One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

Half a month later.

Above the Sea, enormous dark clouds rolled in, occasionally flashing with lightning, and beneath the thunder, fierce winds and torrential rain swept through.

"Is that a seagull? So big!"

Paru exclaimed dramatically as he spotted a giant Sea gull being swept in.

Bang! A hammer struck Paru on the head, knocking him to the ground.

"I told you not to fly into the storm with the seagull! Hurry up and lower the sails!"

Renetia shouted angrily at Paru, then turned to the other Pirates, saying, "Pick up the pace! Are you all starving? I told you to go catch Sea Beasts to eat, didn't I? Akin! Stop running back and forth, or you'll turn into a Black-skinned Monkey!"

The people on deck were bustling about, pulling ropes, adjusting sails, and coordinating with those in the control room, all very busy.

The ship could only muster less than three hundred active crew members, with the rest still lying injured. This small number was only about a third of the Death Star's standard, barely able to control the ship. It would have been easier in the East Sea, but here in the Grand Line, they were at a disadvantage.

"Enough, Reti."

At that moment, a voice came from the second-floor balcony. Lily stood there, letting the wild wind blow through her golden hair, gazing up at the sky, and said, "It's back to normal now."

With that, she walked into the Captain's room, and Renetia followed her.

Inside the Captain's room, Sage was reclining, his legs propped up on the table, one hand rhythmically tapping on the armrest of his chair, humming the old tune of 'Binks' Sake'. When he saw the two enter, he smiled and said, "What do you think about getting a dance troupe? It would be nice to enjoy some music and dance. This place is so big; there should be room for improvement, right? Reti?"

"It will be improved!" Renetia shouted back, then added, "But you are the Captain! Is it really okay not to take care of anything?"

"Isn't that what a Captain does? Just responsible for the big picture and making plans. Otherwise, what do I need you for?" Sage laughed.

At that moment, Marika came up from downstairs with some food, "Have something to eat, Reti, I brought your favorite strawberry cake."

"Yay!"

Renetia's eyes lit up as she took the strawberry cake from Marika's hands and sat down on the sofa in front of the desk to eat.

"Thank you."

Lily took the dessert from Marika and sat down on the other side, saying, "Sage, we've been sailing for over half a month now. According to the map, we should be getting close."

Since the last battle with the Warship, more than half a month had passed, and they had been sailing in the direction of the Eternal Pointer.

However, in the Grand Line, aside from the unknown dangers of the Islands, the Sea itself was quite perilous, at least for them.

At the beginning of their voyage, they encountered a massive storm that they would never have faced in the East Sea, causing the ship to sway dangerously. Fortunately, the Power system of the Death Star Ship was effective enough to stabilize it, preventing Renetia from having to intervene.

Just as they had weathered the storm, a frigid snow began to fall, almost freezing the surface of the sea with a thin layer of ice. The crew had just put on their thick clothes and cleared the snow from the deck when the weather suddenly turned hot, causing them to sweat profusely.

The climate was too unpredictable; to respond in time, they had to keep a constant watch on the weather.

In this way, Lily also learned a lesson. She focused on observing the weather but forgot to check their course. After a while, she realized that the Eternal Pointer and the ship's direction had completely reversed, forcing them to turn back.

To prevent this from happening again, Lily had the other five Eternal Pointers pointing to Alabasta given to the crew in the control room, instructing them to keep a constant watch, just in case.

After this mishap, she understood that in the Grand Line, one could not rely on common sense.

At first, she thought Sage's Bad Luck was at play, but it wasn't entirely unfounded. She couldn't say for other weather patterns, but for storms, Lily continued, "Your storms have returned to normal intensity; we must be entering Alabasta's tropical desert climate."

"What do you mean, my storm?"

Sage was about to pick up the special cocktail Marika had set down when he heard this, and the corner of his eye twitched. "The Grand Line is strange enough on its own; the unpredictable weather isn't my fault. I might be a bit unlucky, but don't make it sound like the storms were born because of me."

