Pirates: Building a Pirate Family

Under the horrified gaze of his opponent, Charlotte's large hand covered Will Werner's head.

In an instant, Charlotte's domineering aura was unleashed.

"How did you cultivate your Armament Haki?" Charlotte asked, looking at Will Werner.

But Will Werner was in no condition to respond. The overwhelming physical pain made it impossible for him to speak.

Not that Charlotte expected an answer.

Even though Will Werner remained silent, Charlotte had already figured out the truth.

This man was no ordinary pirate.

He had traveled from the West Blue to the New World, making it through the treacherous Grand Line in just a year.

As for his Armament Haki, he had stumbled upon a training manual after killing a Rear Admiral. That manual not only contained instructions on Armament Haki but also on Observation Haki and the Navy's Six Styles.

Due to his natural talent, he had managed to learn Armament Haki. However, mastering Observation Haki had eluded him, even after a year of practice.

Of the Navy's Six Styles, he had only mastered "Shave."

Charlotte was slightly dumbfounded by this.

Now that he understood Will Werner's method of training, Charlotte tightened his grip.

Will Werner's eyes widened in terror before his skull was crushed.

Nearby, over twenty pirates stood frozen in fear at the harbor.

Charlotte simply waved a hand.

His subordinates, who had been observing from the shadows, stepped forward. These were fighters personally trained by Charlotte.

"Kill them all," he ordered coldly.

Faces turned pale, but some men gathered their courage, gripping their weapons tightly before charging at the remaining pirates.

Meanwhile, Charlotte made his way toward the pirate ship docked nearby.

He had a habit of searching enemy ships for treasure after every battle—one of his few pleasures besides women.

Guided by Will Werner's memories, he walked straight to the captain's quarters.

With practiced ease, he opened a drawer on the desk.

Inside was a notebook—the Rear Admiral's training journal.

Confirming its authenticity, Charlotte slipped it into his pocket.

He then searched the remaining cabinets and bedside drawers.

"As expected of a pirate from the West Blue… They're much wealthier than those with bounties under 100 million."

Opening three suitcases filled with stacks of Berries, Charlotte estimated the haul to be at least 100 million.

Once he had gathered everything of value, Charlotte stepped out of the cabin and returned to the port.

By now, life in the harbor was slowly returning to normal.

Workers and merchants tentatively approached, only to find sixty or seventy bodies sprawled across the docks.

Their initial shock was soon replaced by relief—and fear—toward Charlotte.

Then, the island's mayor emerged.

"Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Charlotte, for saving the people of Kamei Island! You are our hero!"

The mayor approached Charlotte eagerly, shaking his hand with enthusiasm.

Charlotte remained silent. If he didn't already know what the mayor was truly thinking, he might have believed his words.

"Hero! Hero!"

The islanders chanted excitedly.

Hearing their voices, Charlotte's Observation Haki involuntarily stirred.

For a brief moment, he was swept up in their emotions, smiling and waving back.

"Damn it… getting caught up in this nonsense again."

Cursing inwardly, Charlotte continued waving while discreetly looking for a way to leave.

As he walked past a fruit stand, something caught his eye—a peculiar pear with strange patterns on its surface.

"Mr. Charlotte!"

The fruit vendor trembled with excitement as Charlotte approached.

"How much for the pears? I'll take a few," Charlotte asked casually.

"N-No! Please, take whatever you like! No charge!"

The vendor stammered, his eyes filled with admiration.

Charlotte didn't refuse. He picked out a few pears, including the patterned one, and walked off without the slightest guilt.

Back at the villa, he ordered food to be prepared before locking himself in his room.

He quickly took out the patterned fruit and examined it closely.

"This… is the Cold-Cold Fruit—the one Will Werner had."

Holding the Devil Fruit, Charlotte felt a surge of emotion.

This was the first Devil Fruit he had encountered since arriving in the One Piece world five years ago.

And it was still untouched.

However, Charlotte had no intention of eating it himself. He planned to save it for one of his subordinates in the future.

Securing the Devil Fruit in his safe, he returned to the sofa and retrieved the training journal.

Flipping it open, he carefully read through the pages.

The training methods inside were remarkably detailed.

Just a glance was enough for him to understand most of the techniques related to the Navy's Six Styles.

Until now, he had tried practicing the Six Styles based on memories from his previous life, but his techniques had lacked true mastery.

With this manual, however, his strength would grow significantly.

After reviewing the Six Styles, he turned to the section on Armament Haki.

Reading through it, Charlotte suddenly understood—Armament Haki was a combination of the mind, body, and technique.

As long as one's physical strength met the required standards, proper training could allow them to wield the power of Armament Haki.

Closing the notebook, excitement filled Charlotte's expression.

He wanted to test his newfound knowledge immediately, but night had already fallen. He decided to wait until morning.

Stepping out of his room, he found Ivan waiting for him.

"Boss, Will Werner's bounty has been exchanged by one of our men. He should be back by tomorrow. Also, we collected some money from the ship—about 30 million Berries in total. Here it is."

Ivan handed over a large bag filled with cash.

"Take the money and distribute it among those who fought today," Charlotte instructed. "Also, make ten copies of this."

He handed Ivan the training manual for the Six Styles.

"Have the combatants start practicing these techniques tomorrow. We should see results in a few years."

Since Charlotte had already memorized the training methods, he no longer needed the original.

His crew couldn't afford to be weak—they had to grow stronger.

"Yes, Boss! I'll handle it immediately. I guarantee we'll see results within a year," Ivan said confidently.

Charlotte waved him off.

He didn't expect miracles.

If at least ten of his fifty-plus combatants could master even one of the Six Styles within a year, that would already exceed his expectations.