One Piece: Starting with Creating the Strongest Character Design

Upon seeing Kitahara Tsune hand over the agent's badge, Rayleigh couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He reached out and patted Kitahara Tsuneo's shoulder heavily, his tone full of mockery:

"Good lad, I never would have guessed you were a secret agent! You always act like a proper naval commodore."

After laughing, Rayleigh composed himself, raised an eyebrow, and asked:

"Speaking of which, how did you, an agent of the World Government, end up with the Navy?"

As the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh had traversed the seas extensively and was naturally very familiar with the operational methods of the various secret departments of the World Government.

He was well aware of the secrecy surrounding the intelligence department, and it was unlikely that he would be easily seconded to the naval system.

Kitahara Tsune gave a helpless wry smile, his tone tinged with a mix of exasperation and teasing: "Mr. Rayleigh, don't you know my style? I was temporarily seconded to the Navy by my superiors to carry out this mission, so it's kind of like helping out in a different field."

"If that's the case, then there's no problem."

Rayleigh nodded. Having this meant that Kitahara Tsune could, to some extent, disobey orders from his superiors.

The three Hancock sisters, who were standing to the side, still didn't quite understand the intricacies of the situation, but since Rayleigh had said it was no problem, they were completely relieved.

The group was all calculating in their hearts that if they sent them back to Amazon Lily, Kitahara Tsune would be punished by the Navy for taking them away without permission. They would rather wait a few more days in the Sabaody Archipelago than let Kitahara Tsune get into trouble.

Under Xia Qi's guidance, the group quickly changed into inconspicuous civilian clothes.

The group followed Kitahara Tsune all the way and soon arrived at Area 5, which was where the warships led by Kitahara Tsune were docked.

After Kitahara Tsune's rigorous crackdown over the past few months, pirates can hardly be seen in Area 5 and the surrounding areas. The streets are mostly frequented by civilians and naval soldiers, and the area is orderly.

But Kitahara Tsune knew in his heart that this peace was only temporary.

Apart from areas 60-69, which are under the close control of the Navy, the pirates in other areas have only been temporarily dispersed. As soon as he and the warship leave, those pirates lurking in the shadows will make a comeback and retake these places.

After all, the Sabaody Archipelago, as an important transit point in the first half of the Grand Line, has always been a battleground for pirates.

Seeing Kitahara Tsuneo and his entourage approaching from afar, a slender figure leaped off the deck of the warship and landed gracefully in front of Kitahara Tsuneo. It was Rear Admiral Hina.

Her gaze swept over Rayleigh and the three Hancock sisters, a hint of doubt in her eyes, and she asked warily:

"Commander Kitahara, who are these three?"

Kitahara Tsune's tone was frank, without the slightest hint of evasion:

"Hina, didn't a group of refugees arrive at Sabaody Archipelago by boat a few days ago? While I was dealing with the refugee resettlement, I discovered that this father and daughter had accidentally come to the wrong place. Sabaody Archipelago is not their hometown, and they have been unable to find their way back."

"So I took it upon myself to personally escort them back home during this period when the warships were not on any urgent missions, so that they could return to their hometowns and reunite with their families as soon as possible."

Kitahara Tsune's words were sincere, and his eyes were open and honest. Several naval soldiers standing guard nearby had their eyes slightly redden when they heard these words, and they were almost moved to tears.

After spending these past few months together, they had come to admire Brigadier General Kitahara Tsuneo immensely and were fully aware that he was the kind of person who would do such a thing.

He was kind-hearted, compassionate towards civilians, exceptionally capable, and decisive in his actions; he was simply a paragon of justice in the navy!

One of the young naval soldiers looked at Kitahara Tsune's retreating figure with eyes full of admiration, secretly convinced that Commodore Kitahara Tsune was so outstanding that he would surely be promoted to admiral in the future and become an important force in protecting the peace of the sea.

However, Hina was meticulous and not as easily fooled as an ordinary soldier.

She looked at Kitahara Tsune with suspicion, then glanced at the four people behind him; they didn't look like ordinary refugees at all.

