One Piece: The True Codex

William wasn't sure whether to admire Sherlock's audacity or shake his head at his recklessness. Choosing money over his own life seemed outrageous, but after spending a considerable amount of time in this world, William had come to understand its peculiarities. Through fragmented memories from this body's original owner, combined with his own observations and reflections, he had pieced together an understanding of this world's ethos and its origins.

Compared to the environment of his previous life, there was no doubt that this world was utterly rotten. It could only compete in wretchedness with the most unstable regions of Earth, such as parts of Africa.

First, there was the World Government, a bloated, inefficient, and corruption-ridden institution. The privileges of its founders, the Celestial Dragons, and their culture of enslaving others reeked of a semi-colonial system.

Second, there was one of the World Government's most prominent forces—the Marines.

Due to the rampant piracy and the isolation caused by the Calm Belt, communication and coordination across regions were poor. Following the onset of the Great Pirate Era, the Marines shifted their focus to the Grand Line, granting local base commanders significant autonomy, including the authority to conscript soldiers. The lack of scientific management, infrequent personnel rotations, and other systemic issues turned many base commanders into warlord-like figures who abused their power in their territories.

Third, most nations were still governed by feudal monarchies. The gap between the nobility and the commoners was vast, and the class system was deeply entrenched. Nobles ruled by divine right, while the lower classes had few opportunities for upward mobility. Corruption and bureaucracy were even worse than within the World Government.

Finally, there were the pirates, who swarmed like locusts, leaving destruction in their wake.

This deformed world, where individuals possessed extraordinary strength, relied on morality as one of the few constraints on those in power. But how effective could morality be, especially in a world as chaotic as this?

For many, whether it was pirates, Marines, the World Government, unrestrained powerful individuals, or noble rulers, any of them could easily destroy their peaceful lives. Death, wielding its scythe, lurked everywhere.

In such an environment, most people couldn't avoid death and had to become accustomed to it. This inevitably gave rise to a culture that trivialized death and even romanticized it, breeding countless "eccentric geniuses" who sought to realize their value in life before their inevitable demise.

They knew that since death was unavoidable, they might as well strive to accomplish something extraordinary, something that would be remembered by the world.

William sighed deeply. This was indeed a rotten era, but it was also an era of heroes and legends.

Tony's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"But we can't possibly gather enough ransom money!" Tony exclaimed. "You don't have enough either. Sherlock overestimates you. You're not the son of a guild president like him. Forty million Beli—how many people can casually pull out that much cash without batting an eye?"

Gin, who was also in the room, sneered at Tony's defeatist attitude. "Capital doesn't only mean money, you know."

William laughed heartily and clapped his hands. "That's why you're my brother, Gin!"

"What do you mean?" Tony asked, confused.

William countered with a question of his own. "What do you know about the Shark Pirates?"

Tony curled his lip dismissively. "In the East Blue, the only pirate groups I know are the Red-Beard Pirates and the Chef Pirates. I've never even heard of some third-rate group like the Shark Pirates."

William smirked. "If they're an unknown pirate crew, that makes things easier."

Tony's expression changed as he began to grasp William's meaning.

"That Sherlock fellow understands it too. In this world, capital has never been limited to just money," William said, tapping the hilt of the sword at his waist. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on me delivering the ransom. That man truly doesn't value his own life."

A few nautical miles from Momiji Village, a small twin-masted merchant ship lay anchored. In the crow's nest, a pirate with a black cloth wrapped around his head peered toward the village through a spyglass. Below him, several pirates on the deck were also keeping watch in the direction of the village.

After a while, the pirate in the crow's nest spotted a small boat slowly approaching through his spyglass.

Under the wary gazes of the pirates, William's small boat finally neared the merchant ship. He furled the single sail on his boat, tapped the side of the boat twice with his right foot, producing two crisp knocks, and then leapt onto the merchant ship's deck with two large leather cases in hand. His movements were as swift and graceful as a hawk.

The pirates, all armed, formed a semi-circle around William.

From the fact that William had dared to enter their lair alone, combined with the agility he had just displayed, it was clear he was no ordinary man. The pirates, who were new to the kidnapping business, were understandably cautious about their first venture.

William was indeed unarmed. His gray shirt and black trousers left no room for concealed weapons.

Raising the leather cases in his hands, William addressed the tense pirates. "I've only brought money. There's no need to be so nervous, is there?"

He opened one of the cases, revealing neatly bundled stacks of Beli. The sight of twenty million in cash was indeed impactful, especially for these low-level pirates who lived hand-to-mouth, never knowing if they would survive another day.

One of the pirates, his face full of greed, reached out to grab the case from William. But William sidestepped him effortlessly.

"Don't you know the rules? Where's Sherlock? I need to confirm his safety first," William said, frowning as he snapped the case shut.

The pirates, momentarily blinded by the sight of the money, let their professional ethics fly out the window. At William's words, their eyes turned hostile.

The pirate who had reached for the case flared his nostrils and stepped forward with his blade raised, only to be stopped by another pirate—a pockmarked man with an afro.

This man had been one of the pirates who had interacted directly with Sherlock earlier. Sherlock's silver tongue had not only persuaded them to change their plans but also left a favorable impression on some of them. As a result, he didn't mind allowing William to see Sherlock first.

The pirates had considered double-crossing William—taking the ransom, killing Sherlock and the other hostages, and collecting their employer's bounty as well.

However, Sherlock had made it clear in his earlier negotiations that killing him, the son of a local guild president, along with innocent crew members to stage a pirate attack, would provoke severe retaliation. His father wouldn't rest until justice was served, and the increased bounty on their heads would make their lives much harder.

Unlike outliers like Edmond, most low-level pirates didn't want their bounties to rise too high. Without superior strength or influence, a high bounty would only bring relentless pursuit from the Marines.

By comparison, kidnapping caused less of a stir. And besides, they reasoned, hadn't they treated Sherlock relatively well so far?

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