One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 224 Whitebeard and the Mystery
Goodbye, Bellemere!

"I will miss you, Bellemere!"

"Me too!"

"Yo-ho, bye-bye~!"

In late February, twenty days after Xianuo set sail for the East China Sea, the Fallen Curtain finally welcomed back its captain.

Bellemere stayed on the ship for three full days, spending quality time with her two daughters, before setting off for Dressrosa.

Beside the sunflower field outside the capital, Shano had already spoken to King Riku and rented a small wooden house with a windmill for her there.

Open the window and you'll see a sea of ​​golden flowers.

It also comes with a suitable-sized courtyard where you can grow things, and it's close to the bustling area of ​​the capital, with a main road leading directly to it.

The idyllic rural life and urban scenery can be switched at any time with a single click, making it Bellemere's dream house. If you get tired of staying there for too long, you can move to other territories to experience different customs and cultures.

Of course.

The so-called "remaining territories" currently consist of only one piece.

However, there will be more soon.

With Shano's official return, searching for a suitable island to serve as a base has been officially listed as the Fallen Ones' top priority.

In fact, more than twenty days ago, the crew had already begun to gather intelligence on this matter under Charlotte's prior instruction.

Now that intelligence gathering is complete, it's time to hold a meeting and determine the strategy.

on the deck.

"This is a nautical chart of the sea area we are about to reach."

Xia Nuo snapped his fingers.

Robin immediately understood, took out a long nautical chart from under his arm, and spread it out on the table.

Apart from Bonnie riding a big dog on the bow of the ship and tormenting Silver, all the other members were gathered around the long table.

"Uh... is this a nautical chart?"

Nami stared at the thing in front of her that looked like a kindergarten drawing, her face full of astonishment.

"...Mmm."

Xiong scratched the back of his head, his old face slightly reddening.

He has the ability to fly, so he is responsible for most of the intelligence gathering and integration work in this area.

This nautical chart was also drawn by him while recording from the air. It contains a total of seven islands, scattered in various corners of this sea area.

The distances between the islands, their specific latitude and longitude, as well as their shapes and outlines...

None of them have anything to do with the word "precision".

but……

"Having a general understanding of the distribution of islands in this sea area is enough."

Charlotte gave Nami a flick on the forehead, annoyed. "She's not a navigator, yet you're comparing yourself to her. If you want an accurate nautical chart, go draw one yourself later."

"Ignore him, Robin, let's get back to business."

"OK."

Seeing Nami covering her head with tears in her eyes, Robin smiled gently.

"As everyone knows, the current situation in the New World is that after the Four Emperors established their dominance, most of the islands, except for a few scattered islands, are under their control."

"And this sea area is rather special."

"It is situated between the territories of the Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates. Neither side intends to completely take over this sea area, but rather regards it as a buffer zone for war."

"The Whitebeard Pirates actually control the island in the lower right corner, which is the southeasternmost island, called Mist Star Island."

"The Beasts Pirates actually control the top left corner, which is the northwesternmost island, called Ember Star Island."

Suddenly, slender arms sprouted from the nautical chart, pointing to the two islands respectively.

Robin continued:

"The remaining five islands are currently all unclaimed."

"The long-term use of the island as a buffer zone for the protracted war has made the indigenous people suffer so much that they have had to leave their homes, and most of them have gradually moved to other islands."

"These islands gradually declined, and the two northernmost islands even became completely lawless areas, turning into places where underground black market transactions were rampant."

At this point, Robin paused, then smiled and looked at Shano:

"And our captain seems to have his eye on this island in the very center?"

Six stars and one moon, the other six islands are all named after stars, and the island in the very center is called the Island of the New Moon.

It is a large island, as its name suggests, with an overall outline shaped like a crescent moon. It was once rich in underground mineral resources, and the central highlands stand tall and are easy to defend and difficult to attack.

It would be a perfect base camp.