"Eh? But that sounds really cool, like the son of the storm or something, and it would be a perfect way to test the ship I built!" Renetia chimed in.

"Shut your mouth! It's all cream!" Sage retorted irritably.

To this, Lily remained noncommittal.

There were Islands along the route, but they found no signs of habitation. With injured crew members on board, it was not wise to linger, so they sailed straight through.

Aside from the unpredictable weather, Sage's storms were also quite fierce during the voyage. It wasn't that they couldn't see the sun; it was just that the sun was far less frequent compared to the cloudy weather.

When they finally reached the Island, the storm would return to its normal intensity. At first, Lily didn't notice, but later she began to realize.

The Island and its surrounding sea had a constant season; once they entered its waters, the climate would stabilize and wouldn't be as variable as at other times.

Lily had been outside observing the weather not for any other reason but to see when the storm would weaken. Once it did, the crew wouldn't have to be so busy.

Although the storm's intensity was still stronger than when they were in the East Sea, correspondingly, the quality of the ship was also very strong!

Just as Sage said, as long as the strength was sufficient, any Bad Luck could be overcome! Otherwise, those injured crew members under Sage would have died long ago. It was precisely because they had developed an incredibly strong will during their training in the Bridge Kingdom that they could fight against death with basic medicine and continue to survive until now.

Willpower is also a form of strength.

"Marika, make some more food, just for ten people."

Sage finished the large plate of food Marika had brought and downed his drink in one go, smacking his lips.

"Understood."

Marika smiled slightly, cleaned up the plate, and went downstairs.

The three-story structure of the Death Star was interconnected, leading down to the first level of the ship's hold, but this passage could only be used by those on board.

It led directly to the Treasure Room in the center of the ship, which Renetia had reinforced with stolen steel. Even the door had been replaced with a steel one, and its intricate design was such that even the best thief couldn't break in.

Usually, Akin was stationed there to guard it.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the Pirates under him; it was just that there should be a proper attitude. That place was a real no-go zone, and ordinary Pirates would actively avoid that area.

Seeing Marika take the plate away, Lily said, "Sage, your appetite seems to have increased compared to before. Haven't you healed yet?"

"I healed a long time ago."

Sage clenched his fist, causing the air to compress and make a sound. A smirk appeared on his lips, "I'm just strengthening my physical condition."

A large amount of food was converted into energy, which he actively absorbed, further enhancing his body through his seemingly limitless 'Life Return'.

In addition to increasing his physique, he could also manipulate 'Life Return' more finely, progressing in the direction he envisioned.

So, under normal circumstances, he always wanted the best when it came to food. The rare ingredients Marika brought back from Log Town mostly ended up in his stomach.

But even if that wasn't his goal, he enjoyed indulging himself, so of course, he wanted the best of everything.

In the past, he didn't have the conditions; now that he did, why not take advantage of it? After fighting three intense battles in the East Sea, he certainly understood where he needed to improve.

The most important thing was still his own body and the amount of Haki.

Sage actually felt that his body was already strong enough. Before becoming a Pirate, he could easily crush stones, and once he used the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique, even lead bullets couldn't penetrate his skin.

Otherwise, without that sufficiently high physique, he wouldn't have been able to immediately use the techniques he learned after seeing through the Six Styles. Such techniques required a superhuman physique to execute.

However, since Garp, he began to feel it wasn't enough.

He couldn't even withstand Zefa's Fist, who was already gravely ill and had lost much of his will and spirit. Even though Zefa's Haki strength far exceeded his, without sufficient physique, he couldn't unleash powerful force.

Having Haki doesn't automatically make one a master; it merely indicates that one has enough will to control and exert that will as power. An ordinary person mastering Haki remains an ordinary person.

Just as some people's Haki is like a cup of water, while others' Haki is like a river.

One plus one will always equal two; it can never equal two hundred.

In addition to improving his physical quality, the amount of Haki also needed to be strengthened. Sage wasn't neglecting his training; aside from fighting, he would also use Haki to cover the surface of the Treasure Vault, striving to make it harder.

