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Chapter 201: A New Year, a New Haul
🕑 Added 2025-09-20 11:58:13 +0000 UTCChapter 201: A New Year, a New Haul
East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
It was a quiet, isolated village, and the News Coos always seemed to arrive a little late. This time, they arrived right on New Year's Eve, the night the calendar turned from 1516 to 1517.
Lanterns hung outside the Isshin Dojo, and traditional decorations from Wano adorned the entrance. Koshiro himself was leading his students in cleaning the dojo to sweep away the bad luck of the old year, a custom his ancestors had brought with them from their homeland.
In the kitchen, Belle-mère was helping prepare the New Year's soba, humming a cheerful tune. She had clearly just received some good news.
As for a certain moss-head and a certain curly-brow... they were standing on top of the village water tower, arms crossed, staring out at the sea as thick snowflakes began to fall. Tucked under each of their arms was a finished newspaper.
"Tonight, we turn sixteen," Sanji mused.
"Yeah, me too."
"Nojiko and the others were our age when they set sail."
"Yeah, Kuina too."
"Big Brother Shane's bounty is as high as a skyscraper now."
"Yeah, Kuina's too."
"Moss-head, is that the only thing you know how to say?"
"Because I can't wait any longer!" Zoro finally exploded. "A year ago, we were rivals! Now I can't even see the guy's dust!"
"That's a weird way to put it."
"?" Zoro was confused. What was weird about dust?
"Never mind... Anyway, I'm setting sail! I can't wait either!" Sanji threw his arms up and laughed. "I'm leaving tomorrow, as soon as the snow stops! I'm heading for the New World! I hereby declare the founding of the Chef Adventurers! Hey, my first mate, are you ready?!"
"Huh? Why are you the captain and I'm the first mate?! And what kind of stupid name is the 'Chef Adventurers'?! You have no naming sense!"
"Then what would you call it?"
"The... Sword... Two Swords Adventurers?"
That's even worse! Sanji rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'm not being your subordinate. Let's just go our separate ways!"
"Suits me fine!" Zoro scoffed. "When my Two Swords Adventurers become famous on the Grand Line, don't come crying to me to join!"
"Let's see you even find the Grand Line first," Sanji sneered.
They glared at each other on top of the water tower as the cold wind blew and the snow fell even harder...
While some were still arguing at home, others were already on their journey.
Reverse Mountain.
A bright yellow submarine surfaced, riding the reverse current up to the summit of the Red Line. From here, the entrances to all four seas were visible. But their destination was...
Law adjusted his spotted cap, a slow grin spreading across his face. The Grand Line.
"Captain, are we really going to look for Lord Shane?" Bepo's nervous voice came from behind him.
"Yeah..." Law chuckled. "Joining is another matter, but I have to meet the man who runs 'The Curtain Call' in person. I have to thank him." He also had another man to thank, but he'd just seen in the paper that that man had also joined Shane's crew as one of his top three officers. This made things much easier.
"Sniffle..."
A quiet sob came from behind him. Law frowned and turned to see Bepo curled up in a corner, his furry paws covering his face, his shoulders shaking.
"Bepo? What are you crying about?"
"Waaah... Captain..." Bepo looked up with teary eyes. "I-I just read the paper... Lord Shane is a good person, but his sister... she... she eats pets! She's already eaten several!" It's too scary! Waaah!
Law: "?"
"But it's okay!" Bepo said, his face a mask of tragic determination. "For the captain's dream! I'm willing to sacrifice myself! As long as I can help the captain cross the Grand Line and meet Lord Shane, I... I am willing to be eaten!"
Law took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, but a muscle in his cheek twitched. He rubbed his temples. "Bepo."
"Yes?" Bepo looked up, confused.
"First, you are a mink. You are our nakama, not a pet, and certainly not food. Second, you idiot, use that big head of yours and think! Since when can you believe a word the World Government says? They've used every dirty trick in the book to slander the man who runs 'The Curtain Call.' Do you really think that story is true?!"
"Really?" Bepo looked down and poked his round belly. "But I look so plump and delicious... I was planning on going on a diet so she wouldn't have an appetite for me."
"I told you, it's not true! And you're not allowed to shrink my nap pillow!" Law finally snapped, chopping Bepo on the head. "Get a grip! Stop worrying and focus on navigating! We're about to enter the Grand Line!"
The submarine plunged down the other side of the mountain, racing toward the Grand Line, the flag of the Heart Pirates snapping in the wind. Law stood at the prow, his gaze deep as he stared at the treacherous seas ahead.
"The man who runs 'The Curtain Call'..." he murmured. "Let's see for myself what kind of man can take down Doflamingo and make the World Government tremble..."
New World, Onigashima.
Within the mist-shrouded, horned-skull castle.
"Worororororo!!!" A certain giant, having just woken up, was already chugging from his gourd of sake. "That kid did a real number on them this time! It's been a long time since the World Government was this humiliated!"
King leaned against a window, silently reading the newspaper. 2,860,000,000 Belly? That's almost at the level of a Yonko. Looking at the glaringly high number, so far above his own, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.