"The island in the middle?"

Xia Nuo stared at the center of the nautical chart, then suddenly slammed his fist on it, making the table vibrate.
"No, you're wrong, Robin! Not the middle, but the whole thing!"

He grinned, making no attempt to hide his ambition, and loosened his fist, pointing his finger heavily at the center of the five unclaimed islands:

"I want all five islands!!!"

"It's time to end these petty skirmishes. Now that I'm choosing a base and officially establishing my own sphere of influence, a mere island is hardly enough to satisfy my appetite. I'll just take over the entire sea area in one fell swoop!"

Five unclaimed islands in total.

Furthermore, regardless of the island's size, population, or economic foundation, it is quite impressive and by no means a desolate place.

If it weren't for its extremely special location, there would be no way no one in the New World would covet such a place.

after all……

On one side is Kaido, and on the other is Whitebeard.

No one dared to disobey the two maritime emperors, lest they find themselves caught in the middle and cause trouble for themselves.

But he is different.

He, Xia Nuo, is also a sea emperor!
He repelled two Marine Admirals in succession, fought to a draw with Kaido of the Beasts, who was known as the strongest fighter in a one-on-one battle, and forced the World Government to sign a ceasefire agreement...

This brilliant and outstanding record, and his reputation that shook the seas, was enough to make him stand anywhere in the New World!
Using this sea area as a buffer zone for war has driven the people away.
It doesn't matter.

Once it becomes his base of operations and his territory, all of this will become a thing of the past!

…………

Rumble!
Raging thunder tore the sky apart.

A thick bolt of lightning suddenly struck down, landing squarely on the second mast of the Fallen.

Stab it!

The secondary mast immediately burst into flames, but before the flames could spread, icy snowflakes drifted down and enveloped the mast's surface.

The snow melted into water, and the fire was quickly extinguished.

"At the Navy Headquarters, there is a unit specifically responsible for monitoring and promptly extinguishing the fire at Marineford."

Smoker, with a cigar in his mouth, glanced at Nojiko next to him and clicked his tongue, "If you joined that unit, I think you could become the highest-ranking officer in a few months."

"Stop teasing me, the wind is getting stronger, get on the helm!"

"Noki said irritably."

"Isn't Jack in charge of this now? Why are you calling me?" Smoker asked, puzzled.

"That guy has an upset stomach. He's been sitting in the toilet since this morning and hasn't come out yet."

Nokiko sighed, "These are dried oranges that my mom brought from the East Sea. Although it's a kind gesture, they've been on the road for so long, how could they not have gone bad... My brother and I didn't dare to eat them, but this idiot was so eager for the taste of Lord Shano's hometown that he ate them all in one go."

That's just asking for trouble; it should take at least three days to climb...

Noki shook her head.

After Smoker returned to his position, she, as the lookout, also went to the watchtower and raised her monocular to look into the distance.

"We've already entered this sea area."

Noki muttered to herself, "It went quite smoothly."

Wisteria is the name of this sea area centered around Crescent Island.

After a full four days of driving.

The curtain finally approached the sea.

Following Shano's orders, the Fallen Ship did not intend to stop at any of the islands it passed by, but instead headed directly to Crescent Island, the very center of the island.

But then, at that very moment...

"A boat?"

Nochiko paused for a moment, then checked the telescope several times before immediately sounding the alarm on the lookout tower.

"Attention everyone! Unidentified vessel spotted at 3 o'clock."

She shouted, "They're about five nautical miles away and are approaching us!"

Guina immediately pushed open the door and went out onto the deck.

She drew her Wado Ichimonji, calmly raising her gaze to the blurry black dot in the distance. There was no need to alarm Lady Shano; ever since they were in Paradise, she had been in charge of eliminating invading pirate ships.

We've cut down far too many ships along the way.

If this ship shows even the slightest sign of hostility, it will be no exception...

Huh?
Guina frowned slightly.

