I'm a big pirate, and you said I just went out to sea?

Chapter 192 The Merchant Ship "Pluto" and the Old Crew Member

The White Wolf Alliance is a non-military alliance formed around the White Wolf Pirates, comprising numerous national forces including the Eleven Nations Alliance, Elbaf, Fishman Island, and Sphinx.

The alliance was not formed with the aim of fighting war.

Rather, it was for the purpose of exchanging what we had and what we didn't.

Most importantly, it was to establish a maritime trade network connecting the entire new world, with the aim of enabling people in all countries to live better lives.

However, after being given the name "White Wolf," merchant ships that flew the White Wolf Alliance flag were often feared by pirates.

Raiding the White Wolf Alliance's merchant ships is tantamount to offending the White Wolf Pirates and a powerful force like Elbaf.

and so.

As long as they are pirates living in the New World, apart from a few reckless and fearless individuals, basically no one dares to attack the White Wolf Alliance's merchant ships.

Not to mention.

Merchant ships are often accompanied by guards assigned by various countries, ranging from fishmen from Fishman Island to giants from Elbaf.

A small pirate crew might not be able to easily take down a merchant ship belonging to the White Wolf Alliance.

However, that's assuming the other party really is a pirate!
The living environment in the New World is harsh. Even when the Navy was powerful in the past, it was often unable to deliver supplies to the Navy branches in the New World in a timely manner. This led to disciplinary chaos in some Navy branches, resulting in a large number of Navy personnel who made a living by plundering.

That's right, the ones who attacked the White Wolf Alliance merchant ships were not pirates.

It's the navy!

Since they were already mortal enemies of the White Wolf Pirates, these Marine soldiers, who were more like thugs than Marines, didn't care about the White Wolf Pirates' revenge.

That's hilarious. It's like they think the White Wolf Pirates wouldn't target them if they didn't steal from them.

Following the Battle of Acropolis, the New World Navy, which was already severely lacking in manpower and funding, was further reduced in number, and some naval branches became virtually defunct.

Although some naval branches still retain their organizational structure, the navy has actually completely severed ties with them.

The only one that's still functioning normally.

That would probably only be the G-1 naval branch near the port of Akropolis.

At such times.

Suggestions have been made.

Since the White Wolf Pirates are their enemies anyway, why not let these disbanded Marines attack the White Wolf Alliance's merchant ships?

Whether successful or not, it will pose a threat to the White Wolf Alliance's trade routes.

It takes up a lot of the White Wolf Pirates' energy.

This approach naturally aroused dissatisfaction among many naval soldiers, but many more naval soldiers, given the current dire situation, tacitly accepted this strategy that could potentially impact the White Wolf Pirates.

By disrupting the White Wolf Alliance's trade routes, the White Wolf Pirates will receive less funding and their expansion will slow down.

Therefore, while a large number of naval soldiers left the New World, only a small number of naval thugs who were not very obedient to the government and who, although not pirates, were more like pirates, were left behind.

The purpose was to disrupt the White Wolf Pirates' trade routes.

Rumble!
The sound of cannon fire echoed across the cold sea, and black shells exploded continuously near the merchant ships, creating rolling waves.

The people on the merchant ship were thrown into chaos.

Shouts, cries, and curses echoed continuously from the ship.

"Didn't we agree that this is a trade route jointly maintained by the White Wolf Alliance, and we're flying the 'White Wolf' flag? Why are there still blind pirates attacking us?"

"The title of 'White Wolf' doesn't seem to be that useful after all."

“I told you, building maritime trade routes in the New World is not that easy. At most, we can only do trade with nearby countries.”

"."

Although only one merchant ship was attacked, it was actually purchased by several merchants who pooled their money together. The cargo on the ship was divided into several parts. Basically, they would sell some of the cargo at each location and then buy new cargo to transport to the next location.

The New World was seen by the World Government as a barren sea.

But this does not mean that the new world is truly barren.

The real reason for the scarcity of resources in various countries is largely due to harsh environments and climates. Even a country with fertile land like Elbaf can face a food crisis, let alone other countries.

However, each region's extreme weather also brings countless unique products unlike those of other sea areas. Many minerals can fetch astronomical prices simply by changing the country and location.

