Big brother, I want to become the strongest pirate in the world!

"No! We were born on Cocos Island."

"If you don't know how to get to a place you've never heard of, it will take longer."

Kazan leaned against the railing of the warship, gazing indifferently at the receding shore below and the blond boy who was frantically running towards him in a disheveled state, and spoke softly.

Please take me with you!

"Please let me join you!"

"I will definitely prove my worth to you!"

"I'll do anything for you, just take me on the ship!"

Bellamy rushed to the shore, panting, and without taking a break, he watched the warships that had already begun to leave the harbor and the red figure, and shouted wildly.

This was his desperate, all-out cry, the true beginning of his determination to change his destiny.

"Do you... know how to get to Cocos Island?"

Bellamy hesitated, then looked up and met his red eyes. His body trembled as he nodded and replied, "I know!"

"Then come up here."

Bellamy saw the rope ladder thrown in front of him, grabbed it excitedly, and started climbing frantically upwards.

Kazan continued to lean against the railing, staring at the shrinking Harvest Island, without even glancing at Bellamy, who had climbed up and was now standing awkwardly to one side.

"Um... I want to join you, I want to become your subordinate!"

"I have no subordinates on my ship."

"...I'll do anything you want! I'll start as a handyman!"

"...Do you have family?"

"...Now, it's gone."

Kazan tilted his head and glanced at him, asking a question.

“Oh, the people on this ship, they used to be all alone, but now, we are family.”

“They are my most beloved younger brothers and sisters, the people I value most. Now they are all I have left.”

"All those who harm or insult them shall die."

"You said you wanted to join us?"

"So that means you want to become our family, to become my little brother."

"Then... you need to show that you are prepared to be part of our family."

"Do you understand?"

Bellamy listened to Kazan's words with some confusion. He had lost his family when he was young, and he didn't understand what Kazan's enlightenment meant.

"I……"

"I don't need subordinates on my ship, only family members I can entrust my back to."

Kazan left with a final remark, then departed. Having just finished his battle with Doflamingo, he needed to carefully consider what he had learned from the fight.

Bellamy was somewhat moved as he looked at Kazan's slightly tired figure.

His underlings must have been watching his back like this back then.

Bellamy's eyes gradually became misty. She clenched her hands, gritted her teeth, and spoke firmly to the figure in front of her.

"I will prove to you that I can definitely become a family member you can rely on!"

"And when you are tired, I will take responsibility and protect your younger brothers and sisters who are still weak!"

"I swear!"

Kazan didn't react much when he heard the first sentence; anyone can talk big.

However, upon hearing the second sentence, she was slightly moved, turned her head slightly, glanced behind her, and murmured, "If it could really become like that..."

"That's really nice."

……

"Bellamy, are you sure this is the right direction?"

"Yes, Mr. Foncray, this must be the right direction. It should be just ahead."

"Well... no need to be so formal. Now that we're on the ship, we're all family. Just call me Xiao Feng."

"...No, I haven't gained Mr. Kazan's recognition yet, so I dare not presume to become your family."

"Oh dear... you're so stubborn. We're the same age, there's no need to be so respectful. Let's talk about our stories."

At the ship's wheel, the poor utilitarian Foncray and the down-on-his-luck Bellamy huddled together, pouring out their hearts to each other.

Monet watched Sugar eat, glancing at Bellamy every now and then.

She didn't really like this man.

For a while, Bellamy kept bothering her and Kazan's sweet life, and kept bragging about how awesome Doflamingo was.

This caused Monet, who greatly admired Kazan, to develop considerable hostility and displeasure towards Bellamy from that time onward.

"Humph!"

Monet scoffed dismissively. Regardless of whether this man would become family in the future, Monet had already decided not to be with him anymore.

Sugar sat obediently in Monet's lap while eating, though her eyes would sometimes wander around the boat.

Bored~

She wanted to provoke her brother.

"Where's the quack?"

"You're practicing swordsmanship at the stern of the ship."

"Oh."

"Monet-chan~"

Suddenly, Foncrab's voice came over: "We can already see Cocos Island! I didn't expect it to be so close."

"Oh, you guys go find a place to dock and hide the warship first, I'll go call my brother."

"Mmm~"

A short while later.

Five young children gathered at a harbor on Cocos Island.

