West Blue.
On a certain island, inside a tavern.
Many mafia members had gathered together to drink. They bragged to one another and talked about the hottest news going around.
"Did you hear?"
"Hear what? I hate it when people start like that!"
"Not long ago, Ohara's destruction was not only because those scholars were studying ancient writing and Poneglyphs…"
"Huh? There is more to it?"
"Yeah. Apparently, the scholars were working with the Valthior Pirates and trying to revive the Ancient Weapons. The World Government discovered it, so the Marines wiped out the scholars before the Valthior Pirates could get there!"
"Is that true?"
"Of course it is. Don't you know? The Valthior Pirates happened to come to the West Blue at that time."
"Some people even said they saw the Oro Jackson near the waters around Ohara!"
"That is right. Later, they also appeared near the waters of Kano Country. Anyway, there is no doubt the Valthior Pirates really came to the West Blue!"
"They are big shots from the New World. If they suddenly came to the West Blue, it must have been for something important. And Ohara happened to be destroyed during that time…"
"Then they really are evil. So they were the ones who got the scholars killed?"
"Yesterday's newspaper said they already returned to the New World some time ago, so we do not need to worry about them causing trouble in the West Blue anymore."
"I heard they ruined Wano terribly…"
Not far from that group of mafia members, at another table, sat a strange-looking but extremely tall man. His expression was very ugly.
Every time he heard the names "Valthior" and "Valthior Pirates," killing intent flashed in his eyes.
Gecko Moria, an adventurer from the West Blue.
He had been born on an island in the West Blue, but when he was young, he had followed his parents on many expeditions. He traveled with their team all over the world and had even entered and left the New World several times.
The New World was never a safe place. Before Moria was even ten years old, they encountered a terrible disaster at sea. In the end, through a strange twist of fate, Moria ended up in Wano and was warmly taken in by the people of Ringo.
Several years later, Moria went to sea to search for his missing parents, but found nothing. After that, he returned to his hometown in the West Blue.
He stayed there for several years, during which he also ate the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
With Wano closed off from the outside world, he never received any news from the country while he was in the West Blue.
It was only in the past two years that he began hearing occasional news about Wano in the West Blue. However, every piece of news shocked and angered him.
A few years ago, the Roger Pirates had supposedly plundered Wano, slaughtered its samurai, and wiped out the Kozuki family.
Then, after the Roger Pirates disbanded, the Valthior Pirates were formed. Now, the Valthior Pirates had forcibly occupied Wano, enslaved its people, renamed it Frost Island, and turned it into the base of the Valthior Pirates.
The rumors about Frost Island broke Moria's heart. No matter where the news came from, it all seemed to point toward one thing.
The Valthior Pirates were systematically destroying Wano completely.
"Valthior!" Moria suddenly gulped down a mouthful of alcohol and said through gritted teeth, "Just wait. I will go to Wano, find you, and kill you!"
After the Great Pirate Era began, Moria had not immediately decided to become a pirate.
However, after receiving news about Wano one piece at a time, Moria had now made up his mind. He would form a pirate crew in the West Blue, return to the New World, and avenge the people who had once taken him in.
In the original story, after Moria heard that Kaido had occupied and enslaved Wano, he resolutely brought his companions there. He clashed fiercely with Kaido in Ringo.
In the end, all his companions died. Moria alone survived, too ashamed to face the people of Ringo, and fled in disgrace.
The people of Wano thought he had died heroically, so they built him a grave and gave him the name Kozuki Moria.
During that same period, Kozuki Oden, the rightful son of Wano's shogun, who possessed far greater strength and connections, was dancing naked in the Flower Capital.
One could only say that a true "hero" really lived up to his reputation.
What a waste of Kaido's perfectly good pot of soup.
...
New World.
The Oro Jackson's cannons roared, filling the air with the acrid stench of gunpowder. Fragments of shattered ships drifted with the waves before gradually sinking beneath the sea.
A naval battle was already nearing its end.
"You've got to be joking?! We had a fleet of thirty ships — we landed that many hits — and it did absolutely nothing?!" the admiral of the Niko Grand Fleet roared in fury and disbelief as he looked at the undamaged Oro Jackson.
At this moment, the Oro Jackson's hull was covered in a jewel-like glow. Ice crystals coated it, making it seem almost invincible as it charged freely through the bombardment of several warships.
On the deck, Valthior bit down on a cigar and calmly watched as another warship nearby was blown apart by Buggy's cannon fire. Seeing the dark-skinned crewmen fall into the sea, thrashing and wailing in the water, he clicked his tongue.
