Chapter 68: Instant Step

Several days later.

East Blue, Parra Island.

Dusk was near; the setting sun slanted its crimson glow, bathing the entire harbor in radiant light.

People bustled about, their faces carrying varying degrees of smiles uncommon among pirates—this stretch of time was the most peaceful they had known since setting sail.

Some had even cleared land on Parra Island to plant wheat and vegetables.

Easy, pure, comfortable.

No need to scramble for survival, no need to fight rivals for scraps on the edge of blades, no need to face the fearful glances of civilians.

“Only by following Captain Gao Wen can one live like this.”

A pirate leaned against the harbor railing, a cigarette dangling from his lips, chatting idly with a companion beside him.

“Who could disagree?”

“I’ve served under five captains before. The ones I called friends either died in battle or were killed by their own captains. Only Captain Gao Wen is different—he actually cares whether men like us live or die.”

As he spoke,

the pirate suddenly lifted his head, gazing toward the distant horizon.

There, a familiar pirate flag slowly emerged, followed by a small sailboat gradually entering the harbor.

“Captain Gao Wen’s back!”

The cry rang out.

Pirates still in the harbor surged forward to greet their most respected captain.

…

On deck.

Zoro looked up toward the harbor, his gaze instantly drawn to the smiles on everyone’s faces.

He could easily tell what was real and what was fake.

Unlike the forced smiles meant to please a captain, the pirates in the harbor now wore genuine smiles.

And only one person on this ship could make them look like this.

“Yare yare~”

Zoro turned to glance at Gao Wen, a faint smirk tugging at his lips:

“Looks like I joined a decent ship after all.”

Nami shot him a look, an involuntary smile curling her lips, her expression one of quiet pride:

“Shouldn’t Gao Wen have this kind of prestige?”

“You’ve still got a lot to learn, Greenhair newbie~”

Hearing Nami emphasize the word “newbie,” Zoro’s temple twitched with a visible vein:

“You only joined a few days before me—how are you a senior?”

“A few days is still earlier!”

Nami stuck out her tongue at him.

Zoro’s expression stiffened; he grew even more convinced that women only hindered his cultivation of the sword.

“You really get on my nerves!”

Nami was about to retort when a warm, large hand pressed down on her head and ruffled her hair roughly.

Zoro received the same treatment.

Gao Wen, having stopped their bickering, said calmly:

“Enough.”

“Now, let’s go home!”

After the ship anchored and steadied, the gangway was lowered.

Gao Wen and the others were escorted by a crowd of pirates as they slowly entered the harbor’s interior.

The Cat Brothers were still patrolling near Crow Port, driving off pirates drifting in the surrounding waters; only Zan Gao remained to guard the harbor.

After a brief update on the situation, Gao Wen dismissed it, ordering a bonfire to be lit at the harbor’s center.

As the feast began, Nami and Zoro gradually grew familiar with the crew.

…

The next day.

Gao Wen sat at his desk, planning his next moves.

To enter the Grand Line, the first priority was shipbuilding.

With the several billion Berries he’d taken from A Long, he could simply spend his way into a vessel capable of sailing the New World.

After all, even the Thousand Sunny’s total cost—excluding Franky’s personal additions and the keel—was only two hundred million.

Could I possibly fail to build a ship at ten times that price?

Gao Wen sneered inwardly.

His only concern was the shipwrights’ skill level—something he could ask Gasha for help with.

She was an East Blue noblewoman who managed a port; even if her shipwrights weren’t as good as Franky, they should still be competent.

Another matter: before entering the Grand Line, he needed to recruit Sanji, the Gold-tier potential seed from East Blue.

But he was currently a trainee at the Baratie, his whereabouts unpredictable.

He’d reportedly arrived at Crow Port a few days ago, but apparently had a falling-out with Gasha and left the next day.

“I’ll have to leave this to the Cat Brothers for now.”

“Once we find him, just tail him—but it’ll take time to locate him.”

“In the meantime, I’ll harvest more experience from Zoro and the others, see if I can raise my rating to Silver before entering the Grand Line.”

“Bronze-level strength is safe enough in East Blue, but it’s still lacking in the Grand Line.”

“Besides, Armament Haki…”

Mentioning Armament Haki, Gao Wen’s brow furrowed slightly.

During this time,

while exploring on his own, he’d gradually grasped some principles, but always felt something crucial was missing.

“Everyone has Haki inside them, but most people spend their entire lives without ever awakening it—yet how exactly does one begin?”

“I’ve tried every method I can think of. The only thing I haven’t tried yet is actual combat.”

“A battle where the opponent is my equal—or even stronger than me!”

“But East Blue has no such opponents left. Do I have to wait until the Grand Line?”

Gao Wen sighed, then turned to look out the window—and a faint smile touched his lips.

In the harbor,

three figures lifting barbells had already begun their morning training, drawing a large crowd of followers.

Under the blazing sun, they sweated profusely, savoring the pleasure of growing stronger.

Gao Wen’s lips curled slightly.

“This is what a proper Jiucai ’s discipline looks like~”

Saying this,

Gao Wen poured himself a cup of coffee—the bitter taste mingling with the aroma of milk.

“Huh~”

“Sinful, truly sinful!”

Gao Wen exhaled deeply.

Now he understood why his boss loved making employees work overtime.

Watching others work hard for you—how could one describe the sheer delight?

Yes, the capitalist lifestyle was simple and unadorned indeed!

Keluo, who had long awakened Observation Haki, noticed Gao Wen staring at him. Feeling his body grow warmer, Keluo sneered inwardly:

“That bastard Gao Wen is so lazy—my day as captain can’t be far off!”

…

…

…

Time slipped by—a month and more had passed.

The Cat Brothers continued their aimless search for the Baratie, always arriving a step too late, and they still had to patrol near Crow Port.

Meanwhile, Gasha had already connected Gao Wen with a shipyard; she’d prepared a design based on his budget, waiting only for the keel timber to arrive before construction could begin.

Night fell.

The sea breeze drifted into the cabin.

Gao Wen’s ear once again heard the system’s chime.

“Physique experience +246!”

“Sword technique experience +411!”

“Shao Si experience +51!”

“Observation Haki experience +82!”

…

With another wave of experience flooding in, Gao Wen’s long-awaited Skill: Scoop Death finally broke through.

Scoop Death-LV-4: 1587/1600 → Scoop Death-LV-5: 38/2500

The next instant.

The familiar notification sound appeared again in Gao Wen’s mind; reaching Level 5, Scoop Death granted him a new branch ability.

This time, however, there was only one branch.

“Detection: Host’s Scoop Death has reached Level 5. Branch ability unlocked—Instant Step!”

(End of Chapter)