As the distance between them closed, her Observation Haki was able to cover the ship.

It's a wide and chubby little sailboat, a very ordinary one.

Strangely, she couldn't sense anyone's presence on the ship, nor did she see anyone on the deck.

A ghost ship?

Her gaze shifted downwards, looking at the ship itself.

This time, however, there was an additional discovery: a faint, lingering aura could be sensed from the ship's hull, as if it had been encountered somewhere before, and it must have been not long ago...

A glint flashed in Kuina's eyes, and she suddenly seemed to understand something. She shook her head speechlessly and sheathed her sword.
"They're not the enemy, let's save them."

Eh?
Nojiko and Smoker looked at her, puzzled.

People? Where are there people?

Instead of answering, Guina went down to the cabin corridor and kicked a professional lifeguard who was dozing off from the rain.

Ten seconds later.

The swordswoman stood with her arms crossed, staring at the still sea in front of her, somewhat puzzled.

Soaked to the bone, Ah Yin went around to the back of the boat and climbed onto the deck. With a hostile expression, he kicked her off as well.

……

finally.

With the combined efforts of the two lifeguards.

The chubby, unmanned boat was eventually lifted onto the deck of the Shura.

Agin lazily lay back down to continue sleeping, while Kuina was so angry she was itching to get back to sleep. She knew she was in the wrong, but there was nothing she could do, so she had no choice but to obediently take a bath.

After taking a hot shower and changing my clothes, I returned to the deck.

Many more crew members have joined the crew here, and even Xia Nuo, who was training in the training room, was called out by Nuoqi.

And the rescued ship finally woke up slowly.

"Hmm, where am I?"

A fat old man's face appeared at the bow of the ship. He was weak and pale, with dazed eyes: "So lucky, you actually escaped?"

"It's been a while since we last met."

Xia Nuo sat cross-legged in the chair in front of him, gazing at the talking ship, and said leisurely, "Mr. Henry."

"Who is speaking?!"

The chubby little boat struggled to turn around, and upon seeing Xia Nuo's face clearly, it suddenly shuddered:
"Lord Xia Nuo?!"

Startled, he immediately sobered up, and with a bang, the plump little boat disappeared.

Instead, there was a plump old man with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses.

It was the merchant I met at sea when I was meeting with the Red-Haired Pirates.

—Henry the Ship-Ship Fruit user, the Flowbreaker.

"It really is you, Uncle!"

Nami stared wide-eyed at her. "I didn't think it looked like it at first, after all, the ship you transformed into last time was much bigger than this."

"I can transform into any kind of boat. This time, I'm turning into a small boat simply to make it easier to escape."

Fat Henry gave a wry smile. "Of course, once I land on the sea, I'll pass out and lose consciousness in no time. Whether I can escape or not is entirely up to fate."

"I remember you hated your own abilities, didn't you?"

Xia Nuo raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather jump into the sea and become a boat? Looks like you've run into some trouble?"

"It's more than just trouble; I almost died this time, Lord Xia Nuo!"

Being shown concern by such a powerful figure as the Sea Emperor, Fat Henry suddenly felt a surge of grievance. He pulled out a handkerchief, wiping away his tears as he said:

"Not only did they rob me of all my possessions, but they also tried to kill me! Waaah! They used the name of Whitebeard to gain everyone's trust, but in the end, they went back on their word! Lord Shano, how can this be fair? How can this be fair..."

Whitebeard's banner?

The group exchanged glances, and Xia Nuo frowned as well: "You are absolutely safe with me. Calm down, Mr. Henry, and explain things clearly."

"Yes, it's like this..."

Henry sobbed for a long time before finally stopping, clearly terrified the once ruthless old man. "Lord Shano, have you ever heard of the Ice Witch Whiteybe?"

"Ah."

Xia Nuo nodded slightly.

He certainly remembered that name.

One of the 43 pirate captains who followed Whitebeard into Marineford during the Marineford War.

