One Piece: The True Codex

At the dock of Red Leaf Village, a group of weathered dockworkers and sailors, rough-handed and rugged, sat or squatted around William, listening intently as he told a pirated version of Water Margin.

This scoundrel had altered the names and backgrounds of the characters, turning it into a story about a pirate captain and his 108 pirate subordinates dominating the seas. Of course, he couldn't resist adding his own flair, embellishing tales of how the "royal nobles" and the "World Government" oppressed the innocent, forcing good people to turn into outlaws.

The smuggling business had already entered a stable phase. The group produced alcohol and alcoholic beverages in Red Leaf Village, while Sherlock used his connections within the Flash Gold Guild to arrange for fleets to transport the goods. Sometimes, they even operated under the guild's banner. The goods were ultimately delivered to local apothecaries for sale. Leveraging money and the inflated prices of premium alcohol due to the prohibition law, they easily bribed local officials. These feudal bureaucrats were utterly susceptible to the temptations of alcohol and money, allowing the group to establish a trade network in the region with ease.

When the goods traveled across the sea, William, Aramis, Gin, Vallon, and Edmond took turns escorting the cargo ships, protecting them from pirates and even attacks from other competitors.

William never wasted time during these voyages. A natural socialite, he easily mingled with the diverse individuals on the ships and docks. From captains to dockworkers and sailors, he knew almost everyone. For those he deemed worth cultivating, he kept a mental ledger.

This process was how William built his network of connections.

The profits from the smuggling business had already allowed William to amass a considerable fortune. Combined with the connections he had built over the past year, he could assemble a crew and purchase a large ship to set sail at any moment—if it weren't for his intention to continue honing his swordsmanship at the dojo and further improving his own strength.

Speaking of the people on the ships and docks, it was the dockworkers and sailors who liked William the most. Despite his exceptional skills and high status, he carried no airs. Unlike the captains and merchant lords who would hide away in their private cabins as soon as they boarded, William often smoked and chatted with the laborers.

Having not come from a wealthy family in his previous life, William found it easy to bond with these working-class individuals.

Most of these dockworkers and ordinary sailors were uneducated, with many of them being illiterate. They loved gathering around William to hear his stories and learn about things they had never encountered before, broadening their horizons.

On one hand, it was out of curiosity. On the other, some of them were cunning enough to hope to leave an impression on their boss.

After finishing his adapted version of Lin Chong's story of fleeing by night, the audience erupted into a flurry of comments.

One sailor, visibly displeased, said, "That Marine named Wood is just too pathetic. He couldn't even protect his own wife. If he hadn't overheard that secret conversation by sheer luck, he'd probably still be dreaming about starting over!"

His companion sitting next to him retorted, "Easy for you to say. We're talking about a Celestial Dragon here. If one stood in front of you, you'd probably be so scared you'd drop to your knees."

The first sailor argued back, "I'm just a regular guy, but he's a Vice Admiral! And not just any Vice Admiral—he's the Chief Instructor of Marine Headquarters! He must be incredibly strong. If I were as strong as him, I'd punch that damn Celestial Dragon to pieces first, then fight my way out of Marine Headquarters and become a pirate who lives for freedom and revenge!"

The others scoffed at his fantasies. "Tch, big talk."

Another sailor, deep in thought, chimed in, "What do you think would happen if a Marine hero like Garp accidentally offended a Celestial Dragon? Would he end up like Wood?"

This sparked another heated debate among the group, but William didn't join in. He had already spotted Gin and the others approaching from the far end of the dock.

"Why are you late?" William stood up from the crate he was sitting on and called out to Gin.

The cargo had already been unloaded. If they weren't waiting for the people to weigh down the ship, they wouldn't have docked for so long, and William wouldn't have had the time to sit around telling stories.

As Gin and the others drew closer, William immediately understood the reason for their delay. A little girl with short, neat black hair was riding piggyback on Vallon.

The girl looked about ten years old, thin and frail. She was clutching a katana that was far too long for her. As soon as she saw William, she lifted her head from Vallon's back and shouted fiercely, "William!"

"Kuina, what are you doing here?" William initially greeted her with a warm smile, but his brow furrowed as his gaze fell upon the katana in her hands. His tone turned stern. "And why did you bring the Wado Ichimonji with you?"

Kuina was the daughter of Koushirou, the master of Isshin Dojo. However, Koushirou never showed any special treatment towards his only child. In both daily training and guidance, he treated her equally.

Although the Wado Ichimonji belonged to Koushirou and would eventually become Kuina's possession, allowing her to use it freely, the journey between Red Leaf Village and Shimotsuki Village wasn't exactly short. For a child of about ten years old to carry such a precious blade posed the risk of it being stolen or taken by force. William understood this all too well, as he also understood the value of the Wado Ichimonji to a swordsman.

"I've come to challenge you!" Kuina struggled to jump down from Vallon's back, only to cry out in pain and land on her bottom.

Gin explained, "Kuina twisted her ankle halfway here. I wanted to take her back to the dojo, but she made such a fuss that Vallon, being too soft-hearted, ended up carrying her here."

Kuina pouted and said, "Gin is a meanie. Vallon isn't soft-hearted; he's a good person."

Vallon scratched the back of his head awkwardly at her words and tried to help Kuina up, but she refused.

Determined, Kuina used her sword as a crutch to stand up, her small face tense with resolve. She declared to William, "Today, I'm challenging you again! If I defeat you, I'll be the strongest disciple in the dojo!"

"Ridiculous!" William shook his head.

Unconvinced, Kuina argued, "I even brought the Wado Ichimonji today, just so I could beat you..."

Before she could finish, William swiftly drew his sheathed blade and struck the Wado Ichimonji, which she was using as a crutch.

Caught off guard and lacking the strength to match William, Kuina's grip on the Wado Ichimonji faltered. The sword flew out of her hands, and she fell hard onto the solid dock.

Despite being just a ten-year-old girl, Kuina was far tougher than her peers. Though her arms and knees were scraped, she didn't seem to care. Instead, she glared at William angrily and said, "You cheated!"

"In a real fight, do you expect your enemy to let you ramble on like that?" William tilted his head. "Do you know what this is called? Overestimating yourself! You were no match for me to begin with, and now you're injured, not even in your best condition, yet you still want to challenge me. If I were a real enemy, your actions would be no different from suicide."

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