Kokoro was one of the people in charge of this merchant ship.

Hailing from Fishman Island, after she came of age, she finally fulfilled her promise to Monger and began running her own caravan.

At first, they simply brought some pearls and treasures from Fishman Island. Many of these things, which looked like stones to the fishmen and mermaids in Fishman Island, could fetch unimaginable prices in the human world.

However, most of the time, neither fishmen nor mermaids dare to trade with humans easily.

Although Fishman Island has been a member of the World Government for over a hundred years, it has never formally established diplomatic relations with the World Government, nor has it ever participated in a single World Conference.

Because of the World Government's laxity and the rampant atrocities committed by human slave-hunting teams, countless fish-men and mermaids harbor strong hostility towards humans.

In this situation, the White Wolf Pirates appeared.

Countless crackdowns on the slave trade and countless rescues of Fishman Island's inhabitants from human traffickers ultimately resulted in Fishman Island repaying the White Wolf Pirates with ample trust.

After the Battle of Acropolis Port, they officially withdrew from the World Government and, like the Eleven Nations Alliance, sought the protection of the White Wolf Pirates.

To be honest, even though the World Government had anticipated that after the Battle of Acropolis, some opportunists would switch sides and join the White Wolf Pirates.

Unexpectedly, the first to withdraw from the World Government was Fishman Island, which had never stopped paying the Celestial Gold in over a hundred years.

Keep in mind that Fishman Island is located 10,000 meters below the surface of the ocean. Things that are rare in the human world are probably everywhere around Fishman Island.

And in the midst of this.

There are minerals that can burn in water; a piece the size of a fist can release a lot of heat and burn for a whole day.

This kind of thing is nothing to Fishman Island, but for countries living in the frigid polar seas, it is a life-saving resource.

In an unexpected turn of events, Kokoro discovers that Baltimore, an island at the forefront of the New World, has a great need for this combustible mineral and is willing to exchange it for advanced technology.

Thus, Kokoro embarked on this voyage.

Unlike other merchants who carried large quantities of rare goods, Kokoro carried only these ice-like stones.

As a result, many people ridiculed Kokoro, believing that Kokoro would definitely lose money.

Kokoro naturally felt he had lost out.

Because she knew how much demand the Mechanical Island had for this kind of combustible mineral, the amount of ore she brought was negligible compared to the overall market demand on the Mechanical Island.

She even brought a copy of the contract.

If Kikachi Island is satisfied with this transaction, she hopes to represent Fishman Island and formally sign a trade contract with Kikachi Island.

Kaiji Island is a member state of the government, not a member of the White Wolf Alliance.

However, since they were traveling along the same route anyway, none of the merchants on the merchant ship really cared whether their trading partners were member states of the government or the White Wolf Alliance.

Go wherever you can make money.

At first, they cautiously followed the trade routes planned by the White Wolf Alliance, but after several voyages, they discovered that with the White Wolf Pirates' dominance in the New World, as long as they flew the White Wolf Alliance flag, no pirates dared to rob them, even in the waters of member states. As a result, the merchants gradually became bolder.

Little did they know that their voyage had barely begun when they ran into a group of fearless "pirates" who had their eyes on them.

"Shut up, all of you! I've already contacted the White Wolf Alliance's patrol fleet and the new navy. As long as we hold on, reinforcements will arrive soon!"

As an elderly man, the old captain of the merchant ship, Ivan, was not some naive young man who had never seen the world. He had seen not only being attacked by pirates, but also much bigger scenes.

However, that's all in the past.

"Kid, if those marines charge at us later, you're the first one to go!"

"why?"

The blond youth sitting in the cabin stared wide-eyed.

"Because I saved your life!"

The young man looked at the old man, who was leaning against the cabin wall with his hand behind his head, and asked, "Grandpa, how do you know those sailors aren't pirates?"

"Of course I know!"

Ivan looked at the young man and said irritably, "I've dealt with those marines far more often than a brat like you."

As a helmsman, he had led his companions to escape from naval encirclements countless times, and his biggest dream was to own his own ship.

And now, that dream has finally come true.

