“The William Pirates!”
This powerful group had been active in East Blue for years. Though their numbers were small, their reputation for not harming civilians made them well-known in East Blue.
Their captain, George William, was highly skilled in swordsmanship and had defeated many strong pirates, earning him a bounty of 20 million Berries from the World Government.
However, few knew that twelve years ago, George William was just a fallen noble’s son who had studied swordsmanship at Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village, East Blue.
At that time, Kahn was his senior disciple at Isshin Dojo!
Both had trained under Koushirou, but various factors led Kahn and William down very different paths.
Meeting again.
They now stood on opposite sides of the law.
“Release those Marine recruits,” Kahn demanded, looking directly at his long-unseen junior.
William smiled innocently.
“Brother Kahn, don’t be tense. I never intended to harm them. But if you want me to release them, you must exchange my first mate, Jeff, for them!”
Kahn frowned.
“William, are you threatening me?”
William replied sincerely.
“Not a threat, a suggestion. This is the best outcome for your Marines, isn’t it?”
Upon hearing this, several indignant Marines immediately spoke out.
“Major, we can’t agree to this!”
“That’s right! Major Kahn, how can we bow to pirates?”
“We must not meet the pirates’ demands!”
…
Kahn listened in silence, staring at the William Pirates before him and then at the tied-up Marine recruits.
The young, inexperienced recruits were clearly panicked and helpless, looking to Kahn for salvation.
Kahn delayed.
“I’m not the highest-ranking officer in Loguetown. This decision needs to be made by Captain Smoker. Give me some time.”
William knew this was Kahn’s stalling tactic but remained indifferent. He drew a flintlock pistol from his waist, cocked it, and aimed it at a Marine recruit’s head.
“Fine, but my time is limited. Every minute without a response, I’ll kill one Marine recruit. Starting now, sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight…”
Kahn’s eyes narrowed slightly, his grip on his sword tightening.
He knew his dojo junior’s character well. If William said he would shoot after a minute, he absolutely would.
Though the William Pirates didn’t kill civilians, they showed no mercy to the Marines.
The Marines tensed up, gripping their weapons tightly, fearing the impending events.
Meanwhile, the pirates were fully armed, ready to fight the Marines at any moment.
Both sides were on the brink of conflict.
Kahn quickly considered his options. Despite his skills, he couldn’t guarantee the safety of the tied-up recruits if a battle broke out.
Moreover, the Marines he had brought were outnumbered by the William Pirates.
To protect the recruits and avoid excessive casualties.
Kahn had to agree to William’s demand.
“Alright, we’ll release him, but you must ensure the safety of every Marine recruit.”
“Of course.”
William felt relieved. Though confident in his plan, he was still worried until it succeeded.
Kahn ordered a nearby Marine lieutenant, “Mod, take a team to the base’s dungeon and bring the pirate Jeff here.”
“Major Kahn, this…”
Mod was concerned. If the higher-ups learned the Marines had compromised with pirates, Major Kahn might face severe punishment, possibly even demotion.
Kahn waved his concerns away. “It’s alright. I’ll bear all the consequences.”
Reluctantly, Mod obeyed and led a team of Marines back to the base.
The scene fell into silence.
Curls stood among the Marines, silently observing the situation at the port.
He had read about the William Pirates in newspapers, which praised them for not harming civilians.
He hadn’t expected them to use such a unique method to confront the Loguetown Marines to rescue their first mate.
For the sake of one man, the entire crew had come. This showed the extraordinary cohesion of the William Pirates.
Although the William Pirates didn’t appear in the original manga, Curls was certain.
They were a BOSS-level presence in East Blue!
Having just killed one of their crew members, Curls couldn’t help but worry if they would hold a grudge against him.
…
Ten minutes later, Mod and the Marine soldiers returned with a scruffy man bound in rope.
This unkempt man, with his disheveled beard, looked almost like a drunkard.
It was hard to believe this was Jeff, the first mate of the William Pirates.
Mod kept hold of Jeff, making him stand before the Marines.
William moved the flintlock from the recruit’s head and spoke calmly, “Don’t worry, Brother Kahn. I will keep my promise.”
Kahn waved, and Mod released Jeff, allowing him to return to the pirates.
On the other side, the pirates began freeing the tied-up Marine recruits.
During this exchange.
The tension peaked, with both sides aiming their weapons, ready to react to any sudden changes.
Finally, Jeff reached the William Pirates safely, and the Marine recruits returned unharmed.
A young pirate immediately freed Jeff from his bindings.
“Sorry, Captain, for the trouble,” Jeff said hoarsely.
“No problem.”
William patted Jeff’s shoulder and signaled everyone to return to the pirate ship.
After the exchange.
Kahn took no further action, waiting silently for the William Pirates to leave.
In truth, none of the Marines present wanted to fight the William Pirates, known for not harming civilians.
One by one, the pirates boarded the ship, leaving only Captain William behind.
William didn’t rush aboard because Ardren had told him that the Marine recruit who killed Yadon was present.
So, he had one more thing to do.
William scanned the dozens of Marines before finally fixing his gaze on the young Curls.
“One of my crew was killed by one of your Marine recruits…”
Curls immediately sensed something was wrong.
William, with a serious expression, said, “Although life and death are part of this life, he was a member of my crew. As the captain, I…”
“I must avenge him!”
In the blink of an eye.
Without warning, William drew his long sword and slashed at Curls.
William’s attack was so sudden.
Before Curls could react, the long sword was already at his neck.
Clang!
A clear, ringing sound echoed!
Kahn’s not-so-tall figure stood before Curls, his weapon firmly blocking William’s deadly strike.
“Brother Kahn.”
“Are you going to protect him?”
The clash of swords sparked.
The former dojo brothers crossed swords once more!
Kahn stared straight at William, his powerful aura forcing William back to his original position.
“He is a recruit at the Loguetown Marine base. I must protect him. If you want to kill him, you’ll have to defeat me first!”
Faced with Kahn’s resolve.
William didn’t persist, knowing now wasn’t the time for a direct conflict with the Marines.
“Alright.”
William sheathed his long sword.
He turned and boarded the pirate ship.
“In that case, I’ll let him go this time. But next time we meet, I hope he can face my swordsmanship himself!”
————
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