Chapter 248: The Interference of Nika's Will on Luffy

On the slave ship,

The orphan of the Lunaliayazu tribe had his eyes shining bright, like sparks flickering in the dark night, and said excitedly, "I don't want to be an evil pirate, nor do I want to be a slave!"

"I want to become an adventurer!"

"Freedom, will, dreams—I want to restore the glorious name of the Lunaliayazu tribe!"

He spoke with passionate fervor.

Beside him, Rayleigh was silent for a long while, his gaze fixed on Shi, who resembled a skeleton from the backlash of the Wave Breath.

His eyes were complex—shock and bewilderment, as well as melancholy and confusion.

"Shi, you are the will-inheritor personally chosen by the Captain, and now you've actually forged your own path?"

Rayleigh savored Shi's declaration over and over, murmuring, "An adventurer, what a fitting title. That little brat from back then has truly opened up a remarkable new era!"

In his eyes, Shi was a junior with extraordinary potential.

Only now that this junior had unknowingly surpassed him did Rayleigh finally, belatedly, feel the changes sweeping across this sea.

"Do you need the Contract Fruit to become a player?"

Rayleigh had never felt such an urgent desire to log into the game and take a look.

East Blue battlefield,

The former Red Hair Pirates' Vice President, now of the Adventurer Guild, Beikeman rushed to Shi's side,

Carefully pulling out a Life Recovery Potion, afraid that even the slightest movement would shatter the vital signs Shi was struggling to maintain.

【Wave Scar】: In this state, HP is continuously consumed. The effect ends after a total deduction of 100,000 HP.

One hundred thousand HP!

This meant that for a long time to come, Shi would need to keep a Life Recovery Potion on hand at all times, and would remain in an extremely weakened state.

Using a fragile Tier 1 player's body to activate the Tier 2 Dark Sky Wave Eye—the backlash was terrifying.

This was the gap between life tiers.

"We must kill the Red Hair Pirates' scum!"

Looking at the destroyed Navy Family Territory, Sakazuki's eyes were bloodshot, and scalding magma dripped continuously from his palms.

He killed deserters, he toyed with political schemes, he despised those who slighted justice,

But when it came to loyalty and love for the good Navy, Akainu was no worse than anyone—in fact, he believed himself more fervent than the rest.

Watching the Navy family nearly destroyed, he wished he could burn the instigator to ashes!

Vice Admiral Tsuru suddenly said, "Let him go!"

"Release a pirate who provoked the Navy and caused heavy damage to the Navy family? Ms. Tsuru, have you been controlled by a Genjutsu user?"

Sakazuki turned his head with a cold expression, looking at Tsuru, who had made this decision.

He did not address her by her Navy officer rank, but used "Ms."—which was enough to express his deep dissatisfaction.

"Sakusiji Dajiang, I have told you—you must remain calm."

Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes also held unwillingness, but her expression remained unchanged as she said, "From the moment Hongfa Xiangkesi announced the disbandment of his pirate crew and made that adventurer declaration, unless he had just been directly burned to death by your Magma Cannon, the Navy no longer has a chance to strike."

Shi's declaration would give rise to a group entirely different from pirates—adventurers.

In a sense,

Shi had already bound himself to the adventurer group. The Navy's attitude toward him would determine how the new-era adventurers, constantly setting out to sea, would treat the Navy.

Pirates are an evil group,

So when the Navy moves to exterminate them, no matter what, they stand on the side of justice and order.

But adventurers are different. This group, hyped up by Shi as symbols of freedom and hope, is not inherently evil—they are a neutral group, just like countless commoners.

Once the Navy strikes, it will provoke fear and panic among the equally neutral populace of Si Hai.

The Navy is not the World Government,

It does not have eight hundred years of habitual rule to act as a tyrant with a clear conscience. Once it stands against the people of Si Hai, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"What a fine move—even I was fooled."

