One Piece: The True Codex

The sounds of battle came quickly and faded just as fast. Soon after, a light knock echoed from outside the captain's cabin.

The pirate minion, who had been holding the door shut, looked at William with a pale face. William's smile widened as he first glanced at the uncertain Sherlock before waving a hand to dismiss the minion.

"Come in!" William called out loudly toward the door.

The door to the captain's cabin creaked open from the outside, revealing a bald head smeared with blood. After cautiously peeking into the room and confirming the situation was safe, the figure stepped inside.

It was none other than Vallon. His head was streaked with blood, though his body showed no signs of injury. Clearly, the blood wasn't his.

"Are all the enemies outside taken care of?" William asked.

Vallon casually wiped the blood off his head and replied, "Should be. Gin, Aramis, and Edmond are checking the cabins to make sure there are no stragglers."

William nodded and turned his attention to Sherlock, whose lips were tightly pressed together. "You said local sales are the most dangerous part? How dangerous? Getting extorted by some local officials? Let's be honest here—once we start working together, my crew will be the ones guarding the ship and protecting the goods. We'll be facing murderous pirates who wouldn't hesitate to kill. The truth is, the most dangerous part of the operation will fall on me and my people."

"Mr. Sherlock, my companions and I may not come from prestigious families like you, but our lives are not so cheap either." William leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk and staring down at Sherlock with an imposing gaze. He spoke slowly and firmly, emphasizing each word. "You're only putting up money, while we're putting up our lives. So naturally, I'll be the one calling the shots in this business!"

Straightening back up, William continued, "Besides, we're not just risking our lives; we're putting up money too. And unless you can get your father's help, you won't find anyone qualified to partner with you in the short term. If you're not satisfied, you're free not to work with me. But let me give you a piece of advice..."

His tone became inscrutable as he added, "Having ships and goods on this sea is nothing more than being a transport team for those with real power."

When William finished speaking, the room fell into silence. Vallon glanced nervously between William and the contemplative Sherlock, worried that Sherlock's youthful pride might be provoked by William's veiled threats.

However, after a moment of consideration, Sherlock blinked and said, "Outlaws? I like that."

Standing up, Sherlock declared, "The greater the risk, the greater the reward. I like bold people who dare to do what others wouldn't. That's how you make money beyond anyone's imagination. You want to take the lead? Fine! But I'm a businessman—I want profit. Can you deliver that?"

Two hands clasped together once more—one rough and calloused, the other slender and refined.

"No problem."

Gin and the others had been hiding in the small boat William had arrived on. When William lightly tapped the boat's side earlier, it was a signal to the crew hidden in the boat's secret compartment to be ready for his cue.

Once the other pirates were distracted by the commotion created by William and the captain's cabin, Gin and the others shed their disguises and stormed the merchant ship.

Since Sherlock lacked the ability to protect himself, William waited until Gin came to the captain's cabin to report that all the pirates on the ship had been dealt with before escorting Sherlock to the ship's deck.

After everyone had left the cabin, Aramis, who stayed behind, gave the surviving pirate minion a wicked grin. Moments later, the group heard a scream echo from the cabin.

Gin turned his head to look at Aramis, who had just walked out of the room and rejoined the group. Aramis shrugged nonchalantly. "I only broke both his arms."

Meanwhile, William was casually chatting with Sherlock. "So, from what you're saying, this kidnapping was premeditated? I guess I should've kept that leader alive. Do you need my help?"

"No need. I can more or less guess who's behind it without asking," Sherlock replied, shaking his head.

"Family drama?" William raised an eyebrow. "I don't really understand the scheming within big families like yours."

"My family isn't exactly a dynasty. We've only been wealthy for two generations. My great-grandfather was just an apprentice in a general store, and it wasn't until my grandfather's time that we had a shop of our own. Hardly a noble lineage," Sherlock said with a chuckle. "But every family has a few useless relatives. Short-sighted, incapable of building something of their own, they can only fixate on the family's wealth, afraid they'll starve in the future."

"When you make it big someday, you'll probably encounter similar relatives," Sherlock teased. "But judging by your personality, you'd probably crush them without a second thought. I'm not as decisive—I'm just a businessman, not as straightforward as you."

As a pampered young heir, Sherlock had just experienced a series of events that would terrify most people. Yet now, he seemed completely at ease. At least, William could no longer detect any trace of fear or unease on his face.

Just as Sherlock had gained newfound respect for William after witnessing his daring rescue, William also developed a sense of admiration for Sherlock's composure and resilience.

The group sailed back to Red Leaf Village, where Sherlock reassured the merchant ship's crew and let them leave. He then joined Tony at a welcome banquet held in his honor.

Though called a banquet, it was a modest gathering. Tony, his uncle Omar, Sherlock, William, Gin, Aramis, Vallon, and Edmond occupied the second floor of the tavern, drinking, eating, and discussing the logistics of their future alcohol smuggling operation.

Edmond still harbored doubts about the venture's success. "Selling alcohol that originally costs only a few hundred Beli for thousands, even tens of thousands—will people really buy it?"

Before William could respond, Tony's uncle Omar grinned and said, "Why wouldn't they?"

Raising his glass, Omar chuckled slyly. "After days of hard work, men will gladly pay for a drink like this."

Displeased by Omar's demeanor, Edmond chose not to respond and turned to Vallon for a quiet conversation.

Since learning to read, Vallon had developed a love for books—specifically adventure novels. Despite his seemingly simple nature, Vallon harbored a secret yearning for the grand tales of adventure he read about, which aligned perfectly with Edmond's aspirations.

The two young men quickly became close, much to the annoyance of Aramis. Previously, he enjoyed teasing Vallon, but now that Vallon and Edmond were inseparable, jealousy began to creep in.

William couldn't be bothered with the antics of these three. He turned to Sherlock and suggested, "If possible, I recommend registering a few pharmaceutical shops at the local sales points. We'll produce alcohol here in Red Leaf Village and transport it to those shops. Even if local officials investigate, we can claim it's medical alcohol."

Using pharmacies as a front for smuggling alcohol was an idea William borrowed from the Americans in his previous life. In the novel The Great Gatsby, the protagonist had employed a similar tactic.

"Won't the quality suffer?" Tony asked.

"The low-end market is the real moneymaker," Sherlock replied, wiping his mouth. "And this approach saves on shipping costs. As for higher-end products, instead of selling them directly, we could use them to bribe local officials. Prohibition is a wonderful thing—it even saves us a fortune on bribes."

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