Support me on patron:
Patron.com/fanfictiongod
Chapter 50 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
_________
At best, his current strength was only on par with a Warlord's division commander.
To put it in perspective, it was roughly equivalent to Monkey D. Luffy's power after he first unlocked Gear Third at Enies Lobby in the original story.
Was this level of strength impressive?
Not really!
Even in the first half of the Grand Line—Paradise—there were already two major figures he wouldn't be able to defeat right now: the Warlord "Desert Crocodile" Crocodile, and the God of Skypiea, Enel!
But to call him weak wouldn't be entirely accurate, either. If someone with this level of power decided to become a pirate, they would easily make a name for themselves as a Super Rookie.
It was simply that Shiro's sights were set much higher—he was looking at the entire One Piece world as a whole. A combat ability worth a 100 or 200 million Berry bounty was merely the entry fee.
Among the countless combatants sailing under the banners of the Four Emperors (Yonko), how many of them didn't have bounties exceeding a hundred million?
Let alone their core fighters—every single one of those elites was a terrifying monster with a bounty well over 500 million.
Remember, in the original story, Rockstar—a pirate with a staggering 94,000,000 Berry bounty—was treated as nothing more than an errand boy running letters for the Yonko.
In the eyes of the Four Emperors, a bounty near a hundred million was nothing more than a child playing pirate.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford!
"Fleet Admiral! This is an urgent dispatch just sent in by Captain T-Bone!"
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku the Buddha, the current leader of the Marines, was buried under a mountain of paperwork. A Marine Commander suddenly pushed the door open, snapping a crisp salute before delivering his report.
"Hand it over," Sengoku replied without even looking up. He casually shoved the document he had just finished reading into the mouth of his pet goat standing beside his desk.
"Oh? Now this is good news. To think the East Blue actually produced a capable man like this!"
As Sengoku cracked open T-Bone's file, a rare, genuine smile broke across his face. The deep wrinkles on his constantly furrowed brow smoothed out considerably.
"Shiro. Seventeen years old. Background: Unknown. Combat Strength: Formidable."
"Single-handedly decimated the East Blue's Winter Melon Pirates led by Uris with ease, saving the citizens of Kuro Island!"
"Currently harbors no interest in joining the Marines, but has explicitly stated he will not become a pirate!"
"Heh, what an interesting young man!" Sengoku leaned back in his chair, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "The youth these days are truly something else. Sigh, I'm getting old. I just can't keep up with the changing tides anymore, hahaha!"
Standing guard outside the office, the two Marine sentries exchanged bewildered glances. They could clearly hear Sengoku's laughter. They wondered what kind of miracle had occurred to make the Fleet Admiral laugh out loud—usually, the man was as stern and unsmiling as a stone statue.
"Bwahaha! Sengoku, what are you laughing about? Did something good happen? Spit it out so I can get in on the joke!"
Suddenly, a boisterous, booming laugh echoed down the corridor. A robust, older man carrying a large bag of senbei (rice crackers) came striding into the room.
He didn't bother knocking, casually plopping his large frame down onto the sofa directly across from Sengoku, completely ignoring the way the Fleet Admiral's face instantly darkened to a stormy black.
The older man had a scruffy beard and wore the heavy coat of a Marine Vice-Admiral draped over his broad shoulders. Despite his laid-back demeanor, his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, carrying a silent, terrifying intensity. His mere presence radiated an overwhelming aura; his vitality was so immense that one could almost hear the roar of his blood pumping. Even the air around him seemed to grow heavy and slow.
"Garp, you bastard! How many times have I told you not to eat your damn rice crackers while I'm handling official business?! Does everything I say just go in one ear and out the other?!"
Sengoku slammed his hands on the desk and shot to his feet, roaring furiously at the Vice-Admiral. His expression was incredibly foul.
"Relax, relax, Sengoku. It's no big deal!"
Faced with the Fleet Admiral's wrath, Garp remained completely unfazed. He waved a hand dismissively while nonchalantly picking his nose with the other.
Clearly, this wasn't the first or second time this exact scenario had played out.