Chapter 345: The Recollection of the One Piece World (VI)
[As a rookie sailor just starting out, after two months of adventure, Shanks had already gained some fame, with a bounty of 40 million Berries—eight times that of Buggy. His strength had clearly improved as well.]
[As you expected, the first thing he did upon seeing you was to invite you to join him. In return, whoever was stronger could serve as captain.]
[Captain? You glanced at Shanks's tiny pirate crew of only two people—the other being a chubby glutton named Lucky Roux with a 20 million Berries bounty—and couldn't help but feel speechless. Their only asset was an unimpressive little dinghy. Forty million versus your nine hundred million—it was obvious what he was really here for: a merger.]
[As a friend, you told Shanks about your current predicament—that the Navy's mightier forces might soon hunt you down. But he didn't care; as he said, a free pirate fears no threat.]
[Since that's how it was, there was nothing more to say. You accepted his invitation and sparred with this long-lost friend.]
[Shanks's Haki and swordsmanship shocked you somewhat. Though he was not yet twenty, his mastery of Haki was considerably more solid than yours, and his swordsmanship had clearly improved. But without question, your progress had been even greater. With your unpredictable Stand powers, you steadily suppressed him and ultimately won the match.]
[You may well have had the shortest tenure as captain in the history of sailing. After forcibly renaming the crew from the "Red-Haired Pirates" to your favorite fruit, the "Pineapple Pirates," you handed the captaincy back to Shanks just a minute and a half later. You felt he was far more suited to the role—compared to the open and hearty Shanks, you disliked interacting with people and rarely showed emotion. Your dream was still to become an oceanographer, to visit the All Blue in person, and, if possible, to see Raftel (Laugh Tale) one day.]
[But your attempt to step down wasn't entirely successful. In the end, Shanks became the captain, yet you were still the leader of the Pineapple Pirates. Was there really any difference?]
[Shanks told you that he, too, wanted to visit Raftel someday. Four years ago, after collecting the four Poneglyphs, he stayed behind to care for a sick Buggy, missing the chance to complete that voyage—a regret he carried to this day. He said he was now searching for someone capable of fulfilling that captain's dream.]
[During your stay in Alabasta, you also recruited a new member: Benn Beckman, a man not yet thirty from the North Blue. He had extensive seafaring experience, a clear and analytical mind, and a personality you quite liked.]
[The only downside was that Benn Beckman was a womanizer—something you didn't exactly get along with. During those few days, he kept talking about women: how those from the East Blue were the most beautiful, those from the North Blue were the most flexible, and female giants were strong enough to endure the impact of Armament Haki. He even mentioned a friend who had once tried the unique slime creatures of the Magic Island and rated them a nine out of ten. You had always wanted to ask if that "friend" was really him.]
[March 13, 1501 – March 19, 1503. The next two years passed quietly—not without trouble from the Navy, of course. Vice Admirals Akainu and Aokiji became your recurring adversaries, losing time and again yet always returning for another fight. But with the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, a flood of new pirates emerged. Figures like Mihawk, Crocodile, Moria, and Doflamingo began to make their mark. Some even went so far as to seize control of World Government member nations and crown themselves kings. The once-mighty Navy grew increasingly stretched thin.]
[What's more, the steadily expanding Pineapple Pirates were no longer a force the regular Navy could handle. Over the past year, you had recruited several new members along the route: a not-yet-seventeen-year-old ship doctor named Honsho, a neat freak without a medical license; the acrobat and dual-blade navigator Bendick Snake; and the musician duo Benk Binge and his monkey partner, Mighty. The crew's lineup was truly formidable, and after several battles, you quickly rose to become one of the few top-ranking pirate crews.]
[Meanwhile, your own strength skyrocketed. Even without using your time-stop ability, you and Shanks could now fight on even ground.]
[Although you never had much talent for Observation Haki, your mastery of Armament Haki had reached astonishing heights—enough to shock even Shanks, who had once witnessed Gol D. Roger's peak. After more than two years of relentless training since your arrival in this world, your Armament Haki had become profoundly refined. You had also fully mastered every technique in the Navy's martial arts manual. You lost the individual skills: Shave (Soru), Moonwalk (Geppo), and Finger Pistol (Shigan), and instead gained the combined skill: Six Powers of the Navy.]
[While passing through Water 7, you used your stockpile of Sky Gold to buy a new two-masted sailing ship. As the crew's leader and financier, you wanted to name it the Pineapple, but the entire crew vehemently objected. In the end, it was named the White Red. What an awful name!]
[March – April, 1503. After a long voyage, you finally reached the Sabaody Archipelago—the point where all seven routes of the Grand Line converge. It was the final stop before entering the New World, crowded with pirates, merchants, and bounty hunters. Your next goal was to travel to Fish-Man Island to collect Poneglyphs, then head toward the New World.]
[The archipelago lay before the Red Line, composed of seventy-nine giant trees, each one forming its own island with a number. At its core stood the largest mangrove in the world—the Yarukiman Mangrove. The ground itself was made of roots that emitted bubbles. Honestly, as an oceanographer, you had grown numb to this world's wonders. It was hard to imagine a tree that could root in seawater and exhale salty bubbles.]
[According to Benn Beckman, the Navy Headquarters wasn't far from here, so while charging your Log Pose and coating the ship, you needed to stay low-key—or you might attract a Vice Admiral, or worse, an Admiral.]
[You truly did keep a low profile. But the Pineapple Pirates did not. During your time here, you ran into the largest pirate crew currently sailing—the Whitebeard Pirates—who also aimed for the New World. A clash was inevitable.]
[The cause was ridiculous: your chef Lucky Roux and the Whitebeard crew's chef Thatch fought over the same ingredient. What began as a minor quarrel soon escalated into a full-on brawl as other crew members joined in. The noise was unbearable.]
[By pirate custom, you had no choice but to duel Whitebeard himself to settle the dispute. The loser would apologize—but "apologize" was not a word in your vocabulary.]
[The battle was fierce enough to draw the attention of both the Navy and the World Government. Whitebeard, wielder of the Quake-Quake Fruit, was known by the Navy as the man with the power to destroy the world. His weapon was one of the Supreme Grade Blades, Murakumogiri. At under fifty, he was still in his prime—every movement could trigger earthquakes.]
[In the end, the fight was brutal, but neither of you claimed victory before the Navy intervened. The outcome was a draw. The Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr personally arrived to stop you, resulting in an unprecedented melee. Shanks and Zephyr clashed evenly; Benn Beckman, Lucky Roux, and Marco engaged Sengoku in a strange balance of power. The entire nearby island was obliterated by quakes, the clouds themselves shattered. (Mission Progress: Iconic Battle Scenes 3/5)]
[During this battle, you unexpectedly awakened a new power—you could suppress opponents with sheer will alone. Perhaps this was what Roger had called Conqueror's Haki. In addition, your time-stop duration finally reached eleven seconds. At your current rate of growth, even if you couldn't defeat them yet, it was only a matter of time.]