"It looks like a super bustling island!"

Feng Kelei looked at the lively scene on the harbor and seemed somewhat excited.

"Of course, this place, like Harvest Island, is located in the center of the North Sea. Moreover, this island is home to one of the richest countries in the North Sea, the Kingdom of Kos. The Kingdom's guard is quite strong, so there are usually no pirates or gangs causing trouble here. Even the Navy doesn't bother to station too many troops here, just a few hundred old, weak, sick, and disabled people to deal with the welfare benefits of the World Government member states."

Although Bellamy was only fourteen years old, he knew quite a bit about the North Sea and told Kazan and his group many things they didn't know.

"But the most crucial point... is that this is the hometown of Vista, the fifth division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"Uh, yes, Mr. Kazan, how did you know?"

"Nonsense, look at those people over there, who are they?"

Chapter 024 'Floral Fence' Vista

Bellamy listened to Kazan's words and followed Kazan's gaze with a hint of skepticism.

He was a man of slender build, with a straight fringe and a ponytail, and distinctive features such as a ripped chest, a cloak, and a belt with a sword sheath. He was the only one like him in this era.

Vista, the 29-year-old captain of the 5th division of the Whitebeard Pirates, is known as "Flower Sword".

Although Vista, who had been a member of the Whitebeard Pirates for fourteen years, had not yet grown his signature black beard, nor was he wearing a gentleman's top hat and large earrings, Kazan still recognized him at a glance.

During his first two years as a pirate hunter in the West Blue, he had seen the bounties of almost all the great pirates at the time, and the 460 million bounty of 'Flower Sword' Vista was particularly eye-catching.

Although Kazan had never seen Vista's bounty in his previous life, he was fairly certain that Vista's bounty was still 460 million Berries at the time of the Marineford War, since Whitebeard had completely stabilized the New World.

After the establishment of the Four Emperors, it goes without saying that the bounties of the Four Emperors' crews, like those of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, were essentially suspended. Even after Ace joined the Whitebeard Pirates, his bounty remained fixed at 550 million Berries.

However... those were their bounties before they joined the Whitebeard Pirates, and Kazan wouldn't be foolish enough to use those bounties to judge Vista's strength.

Kaido and Big Mom's subordinates don't have bounties higher than the Whitebeard Pirates' captains, but does that mean they're stronger? Who can say for sure?

and……

"The 460 million Berries at this time are not the same level as the 460 million Berries sixteen years later."

Kazan glanced with interest at the two rapiers at Vista's waist.

They weren't famous swords, just two ordinary Western swords. However, under Vista's constant influence of Armament Haki, they were starting to turn into black swords, and a faint black sheen could be seen on the blades.

(At the time of the summit, there was no concept of a black sword, so Vista's dual swords were just like ordinary swords. However, I personally think that a great swordsman who can go toe-to-toe with Hawkeye for a short time is not far from forging his own black sword.)

"Hey... Kazan... you're not planning to challenge that guy, are you?"

"No... I don't have that kind of thought. Although if I invite them to spar honestly, they probably won't refuse or try to kill me, I'm afraid they'll take a liking to me and I'll end up losing everything."

Hearing Bon Clay's incredulous voice, Kazan shook his head; he really wanted to ask Vista for advice.

But he was afraid of being invited to join the Whitebeard Pirates.

Although the Whitebeard Pirates have a good reputation, Kazan believes that Whitebeard would not force him to be his 'son'.

But they are pirates after all, and Kazan can't guarantee that there won't be any possibility of being "forcibly taken to their ship and slowly subjected to ideological reformation" if they take a liking to them.

After all, Ace is a very clear example. He was forcibly recruited into the Whitebeard Pirates because of his potential despite his defeat, and eventually became one of the sons who respected Whitebeard the most through gradual ideological reform.

The more you think about it, the more frightening it becomes.

Whitebeard, like Luffy, possesses an attractive charisma, only the way he does it is different.

"Alright, let's go. Stop looking. If we get noticed, people might think we're being provocative."

Kazan called out to the little guys who were still standing there watching Vista.

Meanwhile, Vista and the Whitebeard Fifth Division did not notice Kazan and his group, after all, in his eyes they were just a group of mysterious children and babies wearing cloaks.