The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

Although this era is filled with legends such as the "Golden City," the "Emerald City," and the "Final Island," the pirates' main goal is not to find these.

I simply live, without having many dreams or ambitions to achieve.

Don't be fooled by the grandeur and lavish lifestyles of pirates and nobles; in reality, many lower-ranking pirates and commoners struggle to even fill their stomachs.

Some people are born on barren lands, and even without the oppression of Celestial Dragons, royal families, or nobles, they already live on the edge of death.

Going to sea is their only way to survive.

Newgate's hometown was also plagued by war and poverty when he was a child, and he only changed all of that after he grew up and had the ability to do so.

Now that he is wanted and has a bounty on his head by the world government, returning to his hometown would only bring trouble to the residents there.

He longed for home, but could not return.

He could only drift on the sea for the rest of his life, until he died.

"Freedom is just an excuse for self-comfort in a life of suffering."

John lit a cigarette and stared blankly at the three bastards who were still arguing.

Linlin was abandoned by her parents at a young age; Kaido was betrayed by the country he served; Shanks' mother was killed by his father...

Including Newgate, these four future emperors of the sea all grew up in hardship.

Even Shiki came from "Nono Country," a place with the same atmosphere as "Wa Country," where no one dared to resist the shogun's son (Kozuki Oden) who raped and plundered.

"Since we don't know what to do, let's just take it one step at a time. Things will work themselves out."

John had no grand principles to preach to Newgate, nor did he enjoy self-righteous lecturing.

Even the noblest ideals must be based on people.

Human beings, on the other hand, have their inherent flaws etched into their bones and flowing in their blood.

The struggle between people will never stop...

Half a day later, four pirate ships arrived one after another. The pirates had come to greet their captains, following the guidance of the Vivre Cards.

Kaido, all alone, has to hitch a ride on Newgate's ship to reach the "New World," the latter half of the Grand Line.

"Remember this: although you have divided the treasure, you wouldn't have had it without me. You all owe me a huge favor!"

Before parting, John couldn't resist trying to gain an advantage verbally.

Then, before those bastards could throw a tantrum, he urged Pete to set sail quickly.

"Take care, you bastards, see you again someday!"

Watching the "Treasure Ship" flee quickly away as if escaping, shrinking into a black dot on the horizon, Lingling couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"John has become even more of a jerk and even more interesting."

This commotion turned what should have been a somewhat sad farewell into a joyful one.

"You bastards, from now on, if we meet at sea, we're enemies. Don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Hmph, you bastard Shiki, next time I'll sink you into the sea."

"MAMAMA~ Stop standing there, hurry back to the New World and take over some territory!"

The bastards said goodbye with harsh words, then set sail and went their separate ways.

On the deck of the "Treasure"

After John had the crew arrange a room for Alice and her child, he approached First Officer Pete and extended his hand to him.

"I think I've been poisoned. Let me take out my life card and see if there are any changes."

The "Life Card" is made from materials mixed with fingernails and has properties such as being water-resistant and fire-resistant, representing the owner's vitality.

The Vivre Card shrinks when its owner is weak, and returns to its original size after the owner recovers. If it turns to ashes completely, it means that the owner has died.

"Poisoned?!"

Pete was shocked and quickly took the life card out of his pocket.

Seeing that the life card was the full size and had not diminished at all, his expression improved slightly.

"Who poisoned the weapon? How despicable!"

"No, I was just a little hungry on the island, so I ate some mushrooms..."

John took the Life Card from Pete's palm, rubbing his fingertips on the paper repeatedly, as if trying to hide his embarrassment.

A strange glint flashed in Pete's eyes. He casually took back the life card and turned to call out to the crew:

"Quickly, call the ship's doctor to examine John."

"No need. There's nothing wrong with my life card, which means I'm really fine."

John shook his head and turned to walk toward the bow of the ship.

