, Olbap was greeted by Popeye and Liro. They had found a replacement to handle sea patrols. Popeye would remain on the island, overseeing everything, while Liro ensured nothing went wrong on the streets.
Anna and Vanessa, for their part, had also recruited two trustworthy individuals to handle the collection of corals and Crimson Flowers. However, harvesting had been paused until Marcus arrived to begin production.
After introducing Marcus to the others, Olbap personally escorted him to the main laboratory so he could see everything.
He couldn't help but smile when he saw Marcus's stunned expression upon seeing the massive stockpile of Red Tide ready for sale.
"This is what we have for now," Olbap said, glancing at Marcus. "Based on previous sales calculations, it'll only last us about one month."
"All this… for just one month?" Marcus asked, eyes wide. "How much do you usually sell per deal?"
"It depends on the buyers," Olbap explained. "We typically move over 100 bricks per sale. We specialize in bulk deals—most of our clients are pirates who are always on the move, so we can't always locate them for smaller transactions."
"I see," Marcus nodded. "So this will be my laboratory?"
"Do you like it? Or do you want another?" Olbap replied.
"No, this one is perfect," Marcus said, scanning the space. "Being underground gives me more privacy. Though with all this machinery… they should clean it, and I'll decide what I want to keep."
"Perfect. No problem," Olbap said. "You can talk to Anna and request anything you need. She'll get you everything. You have two months to have the product ready for sale." He turned to leave.
"As you wish, boss," Marcus replied with a laugh, already calculating the changes he would make to the lab.
Now alone and calm in the laboratory, Marcus could only sigh and lean back in his chair to rest his eyes for a moment.
He had brought the old man from the other island to study his abilities, but in the end, it seemed he didn't have much time left. Upon arrival, he had died—what appeared to be a heart attack. So he would never know how his Devil Fruit worked.
Looking at the paper Olbap had left on the table, he began to read it—and was genuinely surprised.
"So this is the Red Tide formula," Marcus said to himself.
By combining the poison of the Crimson Flower with Somber Coral, one could create a drug with a 50% chance of killing you or letting you live. But he realized that mixing it with Sea King blood eliminated the risk of death, thanks to the powerful nutrients from the Sea Kings.
Whoever created this was a genius. He never would have thought of it. His thing had always been making money and experimenting with anything—but he had never been interested in drugs. Yet he felt that Olbap's opportunity had come at the perfect moment to decide what to do with his life.
And though at 21 years old he could have sought a safer path with the Marines or the World Government, his late master—may he rest in peace—had always told him:
"If you don't want your projects controlled, find an organization that helps you while they need you."
That's why he decided to follow Olbap. He seemed to be around 15 or 16—hard to tell—but he carried a different aura. And he felt like he had forgotten someone… but so much had happened since he had finally sat down and completely lowered his guard.
Looking at the formula, he would have to put his skills to work. As Olbap had said, only the necessary materials were written down—nothing more. But from the machinery, he had a basic idea of what the (presumably dead) creator had used.
With this grinding machine, they crushed the corals to obtain the characteristic Somber Coral dust that was once sold raw.
Then, with these large containers with agitators at the bottom, they would fill them with enough water to submerge the Crimson Flowers along with their stems and rotate them at low speed—but enough—over long periods to extract the maximum amount of poison from the flowers with the water.
After that, they surely used a mixer to combine everything and let it ferment long enough for the Somber Coral dust to absorb all the nutrients from both sources: the highly addictive poison with its healing properties, and the temporary strength from the massive energy of the Sea King blood.
It all made sense. But he believed there was a better way to make this drug—and he already had an idea in mind. He would need to call the person Olbap had mentioned.
"What was her name again… Anna, right?"
Marcus picked up the Den Den Mushi Olbap had left him and dialed the frequency from the notebook.
"Puru puru puru…"
"This is Anna. Who is it?" came Anna's soft voice through the snail.
"This is Marcus Cotton. Olbap must have mentioned me. He said if I needed anything, to tell you," Marcus said.
