One Piece: The True Codex

"You were right, I did need something from you before, but now it's you who needs me." William ground his foot down, still smiling.

In the end, even though the Danton Pirates, where William previously belonged, were not well-known, surviving on the sea was a high-risk occupation, with cannonballs flying and bullets whizzing during battles. This was something a land-based thug like Tony couldn't imagine. In terms of threat level, William never considered Tony and his gang seriously, so no matter Tony's attitude, William remained unfazed.

"What?" Tony asked through gritted teeth.

William kicked the pistol aside and lifted Tony with one hand, saying, "Now, it's you who needs to beg me to spare your life!"

"In your dreams!" Tony, with the bravado typical of a small-time thug, attempted to fight back. He produced a dagger from somewhere and tried to stab William.

The outcome was predictable. William easily snatched the dagger, grabbed Tony by the throat, and slammed him against the tree behind them.

William exerted so much force that the large tree shook. Tony sat dazed at its base.

A few leaves dislodged by the impact fell on Tony's head, and William brushed them off like an old friend, saying, "Your life is in my hands now, so you need me. We should be able to have a proper conversation."

"If you've got the guts, then do it!" Tony glared at William defiantly.

William frowned, puzzled. "Why do people like you always shout when their lives are in someone else's hands? Do you think I'm like you, just a small-time thug who only makes threats and doesn't dare to kill?"

Without waiting for Tony's response, William turned to Gin nearby and said, "Kill that guy Manny."

Without hesitation, Gin flipped Manny over and pinned him to the ground.

Manny tried to scream, but Gin's iron grip silenced him, forcing his cries back down his throat.

Pressing his knee against Manny's struggling body, Gin slowly drove his gleaming katana into Manny's lower back, inch by inch.

Manny's tears and snot flowed freely, his struggles soon turning to convulsions. Tony watched, drenched in cold sweat, especially unnerved by Gin's habitual indifference, which made him seem like a seasoned killer.

"Stop, stop!" Tony stammered.

Gin didn't stop until William instructed him to. He withdrew the katana, and blood quickly soaked the ground beneath Manny, who was barely breathing.

Tony's face turned ashen, drenched in sweat. Edmond didn't look much better. Only William, Gin, Aramis, and the others remained unfazed, even the usually straightforward Vallon didn't blink.

After all, Edmond was a self-proclaimed pirate, whereas William and the others were genuine pirates.

"He's dying," William said, his gaze shifting from Manny. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Tony's sweat, speaking slowly, "Once he's dead, it'll be your other henchman next, then you. So, your time is running out."

"What do you want?" Tony asked, his voice trembling.

At this moment, Aramis dragged the unconscious Angie over by his hair, saying boldly, "No need for so much nonsense. These weaklings are useless. We should kill them, then head to Momiji Village overnight, eliminate the gang leaders, and take control of his crew. Do you think these cowardly thugs would dare rebel?"

"Don't kill me!" Tony pleaded urgently. "My uncle is the village chief. If you kill me, you won't be able to hide it, and you can't control my forces in Momiji Village."

William waved Aramis away, dismissing his attempt to scare Tony, then said to Tony, "Don't worry, if you're willing to cooperate, I won't resort to such measures."

"I'll cooperate, I'll cooperate," Tony nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken.

"Stop his bleeding!" William ordered Gin loudly, then turned to Tony and said, "Rest assured, I have a profitable venture in mind. But I need your connections with your uncle and your local influence, not your toy soldiers."

He casually toyed with the dagger he had taken from Tony, sneering, "...not your juvenile gang."

William fished a pack of cigarettes from Tony's pocket, lit one for him, and asked, "Can you read? Do you follow the news?"

Tony's face remained pale. He nodded, then shook his head.

William pulled out several newspapers from his coat, marked with red circles around various headlines and articles:

"Wise or Foolish? Norton I Declares Prohibition!"

"...If this news is true, there will no longer be places to publicly drink in the Navia Kingdom."

"Finance Minister's Speech—'Alcohol is the Root of Crime!'"

...

William doubted Tony could comprehend the articles fully, so he explained, "The king of Navia Kingdom, Norton I, reportedly despises alcohol."

William pointed to a section of the newspaper encircled in red, detailing the Navia Kingdom and King Norton I: "He never drinks. Since ascending the throne, he's imposed heavy taxes on alcohol sales. Now he wants to eradicate alcohol from his realm entirely."

Smiling, he continued, "Of course, unlike those pampered fools raised in palaces who think they are the center of the universe, you and I both know that alcohol can't be banned. He'll only cause its price to skyrocket tenfold or more, and he won't collect any taxes."

Tony, who had some sense, quickly caught on. "You want to smuggle alcohol into the Navia Kingdom?"

Tony considered it a potentially lucrative business, though not without challenges. "That won't be easy."

"Of course, if it were easy, I'd do it myself. Why would I need you?" William chuckled, patting Tony's shoulder and looking him in the eye. "Since you've agreed to cooperate, do you have any suggestions for our upcoming business venture?"

Tony glanced at William's eyes, devoid of humor, then at his two battered henchmen. Gritting his teeth, he seemed to make a decision. "I think we should bring someone else in."

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

Weekly Stable Updates with 30+ Chapters Always Available. High-Quality and Consistent Translations Are the Channel's Top Priority.

Current Books:

Naruto: Deidara's Struggle

God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village 

Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline Development Manual

One Piece:The True Codex

One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

👉patreon.com/GoldenLong