This woman was already present when Whitebeard and Roger fought for supremacy, and she even engaged in a fierce battle with Roger's men.

He can be considered an undisputed veteran under Whitebeard.

"If you've heard of it, it's easy to explain. The southeasternmost island in this Wisteria Sea is Mist Star Island, which is under the protection of Whitebeard. It's considered a relatively important commercial transit town between the Four Emperors. And the actual controller of this island is this Ice Witch Whiteybe."

"Just last week, this Ms. Whitebeard said that Old Man Whitebeard was planning a big deal, and all the merchants who came to invest would receive double the dividends within a week."

"And you believed it?"

Nami looked at him with disdain, "You've been a businessman for so many years, and you actually believe in such a pie-in-the-sky thing?"

“If it were anyone else, I would definitely scoff, but that’s Whitey Bay!”

Fat Henry cried out indignantly, "Whitebeard's most trusted veteran subordinate, and he's even using the old man's name... Little girl, do you know how high his credibility is? Who would have thought they would suddenly turn their backs on us!"

"Whitey Bay, the Ice Witch..."

Xiong suddenly spoke up, "I had dealings with her once in my younger days. She's a very forthright woman, and logically speaking, she wouldn't do something like this."

That does seem a bit strange.

Xia Nuo stroked her chin thoughtfully: "So, how much were you fooled?"

"A full two billion! Two billion Berries!"

Fat Henry beat his chest in regret:

"That's all the wealth I've accumulated over the years! Waaah, Lord Xia Nuo, when the time came I went to ask for my money back, but I didn't get a single penny, and I almost died there. It's so unfair! Who can help me get justice?!"

Huh?
and many more!

Isn't this a powerful figure with the ability to uphold justice?

Fat Henry suddenly realized what was happening, sniffed, and looked at Shano expectantly: "Lord Shano..."

"I……"

Shano frowned, about to say something, when Fat Henry held up five fingers:

"Five hundred million! Lord Shano, if you can help me get this money back, I am willing to give you five hundred million Berries as a reward!"

"I do not……"

"One billion! One billion Berries!"

Fat Henry said with a pained expression, "That's all I can offer, Your Excellency Shano. I know it's not easy for someone as important as you to make such a fuss, but I'm not the only merchant who's been ripped off. You can get your money back together with them later, and they'll definitely offer a generous reward. This trip will definitely be worthwhile!"

"Okay, then a billion it is."

Xia Nuo hesitated for a moment, then nodded helplessly, "Since you insist, then so be it..."

"Thank you, thank you!" Fat Henry beamed. "No wonder everyone praises your good reputation, you're truly chivalrous! Oh, by the way, what were you about to say?"

"me?"

Xia Nuo picked up the orange soda next to her, took a sip, and said quietly, "What I wanted to say is that I'm used to standing up for the weak and oppressed. Even if you don't pay me, I'm still going to make this trip."

Eh?
Fat Henry's smile froze on the spot.

……

at the same time.

Onboard the Beluga in some unknown sea.

"Marco."

Whitebeard leaned back on the sofa, letting the nurses apply medicine to his wounds, and asked, "It's been five days since I sent Vista to investigate Misty Star Island, and there's still no news?"

"No, Dad."

Marco was reading the newspaper and said with a smile:
"Judging by the distance, we should arrive today at the earliest. If we encounter a storm, it wouldn't be surprising if it's delayed by a couple of days. Besides, with Vista's strength, there's nothing to worry about."

"is it?"

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the distant sea in contemplation, "But the news coming back from Misty Star Island is rather strange, it gives me a sense of unease..."

　My herniated disc has recurred, making it difficult to even get out of bed to use the restroom. I bought some muscle-strengthening patches and painkillers, and am resting in bed. I can only type on my phone, so I'm really sorry for the delayed update. I owe you one; I'll make up for it once my back feels better.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)