One Piece: The True Codex

When Barbarossa attacked the cargo ship carrying Vallon and Edmond, he faced hardly any setbacks. Edmond fell into the sea while Vallon perished, demonstrating that underestimating William's crew was somewhat predictable. After all, Barbarossa couldn't have foreseen that William was a transmigrator and thus worthy of special attention.

The vast ocean, even in the East Blue—the weakest of the pirate seas—is home to hundreds of pirate factions. The Red-Beard Pirates have dominated these waters for years, accumulating countless enemies, both large and small, along the way. Barbarossa couldn't possibly keep track of them all.

Now, it seemed William and his crew were among those Barbarossa deemed unworthy of concern.

This was advantageous for William, as he planned to assume a new identity and infiltrate the Red-Beard Pirates to gather intelligence on their operations.

Upon hearing William's plan, Gin immediately objected, "It's too dangerous. You heard what that pirate Ward said—Barbarossa's abilities counter our sword techniques."

According to Ward, "Red-Beard" Barbarossa possessed the Devil Fruit known as the "Wool-Wool Fruit," allowing him to control the growth of his body hair at will and alter its texture. He could harden his hair to be as tough as steel when needed, which is how Vallon was easily defeated. Had Barbarossa wielded a different ability, Vallon might not have been vanquished so effortlessly, even if he wasn't victorious.

Aramis and Edmond nodded in agreement with Gin.

Despite the collaboration with a partner in the Navia Kingdom, Barbarossa and his Red-Beard Pirates refrained from plundering villages and docks in the kingdom. Instead, they targeted rival merchant ships identified by their collaborator. William's smuggling operations were rooted in Navia, making encounters with dock workers familiar with him unlikely, but not impossible.

"We need to uncover the person aiding Barbarossa behind the scenes. This individual must wield considerable influence in the Navia Kingdom, not only providing Barbarossa with ship and dock information but also commanding capital officials to apprehend the head of a local trading company," William said, lighting a cigarette. He patiently explained his reasoning to the concerned group, "And don't forget, Edmond encountered Marines during his return to Maple Village. It's likely there's more than one person behind Barbarossa, including Marines. We must find out who they are; otherwise, even if we dismantle the Red-Beard Pirates, it won't matter."

"Damn those seagulls," Aramis cursed.

The Marines and kingdom forces posed a greater threat than the Red-Beard Pirates. These official powers were more daunting and intimidating to William and his crew.

A pirate crew like the Red-Beard Pirates was an independent force. Barbarossa might be far stronger than William, but the key difference between humans and beasts is intelligence. Lions and tigers are ten times stronger and fiercer than humans, yet they end up caged and gawked at.

If William's sole objective was to kill Barbarossa, he had numerous tactics and strategies at his disposal. Once Barbarossa was dead, the Red-Beard Pirates—a group held together by personal charisma and prestige—would likely crumble.

Official forces like the Marines were different. Even if a local Marine officer was less competent than Barbarossa, they were still part of the Marine organization. Killing a major might attract a colonel, and driving away a colonel might bring a vice admiral. Local Marines were relatively independent, but they still represented the Marines, and kingdom forces represented the World Government.

William feared not the incompetent local Marine officers but the authority of the Marines and the World Government.

After explaining this reasoning to the group, Edmond spoke up, "In that case, let me go!"

"Barbarossa may underestimate us, but he's not blind. How would you blend into the crew?" William raised an eyebrow. "Plenty of people on that ship have seen you. You'd be walking into a death trap."

Gin, seeing this, wanted to suggest himself for the task. However, William seemed to anticipate his thoughts and spoke before Gin could, "This task must be done by me."

William wasn't confident in Aramis or Edmond handling the mission. Gin was steady but lacked experience and adaptability. Once aboard the Red-Beard Pirates' ship, anything could happen. William wouldn't have the opportunity to guide Gin through unexpected situations; Gin would have to rely on his own judgment, which he wasn't equipped for.

"This mission isn't just about boarding the Red-Beard Pirates' ship. We need to gather information on Barbarossa's collaborators and the Devil Fruit details I'm keen on," William concluded. "You all can support me from the ground."

William knew undertaking this mission involved risk, but if he couldn't bear any risk, why venture out to sea?

After further refining their plans, William instructed Aramis and Edmond to leave, keeping Gin with him.

Before Edmond exited the hallway, he glanced back to see William discussing something with Gin, who nodded solemnly.

...

William's assumptions weren't entirely accurate. Their lack of recognition wasn't solely because Barbarossa and his crew underestimated their strength and thus neglected to gather detailed intelligence.

The true reason was that the instigator of the attack, Count Arcadio, had targeted the Flash Gold Guild from the start. More precisely, he aimed at the mature local trade network behind the guild.

Holding significant power, Count Arcadio had no interest or energy to spend time building a similar network. He chose to use his influence to seize it. The attack on Edmond and Vallon was merely a means to intimidate the guild, mistakenly believing the smuggling operations were led by the Flash Gold Guild.

In a bustling town within the Navia Kingdom, Sherlock emerged from the Flash Gold Guild headquarters, looking troubled. He glanced back at the building his father had commissioned—a landmark of the town—where several figures stood by the window, pointing and whispering about him.

Sherlock sighed, boarding his family's carriage. If William or Gin were present, they would be surprised.

Sherlock, despite his wealthy background, was not one to conform. He was unconcerned with appearances, someone who could roll up his sleeves and drink with local gang leaders like Tony at a tavern.

But now, he donned silver-rimmed glasses, his hair meticulously groomed and slicked back, wearing a suit without a single crease, made from high-quality fabric.

William and his crew were unaware, but the locals knew that Sherlock now dressed almost identically to his father.

Not only did William need to stabilize morale, but Sherlock did too.

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