One Piece: The True Codex

William's flurry of movements was completed in the blink of an eye. Before anyone could react, the burly man who had just been barking threats lay on the ground, clutching his throat, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his body limp and lifeless.

Hearing the commotion, the man's two companions turned around, only to see their comrade collapse. They immediately reached for their weapons, but against William, their actions were as futile as showing off a blade to a master swordsman. William grabbed the sheath of the man closest to him on his right, who had not yet fully drawn his sword. Before the blade could be unsheathed, William had already yanked the sheath free and struck it down hard on the man's wrist.

The force behind William's swing was immense. A sickening crack echoed through the air as the man's wrist bent at an unnatural angle. His curved sword fell from his grasp, and William caught it mid-air with a swift motion.

The leader of the trio had already swung his blade toward William. As William reached for the fallen weapon, he twisted his body to the side, allowing the attack to narrowly miss. Using the momentum of his turn, William raised the wooden sheath in his right hand at an angle to block the incoming strike while simultaneously reversing the blade in his left hand. As he spun, the edge of the curved sword sliced across the abdomen of its original owner.

Slash!

The leader's curved blade tore through the wooden sheath, carving off a sharp splinter at the tip. However, the deflected strike veered off course, missing William by a hair. In that fleeting moment, William completed his rotation, now face-to-face with the leader. He stepped forward and drove the jagged end of the broken sheath into the man's throat.

The leader dropped his weapon, his eyes wide with shock. Both hands clutched at the wound as he staggered backward, crashing into a nearby table occupied by one of the pirates. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

The sound of bodies hitting the floor echoed through the tavern.

As the leader toppled the table, William had already plunged the curved sword into the chest of the man writhing in agony from the abdominal wound. He left the blade embedded there, standing motionless as two lifeless bodies hit the ground almost simultaneously. Throughout the entire exchange, the curved sword at William's waist remained securely in its sheath.

In a matter of seconds, three corpses now lay on the ground. The previously relaxed pirates, who had been seated nonchalantly, were now on high alert. Two of them had drawn pistols, their barrels trained directly on William.

Reis had also turned to face the commotion at some point.

William grinned at him, baring his teeth as he raised his empty hands in a gesture of surrender. "Do I qualify for that open spot now?"

Reis glanced at the bodies on the floor, then back at William, whose face showed no hint of concern. After downing the rest of his drink, Reis gestured to his men. "Put your guns away."

The two pirates holstered their pistols, and the others lowered their weapons. Only then did Reis flash a smile at William. He motioned for the bartender to pour another drink and pointed to a high stool nearby. "Come, have a seat."

William walked over with an air of confidence and took the offered seat. By then, the bartender had poured another drink. Reis pushed the glass toward William and said, "You've got some skill. What's your name?"

"Stolt," William replied without missing a beat, giving a false name. He then feigned a brash demeanor and asked, "So, should I start calling you First Mate now?"

"Of course. I said there was an open spot on the crew, and the fact that you're sitting here drinking with me means that spot is yours," Reis said, clinking his glass against William's before downing his drink in one go.

William mimicked his enthusiasm, tilting his head back to drain his glass.

Reis's quick acceptance of William wasn't due to any naive sense of honor. Rather, it was because William's earlier actions—killing three men in rapid succession—served as a blood-stained initiation onto the pirate ship.

Most pirates weren't born warriors. Many were bankrupt fishermen, destitute sailors, or crew members who had been caught stealing and blacklisted, leaving them with no choice but to turn to piracy. These individuals lacked formal training, and their skills varied greatly.

In William's previous life, there was a saying: "In the Great Pirate Era, what matters most? Talent!"

In a world where individual strength could vary so drastically, talent became even more crucial. The Marines had structured training systems to discover and nurture talent, but pirates relied almost entirely on luck to find capable recruits who also wanted to join their crews.

The Red-Beard Pirates were notorious throughout the East Blue, but even they couldn't claim that every member of their crew was a skilled fighter. To Reis, William's display of strength already set him apart as one of the more capable individuals on the crew. That was why Reis had wasted no time in recruiting him.

Having lived among pirates during his time with Danton's crew, William understood their mindset and the rules of survival aboard a pirate ship. This knowledge guided his actions.

In the eyes of most pirates, strength was a currency even more valuable than Berry.

Reis casually probed for more information about William's background. Playing the role of "Stolt," William maintained a carefree, unsuspecting demeanor, all while staying vigilant.

"You know navigation?" Reis raised an eyebrow. "Someone like you, with decent skills and knowledge of navigation, could easily find work on a merchant ship. Why turn to piracy?"

William gestured toward the three bloodied corpses on the ground. "What kind of merchant ship would hire a murderer?"

Taking another swig of the strong liquor, William's face flushed as he stared toward the bartender, his voice filled with bitterness. "Our family's merchant ship was caught in a storm. Many died, including my mother. My father was gravely injured. When we stopped at an island to replenish our water supply, the crew mutinied, claiming the compensation my father offered was too little. They tricked me off the ship, looted the cargo, and killed my father."

William's expression grew terrifying, causing the bewildered bartender to retreat. Of course, what Reis and the others didn't realize was that the most frightening aspect of this scene was William's acting. "I was stranded on that island for days before a passing merchant ship rescued me. When I made it back to town, I tracked down the ringleader of the mutiny and killed him in revenge."

"Now I'm a murderer. My father had borrowed heavily for his business, and with everything lost, we're deep in debt. I can't repay it, and I don't want to. So, here I am, becoming a pirate."

This story was, of course, fabricated. William had borrowed it from a real incident Sherlock had once told him about, swapping the protagonist for himself.

The Academy owes me an Oscar! William thought, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Reis mistook this for an emotional reaction to the past and inwardly scoffed at his perceived weakness. Nevertheless, Reis patted him on the shoulder in a show of camaraderie.

"So, you figured you'd join our crew?"

"Of course. If I'm going to be a pirate, I might as well join the best crew in the East Blue," William replied, feigning arrogance.

Reis wasn't the type to be swayed by flattery, but he still found William's words pleasing. Grinning, he said, "Good. Very good. Stick with me. I'll personally take you aboard the ship later."

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