West Blue.
With Lancelot's new warship leading the way, ten merchant ships, converted from various captured pirate vessels, followed closely behind.
This massive fleet signaled Lancelot's official entry into the West Blue.
It was the beginning of his campaign to open the routes for his Four Seas Exchange.
Baby 5 stood beside him on the deck.
"Master, the various forces in the West Blue are all extremely powerful. So, while it's similar to the East Blue, it's also completely different."
"What's similar," she continued, "is that both have one Governor-General and three regional Commanders. However, the Governor-General of the West Blue is held by Marine Headquarters Elite Vice Admiral Hound. The three Commanders posts are held by three regular Vice Admirals."
Lancelot nodded.
An Elite Vice Admiral meant they were from Headquarters, a true powerhouse.
Regular Vice Admirals were likely local promotions.
It was just like the difference between Captain Morgan and Captain Smoker in the East Blue.
Both were "Captains," but their status and strength were fundamentally, vastly different.
But Lancelot knew that those who could serve as Vice Admirals in the chaotic West Blue, even if not as strong as Headquarters elites, shouldn't be too weak either.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to suppress the rampant Mafia in the West Blue.
In the West Blue, the Mafia was an absolute powerhouse.
They were distributed throughout every kingdom, every faction, every industry, and every corner.
Without some real strength, these Vice Admirals would have been taken out by the Mafia long ago.
How could they possibly hold their positions?
Baby 5 continued, "To open up shipping routes in the West Blue, we must first establish good relations with these four Vice Admirals. With their support, things will go much more smoothly."
Lancelot nodded.
No matter what, the West Blue theoretically belonged to these four individuals.
Whether as the boss of the Four Seas Exchange or as a fellow Marine, he needed to meet them.
He still understood basic social etiquette.
He couldn't give others grounds for criticism.
Although he wasn't afraid, there was no need to invite unnecessary trouble.
So he said, "Destination: Glaze Island, where Vice Admiral Hound is stationed."
Baby 5: "Yes, Master!"
...
One day later, on Glaze Island, Lancelot's warship and the merchant fleet entered the port.
Vice Admiral Hound, a tall man with a grim, canine-like face, stood at a high point in the Marine base, looking down at Lancelot on the warship in the harbor.
A Commodore beside him asked quietly, "Sir, should we give him a warning?"
Vice Admiral Hound shook his head, his voice a low growl.
"This 'Four Seas Exchange' he created has offended too many people. Not to mention other places, just here in the West Blue, the Five Families of the Mafia have already set their sights on his merchant fleet. Plus, a large portion of the goods he's transporting this time are weapons. And his trading partner is actually Kano Country. Isn't that directly confronting the strongest nation in the West Blue?"
'How strong is the Kano Country?' Hound mused.
'Thirty-four route navies, each with at least a thousand troops. Their leaders are at least at Headquarters Captain level. Especially their top ten route navies... each with their own heritage.'
'Their leaders each possess Vice Admiral-level strength. And not just regular Vice Admirals—they're at the Elite Headquarters Vice Admiral level. Among them, the Happo Navy, which used to roam around plundering treasures, is their prime representative.'
'Their former leader, Chinjao, with his three types of Haki and the Happo Navy's inherited Hasshoken (Eight Shock Fist), ran rampant across the world'
'He became a legendary existence. If he hadn't encountered Garp, his reputation would have been even greater. With only a slightly weaker Yamato Kingdom to keep them in check, the Kano Country is the true power here.'
"Hmm…" Then, Hound's gaze fell upon a corner of the town below.
A faint, cruel smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, someone's already come looking for trouble." His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned cold.
With a hint of killing intent, he muttered, "The Black Palm Gang is getting more and more reckless, daring to make a move on my turf. It seems I need to teach them a lesson, or they'll forget who truly runs the West Blue."
The Commodore beside him instinctively followed Hound's gaze.
When he saw the person lurking in the shadows, his pupils constricted sharply.
"It's actually him? Capone 'Gang' Bege?"
This guy was one of the most outstanding—and dangerous—among the younger generation of the Mafia.
Also one of the strongest contenders for a future leadership position... though he didn't seem particularly interested in it.
Instead, he had formed his own Pirate Crew, appearing ready to set sail for the Grand Line.
It was completely unexpected that this guy would make a move against Lancelot and his group.
Thinking this, the Commodore couldn't help but murmur, "It seems the old-timers in the Mafia must have been putting pressure on him."
Vice Admiral Hound said, "Perhaps it's a matter of personal obligation. After all, this guy was personally promoted by the current Mafia leader. But regardless, he makes a decent touchstone. Let's see if this Governor-General Lancelot's strength is truly as formidable as the legends say."
"Vice Admiral Hound, should we really not warn them? What if the Holy Land..." He trailed off here, remembering that the Vice Admiral Hound before him also had deep connections to the Holy Land.
So he said no more.
.....
Meanwhile, Lancelot instructed Baby 5, "Guard the warship. Kill anyone who approaches without reason!"
Baby 5: "Yes, Master!"
Lancelot bent his knees slightly, then pushed off, leaping into the air.
He landed lightly at the port.
He strode forward, as the Marine base could already be seen in the distance from here.
But just as he left the port and entered the town area, he suddenly felt the distinct sensation of being watched, which made him quite uncomfortable.
However, he didn't show it.
Instead, he continued toward the Marine base, neither hurried nor slow, as if he had noticed nothing.
But his Observation Haki was already operating at its maximum.
Within a hundred-meter radius, every movement was within his perception range.
He would detect any unusual activity immediately.
"Hmm..." Lancelot was somewhat surprised, because he discovered a very peculiar presence in one corner.
The aura from this "person" was extremely complex.
It was as if it wasn't one person, but composed of many people.
Just as Lancelot reached a position even with the corner, a sharp cry rang out.
"Castle Demolition!"
"BOOM..."
Immediately after, countless bullets, cannonballs, and even flames suddenly appeared from the corner, seemingly from mid-air.
They rained down toward Lancelot like a storm.
In the blink of an eye, Lancelot was completely enveloped.
Finally, the area where Lancelot stood was directly transformed into a sea of fire by the massive explosion.
"Tch..."
The person from the corner, Capone Bege, stepped out, his face full of disdain.
"The old guys said this fellow was quite remarkable, told me to be careful. Heh... Against absolute firepower, everything turns to ashes. Completely worthle... Huh?"
When the flames and smoke dissipated, Lancelot's figure appeared, standing in the same spot, completely unharmed, his Tekkai and Armament Haki having easily tanked the blow.
Bege's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Recovering his senses, he exclaimed.
"How is this possible?"
After all, because of the old-timers' warning in the gang, he hadn't held back at all just now.
He had used all the firepower stored inside his body.
Just look at the spot where this person stood—it was already completely unrecognizable.
Even the incredibly hard bluestone ground of the base-town had been blasted into a large crater.
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