Bad news: my bounty and strength have been completely surpassed. If that guy joined the Beast Pirates, he'd probably become the second-in-command instantly, pushing me down. Good news: a man of that caliber would never serve under anyone... But was that really good news? King put down the paper, a thoughtful look on his face... Perhaps he should increase surveillance of the surrounding waters. That kid was clearly aiming for a Yonko's throne. And since he already had a grudge with Kaido, the Beast Pirates might be his first target.
Hm?
King looked up sharply. Kaido had set down his gourd and was now standing by the window, stretching and cracking his neck.
Wait... King's eyes widened. Don't tell me he's planning to go out alone and challenge Shane again?
"Kaido-san!" he said, quickly moving to block the window. But Kaido was already yawning and leisurely walking back to his throne.
King froze.
"What?" Kaido looked at him, confused. "My neck is stiff from sleeping, and I pulled a muscle in my back. I'm just stretching. Is there a problem?"
Are you messing with me on purpose? A vein throbbed on King's forehead. He turned away, not wanting to deal with him. Neither of them noticed a gust of wind blow the newspaper off the windowsill, sending it tumbling into the distance. It flew for a long, long time... until...
Rustle.
A pair of long, slender, white hands reached out and caught it.
Clank, clank~
The movement caused a set of iron chains to rattle, the sound echoing across the quiet, grassy field...
Dressrosa.
A full week had passed since the battle that shook the world, but The Curtain Call was still docked at the passionate island. Shane hadn't planned on staying long, but it was the New Year... and the people of Dressrosa, the "Land of Love, Passion, and Toys," were nothing if not enthusiastic. They were dragged to feasts and parties every single day. Eventually, they just gave up and decided to enjoy the holiday.
"Boss! Boss!" Jack called from outside the window, holding a large barrel of ale, already half-drunk. "We got another invitation! This time it's from those little Tontatta people! They want us to visit Green Bit! Are we going?"
"You guys go ahead. I've already been. I have some things to take care of," Shane said from the sofa where he was lounging.
"Okay, got it." Jack's footsteps faded away.
Shane's gaze returned to the coffee table in front of him. Laid out in a row were three suits of different colors, a kimono, and a flat cap. They were the items the Five Elders had promised, delivered by CP0 just that day.
Without hesitation, Shane sacrificed them one by one.
[You have sacrificed the flat cap of the Warrior God of Science and Defense, Saturn. You have gained 2000 points.]
[You have sacrificed the suit of the Warrior God of the Environment, Marcus Mars. You have gained 2000 points.]
[...]
All five of the old men's items were worth the same: 2000 points each, for a total of 10,000. It was a nice little bonus. But... he had asked for these items for more than just the points. He wanted intelligence...
"Only 2000?" Shane's eyes glinted.
Those five old men, he didn't know how old they were or what other strange powers they had received from Imu. But if their personal items were only worth this much, less than the cowboy hat he'd swiped from Chaton... then their upper limit in terms of strength probably wasn't that high. Yonko Commander level, at best. Their immortality was what made them troublesome. It seemed the World Government's true top-tier fighters were still the Marine Admirals and the Holy Knights.
Shane checked his remaining points. In addition to the 10,000 from the Elders, Enel's body had provided another 1,500. King Riku, Viola, Kyros, Rebecca, and the others had added another 2,500 combined. With a total of 14,000 new points, his balance was back up to a very comfortable 57,600.
Also... Shane glanced at the sword on his back. Over the past few days, he had noticed that whenever he was organizing his Devil Fruits, Masamune would vibrate slightly, like a child seeing candy. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was its favorite, and it vibrated the most intensely then.
No way.
He had no intention of feeding it to his sword. He wasn't a true swordsman anyway. The only signature sword technique he had was Roger's Divine Departure. He rarely used his sword otherwise. Besides, a Logia fruit, especially one as rare as the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, that allowed the user to become intangible... it would be a waste to feed it to a sword. If he ever got a Paramecia fruit that the sword was interested in, maybe he'd consider it. But for now, he was saving the Rumble-Rumble Fruit for a worthy crew member. With the right person and proper training, he could create another officer on the level of his "Three Calamities."
"Three Calamities..." Shane shook his head. The Marine's intelligence was pretty accurate. Kuma had officially joined his crew and was now one of his top fighters. But their naming sense... Three Calamities? It sounded a bit too edgy, more like something from the Beast Pirates. But it was intimidating, he had to admit.
In addition to Kuma, the Tontatta Pirates, led by Leo, had also pledged their allegiance. They were essentially the Tontatta Kingdom's royal guard. They had now moved back to the main island and, along with the Riku Army, were serving as the protectors of Dressrosa under the flag of the Curtain Call Adventurers.
That's right. Dressrosa, from its ports to the highest point of the King's Plateau, now flew his flag, just like the Agatha Archipelago. King Riku had disdainfully renounced their status as a World Government-affiliated nation and had officially joined Shane's growing territory. The Tontatta Kingdom had done the same.
Shane opened his system panel and looked at the parchment map. In the fog of war, a second, much larger island, and a third island to its north, were now illuminated.
[Territory: Dressrosa]
[Land Area: 26,000 sq. km]
[Population: ~1,300,000]
[Regional Leader: King Riku]
[Happiness: Low → Medium]
[Territory: Green Bit]
[Land Area: 2,800 sq. km]
[Population: ~8,000 (all Tontatta Tribe)]
[Regional Leader: Gancho]
[Happiness: Medium → High]