Pete stepped forward, walking beside John, and turned his head to ask:

"What about the golden ship that's being dragged behind? If we just go back to the New World like this, we're bound to cause a lot of trouble along the way."

“Of course, I’ll put it in my treasure spot!” John raised an eyebrow at Pete smugly.

In that instant, Pete's heart pounded, and his blood surged.

He was finally about to reach John's treasure trove!

"However, before that, let's find a place and get rid of those two burdens."

"Rocks' widow and son? Wouldn't it be a bad idea to just dump them?"

Pitt looked troubled, as if doing so would torment his conscience.

"Are you going to support them?" John looked at him meaningfully.

Pete took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.

"After all, he was a former captain, so of course I have to be responsible for his wife and children."

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you. But we still need to find an island to drop them off, otherwise my treasure trove will be exposed."

"..."

Into the night

A single candlelight illuminated the dimly lit cabin, casting dappled shadows on the surrounding figures as the ship swayed.

"Captain Pete, are you really going to support Rocks' widow and son?"

"Nonsense, as the ruler of the New World, Rocks must have accumulated a lot of wealth over the years, and his wife and children must know where it is hidden."

Chapter 19 Public Enemy of the World, Legendary Pirate Captain John!

"So that's how it can be done! Captain Pete is truly resourceful!"

"If you don't know how to compliment someone, then shut up!"

Pete glared at the pirate, who, unaware of what he had said wrong, lowered his head in grievance.

Meanwhile, inside the captain's cabin.

John leaned back on the headboard, tilting his head back as he drank rum. "MindNet" heard everything they were talking about.

"Is that all the ambition you have?"

He was very disappointed.

It was initially thought that Pitt had meticulously planned this scheme in order to acquire a huge fortune and then use it as a foundation for his grand ambitions.

For example, recruiting soldiers and horses to become the new overlord filling the gap left by the "Rocks Pirates".

Unexpectedly, he only wanted to use the money to buy a noble title in a member country of a world government, remove the bounty on his head, and live out the rest of his life in peace.

"Wait, that's not right."

"In a way, these days are actually pretty good!"

After all, as a member state of the World Government, there's no need to worry about being chosen by the Celestial Dragons as a hunting ground for their game.

Even if something illegal is done within the kingdom's borders, as long as the king doesn't pursue it, the navy has no jurisdiction over it.

The only thing to worry about is that the revolutionary army might come and liberate the area in twenty or thirty years, causing all the years of hard work to vanish into thin air.

However, even if we are worried, it is a low-probability event. The revolutionary army has been active for so many years, and the number of countries it has liberated is at most a dozen or so.

There are more than 170 member states of the World Government!

"Take my money and live the life you want, fine!"

John laughed in exasperation, but had to admit that Pete was indeed very clever.

Even if, hypothetically, Nika or the Revolutionary Army were to overthrow the World Government and achieve the great liberation of the world in the future...

But as long as they clean up their dirty deeds over the years, they can still leave behind a large amount of wealth after liberation and continue to live a life of luxury.

Even smarter ones could hedge their bets, secretly funding the revolutionary army and hoping to secure a position within the new regime once it's established.

For ordinary people who are not burdened by bloodline or destiny, this approach is definitely the best choice in the end!

"Why does it resemble those prominent families in my hometown?"

John remembered a phrase.

A dynasty lasting a hundred years, a family lineage lasting a thousand!

As long as he can resist the urge to enjoy the limelight and let Nika and Im fight it out, he will be the one who laughs last.

"But I... just can't stand being alone!"

John lowered his head and stared at the sheets, his burning gaze seemingly piercing through all obstacles to see the worms hiding in the lower cabin.

"Come on, you damn woman, Goddess of Fate, let's see how I make you wish you were dead."

"..."

A few days later, Ohara.

This small island boasts a rich green environment, especially the "All-Knowing Tree" with its enormous, bean-pod-like canopy that covers most of the land.

But what makes this island famous is not its topography, but the fact that it is home to some of the world’s best archaeologists and the world’s largest library.