As long as the amount of Haki is sufficient and the nurturing time is long enough, the objects touched will retain Haki over time, becoming increasingly hard, just like the so-called 'black blade'.

A knife is also an object, and the walls of the Treasure Vault are also objects. Sage is confident he can turn them into a 'black wall'! As for the entire ship, the amount of Haki is still not enough.

And who knows what Sage's overall strength is now.

It's not like a game where leveling up makes you stronger.

As long as one isn't fighting, one will never know who is truly strong.

He had taken down that ghost father Ennio, who could use Six Styles and Haki. Although his Haki strength seemed diminished due to issues of will and spirit, years of living in luxury had also weakened his body significantly.

But being able to learn all Six Styles and even develop variations, he couldn't have weakened too much.

If it were in the past, he would definitely have been an elite Vice Admiral, but the Ennio Sage encountered should not have reached that level.

He had also exchanged blows with Garp, and it was a complete crushing defeat.

As for Zefa, it seemed like they fought to a standstill, but only Sage knew the actual situation.

He still needed to continue strengthening. After a while, Marika brought up the newly prepared dishes. After Sage finished eating and rested for nearly an hour, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Lily said.

A Pirate pushed the door open, "Captain, Lady Lily, Lady Marika, Lady Renetia, we've spotted land!"

"Looks like we've arrived,"

Sage stood up, adjusted his black and red fur cloak, and strode out the door.

Outside, the dark clouds loomed overhead, and the wind and rain raged. As the Death Star Ship advanced, it gradually obscured the view, splashing up a large amount of water from the sea, which shimmered under the sunlight, creating waves.

Sage extended his hand, and a crew member handed him a telescope. He looked through it and saw a landmass with no visible boundaries.

Lily also took the telescope to look, and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's much larger than Eoikote."

"I heard it's a superpower, with a population of over ten million," Marika said.

"Eh? So many?" Renetia exclaimed in surprise.

Sage tossed the telescope back to a crew member and said nonchalantly, "No matter how many or how big, it's just an island."

The world is vast, the Grand Line is vast, and the Doldrums are also vast.

But as long as it's on the sea, no matter how big the place is, it can only be called an 'island'.

So, the Sea is quite magical, isn't it…

In the port city of Alabasta, that is, the city of Narohara, outside a wall on the edge of the city.

"Listen up, we've all been seen by the Baroque Works, we absolutely cannot expose ourselves."

Nami pointed at everyone, "Only Sanji and Chopper haven't been recorded, so the task of buying food and water is up to you."

"Don't worry, Miss Nami!"

Sanji's body twisted like a noodle, his hands clasped together, his eyes turning into hearts, "Leave it to me, no problem at all!"

Boom!

Just as he finished speaking, a thunderclap echoed from afar.

Everyone instinctively looked over, all startled.

From the sea, a massive dark cloud, mixed with a storm, was approaching.

"A storm?!"

Nami gasped, instinctively glancing at the woman beside her with hair the color of the sea, "Vivi, will there be a storm here?"

Vivi stared blankly at the approaching storm, her eyes filled with confusion, "Alabasta has never had storms before."

Rain is rain, storms are storms; the climate here shouldn't have storms! But now, miraculously, one was appearing.

Dance powder? Dance powder wouldn't cause a storm either!

But while they were puzzled, the citizens of Narohara were not. The massive thunderclap caught their attention, and one by one, they excitedly rushed out of their homes with buckets, pots, and any containers they could find to catch water, their faces filled with excitement.

As one of the few vibrant cities in Alabasta, Narohara, being a desert area, was still lacking in water no matter how lively it was.

Water here could be sold for money! No matter how fierce the storm, when it comes to survival, it couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm.

This place, even as a port city, hadn't seen rain in a long time! "It's raining! It's a storm! Everyone, come out and catch some water!!"

A comic world, so don't compare it to real-world sailing speeds, distances, or settings; it's meaningless.

In reality, there are no giants over eighty meters tall.

As the book says—Sea, it's quite magical, isn't it?

Of course, if you insist on arguing, then you are right.