After retiring from the Navy, I became a doting husband.

Martin gave a word of caution: "Remember, don't get involved in the Golden Island affair; it could very well be a trap!"

He watched the group leave amidst their profuse thanks, and smiled knowingly.

Since her appearance has already changed Nico Robin's life, and the course of history will change as well, why not try to change even more?

Who knows who the future Pirate King will be!

Yes, on July 1, 1510, a butterfly flapped its wings, and a giant storm was about to sweep across the East China Sea...

Chapter 16 The Widow's Ambition

The waves around Golden Island are churning.

Five naval warships with seagull-shaped sails entered the turbulent waters around Golden Island.

"Major Smoker, is this Golden Island the legendary island where Unan buried gold? Didn't they say the pirates had all gathered here? What's going on? Is there something wrong with the intelligence?"

Tashigi looked around at the tranquil island before her, feeling somewhat puzzled.

According to intelligence, this place should be teeming with pirates, but the Golden Island in front of us is completely deserted, and there isn't even a single pirate ship in sight.

This is somewhat unusual.

Was the intelligence wrong?

"The intelligence comes from CP1, so it should be correct. The pirates should all be hiding, or on the island."

"Let's inspect the entire island first, then split up and proceed."

Smoker put down his binoculars and gave the order.

The five warships dispersed, and just then, something unexpected happened: a dark mass of ships suddenly appeared on both sides of Golden Island ahead.

Yes, it was what appeared to be a vast army of pirates, and the masts of these ships were all flying pirate flags.

"Pirates! There are so many!"

"Oh no, they're trying to surround us."

"Fire immediately!"

Upon seeing this, the navy immediately began to organize a counterattack.

Boom boom boom...

One after another, the dark cannons began to fire.

There were too many pirates, a huge swarm of them attacking the five naval warships. The navy was clearly outnumbered, and the pirates had the wind at their backs, so their ships quickly approached the warships' sides.

"So many ships, there are just too many."

Tashigi was terrified by the sight before her; she had never seen so many pirate ships gathered together before.

Seeing the pirates surrounding them, the navy warships fired their cannons again to drive them away, but unfortunately, they were like ants trying to eat an elephant.

"This is a trap!"

"Everyone retreat, I'll cover the rear!"

Smoker transformed into smoke, leaped into the air, and launched an attack on the leading warship, leaving a long trail of grayish-white smoke.

"Hahaha, Smoker, I'm Krieg, captain of the Krieg Pirates. Do you think your Devil Fruit ability can defeat me?"

A man dressed in golden armor appeared on the bow of the ship.

He had light purple hair, and his head was tied with a turban. He wore black boots and a large cloak. His gleaming gold armor was equipped with a full set of weapons, including shields, spears, and cannons.

Bah!

Smoker raised his 10-handed weapon and swung it down, colliding with Krieg's spear and sparks flying.

On the other hand, the navy's five warships have been surrounded by pirate ships, and many pirates have begun to try to board them.

"Hold the deck and don't let them board!"

Tashigi drew her cursed sword and engaged in a fierce battle with these vicious pirates.

Now that things have come to this, even the dumbest person can guess that the so-called Golden Island treasure is not prepared for pirates, but for the few remaining marines in the East Blue.

This is a complete trap!

.

Oh, oh, oh...

The afternoon sun was warm and pleasant. As the seagulls cried, one of them, carrying a backpack, dropped a newspaper from mid-air.

The newspaper, falling straight down, was caught by Martin, who was half-reclining in a deck chair.

He unfolded it and saw that it was the most popular weekly newspaper in Donghai. Due to the inconvenient transportation in Donghai, even if seagulls were used to deliver the newspaper, Donghai Weekly would only be published once a week.

It is also one of the three largest newspapers in the East China Sea, focusing on reporting on municipal affairs, pirates, and the navy, and is known for its truthful reporting.

Breaking News! The Navy was besieged by the Krieg Pirates on Gold Island, but successfully repelled them.

[The biggest news this year: Golden Island doesn't exist; it's a trap set by pirates.]

Two consecutive front-page headlines completely filled the entire front page of the newspaper.

"There are still such characters in the East China Sea these days; they're ruthless."

Martin was not surprised at all.

The navy's strength in the East China Sea is too weak.

