Out with the old, in with the new.
Though that ungrateful brat Rocks had run away, the White Wolf Pirates gained three new recruits.
Shiki, Tsuru, and Zephyr!
Magnus found the combination of these three names oddly jarring.
In truth, though, their relationships weren't anything special.
Shiki, for one, was a pirate from the start—a proud, arrogant type. Though Magnus had forced him into the White Wolf Pirates, he clearly wasn't convinced, and he looked down on everyone else.
Tsuru and Zephyr, however, were interesting.
Both were Marine spies planted within the White Wolf Pirates. But based on Magnus's observations, they didn't know about each other's identities.
So whenever they crossed paths, they were overly cautious.
As for Zephyr—he was still just a bright, sunny teenage boy.
Though he had joined the garrison, he truly carried out his duties like a policeman protecting civilians. Because of this, despite his young age, he quickly gained the love of the locals and became quite popular in Sphinx.
At first, the Marines worried whether Zephyr would even manage to join the White Wolf Pirates.
But the answer was clear—of course he would!
If he had been some ruthless, cruel bastard, they wouldn't have accepted him in the first place.
As for Shiki, he was still young.
If after a few years of training he proved unworthy, Magnus wouldn't hesitate to kick him out.
So much for "never abandoning a crewmate."
If you couldn't even follow basic orders, you had no one to blame but yourself.
As for Tsuru—
Unlike Shiki's arrogance and Zephyr's warmheartedness, she was much more reserved. To Magnus, that made her feel like a true spy should.
The three stood before him now—
The blonde youth, legs spread, arms folded, smug as ever.
The purple-haired boy, standing straight and tense, nervous but resolute.
The ponytailed girl, a gun strapped to her back, face cold and expressionless.
Magnus smiled at them.
"Do you know why I called you here?"
"I do."
Tsuru answered first, making Shiki scowl.
"It's to test whether we're qualified to join the White Wolf Pirates, right?"
The garrison was one thing.
The White Wolf Pirates were another.
Shiki had first met Magnus earlier that year, when he was punished for kidnapping mermaids and forced to work on Fishman Island.
It wasn't until June that Dean finally brought him back.
Of course, Magnus never admitted he'd forgotten Shiki there. He just said he didn't believe Shiki could master the Rokushiki so quickly.
In truth, Shiki had spent four months grasping the basics. Only shortly before Dean's arrival had he finally learned one—Moonwalk.
And even that was only with the help of his Devil Fruit powers.
Not that his talent was poor.
Learning Moonwalk in under half a year after seeing it only once from Rocks was still remarkable.
But when Dean told him that if he hadn't learned it by then, they might not return for years, Shiki had broken out in cold sweat.
The White Wolf Pirates were indeed ruthless!
He had only helped kidnap mermaids—it wasn't even his idea! But had he failed, he might've been stuck as a laborer on Fishman Island for years.
Once in Sphinx, however, his progress sped up.
In just half a year, he had learned four of the Rokushiki techniques, only missing Iron Body and Finger Pistol.
Zephyr was the opposite.
At fifteen, still in his prime growth, Aide hadn't given him heavy training.
Even so, Zephyr learned Iron Body and Finger Pistol—the very ones Shiki hadn't.
In this world, mastering even one of the Rokushiki was enough to shed the label of "rookie."
And Tsuru?
She had mastered all six.
Not because her talent surpassed theirs, but because the Marines had invested far more in her. Before she was even sent to the auction, she had received extensive training.
Her actual learning time had been twice theirs.
So her mastery wasn't surprising.
In fact, it was exactly what a Marine recruit with potential should achieve.
With the right guidance, Marine recruits should easily master the Rokushiki.
But without achievements, background, or teachers, most wasted their time.
The Marines could have lowered the learning threshold.
If they had, they could've produced countless young elites.
With over a hundred allied nations supplying manpower, their potential reserves were enormous.
But the Marines wouldn't do that.
Rather, the World Government wouldn't allow it.
If their subordinates grew too powerful, how could they control them?
They would rather create the Shichibukai system than strengthen Marine recruits too much.
Especially after one Admiral defected, the Government was more cautious than ever.
Too weak was unacceptable.
But too strong was dangerous.
And with a rising pirate force watching closely, the balance was delicate.
"You're half right," Magnus said with a grin, seated casually on the steps of the ship.
"You're not here to be tested. You're already members of the White Wolf Pirates—though for now, you're only interns."
His words stunned Shiki, widened Zephyr's eyes, and made Tsuru's fists clench.
"You know the difference between a garrison soldier and a true crewmate. Some say the garrison is just the reserves for the White Wolf Pirates. That's not wrong.
"But do you think I'll accept tens of thousands of them as crewmates?"
"I want only elites!"
It was a cruel truth, but in this world ruled by power, ordinary soldiers were worth less than cannon fodder.
