One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror

East Blue – Waters Near Syrup Village

A ship sailed, flying a pirate flag emblazoned with a cat skull.

”Overlord of the East Blue? Fifty million Berries? That’s one hell of a bounty!”

”So, you’re really not going, Kuro?” A man in a top hat and suit, dressed somewhat like a flamboyant performer, pushed up his heart-shaped glasses. He yawned, looking with a smile at the man before him – sharp suit, slicked-back hair, glasses perched on his nose. ”This is supposed to be the pirate carnival for the East Blue, you know.”

”I told you, Jango, I’m done being a pirate. I spent a fortune silencing the Marines on my tail, I even had to fake my own death,” Kuro said, adjusting his glasses with a flick of his wrist, his expression blank. ”I just... don’t want that life anymore.”

”Are you seriously planning to play butler forever?” Jango lowered his hat brim with one hand, touched his stomach lightly with the other, and executed a few smooth dance steps. He spun suddenly, grinning at Kuro. ”There’s always time to play house later. Let’s enjoy this rare party first! Call it... a retirement bash for you. Besides, aren’t you planning to deal with that couple anyway? We could take care of it on the way back, easy.”

Hearing Jango’s words, a flicker of hesitation crossed Kuro’s face. His ambition hadn’t entirely faded. His plan wasn’t simply to be a butler, he intended to seize the fortune of Syrup Village’s wealthiest resident and live comfortably ever after. To that end, even after his supposed ’retirement’, he’d kept the Black Cat Pirates secretly active.

He’d initially dismissed the East Blue pirates as a bunch of amateurs playing boring games. It was almost irritating. But now... something genuinely interesting was happening just as he planned his exit? Skipping this would make for a dull end to his pirate career.

Thinking it over, Kuro’s glasses glinted, and a sneer touched his lips. ”Fine. But becoming the East Blue’s top dog isn’t that simple. I hope this ’Mock’ isn’t like that fool Krieg, calling himself Pirate Fleet Admiral with a measly seventeen-million bounty.”

He pushed his glasses up using his palm.

”Alright then. Before I disappear, I’ll join this little pirate carnival. Plenty of time to play the butler game when I return!”

Kuro, immaculate in his suit, lifted his head and stared out at the calm and vast sea.

”Mock Pirates... Let’s see if you’ve earned that fifty-million-Berry bounty.”

Bounty: 16 Million Berries. Black Cat Pirates – Joining the Fray!

---

East Blue – Elsewhere at Sea

On a pirate ship distinguished by a swan figurehead and adorned everywhere with hearts – even the skull on its flag had a heart shape. ”Koby! Who is the most beautiful person on the seas?”

”Um... uh... well, of course... of course it’s...” The boy called Koby, pink-haired with round glasses framing his face, broke into a sweat. He faced the imposing, freckled woman wielding a massive spiked club. He scratched his head nervously, forcing an awkward smile. ”Of course, it’s you, Miss Alvida!”

Koby sighed inwardly, recalling his misfortune. He’d accidentally boarded the wrong ship while fishing some time ago and had been forced into service by the Alvida Pirates. Now he was stuck as a chore boy. Every single day, Alvida demanded he answer that same question, multiple times. Thankfully, praising her beauty seemed to keep him out of harm’s way.

”Hmph. Naturally, I am the most beautiful woman on the seas.” Hearing Koby’s expected answer, Alvida, spiked club resting on her shoulder, flashed a satisfied, freckled grin. She turned to the crew members behind her, her smile turning fierce. ”Get this ship spotless! Not a speck of dust! Only the most beautiful ship is worthy of the most beautiful captain!”

”Yes, yes, Captain Alvida! Right away!” Threatened by their captain, the crew scrambled to obey, nodding frantically.

Just then, one pirate hesitantly raised his hand, his voice trembling. ”Captain Alvida... the new East Blue Overlord sent out a summons. Are we... are we going? I hear lots of crews are heading there.”

”East Blue Overlord? You mean Krieg?”

”No, not Krieg! The new overlord, Captain Mock!” The pirate’s face lit up with something akin to hero-worship. ”He’s got a bounty of fifty million Berries!”

The words hung in the air.

”Fifty million?” Even the typically self-absorbed Alvida was stunned, staring in disbelief. ”Mock Pirates?” She glared at the still-starstruck pirate. ”Spit it out! Tell me everything!”

”Mock Pirates! I heard about it at the market.” The pirate snapped back to attention, shuddering slightly. ”Apparently, their captain has some beef with the Marine 16th Branch. So, after getting slapped with that huge bounty, he sent out a call to every pirate crew around! He wants to make a statement, slaughter the entire 16th Branch in front of everyone to cement his title as the East Blue Overlord! He said even if we just show up to watch, it’s fine. And he guarantees all the loot from the Marine base is ours for the taking!”

As he spoke, he nervously handed over a wanted poster for Captain Mock that he’d acquired that morning.

”Slaughter the Marine 16th Branch?” Alvida blinked, then burst into laughter. ”Now that sounds like fun!”

