“Boss Sasaki, is this thing really of any use?”
The crew members were somewhat skeptical of their captain’s words, as they examined the irregular hexagonal stone. It was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, looking plain and unremarkable. However, Sasaki claimed that this stone could serve as a meeting gift.
A meeting gift was an essential item when pirates from different crews meet. Depending on the difference in the status of the both pirate crews, the standard of the meeting gift varied.
For pirates of the same level, the most common meeting gift was alcohol. People have different preferences, but almost all pirates drink alcohol, so fine wines from various regions became the currency for pirate meetings.
However, Sasaki’s situation is different as he wants to join the other crew. The Beasts Pirates were no longer the same as they were in the past, with only Kaido as the member.
He encountered Queen in a laboratory, and King was also rescued from there. To be precise, most of the current high-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates had some connection to that laboratory; it is their initial foundation.
The subsequent crew members were recruited after being impressed by him, then they gradually expanded their territory, entered Wano Country, and established the foundation of the current Beasts Pirates.
Apart from some children who were picked up on the way by various members, the Beasts Pirates’ way of recruiting members had changed. It was no longer as simple as joining just because you want to.
Becoming a subordinate crew was relatively easy, but to join the inner circle directly, one needed either outstanding achievements or a valuable meeting gift.
Outstanding achievements were hard to obtain for the pirates of the first half. Even those so-called Super Rookies couldn’t achieve that.
The prevalence of Haki in the first half of the Grand Line was very low. Prior to undergoing experiences in the New World, even if their bounties exceeded 100 million, in the eyes of the major pirates of the New World, they were just ordinary fighters.
Even the members of the Worst Generation were chased around when they first entered the New World. The unique climate of the New World even almost cost some of them their lives.
Sasaki knew that, for now, he wouldn’t be valued by the other side in terms of strength, so the meeting gift became particularly important.
Although his bounty was enough to become an affiliated pirate crew, there was one thing he had in common with Bartolomeo. Just as Bartolomeo was a fanatical fan of Luffy, Sasaki was a fan of Kaido, and only Kaido.
The information he obtained from newspapers gave him some understanding of Kaido’s preferences. For example, he has wine prepared in the cabin as drinking with Kaido was the thing he wanted to do the most.
“Of course, there has been a reward for this kind of stone in the Beasts Pirates. I heard they want to make an indestructible armor with them. Anyway, having this thing will make the Beasts Pirates make an exception and accept us. Let’s move faster; I can’t wait any longer.”
“Wait a moment, Boss Sasaki, there’s a situation!”
The lookout on the mast suddenly shouted, as if he had discovered something serious.
“What happened?”
“There’s a ship ahead engaging in combat! The ship is flying the flag of the Beasts Pirates!”
At this news, Sasaki instantly reached the top of the mast, and even his subordinates didn’t notice how their captain got up there.
“Give me the binoculars!”
Snatching the binoculars from his subordinate, Sasaki’s lips curled up even more. Initially, he was wondering how to approach the other party without making them dislike him.
Having a suitable meeting gift was one thing, but how to present the gift was another matter. Now, the opportunity is here.
“Start the propeller, full speed ahead! Men, where you end up in the future will depend on today!”
Sasaki hails from Water 7 in the Grand Line, an area known for its highly developed shipbuilding industry.
Admiring Kaido led him to the path of piracy, and as a result, his ship’s quality surpassed that of the average pirate. He had bought it with the money he had saved up from his time as a pirate hunter.
Water 7 was no ordinary shipyard; besides its advanced shipbuilding technology, the shipwrights there were also top-notch fighters.
Following his order, Sasaki’s ship began to accelerate.
Meanwhile, not long ago, the meeting between Perfume Yuda and the Marines was not particularly pleasant.
Hancock, stepping on Yuda’s body, arrived on the warship, instantly attracting the attention of a group of Marines. At the same time, there was the sound of guns being loaded.
“Love-Love Beam~”
“Boa Hancock! What are you doing?!”
Looking at the large number of Marines around turning into stone statues, Comil questioned Hancock. There was a lot of brown powder around his mouth; he had a habit of drinking coffee, but the local specialty near the G-2 Branch was bitter coffee.
He had just stuffed a bag of concentrated bitter coffee powder into his mouth, which had diverted his attention. Hancock’s Devil Fruit development time was not enough, making it more difficult for her to petrify powerful individuals.
“Who told them to have wandering eyes? I just gave them a little lesson. Besides, you’ll forgive me, right? After all, I’m so beautiful.”
Marines wanted to test her strength, and she was also giving them a show of her strength. The position of Shichibukai sounded good—no need to be wanted, yet legal plundering was allowed. However, it wasn’t that simple.
Many pirates viewed Shichibukai as the lapdogs of the World Government, and the Marines saw them as scum and expendable resources. If she didn’t show them her skills, the days ahead wouldn’t be easy.
“That’s not the problem! Quickly change them back!”
The blade was already unsheathed, and Comil’s gaze became dangerous. This Devil Fruit ability was particularly useful against a large number of enemies. Only a few could resist the effects of the Devil Fruit by relying on Haki.
If the strength was insufficient, even with Haki, they couldn’t withstand the opponent’s attacks. Comil, after all, was a seasoned Vice Admiral and didn’t directly become helpless.
“When I’m in a good mood. For instance, your blade is making me uncomfortable.”
“You!”
“I advise Sir Vice Admiral to calm down. If I were to die, even if you find the reincarnated Devil Fruit, the next Devil Fruit user won’t be able to remove my petrification.”
“Is this your attitude? You were the ones who proposed the Shichibukai deal, right?”
“Although that’s true, pointing guns at people is not proper etiquette. Where’s the invitation to be a Shichibukai?”
Hancock’s strength also made Comil more aware, so he took out the Shichibukai invitation from the World Government.
“Now, can you undo their petrification?”
“Snake Princess, Snake Princess!”
Before Hancock could respond, Gloriosa behind her jumped out and signaled to her. The plan was almost achieved, and in her view, it was best to finish it quickly.
But, just then, the sound of gliding cannonballs filled the air, and everything unfolded as planned.
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