Chapter 249: Stereotypes Are Unadvisable
"Dad actually agreed to let you come out with me?"
Looking at Chloe, who had happily brought back the "verbal decree," Nanamo rubbed her face, feeling that this was a bit unreasonable.
Although bringing someone along for the trip wasn't a big deal, something just felt slightly off.
"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not just going out to play this time. I have business to attend to, so you cannot cause trouble for me."
"Are we going to make money?" Chloe asked, her eyes sparkling.
"..."
Looking at the gleam in Chloe's eyes, Nanamo felt an urgent need to correct her personal image in her little sister's mind.
She genuinely wasn't going out to do mercenary work or hit jobs this time.
"I have a friend named Scarlett. Her father is King Riku Dold III, a friend of our dad's. Her father recently hired a bodyguard for her, but she doesn't really like the guy. She wants to make him suffer a bit so he'll leave on his own accord.
"Do you understand what I need to do now?"
"Mhm..." Chloe nodded thoughtfully. "That big sister Scarlett hired you to go teach that bodyguard a lesson."
"..."
Although the end result and general meaning were technically the same, Chloe had automatically filled in the blanks with non-existent mercenary transactions.
"Princess Nanamo, it appears that if you wish to change these deep-rooted stereotypes, you still need to put in a lot more effort..."
At that moment, Hermes's voice echoed leisurely beside her ear. However, Nanamo didn't dignify the teasing with a response, instead issuing a new command.
"Hermes, go pack my luggage. And remember to pick out a nice gift for us to bring along."
"As you command~ Princess Nanamo~"
"You go pack your things too," Nanamo told Chloe. "Pack light. Dressrosa isn't that far from here; we won't be gone for long."
After shooing Chloe away, Nanamo began to seriously ponder how she could change this "mob boss" stereotype without actually having to change her lifestyle.
The sisters' travel arrangements weren't complicated. They just needed their Eternal Pose and to wrap their luggage in a layer of waterproof bubble film. Once they swam to the ocean's surface, they could simply use Hermes as a flight transport to complete the journey.
At the exact same time the sisters departed, a very different arrival was taking place at the Sabaody Archipelago.
On the deck of a pirate ship, a man carrying a massive black sword on his back was sitting casually on a wooden crate. Directly in front of him, an entire crew of pirates was kneeling on the deck in terrified unison.
"M-Mister... Sabaody Archipelago is just ahead. Do you think... maybe it's time for you to disembark...?"
A heavily bruised and battered pirate cautiously asked the man before him. However, the only answer he received was a flat "Mhm."
The tone of that "Mhm" was entirely unreadable. The pirate couldn't tell if it was an angry interrogation or a casual agreement, leaving him sweating profusely as he frantically wiped his forehead.
He didn't even dare to make eye contact. Just meeting that piercing, hawk-like gaze was enough to send chills straight down his spine.
This man was none other than Dracule Mihawk.
Currently, Mihawk didn't yet sail around on his iconic coffin boat. On one hand, his strength was still actively growing; on the other, navigating the seas on such a tiny vessel actually attracted an endless amount of troublesome annoyances.
Yet, because he had suffered severe betrayal in the past, he found it incredibly difficult to place his trust in others and form a crew. Therefore, his standard method of travel was simply hitching a ride on other people's ships.
Take this pirate ship, for example. At first, they thought the sword on Mihawk's back looked quite valuable and tried to rob him. After a brutal, one-sided beating, they had graciously volunteered to become his personal chauffeurs.
Mihawk didn't consider himself a pirate. Setting out to sea was purely for the sake of tempering his skills. His ultimate goal was the throne of the World's Strongest Swordsman, not the title of Pirate King.
However, ordinary training and mundane battles were no longer enough to elevate his strength, which was why he had set his sights on the New World.
There were countless powerhouses in those waters. Even if they weren't swordsmen, fighting them was the perfect crucible for honing his Haki.
"I'm going to the New World."
Seeing that the pirates were just kneeling there wasting time instead of moving to get the ship coated, Mihawk finally spoke up.
That single sentence nearly scared the crew to death. In their eyes, Mihawk was a literal god of death. Getting rid of him as fast as humanly possible was their absolute top priority.
"Ahem, w-well, sir, our ship is quite large. The coating process will take several days to complete. Since you're in a hurry... why not head to Fish-Man Island yourself?
"They have a special sightseeing train service! For just a few Berries, the Fish-Men will personally escort you directly into the deep sea. It's incredibly fast and convenient!"
Hearing the pirate's suggestion, Mihawk pondered for a brief moment before standing up and leaving the ship without another word. He genuinely didn't want to linger at Sabaody Archipelago for too long. It was far too close to Marine Headquarters, and seeing Marines always put him in a foul mood.
"Boss, you're a genius! You actually managed to trick him into leaving!"
"But how did you know Fish-Man Island had a sightseeing service? Didn't we set sail from the South Blue together?"
"You idiots, of course I made it all up!" the captain hissed. "I heard those Fish-Men are absolutely ferocious! That guy is a mute, stone-faced psycho. It'll be hilarious when he bumps heads with them!
"Quick! Move the ship somewhere else to get coated! We're leaving this port now!"
Seeing that Mihawk had completely vanished, the pirate captain immediately began barking orders. But before they could even pull up the anchor, they realized a Marine fleet had completely surrounded them.
"According to reliable intelligence, that damn 'Marine Hunter' is on this ship! ALL CANNONS, FIRE!"
Mihawk didn't look back, entirely unconcerned with whatever chaos was erupting behind him.
A short time ago, the World Government had sent him an invitation to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but Mihawk had yet to respond.
He was currently weighing whether or not to accept it. The Marines' sudden mobilization was also tied to this invitation; since Mihawk had ignored it for so long, they could easily interpret his silence as a refusal.
As long as they eliminated him before he officially accepted the Warlord title, the World Government couldn't complain.
Right now, Mihawk was rather curious about Fish-Man Island. Although his past betrayals prevented him from taking on crewmates, he wasn't completely antisocial; if he met someone whose vibe suited him, he wouldn't mind sharing a few drinks and a conversation.
"An invitation to the Seven Warlords? That's a good choice if you want to cut down on the annoyances. Aren't you heading to the New World? You'll pass by Fish-Man Island on the way. The King there is named Nereus.
"That guy... he was an absolute slaughterer back in the day. The number of Marines you've killed is nothing compared to him."
"Don't the Marines endlessly harass him, then?" Mihawk had asked.
"Of course they did. But ever since... well, I can't remember exactly when it was, but one day, his bounty was suddenly revoked. The newspapers even started painting him as a great guy. Seems they reached some kind of treaty."
The man who told him that had been dead drunk, slurring his words heavily, but Mihawk had committed the conversation to memory.
The endless swarms of Marines constantly chasing after his heels made him highly irritable. There weren't many powerful swordsmen among them, meaning they were doing nothing but delaying his training.
If the situation regarding Fish-Man Island was true... then accepting the title of Warlord to permanently reduce these senseless annoyances wouldn't be a bad idea at all.
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