Take fishmen, ten times stronger than humans. In great numbers, even they were just statistics in front of billion-berry pirates.
And before Magnus, even billion-berry pirates were little more than that.
So, to catch his eye, one needed special talent—or at least the strength of Dorry and Brogy, capable of holding their own against Admirals.
Why had Rocks left?
Because he realized Magnus's battlefields had already surpassed what he could handle.
He didn't want to drag them down. He wanted to grow stronger. So he left.
That was the problem with those with too much individuality.
Magnus had already decided to stay quiet for a few years.
He had planned to take Rocks and Ripley to Wano to train. The samurai there would've been perfect for tempering them.
But before he could say so, Rocks had run away.
Magnus looked at the three. "But let me be clear: once you join the White Wolf Pirates, leaving won't be so easy.
"You still have a chance to quit now."
His words made Shiki flinch. He didn't want to join any crew. Half a year in the garrison had made him stronger, sure, but he wanted to be his own captain someday, not someone's underling—let alone just an intern!
He opened his mouth to refuse—
"What?"
Magnus's smiling eyes fell on him. Just that gaze made Shiki break into a cold sweat.
Didn't he just say they could quit!?
If he really refused, he had the feeling he'd end up as feed for the anglerfish.
"Shiki, are you leaving?"
"O-of course not!"
Forcing a smile, he said, "Joining the strongest crew on the sea is an honor. How could I ever quit?"
He cursed Magnus inwardly a thousand times, but the reality was clear.
Shiki was no fool. He was no tyrant who couldn't bend. If anything, he was a schemer—a hero with patience.
He could endure twenty years for revenge.
Why not endure this?
He would bide his time.
As for Tsuru and Zephyr, they were even simpler.
As Marine spies, they were thrilled to be invited. Refusal wasn't an option.
"So that's it? We're in?"
Tsuru found it surreal.
From Sabaody to Sphinx—it hadn't been long, but the hardship was hers alone to know.
From slave, to garrison soldier, to intern of the White Wolf Pirates.
What she remembered most was her time as a slave.
When the White Wolf Pirates made their name known to the world.
The battles at Sphinx and Elbaf had shown they could threaten the Marines.
But the battles at Sabaody and Mary Geoise—
They pushed the White Wolf Pirates' reputation to its peak.
Killing Celestial Dragons.
Breaking into their holy land.
Facing countless Government elites—and escaping alive.
Who else in history had ever done that?
Not once in the Government's eight centuries.
That one battle by Magnus had shaken the very foundation of the Government.
Some allied nations had begun to doubt.
Did the World Government really have the strength to protect them?
The Heavenly Tribute was crushing.
Wealthy nations could manage, but poorer ones? They bled their people dry just to pay it, like drinking poison to quench thirst.
If those tributes stayed in their hands, they could raise armies, improve their people's lives.
Magnus's strike hadn't just slapped the Government's face—it had ground it into the dirt.
And Tsuru found… she felt nothing.
Because there were too many slaves.
Too many rescued from Mary Geoise.
Could all of them have been criminals?
Irredeemable villains?
Then why were there so many children among them?
What shook her most was Rona's betrayal.
Without Rona, Magnus could never have struck Mary Geoise.
It was her betrayal that caused the chaos, distracting the God's Knights. Without her, their three undying Admiral-level powers would've been too much even for Magnus.
Tsuru's heart was in turmoil.
Why did the Marines serve the Celestial Dragons to enslave innocents, while pirates fought to free them?
She didn't understand.
She tried to seek guidance, but the Marines had cut her off.
The White Wolf Pirates had purged spies from Sphinx, cutting all her ties.
So she had trained instead, fighting her confusion with strength.
Until today.
Magnus had declared her one of them.
The thrill of acceptance was followed by deeper confusion.
Joining had been her goal.
But now that she had… what came next?
She wandered to her usual dining spot, where a familiar figure sat.
"Can I sit here?"
"Well, if it isn't the White Wolf Pirates' newest recruit. What's the matter, little Marine girl? Looking for me?"
Rona looked rougher than she had as an Admiral—shirt and pants, legs crossed, sandals on her feet, her fiery red hair a messy tangle.
But despite her sloppiness, Tsuru thought she looked healthier than ever.
Throwing an arm around her, Rona laughed. "What, did that bastard Magnus harass you already? That'd be tough. Even with my connections, he wouldn't listen to me."
"How about this?"
She smirked. "Why don't you quit the White Wolf Pirates and join us instead? We're starting a new Navy."
A new Navy?
Tsuru's heart skipped.
And then Rona said—
"But first, let me hear your thoughts on the White Wolf Pirates."
Propping her chin on her hand, she looked Tsuru in the eye.
"Do you really know what kind of crew you've joined?"
(End of Chapter)
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