Chapter 130: The Pirate Crew is Formed
[A/N] Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!!
...
Although Noir had rescued many people from Mary Geoise, only a few chose to join his pirate crew.
They had witnessed firsthand the brutal intersection of blood and evil. Now, most simply desired a peaceful life as ordinary people.
Noir wouldn’t force them into anything they didn’t want. After all, everyone had their own path in life...
After a simple survey, many were quickly eliminated from the pool of potential recruits.
Young children couldn't join. Most of the frail women didn't want to join either. And there were those who longed to return to their families, a task Noir promised to help them with.
In the end, only about five hundred people decided to join.
But that was fine. Noir was content. Strength lay in numbers.
Don't think that strong individuals don't need subordinates. They simply possess enough power, like Mihawk, to operate without assistance in battle.
However, many things become inconvenient. As seen in the original story, Mihawk's domestic skills, from cooking to cleaning, were born out of necessity due to his solitary life.
Shanks and Luffy's crews also followed the elite route, but they still had a sizable number of followers who could prove invaluable in critical moments.
A list of those willing to join was presented to Noir. He glanced over it, getting a general idea of their skills and backgrounds.
As expected, the giant siblings, Nylph and Manlyph, were on the list. Many others had prior experience as pirates; some even had bounties on their heads.
This discovery made Enel envious. Despite his power, he still didn't have a single Beli bounty on his head.
Surprisingly, a few even possessed Devil Fruit powers.
Most were Zoan users, with a handful of Paramecia users whose abilities seemed rather peculiar.
With the crew members mostly decided, Noir moved on to the main topic of the meeting. "So, what do you all think our pirate crew should be called?"
Silence blanketed the room. After a long pause, Conis timidly suggested, "Can't we just call it the Noir Pirates?"
Noir silently agreed. That was the name he had in mind too.
But Enel immediately objected, his voice filled with excitement. "No way! A pirate crew shouldn't be named after a person!"
"I say we call it the Thunder God Pirates!"
Wyper glanced at him impassively. "How about the Blood War Pirates?"
"Too crude," Lucci countered. "I believe the Justice Pirates has a better ring to it."
Enel scoffed. "Calling a pirate crew 'Justice' sounds ridiculous! Mine is better!"
The Ark Maxim was only slightly larger than the Thousand Sunny. Fitting five hundred people on board was practically impossible.
And so, Wyper and Enel, those two country bumpkins who had never held so much Beli in their lives, nervously clutched their treasure chests as they set sail back to Water 7.
Though Noir had some reservations about sending those two, he had no better options.
Robin and Conis couldn't go. The new recruits were unfamiliar with Water 7.
Lucci's identity had already been exposed by Iceburg. Returning there would risk further complications. So, sending these two simpletons was the best course of action.
At least their strength compensated for their lack of intelligence.
The first grand meeting concluded. Noir assigned tasks to his crew and then began working on his own secret agenda.
He pulled Blueno aside, whispering, "Come with me."
Lucci, who was nearby, paused. "Do you need my help?"
Noir smiled and shook his head. "No, I just need Blueno to give me a lift."
Goosebumps erupted on Blueno's skin. A chill ran down his spine.
Lucci seemed to understand. "It's the second day. Are you going to execute another Celestial Dragon?"
Noir chuckled and nodded. "Sengoku is searching for me all over the world. We can't even show our faces."
"But! I need to provoke him further. A man is most vulnerable when he's impulsive."
Lucci raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What are you planning?"
Noir grinned mischievously. "The most dangerous place is the safest, and the safest place is the most dangerous..."
A plan of reckless audacity was born...
Under a clear, starlit sky, Mary Geoise, still recovering from the chaos Noir had unleashed, buzzed with activity.
Atop a charred and towering spire, the air rippled as a familiar Air Door opened –
A gleeful cry echoed from within:
"Hee hee hee!"
"Yours Truly is back!"
...
Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of /dragonnx
[Replace '@' with 'a' to Access Patreon Normally]
There is 6 more exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon page!