In the early days of the Great Pirate Era, there were too many and too fierce pirates, who even dared to kill the Navy. No wonder the pirates in the East Blue and the Grand Line could not be contained. The World Government could only establish the Seven Warlords of the Sea to suppress the endless pirates.

The Krieg Pirates claimed responsibility for the attack on the Navy and announced that their crew now numbered over a thousand, declaring themselves the Kings of the East Blue. The World Government increased Krieg's bounty to twelve million Berries.

"The Krieg Pirates?"

Martin shrugged. This Krieg is pretty arrogant in the East Blue, but if he goes to the Grand Line, he'll be beaten to a pulp.

The navy's defeat is not good news. It means that the situation in the East Blue will tilt towards the pirate forces, which is a disaster for the entire East Blue.

Fortunately, Orange Town has a naval logistics base. Although the base is not large and there are not many naval soldiers stationed there, the pirates will have some reservations and will not easily bring Orange Town into their territory.

Never mind all that, as long as Orange Town isn't taken over by pirates.

After glancing at the important information in the newspaper, Martin picked up the Senbonzakura (a type of cherry blossom) beside him.

[Senbonzakura - Shikai 99/100, requires the corresponding Devil Fruit power]

These past few days, he's slowed down his pace of cultivating the Flower-Flower Fruit's power, mainly because women have their periods of inconvenience, and his own kidneys have been overheating, so this is a good opportunity to cool them down.

Positive reviews are not easy to obtain; they require precise control over technique, emotion, rhythm, and endurance.

If I work hard tonight, I estimate that Senbonzakura will be completely unlocked.

Speaking of which, Robin's appetite seems to be getting bigger lately. Is this what they mean by a woman who has no inhibitions after marriage?

"The owner of that flower shop is really beautiful; buying flowers from her is a real treat."

"She's so beautiful, is she married?"

"I heard she got married to a widow, but don't pursue her. I heard she has very high standards and has rejected many men, even the mayor's son."

Two young people walked through the workshop courtyard, and Martin, with his keen senses, overheard their conversation clearly.

Since Mrs. Joel opened her flower shop, male customers have been like bees buzzing around the flowers, an endless stream.

Every single man wanted to see this beautiful woman in person, since she had always kept to herself and never had the chance to see her more than once, even if he had heard of her.

For many men, this is an unclaimed treasure.

Is beauty a curse?

Sometimes, being too beautiful isn't a good thing for a girl. If she doesn't have enough power to control her beauty, she will be coveted by others and may even encounter misfortune.

Mrs. Joel kept to herself perhaps because she knew her beauty would attract trouble.

"Mr. Martin, have you heard about the naval situation?"

Just as Martin was covering his face with a newspaper, wanting to take a short nap in the sun, Mrs. Joel came to Martin's workshop and knocked on the workshop fence gate.

Martin looked up, still holding a newspaper in his hand: "The navy has lost this time, and the order in the East China Sea will probably be even worse."

“I just found out, Mrs. Joel. You don’t need to worry. We have a naval logistics base here, so the pirates will be somewhat wary.”

"Weren't those pirates who dared to break into the town last time all wiped out?"

Martin smiled, looked at the slender and dignified mature woman, and offered a few words of comfort.

“You know I’m alone, and you used to be a Navy warrant officer. If it’s convenient, I’d like to hire you to protect me as I leave Orange and get to Loguetown.”

Mrs. Joel's eyes flickered: "Of course, I'll pay you, or some other kind of reward!"

"Oh? You think Orange Town isn't safe?"

Martin asked curiously.

"Well, Orange Town feels a bit dangerous to me right now. Also, I'm thinking of getting married."

As Mrs. Joel spoke, she looked at Martin with her almond-shaped eyes, as clear as spring water.

"You want to get married? Is it springtime, the time for all things to flourish?"

Martin was somewhat surprised.

Hey beautiful, why do you look at me like that?

Why do you see me like that?

Look at me again? Look at me again and I'll eat you up.

Just as their eyes met and sparks were about to fly, a burst of cannon fire came from the direction of the port, interrupting their gaze.

Looking up, one can see the naval port in the distance shrouded in smoke, with plumes of black smoke rising from it.

what's the situation?

Is someone shelling a naval logistics base?

Chapter 17 The Reward of the Ahoge