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

Practicing with weights also consumes a lot of energy and blood, so your energy will naturally be weakened. It's like how lifting weights too much at the gym can make you feel like a saint.

Martin, as saintly as Buddha, stood up, looked down at his wife, and said softly, "Let's begin the ninth set of broadcast gymnastics!"

The bed board began to shake violently.

[Gains: Significantly increased affinity, significantly increased Observation Haki experience, significantly increased Shave experience, significantly increased Paper Drawing experience, and significantly increased Bloodline Factor Vajra experience]

[Special: Thorn Fruit Power +5]

Jol performed admirably as always.

Martin checked the charging status of the two Zanpakuto.

[Godsword - Bankai 458/1000, requires the corresponding Devil Fruit power]

[Senbonzakura - Bankai 299/1000, requires corresponding Devil Fruit power]

See? When it comes to speed, Joel is second to none; he's almost halfway there.

It is estimated that the God Spear will reach Bankai in less than two months.

Just as he was about to get out of bed, Joel blushed and asked, "Was that the ninth set of broadcast gymnastics? What about the other eight sets?"

"You guys are really..."

Martin looked up at the sky and sighed, "Perhaps this is the trouble of happiness."

The bed started vibrating again.

……

After breakfast, the sun was already high in the sky.

What a decadent start to the morning! From now on, I'll have to be careful of my two wives teaming up for me every morning.

Martin finally stretched comfortably once he arrived at the workshop.

I've been practicing diligently lately, and my progress in training with the iron block has been rapid. However, I've reached a bottleneck, and ordinary striking is no longer enough to increase the hardness of the iron block.

So he decided to practice forging knives, since knife-forging is his livelihood; he should practice his skills as long as he keeps practicing his fists and songs.

wow wow wow...

The cries of seagulls echoed in the sky, and a seagull wearing a messenger hat and carrying a pouch dropped a newspaper.

Martin took the newspaper, unfolded it, and immediately frowned.

Today's East China Sea Weekly is truly breathtaking.

The major news items on the page were all related to One Piece, practically taking up the entire page.

The Krieg Pirates conquered Winter Island and Blue Earth Island overnight, and forcibly conscripted young women, declaring themselves the rulers of the East Blue.

The Marie Curie Pirates have captured Koto Island and threatened to sell all the women there.

Pirate Buggy the Clown has taken over the western village of Law and is forcibly conscripting all the women.

The Arlong Pirates begin buying and selling human female slaves.

The slave trade in the East China Sea has suddenly become unusually rampant, especially the trade in women. The Loguetown Navy has not yet commented on this matter.

Good guy!

Martin was speechless. Things had only been peaceful for a few days, and now the East China Sea was in chaos again.

These pirates are really something else. They killed Arlong and Alvida. I thought they would be quiet for a while, but less than a month later, they've gone crazy.

They completely disregard Garp and the Navy?

It seemed as if the pirates throughout the East Blue had conspired together, launching a massive attack on cities and territories overnight, frantically plundering beautiful women and treasures.

"Something's not right. Why would the Krieg Pirates target even small towns and suddenly start buying and selling female slaves?"

"Are other pirate crews starting to buy and sell slaves too?"

"Looking at the map, something's not right. Why is it all surrounding the east side of the East China Sea? At this rate, the war will eventually reach Orange Town."

Looking at the map marked on the newspaper, Martin couldn't help but frown slightly.

Based solely on these sudden events, he could be certain that some conspiracy had led the pirates to launch such a frenzied attack on the surrounding towns.

Regardless, the East China Sea is experiencing an unprecedented crisis.

I wonder when this crisis will spread to Orange Town...

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside the workshop.

"Who is it? Our workshop is not accepting customers right now."

Martin replied.

"Excuse me, I'm not here to buy a knife, I'd like to visit Mr. Martin."

"Wait a minute...who are you?"

When Martin opened the door, he saw a young man in a suit and glasses standing outside, with a man wearing glasses and a beard standing next to him.

Looking at the young man in front of him, who had a slicked-back hairstyle, wore glasses, and was dressed in a suit, Martin felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

As he pondered, Chloe habitually used his wrist to adjust his glasses.

"Kuro, the captain of the Black Cat Pirates."

