In that case, the West Blue still has plenty of interesting folk.
Brook's Rumbar Pirates are still sailing the West Blue; it'll be a few more years before they enter the Grand Line.
count red, Barlorick Redfield, is holed up in some West Blue kingdom—no telling which.
Fūgetsu Kisaburō could barge into the West Blue any day now.
And then there's a Mafia boss named Maron waiting for the Rocks Pirates to come and subdue him.
"Fūgetsu Kisaburō forged the gokudō kaisen; its fame in the West Blue was so great it became one of the supreme grade meito."
"Looks like this Fūgetsu Kisaburō isn't some simple character."
Fang Huo rubbed his chin, weighing whether to recruit the man or kill the master smith–samurai and seize the gokudō kaisen.
In Wano, gokudō means the Yakuza!
A supreme grade blade named gokudō kaisen—clearly its creator is a Yakuza Warrior as well as a master smith.
This Yakuza swordsman from Wano might already outclass the out-law Golden Lion Shiki—at least a master swordsman.
Later, when the gokudō kaisen fell into the hands of that Gambling Addict Fujitora Issho, it picked up a new nickname: Gambler's Kaisen.
Truth is, gokudō kaisen and Gambler's Kaisen are pretty much the same thing.
One runs with Yakuzas, the other with gamblers—neither title is flattering.
Also, no idea how strong or pretty Shimotsuki Furiko is.
Her little brother, Shimotsuki Gyumaru, is the daimyo of Ringo in Wano—a powerful master swordsman.
Their ancestor is the famed dragon-slayer swordsman Shimotsuki Ryūma.
The bloodline should be solid.
Fang Huo's lips curled; maybe he'd get to be Zoro's grandpa?
Even if he only robbed Shimotsuki Kōzaburō of the wado ichimonji and sandai kitetsu in the East Blue, it'd still be a nice haul.
After all, it took Kōzaburō and Furiko two–three years to sail from Wano in the New World to the East Blue and found Shimotsuki Village.
While he was in the East Blue he could drop by Loguetown and see if Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh had set sail yet.
"Hurry up and handle that Mafia boss; once Rocks gets back we're heading straight for the North Blue!"
The moment the loot was split, Silver Axe barked at Fang Huo—they had to reach Maron's turf and finish the job first.
Who knew when Rocks would show up again.
Subduing one Mafia boss didn't need Rocks himself.
Silver Axe was sure they could take Maron down easy.
"Shishishishi! Since we're in the West Blue, let's plunder a few World Government member kingdoms while we're at it."
Golden Lion Shiki grinned; he loved the money-grab life.
"West Blue booze is world-famous—pity my fleet isn't here, or we'd load up and sell it all in the New World."
The Smuggler Ganzi's eyes brimmed with regret; sometimes he wished he could swap his Bomb-Bomb Fruit for some spatial storage Devil Fruit.
Stocking Goods would be so much easier!
He'd heard the Castle-Castle Fruit user could grow a huge castle inside his body, storing countless people and supplies.
If powers could be traded, he'd happily trade his Bomb-Bomb Fruit for the Castle-Castle Fruit.
"After we finish Maron, Rocks might go looking for Barlorick Redfield!"
Whitebeard Newgate took a huge swig and spoke the name aloud.
He'd never forgotten it.
Because Fang Huo had said this man could fight him—armed with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Three Types of Haki, and a supreme grade blade—using only pure martial arts and Haki.
Meaning the man's body and Haki had reached a monstrous level.
He was basically the same breed of monster and genius as Rocks.
"Tch! Such a pain! Always wasting time!"
Silver Axe hungered for the Logia Magma or Glint-Glint Fruits rumored to appear in the North Blue.
Either one would let him catch up to those bastards.
He wouldn't have to endure Shiki's taunts every day.
Fang Huo hadn't told them the World Government had pegged the Ope-Ope no Mi at 5 billion berries and it was also somewhere in the North Blue.
Otherwise Fierce and Shiki would be even more desperate to hunt Devil Fruits there.
"Already speeding up…"
Fang Huo answered Silver Axe absent-mindedly and focused on coaching Charlotte Linlin in her Soul-Soul Fruit and the three special Homies.
Linlin—abandoned at five, a pirate at six—was an uneducated big fatty whose grasp of her fruit was still painfully shallow.
Fang Huo stepped up her schooling; he wouldn't let her become an illiterate Emperor who relied on childbirth and raw talent.
Newgate, likewise, had gone to sea young with zero theory; his Tremor-Tremor Fruit was just "swing hard," no refinement whatsoever.
Every future Emperor seemed to have become pirates while still kids.
Red Hair Shanks had tagged along with the Roger Pirates at age one.
Whitebeard and Beast Kaido shipped out in their teens.
Each carried a tragic back-story—hold a Misery Contest and they'd all win.
The Shichibukai's contest would be even worse—tragic Bear, annihilated Moriah, Celestial-slave Empress, racially-oppressed Jinbe, ex-Celestial Doflamingo…—"Bolo, what power do you want?"
"We're not Mutated Monsters like Fang Huo; pick wrong and you'll regret it for life."
Whitebeard Newgate looked after his new friend Bolo Gram.
While Fierce hunted a strong fruit, Bolo Gram needed one too.
"Haha, I like fists-on brawls—Zoan's the way for me."
If I could, I'd want an Ancient or even Mythical Zoan."
Bolo Gram had his future mapped out; the Yakuza was mostly Paramecia, only Fang Huo had the Mythical Vampire Zoan.
Logia and Mythical Zoan were clearly ultra-rare.
Ordinary Zoan wouldn't interest any officer here.
"Gurarara, I'll snag you a Mythical Zoan someday!"
Whitebeard Newgate thumped his chest and clinked jugs with Bolo Gram.
"Fang Huo, if you ever pass on a strong Devil Fruit, save it for me."
Aside from the two Fishmen, Stussy was one of the few non-fruit users left on board; she wanted power too.
She had no wish to be kicked off by Rocks for weakness.
Since she'd latched onto Fang Huo, she'd lean on him.
Perfect if he could land her a Logia or Mythical Zoan.