But she didn't ask any further questions, only nodded slightly and replied calmly:

"Hina understands. Don't worry, Brigadier General, I will arrange everything on the ship."

Leading Rayleigh and the other three, Kitahara Tsuneo stepped onto the deck of the warship.

He went straight to the helmsman's cabin, handed the permanent compass pointing to Amazon Lily, which Shakky had given him beforehand, and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Set sail and follow the pointer."

The helmsman respectfully responded and immediately turned the helm, and the warship slowly sailed away from the dock, heading into the depths of the sea.

……

No one expected that the voyage to take Hancock and the others home would go much more smoothly than Kitahara Tsune had anticipated.

The journey was smooth and the wind was exceptionally favorable; we did not encounter any severe weather.

In just three days, Kitahara Tsune's warships had reached the edge of the calm zone.

From a distance, the sea surface was as calm as a mirror, without a ripple, forming a stark contrast to the turbulent waves in the surrounding waters.

Beneath that calm surface, countless ships have been lost.

This is the legendary Calm Belt, which deters countless pirates and ordinary ships.

Just as they had agreed upon with Hancock and the others, a special ship was moored at the edge of the Calm Belt.

It was a sailboat pulled by two enormous serpentine sea creatures, its hull entirely dark brown.

However, the ship did not have the Kuja Pirates' signature sails; it only had a few towering masts with a large expanse of white sails that swayed slightly in the sunlight.

Upon seeing the ship, Kitahara Tsune immediately gave the order:

"Stop the ship, remain vigilant, and do not approach unnecessarily."

He knew that although their warships had a few Seastone stones hanging from their hulls, which could provide some protection and prevent them from being attacked by ordinary Sea Kings.

But the Calm Belt is terrifying not only because there are no waves and ordinary ships cannot sail, but also because it harbors countless enormous and ferocious sea monsters.

Only ships pulled by well-trained sea creatures can navigate smoothly in the calm zone while also protecting themselves from attacks by giant sea monsters lurking in the deep sea.

On the deck of the warship, the three Hancock sisters had already run to the railing, eager to see the familiar Amazonian tribal elements on the ship.

His excitement was palpable, and tears welled up in his eyes.

The three stood side by side at the highest point of the deck, waving vigorously at the ship, their voices filled with joy and eagerness, shouting towards the other side:

"We're here! We're back!"

Hearing the shouts and seeing the three Hancock sisters waving on the deck, the people on the opposite ship immediately identified their target.

The people on the ship immediately got busy.

The two giant snakes that were towing the ship slowly came to a stop. One of them was untied by the crew, and the snake slowly turned around, carrying a figure on its back, and slowly approached the warship where Kitahara Tsune was.

When the naval soldiers on the warship saw the enormous serpent covered in scales, they immediately grabbed their guns and swords and nervously aimed them at the approaching beast.

Although they had experienced many battles, this was the first time they had come into close contact with such a huge sea monster.

Kitahara Tsune did not stop the soldiers' actions, but calmly took the lead and stood in front of them.

The other party is most likely someone sent by Amazon Lily to pick up the Hancock sisters, but there are always exceptions. He must prepare for the worst and prevent the other party from being an enemy in disguise who might take the opportunity to attack his marines.

The giant serpent slowly approached the warship, then obediently lowered its massive head, allowing the figures on its body to jump smoothly onto the deck.

Only then did the tense naval soldiers breathe a sigh of relief, but they did not put down their weapons and remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on the figure that jumped down.

She had white, wavy hair, with a flower tucked into her left hairline, and her pet snake coiled into a walking stick beside her.

The person who jumped down was very short, with a face covered in deep wrinkles, gray hair, and a slightly hunched back. She looked like an ordinary old woman, and she was leaning on a cane—upon closer inspection, the cane was actually a snake.

She was none other than the former Empress of Amazon Lily, "Grandma Flameflower".

"……grandmother."

Upon seeing this person, Hancock paused for a moment, then quickly remembered her previous plan and called out to Fireflower.