Chapter 7: Winds of Rivalry: Rising Tides Among Pirates

At the banquet, Karl pulled over an empty wine barrel and sat down, completely relaxed. He looked over at Newgate and asked, “So, who are the major powers ruling the seas these days?”

Yesterday, they’d only chatted about the current date and what happened after Newgate joined the Rocks Pirates. Karl hadn’t had the chance to ask about the powers ruling the seas at this point in time.

He didn’t know much about the pirate factions of this era, just that the Rocks Pirates were the strongest. Since he wanted to join them, he’d need to know if there were any groups capable of rivaling their power.

Newgate turned, grinning as he replied, “There are two pirate crews that can stand against the Rocks Pirates. One’s the Giant Pirates, they’re made up entirely of giants. The other’s the X Pirates, their captain, X, has a bit of Oz’s blood running through his veins.”

Lately, only those two crews could be called true opponents for the Rocks Pirates. Every other smaller crew had thrown in their lot with one of the three big ones.

Hearing this, Karl felt a surge of excitement well up inside him.

“Looks like the seas aren’t as quiet as I thought. Once I’m out there, I’m sure to find myself a worthy challenge.”

After all, yesterday’s battle had pushed his Titan Strength to a new level, deepening the fusion and making him even stronger.

He raised his cup, took a long swig of good wine, and grinned.

Right now, what he craved most was a life-or-death battle. If these two pirate crews could face off with the Rocks Pirates, there had to be some real powerhouses among them.

Newgate nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. There are still plenty of experts in those two crews, but a single crew alone is no real threat to us Rocks Pirates.”

Newgate added, “It’s just that a while ago, those two crews joined forces. That’s how we ended up with this three-way standoff.”

He chuckled and added, “But standing against us, the Rocks Pirates, they’ve got no real advantage.”

Confidence radiated from Newgate’s face—after all, they were the strongest out there.

Karl nodded his agreement too. He knew he might not be as strong as the top elites yet, but he was never one to back down from a challenge.

He believed he could go toe-to-toe with those mighty opponents in the battles to come.

Maybe it was the power of Titan Strength coming through.

A rush of anticipation and eagerness for battle surged in his heart.

The banquet went on all day. Clearly, there was no way they’d set sail today.

The night passed quietly.

Early the next morning, Karl and White Tiger boarded the ship alongside Newgate, setting their course for Beehive Island.

Throughout the voyage, Karl couldn’t get his thoughts to settle.

He hadn’t joined the Rocks Pirates only for riches or Devil Fruits. More importantly, he was searching for his own future.

He knew the rule of the Rocks Pirates couldn’t last forever. He needed to start planning for what came next.

Maybe he’d found his own crew, maybe become a lone wolf, or even set up a family like Charlotte Linlin, tied together by blood.

Whatever he chose, one thing was clear—he couldn’t leave it to chance.

He understood that even with his own power and some help from templates, the system had made it clear: he’d never have power that exceeded One Piece World’s limits.

So, toppling the World Government by himself? No way.

Honestly, even thinking about it felt foolish. The World Government had ruled One Piece World for 800 years.

He couldn’t even say for sure he’d topple the World Government, and One Piece World’s black technology was no joke. If he slipped up, it would be all over.

All he could do was stir up the timeline as much as possible, then wait for the main protagonist to appear.

He definitely didn’t want to die young.

His plan now was to start small—test what he could do with his own power.

If it worked, it would be a huge breakthrough. If not, he still had a backup to rely on.

Relying on a single plan was never smart.

He had to be prepared, make sure his future went smoothly.

The other pirates on board were floored to see White Tiger join them. No one expected a massive tiger like that would be part of the crew.

But Karl trusted in White Tiger’s strength and loyalty. He saw the tiger as his guardian, companion, and a link to his hometown.

As the ship cruised over the sea, Karl’s heart raced with excitement.

He knew countless adventures and challenges lay just ahead.

What he didn’t realize was that the Rocks Pirates’ dominance was actually bad news for the Navy.

The Navy had already gotten word from one of their people—Newgate had set sail alone. They didn’t want to see the Rocks Pirates grow any stronger.

So they dispatched Kong to lead a fleet, aiming to hunt down Whitebeard and try to halt the Rocks Pirates’ rise.

Karl, of course, knew nothing about any of this. He was just filled with anticipation and excitement for the coming adventure.

He had never known this kind of freedom before. Back on Blue Star, he’d been stuck in a soul-crushing nine-to-nine-six work grind.

It’d been ages since he felt this free.

He gripped the ship’s rail, letting the sea breeze brush his face. Hope and longing for freedom filled his heart.

As the ship sailed forward, the ocean’s endless blue unfolded before him, vast and boundless. Karl knew his journey was truly about to begin.

With courage and determination, he took his first step toward the unknown seas.

The road ahead was bound to be rough. He knew there would be plenty of danger and hardships.

But he wasn’t afraid—he believed he could reach the top with the system’s help.

Karl gazed out at the far horizon, feeling a firm resolve ignite inside.

He was sure he could carve his own legend into these seas.

……

A few days earlier—

Navy Headquarters.

The meeting room was tense and silent.

Fleet Admiral Hill sat at the head of the table, his face clouded, eyes filled with wariness and frustration at the Rocks Pirates.

“This operation against Whitebeard will be led by Kong.”

Hill’s voice was deep and stern. “We can’t let the Rocks Pirates grow any further. It’s time to make our move.”

Around the table, the Navy’s upper brass nodded in agreement. They knew Whitebeard was the core strength of the Rocks Pirates. Only by eliminating him could they truly weaken the crew.

Kong stood up, snapped a sharp salute, and said with determination, “Let’s make sure this operation is a complete success. We’ll show the Rocks Pirates the justice of the Navy.”

Hill nodded. “Go. Don’t come back until the job is done.”

As soon as the order was given, Kong took command of the naval fleet and set out.

With him were his most trusted officers—Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru. Each was a Navy elite, an admiral with both power and experience.

Their fleet cut swiftly across the sea, bound for an uncharted island.

Whitebeard was making a brief stop on that island. Thanks to good intel, they planned to ambush him on his return route.

But the Navy had no idea that this operation would bring them even greater fear.

They could never have guessed how tough Karl would be, nor how he’d disrupt all of their strategies against the Rocks Pirates.

They thought Whitebeard would be left in ruins, but didn’t realize they were about to face a battle like nothing before.

Kong stood on the command deck, staring out toward the distant waves. Confidence and resolve filled his heart.

He believed the Navy under his command could finish this mission and utterly wipe out Newgate.

But what he didn’t know was that out on those endless seas, Newgate was already closing in.

Soon, these two great forces would clash across the boundless ocean. An earth-shattering battle was about to begin.