Based on his memories of the original storyline, at this point in time, Hachinosu Island had already fallen into the hands of Wang Zhi.
Speaking of Wang Zhi—this man had once been a member of the Rocks Pirates, but he was a traitor through and through.
Not only did he secretly sell out Rocks, kidnapping Shakky and handing her over to the World Government, he also leaked the whereabouts of Rocks' wife and child at God Valley. Even worse, driven purely by personal gain, he personally murdered Marlon, a fellow Rocks Pirate and the Mafia boss from the West Blue.
Back then, when the entire Rocks Pirates set out for God Valley, Wang Zhi had volunteered to stay behind on the pretext of "guarding the home base," remaining on Hachinosu Island.
After the Battle of God Valley ended—with Rocks dead and the crew completely shattered—Wang Zhi seized the opportunity to fully take over Hachinosu Island, turning it into his own personal territory.
Shiro had no intention of wasting time on trivial matters. Without hesitation, he released his overwhelming Haoshoku Haki.
The invisible pressure surged outward like a tidal wave. In mere moments, the pirate patrol at the harbor rolled their eyes back and collapsed one after another, knocked unconscious.
After dealing with the patrol, Shiro led his crew straight toward Wang Zhi's stronghold.
The news quickly reached Wang Zhi. Upon learning that someone dared to invade his territory, he flew into a rage, immediately gathering his men and charging out to retaliate.
As a former member of the Rocks Pirates, Wang Zhi's strength was nothing to scoff at.
He was agile in combat and had eaten the Power-Power Fruit, granting him tremendous physical strength. With his Devil Fruit abilities, he possessed combat power approaching that of a Yonko-level subordinate, making him a true powerhouse even in the New World.
Unfortunately for him, this time he was facing the Virtue Pirates, fighting together with flawless coordination.
Against the combined might of the Virtue Pirates, a single Yonko-commander-level fighter was simply not enough.
Once the battle began, the Virtue crew split up efficiently, quickly wiping out Wang Zhi's underlings like sweeping away trash.
Then, surrounding the now-isolated Wang Zhi, they launched a special round of "virtue-based education."
Fists and kicks rained down on him, and before long, Wang Zhi could no longer resist.
In less than three minutes, he was beaten black and blue, sprawled on the ground, completely unable to move. His breathing was shallow and uneven—more air going out than coming in, clearly hanging on by a thread.
With great effort, he lifted his head and used the last of his strength to beg Shiro for mercy, weakly offering to submit to the Virtue Pirates and serve under Shiro.
But Shiro knew all too well what kind of backstabbing traitor Wang Zhi was. How could he possibly give him another chance to betray him?
Without the slightest hesitation, Shiro drew his weapon and cut Wang Zhi down with a single slash.
He had no intention of repeating Rocks' mistake by leaving behind a future disaster.
After dealing with Wang Zhi, Shiro immediately activated his Spatial Restraint ability, precisely extracting the Power-Power Fruit from Wang Zhi's body and securing it for himself.
From that moment on, Hachinosu Island—once belonging to Rocks, then seized by Wang Zhi—officially changed hands, becoming part of the Virtue Pirates' domain.
The Virtue Pirates rested on the island for a time, replenishing their supplies. Once preparations were complete, they planned to set sail for the next sea.
Before leaving, Shiro suddenly thought of something. He sought out Crocodile and said with a smile:
"Crocodile, I want you to stay on Hachinosu Island and become the master of this legendary place. What do you think?"
At his words, Crocodile's eyes instantly lit up with surprise and excitement.
He had long envied Moria for having territory of his own. Now, being offered a legendary island like Hachinosu was more than he could ask for. He accepted without the slightest hesitation.
To him, an island steeped in history like this was more than worthy of his title—the Desert King.
At the moment of parting, Shiro walked up to Crocodile, his face full of reluctance.
"I'm really glad we were able to travel together for this stretch of the journey."
He patted Crocodile on the shoulder and said firmly:
"I believe that with your ability, you'll definitely make Hachinosu Island prosper."
"Thank you, Captain Shiro."
Crocodile's voice carried a rare hint of emotion as he reached out and clasped Shiro's hand tightly.
"The days fighting alongside you all… I was truly happy. I, Crocodile, will be a member of the Virtue Pirates for life."
"If you ever run into trouble you can't handle," Shiro said as he boarded the Virtue, waving from the bow,
"remember to contact me. As long as you need it, I'll teleport over immediately to help. Farewell, Crocodile!"
The rest of the crew also waved goodbye, until the Virtue slowly sailed away and Hachinosu Island faded from view.
After this battle, the Virtue Pirates lost yet another comrade who had fought alongside them.
Hachi frowned, walking up to Shiro with worry written all over his face, his voice tinged with unease:
"Captain… three crew members have already left the Virtue Pirates. Will everyone eventually leave? Will we all disband someday?"
Hearing this, Shiro gently rubbed Hachi's head. His gaze turned toward the vast, turbulent sea ahead, his tone filled with emotion.
"Hachi, don't be sad. Life is like sailing on the ocean—meetings and partings are inevitable.
The fact that we were able to come together and share such an amazing journey is already something incredibly precious."
He paused, his eyes growing resolute.
"And remember this: anyone who walks away from the Virtue Pirates will always have their roots here, on the Virtue. No matter how much time passes, no matter how far apart we are, that bond will never be broken."
"R-really…?"
Hachi scratched the back of his head, half-understanding. The worry on his face eased a little, though confusion still lingered in his eyes.
"Of course," Shiro said with a smile, patting his shoulder.
In his mind, he could already see the day when they would reunite with those former crewmates once again.
Maybe on a lively island. Maybe in some vast stretch of open sea. Reuniting, reminiscing about the past, and writing new stories together.
After parting with Crocodile, the Virtue raised its sails once more, carrying its crew forward across the ocean filled with the unknown and countless challenges, beginning the next chapter of their journey.
Half a month later, in the New World, azure waves crashed against the hull of the Virtue.
As the crew busied themselves on deck, tidying the ropes, a swift figure suddenly flashed by.
With light steps, Shiro precisely snatched a rolled-up newspaper from the claws of a flapping News Coo.
The moment he unfurled the paper, the bold headline on the front page of the World Economic News leapt into view…
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