"Oh yes, I remember. Nice to speak with you, and welcome to the Rabocse Family. What do you need?" Anna replied warmly.
"I need someone to make five crucible furnaces specially designed for melting metal. Also, a mixer that can maintain a set temperature, and finally, around five drying ovens—they're hard to get, but I think they're sold in the North Blue," Marcus said, jotting everything down in his notebook.
"The crucible furnaces won't be a problem—we have contacts for that. The mixer will take some time. The drying ovens? I can't guarantee, but I'll talk to Olbap. He might have a better contact," Anna responded.
"For now, that's all. Tell Olbap that if he gets them as quickly as possible, he'll have to wait less time to have it ready," Marcus said, ending the call.
With everything set for when the equipment arrived, Marcus began reorganizing the lab to his liking—including the new machines he brought with Olbap's and his assistants' help.
POV: Liro
The wind carried the smell of salt and burnt coal; in the distance, Krakenport bustled with its usual afternoon activity: carts, vendors shouting, and the relentless clang of blacksmith hammers. Liro adjusted the bottle in his hand, set it on the warehouse table, and wiped his forehead with his palm as if trying to erase the fatigue from his skin. He had returned home—that was the word he carried in his chest since he arrived on the island.
It wasn't the first time he had to swallow calm and stay on guard. He had learned to do it during the years he lived on the streets: observe more than speak, move with the quiet of someone who doesn't arouse suspicion. That's how he had done it with Toro.
But now, quiet had given way to obligation. Olbap had once told him, with that smile that pierced like a promise and an expectation:
"Liro, you need to have a reason to fight—even if it's for debts or emotional connections. There has to be a reason of your own for why you do it."
Liro hadn't fully understood at first. But now, watching the new pieces fall into place—Marcus in the lab, Popeye and him at sea, Anna and Vanessa handling numbers and medicine—he was beginning to feel the weight of his position.
He walked away from the warehouse and moved along the reinforced walkways, greeting the workers who recognized him with a nod. He didn't want them to think he was a saloon boss; he preferred to earn respect through actions: the way he entered a fight, the way he looked after his own afterward. His boots struck the boards with a rhythm that helped him think.
Years ago, his life had been about adding and subtracting: work enough to eat, hide enough to sleep. Toro had been his only anchor—a friend who, between bets, punches, and jobs, had become a brother in blood. When Olbap offered them a way out, Liro didn't see it as redemption: he saw it as another bet. But the bet had changed. Now there were goals, structure, and a leader who, despite his youthful appearance, had the mind of a veteran. That was dangerous. That was brilliant.
He headed to the northern dock. He liked that side of Krakenport: the sound of the sea brought him calm and reminded him why he fought. As he walked, he mentally reviewed the latest events at sea: some new pirates who wanted to rob them without knowing they weren't strong enough, conversations with Popeye about the future.
Upon reaching the dock, he found Popeye checking ropes. Popeye smiled with that grin that split his face in two: on one side, the simple man who seemed to enjoy every blow; on the other, the shadow of contained violence that kept everyone in line. Liro leaned against a beam and let Popeye continue his work.
"All set?" Liro asked, straight to the point.
"We always are," Popeye replied. "You ready, Liro? I've seen you staring at the sky more than usual."
Liro let out a short laugh.
"I've become a bit more thoughtful by choice. I'm seeing what pieces we have and what gaps remain. The new guy's underground with his toy; Anna and Vanessa have the island running like clockwork. And us? Out at sea, making sure no one gets close."
Popeye nodded and gave him a shoulder slap that made the wood vibrate. "You know this won't last forever. Olbap already explained his idea," Popeye said.
Liro knew. But still, he had no idea what to do except keep improving his swordsmanship to help Olbap achieve his goals.
Before the sun set, Liro decided to stop by the orphanage. Not because it was a scheduled duty, but because he wanted to see with his own eyes that Toro's decision had been worth it. The children ran toward him, and for a second, he felt light. It reminded him why he help Toro started this: not just for money, but so that no one else in his circle would go hungry—or rather, the dream his blood brother Toro had left him.
End of the chapter.