Build The Strongest Family in the Prirate World

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

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Duke wasn't particularly upset about having a bounty of 3 billion berries on his head.

After all, since the start of the Great Pirate Era, no pirate with a bounty in the hundreds of millions had ever been taken down by a bounty hunter. Those bounty hunters in the One Piece world might be able to hunt some weaker pirates in the Four Seas or the Grand Line, but to go after the most powerful ones? That was more like signing up for a death sentence.

What really annoyed Duke wasn't the bounty itself, but the amount—3 billion berries! With that much money, he could have done three more S-level draws in his system.

The worst part? The money used to place this bounty came from the idiotic presidents of the Chamber of Commerce, whom Duke had planned to take care of slowly. Instead, they pooled their resources to put a price on his head. 

Duke found this completely intolerable.

If they had that much money, they should have just sent it directly to him as an apology! Duke didn't care much about revenge—he wasn't a devil. If they had given him the money, he would've forgiven them and moved on.

To Duke, money was far more valuable than the lives of President Volta and the others. But now? These fools had wasted their money, and in Duke's mind, people like that deserved to die.

Duke wasn't going to let go of either their money or their lives.

Soon, killers and pirates from all over the world began to take action. In West Blue, the notorious assassins of Shadow Stream also started to make their move.

That night, Jim Volt, one of the presidents responsible for the bounty, was dreaming of his glorious victory. He imagined countless assassins killing Duke, the Valoran family crumbling, and his Jim Chamber of Commerce rising to power on the ruins of the Valoran empire.

Even though the funeral house, another killer organization, hadn't sent out their best to quietly assassinate Duke, they had broadcasted the 3-billion-berries bounty for all the world to see. This announcement attracted hordes of killer pirates to West Blue.

Jim Volt and his allies believed they were in a secure position. After all, they trusted the collective power of these killer pirates more than the funeral house, which had been driven out of West Blue by Shadow Stream.

"Hehehe, those wine recipes from the Valoran Chamber of Commerce will soon be mine," Jim Volt greedily whispered to himself.

"No, not just the recipes... I want their factories, too! The entire Valoran Chamber of Commerce will belong to me!" he drooled in anticipation.

Jim Volt fantasized that once he annexed the Valoran Chamber of Commerce, his own organization would become the largest in West Blue. Who knows? Maybe one day he could even become a great noble or a king!

But just as his fantasies reached their peak, the atmosphere in his manor turned eerily quiet. Suddenly, there was the faintest scent of blood in the air, and Jim Volt's eyes widened in alarm.

Before he could react, a hidden blade silently sliced across his throat from behind!

Blood gushed from the wound as Jim Volt clutched his neck in panic. His vision dimmed, and in his fading sight, he saw the disappearing shadow of Blade Shadow Talon, one of the deadliest assassins.

One assassination after another unfolded that night, each more swift and deadly than the last.

By the next morning, the bodies of many killers and pirates who had been lured by the bounty were tossed outside the Valoran family manor as a grim warning.

Among the dead were Jim Volt and his associates.

But no one seemed to care how Jim Volt and the others had died. The real issue now was the complete chaos that had overtaken West Blue.

The flood of assassins and pirates had thrown the region into turmoil. What had once been a steadily stabilizing part of the world, thanks to the Valoran family and Galen's influence, was now in total disarray.

The great secret treasure of One Piece may be out of reach for countless pirates, but the bounty worth 3 billion berries was very real, and could be claimed by heading to West Blue and killing the godfather of the Valoran mafia family.

This made pirates, killers, and bounty hunters alike go wild. Every day, groups of them—along with some corrupt Marines disguised as pirates—launched brazen attacks on the Valoran family manor, whether under the cover of night or even in broad daylight.

Yet, every single one of them vanished without a trace inside Valoran Manor, as if swallowed by the earth. No one left alive. No one was seen dead.

After wiping out countless waves of these assassins and pirates, Duke began to feel it was all such a waste. Life was valuable, especially lives that could be productive, working tirelessly 24 hours a day. To Duke, these lives were even more precious.

His factories, his infrastructure—all of it needed workers. And who better to serve than the very people who had tried to kill him? These pirates and killers were no doubt incredibly strong, making them the perfect labor force.

Duke wasn't heartless either. He offered them a deal: work for him for twenty years, and he'd set them free—with a retirement package to boot. It was far more merciful than simply killing them on the spot.

That's just who Duke was—kind-hearted.

"Capone Bege, my safety during this time is entirely in your hands!" Duke said, having just finished 10,000 push-ups with heavy weights. Though he looked weak, he turned to Capone Bege, who had been standing by.

Capone Bege watched Duke with slight disbelief. The corner of his mouth twitched as he replied loyally, "Not a single fool will get past me while I'm standing, Godfather."

What a joke! After working for the Valoran family for so long, Bege knew just how terrifying Duke's resilience was. One moment he looked worn out, and the next, he'd be doing 10,000 squats like nothing had happened.

Until he found Duke's real weakness, Capone Bege considered himself Duke's most loyal subordinate. Anyone foolish enough to challenge the godfather would meet Bege's fists first.

And in truth, there were plenty of those fools. Right now, countless would-be assassins were trapped inside Capone Bege's body, locked away after failing miserably.

Time passed quietly, and Valoran Manor became like a lurking beast hidden in the shadows. It devoured any enemy daring enough to approach, fueling a creeping fear that spread throughout West Blue and even across the world. As the bounty of 3 billion berries continued to tempt killers and pirates alike, this invisible terror caused many to rethink their actions.

Slowly, the number of attackers dwindled. But now, the truly dangerous ones—the most powerful assassins and pirates—were just beginning to move. It took time to travel from the Grand Line and New World to West Blue, but their arrival was inevitable.

Meanwhile, in Alabasta, Crocodile sat in the Rain Dinners casino, shrouded in smoke as he puffed on his cigar.

"The Baroque Works' development is too slow," Crocodile grumbled, glaring through the haze. "Are you deliberately trying to stall me, Nicole Robin?"

"We're lacking skilled manpower and funds, and we can't openly use your name," Robin replied with a playful smile, covering her mouth. "The stronghold we worked so hard to establish at Whiskey Peak was destroyed because of that fight between the Gangplank Pirates and the Marine Admiral candidate, Tea Dolphin."

"The Baroque Works' progress has been delayed, and there's not much we can do about it."

Robin's smile lingered as she added, "But... there's some big news from the underground world. The Funeral House has issued an assassination order with a bounty of 3 billion berries."

Crocodile's eyes narrowed as Robin continued, "If we can claim that bounty, we'll have all the funds and reputation we need to push the Baroque Works forward."

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I'm excited to announce that I'll be launching a new One Piece fan fiction in just a few days! Join Luffy and the crew as they embark on a thrilling adventure filled with treasure hunting, new enemies, or unexpected allies. Get ready for epic battles, heartfelt moments, and surprises along the Grand Line!

I can't wait to share this journey with you all. Stay tuned for more updates!

Thank you for your support, and let's set sail together!