Pirates: Building a Pirate Family

May 1480, [-] in the lunar calendar.

On this day, Charlotte was practicing swordsmanship by the sea.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pang in her heart.

"What's going on? Why do I have such a bad feeling?"

She halted mid-swing, gripping her sword tightly. Her eyes scanned the vast ocean before her.

But the sea was calm—nothing seemed amiss.

Aboard the Rocks Pirates' Ship

"Captain Rocks! You're incredible! Another naval branch has been wiped out!"

Amidst the deafening roar of artillery fire, screams of agony, and the clash of weapons, a tall man with fiery red hair stood at the center of the chaos. He observed the battlefield with an expressionless gaze, exuding an overwhelming aura of dominance. Around him, pirates erupted into victorious cheers.

"Guhahahaha! With this stronghold gone, the Navy will lose complete control over the central region of the latter half of the Grand Line."

Standing beside the red-haired man was a towering figure, nearly six or seven meters tall, with golden hair and a massive sword resting on his shoulder. He spoke with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Newgate is right! Sooner or later, the second half of the Grand Line will belong entirely to us pirates!"

Another man, about two meters tall, wielded a sword in each hand while casually biting a cigar.

"Well, well! That means I'll get to enjoy more desserts!"

A tall woman, her voluptuous figure accentuated by a tight red leather jacket, chuckled. She was even taller than the massive man beside her.

If Charlotte were here, she would have immediately recognized them: Edward Newgate, the future Whitebeard; Shiki, the Golden Lion; and Charlotte Lingling, the future Big Mom.

The red-haired captain spoke in a deep, commanding voice.

"Finish this quickly. We don't have time to waste here."

"Guhahahaha! Since the Captain has spoken, it's time to act!"

With that, Edward Newgate swung his massive naginata. A white shockwave radiated from his blade, slamming into the Navy Major General commanding the battle.

The Major General's eyes widened in sheer terror as the devastating force engulfed him. The ground beneath him cracked and split apart, sending tremors rippling across the island.

"Jiehahahaha! Newgate, leave some fun for me!"

Shiki, the Golden Lion, slammed his hands onto the ground. Instantly, three colossal lion heads made of stone emerged, launching a wild assault across the battlefield.

"Boss Shiki, we're on the same side!"

"Help! Boss Shiki!"

"Justice will never fall!"

Screams of both pirates and marines alike filled the air as the lion heads wreaked havoc.

Edward Newgate frowned.

"Shiki, if you keep this up, you'll kill our own crew!"

At this time, Newgate's beard was not yet fully white, but hints of his future title, "Whitebeard," were beginning to show.

"Jiehahaha! Any crew member who can't withstand even one of my attacks isn't worthy of sailing with us. There are plenty of small-time pirates in the sea—we can always recruit more. Do you really care about these weaklings?"

Shiki scoffed, watching the terrified pirates with disdain.

Newgate fell silent. The other pirates, seeing his reaction, chose to say nothing as well.

In the end, under Shiki's command, the Navy's G-8 branch was completely annihilated, swallowed by the sea.

Only ten pirate ships remained, their hulls filled with stolen treasures.

A New Target

"Shaqi, is there an island nearby where we can resupply?"

The red-haired captain, Rocks D. Xebec, turned to his navigator, Xia Qi.

"Let me check!"

Xia Qi unfolded the map and pointed to a nearby island.

"Captain, there's a small island nearby with a population of about a thousand. But according to my sources, a powerful individual resides there. Over the past year, many pirates who approached the island were killed. Their heads were later delivered to the Navy branch by unknown parties to collect bounties."

Shiki smirked, puffing on his cigar.

"Powerful? How strong are we talking?"

"Rumors say he's a swordsman capable of unleashing devastating slashes. And this island isn't just any place—it falls under the influence of Umis, one of the Six Kings of the Underworld."

Shiki scoffed.

"Umis? That underground rat?"

Xia Qi sighed, clearly irritated by Shiki's interruptions, and turned back to Rocks.

Rocks' eyes gleamed with interest.

"A young swordsman with that level of skill? Now that's interesting. Let's go see for ourselves."

Rocks had always been obsessed with gathering powerful subordinates. The thought of recruiting another strong fighter piqued his curiosity.

"Understood, Captain!"

Xia Qi quickly issued orders, steering the fleet towards Kame Island while signaling the other nine ships to follow.

"Guhahaha! Looks like we're about to gain a new crewmate!"

Edward Newgate laughed, taking a swig from his flask.

Shiki sneered.

"A 'crewmate'? If he can't withstand even one of my attacks, he's not fit to be part of my crew!"

Newgate ignored him, drinking in silence.

Shiki, seeing no reaction, let out a scoff and dropped the subject.

Meanwhile, Rocks stood at the bow of the ship, gazing into the endless horizon, lost in thought.

Charlotte's Premonition

Back on Kame Island, Charlotte's unease only grew stronger.

Standing alone at the port, she stared intently at the distant sea, her heart pounding.

The townspeople noticed her unusual behavior but hesitated to ask. Some whispered among themselves, amused by her stillness.

Charlotte ignored them.

Then—her eyes widened in shock.

"Everyone, run to the mountains! Pirates are coming!"

Using her Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), she detected a massive fleet swiftly approaching the port.

Merchants, dock workers, and bystanders all turned to look at the sea, confused.

But the ocean remained calm—no ships in sight.

Some scoffed.

"Tch, just a kid spouting nonsense."

"Pirates? Where? I don't see anything."

Others, however, knew Charlotte well. Over the past year, she had saved them many times.

They trusted her.

Without hesitation, those who believed her dropped their work and ran towards the mountains.

But outsiders—mainly visiting merchants—remained skeptical.

"No way I'm leaving my goods behind because of some child's warning!"

Some even tried to force the dock workers to stay.

Charlotte gritted her teeth, gripping her sword tighter.

The storm was coming.

And this time, it was unlike anything the island had ever faced before.

End of Chapter 17

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