Chapter 285: Dorag Piack
North Blue.
Inside a grand castle, a man laughed heartily as he read the latest news. His crimson eyes flashed dangerously. This man was Dorag Piack, one of the six emperors of the underworld, known as the King of Assassins.
Six years ago, he had tried to take revenge on Rockefeller Charlotte. However, his plan fell apart before it even began. Somehow, the news of his intent leaked, and before he knew it, his operations in the New World were decimated. Nearly all his power there was crushed, forcing him to retreat to the Four Seas.
The incident started when Charlotte, after returning from the Endless War Nation, discovered that a bounty had been placed on his head within the underworld. The one responsible was none other than the King of Assassins himself.
Although Charlotte wasn't particularly worried, his forces were not yet fully established, and he was still reliant on his position as the Eighth Division Captain of the Rocks Pirates. To secure his family's safety, he used the Rocks Pirates' power.
Rocks himself, upon learning that his captain had been targeted by a mere underworld figure, was furious. The idea that someone dared to place a bounty on one of his crew members was unacceptable. In his typical domineering fashion, Rocks mobilized his forces to help Charlotte, wiping out vast swathes of Piack's operations within a month.
Piack's strength was halved almost overnight, and before he could recover, the Rocks Pirates disbanded, and the New World descended into chaos. The other underworld emperors saw this as their chance, using the opportunity to devour what remained of Piack's power base. His influence was reduced to merely the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, and even then, it remained precarious.
And now, his nemesis had appeared once again.
"Charlotte!" Piack gritted his teeth, crushing the newspaper in his hands. His bloodlust surged, but he knew better than to act recklessly. The man in front of him six years ago was already terrifying, and now, as a legendary pirate, Charlotte's strength was beyond what he could handle.
"Master, the latest reports indicate that the Rockefeller Pirates are heading towards Ruvas Kingdom. Should we make a move?" one of his subordinates asked cautiously.
Piack's eyes gleamed with calculation.
"Fool! Don't forget that Charlotte is a legendary pirate. Even if we sent every assassin at our disposal, they wouldn't even touch him."
"But master," the subordinate continued, "we've heard that the Navy has dispatched Admiral Zephyr to North Blue specifically to deal with the Rockefeller Pirates. Perhaps we could make use of that."
Piack's expression shifted as he considered the idea.
"If the Navy's Black Arm Zephyr is truly leading the pursuit, it means they see Charlotte as a major threat. We can use this to our advantage."
"Gather intelligence on the Rockefeller Pirates. I want to know every step they take. Make sure they remain under our watch at all times!"
"Understood!"
The subordinate bowed deeply and hurried out.
Piack leaned back, swirling the wine in his glass as he gazed at the bounty poster hanging on the wall.
"Charlotte... I will make you pay for what you did to me."
---
At sea, Charlotte hung up the phone, a faint smile on his lips.
"Zephyr, huh? I didn't expect him to come personally. Interesting."
Barrett, who was standing nearby, smirked.
"Old man Zephyr's gonna try to fight you again? Bet he's itching to see if he's improved after all these years."
Charlotte chuckled.
"Eight years ago, I could barely handle him. Now? I'm curious to see how far I've come."
With a sharp wave of his hand, Charlotte issued his next order.
"Set a course for the North Blue Governor's Mansion. It's time to send the Navy a grand gift."
Barrett relayed the order, and the ship changed direction, heading straight for Ruvas Kingdom.
On the deck, Ilena approached, her face filled with concern.
"Charlotte, why are you being so reckless? You promised that after reaching the Four Seas, we'd just travel and see the world. Now you're provoking the Navy and drawing so much attention. Are you really prepared for the consequences?"
Charlotte looked at her, his usual confident smile softening.
"Ilena, just this once... let me act as I want. I promise, after this, I'll be more restrained."
Ilena hesitated but eventually sighed, nodding her head.
"Fine... but please, don't make me regret it."
Charlotte gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I won't."
Ilena suggested stopping at Ruvas Kingdom for supplies, and Charlotte agreed, deciding that a short break wouldn't hurt. The crew, hearing that they would soon set foot on land, cheered in excitement.
The vast ocean stretched endlessly before them, but for the Rockefeller Pirates, every step forward was part of their legend.
---
North Blue - Governor's Mansion
"Governor Dalen, urgent news! The Rockefeller Pirates have been spotted heading towards Ruvas Kingdom!"
Dalen paled, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Send word to the Navy and notify Admiral Zephyr immediately! We can't let this opportunity slip away!"
Standing next to him, Vice Admiral Sakazuki remained stoic, his fiery gaze fixed on the governor.
"If you're done panicking, we should prepare the defenses. Zephyr will be here soon, but until then, it's our job to secure the area."
Dalen looked hesitant, but seeing Sakazuki's unwavering determination, he reluctantly nodded.
"Fine! Do whatever you must."
Sakazuki glanced at the vast sea beyond the mansion, his expression cold and ruthless.
"Charlotte... no matter how powerful you've become, justice will prevail."
As preparations were hastily made, the tension in North Blue grew thicker, and the inevitable clash loomed closer.
---
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*