Martin remembered someone, and information about Crow came to mind.

Oh dear, pirates have come knocking on our door?

Chapter 71 The Black Cat Pirates

Kuro, captain of the Black Cat Pirates.

Despite lacking Devil Fruit powers, Kuro possesses considerable strength and cunning. He uses his subordinates as pawns and spends three years as the butler of the wealthy young lady Kaya, gaining her deep trust and earning a good reputation in the area. However, his true aim is to seize Kaya's family fortune. After Luffy defeats him, he obtains the Going Merry.

The gesture of pushing up his glasses with his wrist is a strange habit he developed from wearing cat claw (long blade) gloves for many years, which also shows that he never forgets to fight. His bounty is 1600 million Berries.

Of course, that was ten years later; Kro looks younger now.

Beside him was a man wearing heart-shaped glasses and with a red beard, dressed like Michael Jackson. He was probably Zango, who could hypnotize people, with a bounty of 900 million Berries.

Not far behind the two men, there were two subordinates, one tall and one short.

Sure enough, Jessica and the pirates were in cahoots; some pirates even came to ask about the woman.

It looks like the Kuro Pirates have all arrived.

What are you trying to do by bringing so many people here?

Do you want to kill me to silence me?

interesting.

"Hello, I am Chloe, an investigator from the Treasure Weapon Shop."

"I would like to visit you to inquire about Jessica, the former head of the Treasure Weapon Shop."

Chloe introduced herself politely.

Martin answered calmly, "Oh, Mr. Crowe, just ask me whatever you need to know."

"I heard that before her departure, Miss Jessica, the head of the Treasure Weapon Shop, donated all of the shop's assets to Orange Town, based on your suggestion?"

Kro got straight to the point.

"Yes, she donated it to the town. Before she left, she said something I couldn't understand, saying that someone was watching her and that the goods were useless to her..."

Martin made up a story, half-truthfully: "It seems that the Jewelry and Weapons Shop was targeted by someone, and then she left and we haven't heard from her since. Is Manager Jessica alright?"

"Uh, Jessica, the store manager, went missing along with the liaison ship. Later, someone found part of the wreckage of the liaison ship outside the port."

As he spoke, Kro observed the knifemaker's expression.

"Missing? And there are remains? Poor Jessica, she told me to take care before she left, I never thought..."

Martin was startled, then his face was full of regret.

Kro didn't notice anything unusual about the other person, so he simply asked her some more questions about Jessica, including information about the mercenary Eric.

Throughout, Martin's answers were impeccable, giving the impression that he was merely a knifesmith lamenting the passing of the deceased.

Kro couldn't see anything wrong with it, so he could only push up his glasses and sigh.

It seems this lead has also gone cold.

“I once read Jacka’s work log. According to her records, you were originally a knifesmith in the Navy Logistics Department and were able to forge fine knives.”

Kro asked, "Can I see the blade you forged?"

Martin nodded and then handed the other party a blade that he had just forged.

Kro picked up the blade and examined it, feeling a chill emanating from it. After a careful look, he took a deep breath and sighed, "I didn't expect it to be such a top-grade swift blade!"

Kro slowly lowered the blade, and his cold gaze towards Martin changed, becoming electrifying, with a hint of flirtation.

“Jessica once recorded your deeds. You are indeed a promising swordsmith, able to forge top-quality sharp knives in such a short time.”

A smile appeared on Kro's previously stern expression.

“Mr. Martin, our Treasure Weapons Shop will be reopening in Orange Town soon, and I will be the shop manager.”

"We can forge top-quality, fast swords. If you have any swords or knives to sell, you can give them to us, and we will give you a generous discount."

No matter how he asked, he couldn't get any information. Before leaving, Kro handed over a business card: "If you want to sign an exclusive cooperation agreement with us, that's also possible."

Martin took the business card and watched the two leave: "That's bullshit. Instead of being pirates, you've started doing business. Nobody believes you."

No matter how hard you little pirate crews try, you can't make a difference.

"By the way, Manager Chloe."

Do you have gold oil where you live?

Martin suddenly remembered something.

"Golden oil?"

Kro pushed up his glasses with his wrist again: "No wonder he's a retired naval warrant officer, he even knows about rare resources like gold oil."