Though reluctant to admit it, Vice Admiral Tsuru, hailed as the Staff Officer, had indeed been outmaneuvered by the pirate Shi.

No—

The one who defeated the Navy was not Shi, but more accurately, the Game Merchant.

It was he who made the Pirate World, originally running along its fated track, begin to boil, to give rise to countless possibilities.

"Are we just going to watch Hongfa leave with our own eyes?"

Akainu clenched his fists, full of unwillingness,

But it was Vice Admiral Tsuru whom Fleet Admiral Sengoku had entrusted with overall command—his words carried no weight.

Moreover, he was no fool with nothing but magma in his head; the concerns raised by Vice Admiral Tsuru were indeed very important.

Who knew how many adventurers setting out to sea would be inspired by this evil declaration of Shi's?

The Navy had already broken with the World Government, and bore the heavy burden of capturing pirates,

If it made enemies of yet another new group, it simply did not have such massive forces to bear it.

"Sakusiji Dajiang, if you want to protect the Navy, then go hunt Polluters!"

Vice Admiral Tsuru's expression was cold as she said, "Once the Navy possesses power like the Game Merchant's—power that can shake the world with a raised hand—all evil will have nowhere to hide."

In the end, it was still a matter of insufficient force.

The Navy family, which had originally withstood the siege of two Four Emperors, a surprise attack by the Revolutionary Army, and the capture of countless pirates, should have been the most dazzling presence.

But now it had been upstaged by a single adventurer declaration, stealing the world's attention.

Fortunately, however,

The family stone tablet had not been completely destroyed—the Navy's original objective had been achieved.

Akainu's face turned ashen as he said, "Quickly dispatch all Navy players to hunt the pollution. Any materials dropped must be turned in directly."

Vice Admiral Tsuru added, "Navy players who turn in materials can receive Navy Contribution Points based on the materials' value, and will receive priority resource allocation."

The Family Housing has not yet been expanded, and slots are limited, so most Navy players have not joined the Navy family.

The military pay, weapons, and Navy Body Arts manuals the Navy once provided them can now be obtained simply by hunting pollution.

If forceful measures are used again, it will easily lead to Navy players defecting.

New era,

Many of the Navy's old rules need to be revised; they can no longer follow the inertia of the past.

Syrup Village,

"Adventurers, huh — what a wonderful title!"

Nami beamed, suddenly understanding: "I said it all along, that idiot Luffy doesn't look like a Pirate at all — turns out we're Adventurers!"

"What's going on, does that mean Luffy is going to become the Adventure King in the future?"

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette, a strange feeling stirring in his heart.

He hadn't noticed it before, but after hearing the Adventurer declaration, this strange feeling was detected by him.

After thinking it over carefully,

He realized that ever since becoming a Pirate, he had often forgotten his original reason for setting out to sea.

In the past, upon arriving at each island, he would first go around gathering that island's specialty ingredients, carefully selecting the finest varieties, saving the seeds, and then asking the local villagers to teach him Cooking techniques.

That was his original aspiration — to experience countless precious and wonderful ingredients, and become a great chef who surpassed all limits!

But now,

It seemed his mindset had changed. Some vague line of thought was interfering with him, as if whispering, "Just keep being a Pirate, reach the final island, and all your dreams will come true!"

A chill ran down his spine.

His fingers trembled slightly. Thinking of this, Sanji lost focus, and the cigarette at his fingertip dropped onto his suit.

Panicking, he hurriedly jumped up and patted out the cigarette butt.

"I don't want to be the Adventure King, I want to become the Pirate King!"

Even after personally witnessing his Pirate guide, Shanks, defecting, Luffy's gaze remained steadfast.

There was no anger at the betrayal, no regret or unwillingness at being abandoned by a senior he had considered a companion — not even a question.

In his mind, a voice seemed to tell him that becoming the Pirate King was his destiny.

Never give up, for any reason!

(End of Chapter)