"There really are a lot of Black people here…"
"It is said that several decades ago, the New World once had a very brief but precious period of peace. Because of that, there was a huge demand for labor to build up the New World, which caused the slave trade to flourish. Many slave-hunting crews discovered large numbers of dark-skinned people in the Calm Belt. Their civilization was very primitive, almost untouched by the outside world, but their bodies were strong, making them excellent laborers. So they were sold into the New World in large numbers. But a few years later, the New World fell into chaos again, and that trade quickly faded. Those Black people, however, remained. Influenced by the New World's violent ways, they gradually became pirate crews. They called themselves the Niko. Did you never see them in Mary Geoise?" Spencer explained from the side.
"How could I have seen them?" Valthior said with a look of disgust. "Looking like that, they would scare people in Mary Geoise. Low-grade slaves like them have no right to go there."
Just then, a News Coo passed through the smoke of battle and landed on the support frame of the mast.
Valthior reached out and took a newspaper from it, then tossed a coin into its bag.
"Flame Cooking!"
A scorching stream of fire erupted from the deck of the Oro Jackson.
It was Tofu, the user of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
With one burst of fire, he set an approaching warship ablaze. The Niko Pirates aboard cried out in agony, leaping into the sea with flames engulfing their bodies. It was impossible to tell whether they had already been charred beyond recognition.
"Captain, we are not leaving a single survivor?" Tofu asked carelessly.
Valthior calmly opened the newspaper and said, "No. I don't like Black people."
As soon as he finished speaking, Valthior said helplessly, "Another one has declared war on us…"
Ever since they returned to the New World from the West Blue, their once-peaceful days had suddenly become lively.
Every few days, someone would attack them.
So far, the Valthior Pirates had already dealt with seven pirate crews that had tried to use them as a stepping stone.
"Who?" Spencer leaned over and glanced at the newspaper. "Oh? This one is a tough character. If I remember correctly, his bounty is almost five hundred million Berries…"
The Little Pirates.
The name sounded tiny and cute, but in reality, their captain was Little Oars Jr.
He was an Ancient Giant, said to be a direct descendant of Oars the Continent-Puller, who had once shaken the sea several hundred years ago.
After King Harald no longer allowed the giants of Elbaf to cause trouble on the sea, Little Oars announced that he would leave Elbaf and continue committing crimes at sea. As for his strength, relying on the natural gifts of the Ancient Giants, he could still get by in the New World as long as he did not run into any truly dangerous monsters.
Over the years, he had caused plenty of trouble on the sea, and his bounty had reached more than four hundred million Berries.
"He is just relying on being huge and strong while going around causing trouble," Valthior commented.
He did not take Little Oars's strength seriously at all.
At this stage, Little Oars had not joined the Whitebeard Pirates yet. Instead, he was planning to use the Valthior Pirates as a stepping stone.
Considering that the Ancient Giants seemed to have some connection to the royal family of Elbaf, and that Valthior was very interested in Oars the Continent-Puller and the Giant Warrior Pirates, he was looking forward to Little Oars coming to find him.
Looking not far away, Spencer watched Bartholomew Kuma teleport onto a warship and destroy the entire vessel with an air cannon. He lit another cigarette and said, "According to the intelligence from Marine Headquarters, along with some eyewitness reports I gathered from the underworld, it has already been confirmed that Charlotte Linlin and Kaido are heading toward the Bambur Sea. Based on our current route, we are expected to run into them there in about half a month…"
At this point, Spencer's tone became serious. He looked at Valthior and asked, "Are you confident?"
"Did Charlotte Linlin bring her Homies army?" Valthior thought for a moment, then asked.
"According to the intelligence, no. There are only three ships in total. The main members include her, Kaido, Katakuri, and several officers. There are not many Homies," Spencer said with a nod.
Hearing this, Valthior grinned.
"Then there is no problem. This time, I want to see if I can take on both of them at once!"
In Valthior's view, Charlotte Linlin on Cake Island and within Totto Land's waters was completely different from Charlotte Linlin after leaving her home territory.
Back then, he had personally seen Charlotte Linlin on Cake Island cheat her way upward by absorbing a massive number of souls, raising her strength and clashing head-on with Gaban, Rayleigh, and Roger.
So unless necessary, as long as she stayed within Totto Land, Valthior would not casually provoke her.
But if she left that place, then even with Kaido by her side, Valthior had no fear at all.
In fact, he was even looking forward to fighting them both at the same time.
--------
Read Advanced Chapters on : www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin
~ Every 100 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]