He had previously managed to escape from the jaws of death with his companions, and this time was no exception.

"A bunch of scum who attack civilians, don't even think about getting on my ship!"

But things didn't go as planned.

Ivan's ships were once built with Adam wood, the finest shipbuilding material, and their speed was among the best in the world.

His current ship is just an ordinary merchant ship.

There were no powerful companions on the ship either.

sulfuric acid!
The sound of metal striking the side of the ship rang out.

Despite his age, Ivan was not yet senile. He almost instinctively shouted, "Guards, check the hull immediately! Those scum have boarded!"

As she spoke, she turned her head and glanced at the young man beside her.

"Kid, it's your turn to shine!"

Upon hearing Ivan's words, the young man couldn't help but retort, "Even without me, old man, you could have taken care of those navy soldiers by yourself, right?"

Although he wasn't very skilled at using Observation Haki, the young man could sense that none of the naval soldiers who boarded the ship were particularly powerful.

On the contrary, what startled him most was the unassuming old man in front of him.

"You little brat, how dare you say such a thing?"

Ivan kicked the young man in the butt. Although the young man tried to dodge, he was still hit in the butt because of his poor posture.

"Don't you know how old I am?"

Although he was indeed quite capable when he was young, Ivan is now just an old man, not to mention he has a top-notch henchman right in front of him, so why not use him?

"Your name is Rayleigh, right? Bounty of 70 million Berries. I remember your pirate crew clashed with the Rocks Pirates, which are under the White Wolf Pirates, not long ago. Be careful, or I'll expose you."

"Grandpa, you recognize me?"

"I may be old, but my eyes are still open!"

Ivan rolled his eyes and made a move to kick Rayleigh again.

"Why don't you go quickly?"

"Sigh, I'll go."

Rayleigh, the future "Dark King," is now just an unknown young pirate. Faced with the old man's "coercion," he has no choice but to reluctantly get up.

"Do you have a weapon? I'm a swordsman."

"Is this enough?"

Rayleigh's lips twitched as he looked at the mop Ivan had thrown at him.

"You call this a weapon?"

"Heh, a true top-tier expert can use even a tree branch as a weapon. Anyway, the person they attacked wasn't anyone special, so a mop would suffice."

"alright."

After hearing what Ivan said, Rayleigh suddenly realized that there was some truth to it.

Three months ago, his pirate crew encountered the Rocks Pirates, to which the White Wolf Pirates belonged. After a great battle, not only were several crew members captured, but he also barely escaped with his life, though he was also seriously injured.

Fortunately, Ivan's merchant ship happened to be passing by and rescued him as he clung to a piece of driftwood and floated on the water.

Upon their first meeting, Rayleigh knew that Ivan was no ordinary merchant ship captain.

Although Ivan's aura was restrained, he gave the impression of a wild beast that had sheathed its fangs, and it was hard to imagine what he would look like when he revealed them.

During this time together, Rayleigh had pretty much figured out Ivan's personality. Although he was blunt, he was actually a kind-hearted person.

If he weren't a good person, he wouldn't have been able to save himself.

As their relationship deepened, the old man would sometimes offer him some pointers when he was in a good mood. In the old man's words, he was just an insignificant nobody, and much of what he said was hearsay. Some of his words were just to be listened to and not taken seriously.

If Rayleigh has fully matured, then he naturally wouldn't take the advice of an elderly captain to heart.

However, he is still in his growth stage, and he has only just mastered the dual-color Haki.

At this point, the old man's guidance becomes invaluable.

Rayleigh also needs to rescue his companions who were captured by Rocks, but he knows that with his current strength, he absolutely cannot do so.

Therefore, he must become powerful!

"I wonder how those two idiots, Roger and Jabba, are doing?"

I sighed in my heart.

No matter how worried he was, on this vast ocean, all he could do was focus on his own business and pray that he wouldn't encounter the Rocks Pirates or the White Wolf Pirates before finding other companions.

But when you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems.

"Yo."

A voice suddenly rang out in the cabin.

"Long time no see, Evan."

Rayleigh did not encounter the other members of the White Wolf Pirates.

He met the White Wolf himself!

(End of this chapter)