One Piece: A Warlord's Path

"Oi, oi~ Captain, get up! This isn't funny."

"No way... this can't be real! I must still be dreaming!"

"What kind of nonsense is this?!"

"This has to be fake, it must be some sort of trick you used!"

The subordinates Abel had brought with him stood frozen, stunned into silence, their faces blank with disbelief.

Was this really the same man, the Steel Demon Angus Abel, who'd led them past the pursuit of a full Marine fleet?

The man who swore they'd rise to become a Warlord of the Sea?

The one who vowed to turn them into the world's strongest pirate crew?

And yet… he was taken down in a single move.

Oliver turned, walked over to Abel's collapsed body, and nudged him with his foot, muttering to himself, "Still breathing... good."

Thump... thump... thump...

As the challengers watched Oliver finish the job, Aeridar stepped forward with a grin. Clapping Oliver firmly on the shoulder, he burst into booming laughter.

"Hahaha! Well done!"

"Hey! You bastards must've used some kind of trick! There's no way you could've beaten Captain Abel otherwise!"

One of Abel's crew, tall, thin, and shadowed by sunburned skin, stepped forward, pointing a shaking finger at Aeridar and the others, his voice laced with desperation and denial.

"A trick?" Aeridar snorted dismissively, sneering as he took a step forward. "Tch... You country bumpkins really have no idea what you're dealing with. Fine then, just lie down and see for yourselves."

With that, Aeridar closed his eyes, and then snapped them open.

In an instant, an overwhelming force exploded from his body. It was as if the very color had been drained from the world, everything was black and white, silent and still, until the wave of pure, oppressive will swept through the gathered pirates.

Thud. Thud. Thud...

One by one, the defiant crewmates dropped to the ground, their eyes rolling back, limbs slack. In seconds, all of them lay sprawled and unconscious, as if struck down by the gods themselves.

"Ugh... ngh..."

"Th-that's... Conqueror's Haki...!"

Ward's pupils shrank as he gasped, heart pounding. A year of surviving in the New World had taught him plenty about Haki. He'd already mastered both Observation and Armament.

But this... this was something else entirely.

Only a rare few possessed that kind of power.

The kind he'd seen before in monsters like Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, or Chinjao, the 12th Leader of the Happo Navy from the Kano Country.

Those men could crush spirits just by standing tall.

And now Aeridar had done the same.

"What kind of ability is that?!"

A man cloaked in a black coat shot to his feet, eyes wide, his subordinates following suit in alarm.

"He took down over a dozen elite members of the Angus Pirates... with a single glance?!"

"This is the power of Boss Aeridar? That's insane!"

"If the officers are this strong... then what kind of monster is the captain himself?!"

Nobody missed the implication: this wasn't luck. It wasn't a fluke. It was power—raw and absolute. Aeridar hadn't even lifted a hand.

And just like that, any doubts the surrounding pirates had were crushed, their resolve to join Aeridar's crew now solid as steel.

"Take them away," Aeridar ordered, flicking his hand toward the unconscious bodies. "And make sure someone gets Abel to Dalt. I don't want him dying just yet."

Though not a professional doctor, Dalt had spent years on the run from the World Government, surviving countless injuries and close calls.

His background in biological research gave him an almost unnatural familiarity with both human and animal anatomy. Especially when it came to treating trauma, his knowledge was nothing short of life-saving.

Without delay, dozens of members from the Chris Pirates emerged, efficiently carrying off the fallen men.

Clap—clap—

Aeridar clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.

"Sorry about the interruption," he said with a pleasant smile. "A few fools thought they could cause trouble. Now then, back to what we were discussing."

His tone shifted, more formal now as he addressed the room.

"Like I said earlier, if you've come here to join me, I'll accept you."

"There are two paths: One, disband your current pirate crew and fully join the Chris Pirates. Two, remain independent as a subordinate crew. I'll lend you my flag and offer my protection, but when I send the call, you come. No questions. No exceptions."

"Thank you, Captain Aeridar. I'd like to join your crew."

"Captain Aeridar, my pirate crew and I will follow your orders, no conditions."

"I'm disbanding my crew immediately to join the Chris Pirates."

"Boss Aeridar, lend me your flag! Just one call, and I'll come running, no matter where I am..."

...

The moment Aeridar spoke, the entire gathering of pirates erupted with excitement.

Some were already declaring they'd dissolve their own crews to join the Chris Pirates.

Others begged for permission to fly his flag under his protection.

A few even pounded their chests, swearing absolute loyalty and obedience.

Aeridar grinned. "Since you're all so enthusiastic, let me lay down a few ground rules."

"If you want to disband your crew and join the Chris Pirates, your captain needs to have a bounty of at least 70 million. If the captain falls short, then every single crew member must have a bounty over 10 million. As for solo pirates, if your bounty's above 30 million, or you've taken down someone worth more than that, you're in. I'm only taking elites."

"And of course, I welcome specialists with open arms—navigators, doctors, shipwrights, scientists. I've got plenty of room for talent."

"Captain Aeridar!" a burly man with dark facial tattoos shouted. "What about those of us who want to become affiliated crews under your banner? Any conditions?"

"This is my first time issuing a recruitment call," Aeridar said with a relaxed smile, "so today, anyone who wants to become a subordinate crew of the Chris Pirates—no requirements."

Truth be told, this was all part of Aeridar's larger plan. He had his sights set on invading an entire nation. And in war, even cannon fodder has its place.

These guys? Just the expendables. But if any of them survived what was coming, he'd consider truly accepting them into the fold.

"However..." His tone suddenly dropped, the grin turning into a cold sneer. "If anyone dares break the rules, thinks they're stronger than me, thinks they can defy my orders, I'll personally wipe their crew off the map. Every last one of them. Heh heh heh..."

"Whoa, whoa! Captain Aeridar, you trying to scare us to death?"

"Relax, Boss Aeridar! Anyone who dares break the rules, I'll be the first to take them down."

"Us pirates may be outlaws, but we keep our word."

"Hahaha! No way any fool's dumb enough to cross you, Boss!"

All around, pirate crews banged their chests and roared their loyalty. One after another, they pledged their undying allegiance, swearing they'd never betray him.

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