She glanced at the picture of the bald, imposing man on the poster. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She hefted her spiked club again. ”Alright, crew! Let’s crash this East Blue carnival! Time to let even more people witness my stunning beauty!”

”ALVIDA IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ON THE SEAS!” The crew erupted in cheers, even Koby weakly raising his fist along with them.

But beneath the forced enthusiasm, conflict flickered in Koby’s face.

Slaughter the Marine 16th Branch? How many people would die? Maybe... maybe I can find a chance to warn the Marines?

Amidst the cheers, the Alvida Pirates’ ship slowly changed course, heading towards the gathering.

Bounty: 5 Million Berries. Alvida Pirates – Joining the Fray!

---

East Blue – An Island Stronghold

This was the territory of the former self-proclaimed East Blue Overlord – the Krieg Pirates.

”A pirate summons? A new East Blue Overlord?” Don Krieg, captain of the Krieg Pirates, self proclaimed ’Pirate Fleet Admiral’, sneered as he received the news. ”Alright, men! We’re going too! Let’s see who dares to steal my title!”

”Admiral, are you sure?” Gin, Battle Commander of the Krieg Pirate Fleet, looked worried. ”That’s declaring open war on the Marines! And this guy has a fifty-million bounty. Anyone who earns that kind of attention from the Marines must be dangerous. We don’t need to provoke him. Admiral, isn’t our goal the Grand Line?”

”Shut up! A wanted poster doesn’t mean anything!” Krieg glared dismissively at his subordinate. ”I am the Overlord of the East Blue! No one takes that title from me!”

”But, Admiral-”

”Go! Prepare the fleet!”

”Alright...” Seeing his Captain’s rising irritation, Gin sighed and relented. ”Understood. But... how many ships and men should we take?”

”Ready my flagship, the Dreadnaught Sabre! And mobilize everyone!” Krieg’s eyes gleamed. ”Include that new vessel I acquired recently. Take all fifty ships!”

”What? All fifty ships? That’s five thousand men! Isn’t that overkill?”

”I said take them all!” Krieg snapped, cutting Gin off again. A cold smirk spread across his face as he gazed out at the sea. ”I want to see how this upstart who stole my title plans to stand against my invincible armada!”

’New East Blue Overlord? Not without going through me first!’ He waved dismissively at his men. ”Get ready! We set sail immediately!”

Bounty: 17 Million Berries. Krieg Pirates – Joining the Fray!

---

East Blue – Near Orange Town

”Boss, should we check it out? The new East Blue Overlord... slaughtering a Marine base... sounds kinda interesting.”

”Shut your mouth!” A clown with a bright red nose, clad in full clown attire, slammed down his rum mug. ”Some East Blue wannabe thinks he can summon us? Who does he think he is? I am Buggy, the Clown!”

”Yeah! What East Blue Overlord? Captain Buggy hasn’t acknowledged him!”

”Just ’cause he’s got a bigger bounty doesn’t mean squat!”

”If you ask me, our Boss is the real East Blue Overlord! He’s just too cool to brag about it!”

Hearing their captain’s bluster, the crew immediately roared their approval, raising their mugs in tribute.

None of them noticed Captain Buggy subtly wiping a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, his eyes secretly darting down to the wanted poster lying on the table.

Fifty million Berries.

In the East Blue, no less!

His eyes flickered. ’Is the East Blue producing another monster?’ he muttered inwardly. ’Best stay clear. Finding treasure is my only goal anyway.’

Raising his own mug high, he grinned broadly at his cheering crew. ”Let us drink! To this fool who calls himself the East Blue Overlord!”

”YEAH!”

---

The summons rippled across the East Blue. Countless pirate crews received the invitation from the new ’overlord’. Reactions varied: some were awestruck, some sneered, some dismissed it entirely.

Yet, more and more ships began converging on the coordinates specified by the Mock Pirates – some drawn by the promise of plunder, others just seeking entertainment or excitement.

Undeniably, Mock’s declaration of war had thrown the entire East Blue into a frenzy.

---

Meanwhile – Aboard the Mock Pirates’ Ship

Dante looked intently at Mock. ”You know the plan for tomorrow, right?”

”Sure do, Boss!” Mock puffed out his chest proudly. ”Tell ’em the Mock Pirates will lead the charge! Try to trick- I mean, convince- as many crews as possible to join in!”

”Trick? What are you talking about, ’trick’?” Dante shot Mock a look of mock disappointment, ignoring Nami, who was glaring with contempt nearby. He shook his head sadly, then fixed Mock with a serious gaze. ”We’re all allies in this, Mock! You don’t call it a ’trick’! You call it... inviting everyone to get rich together! Understand? Tell them you’ve got a solid plan, maybe a little risky, but worth it. And remember,” Dante leaned in conspiratorially, ”project that East Blue Overlord swagger!”

Mock stared at Dante with pure admiration. He quickly straightened up, puffing his chest out again, and declared loudly, ”Right, right! No tricks! Just... inviting everyone to get rich together!”

’Wow, Boss is amazing,’ Mock thought. ’It’s basically just setting them up, but he makes it sound so classy.’

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