One Piece: Trainer of Kings

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Ripples Across the Seas



Somewhere in the New World of the Grand Line, waves pounded relentlessly against ancient reefs that had weathered countless storms. On one of these weathered rocks sat Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, his red hair catching the sea breeze as he studied a crisp bounty poster in his hands.

The endless blue ocean stretched before him, vast and untamed, but his attention was focused on the familiar grinning face staring back at him from the bounty poster. A knowing smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as memories of a little boy in a straw hat flickered through his mind.

"Are you here at last, Luffy?" he murmured to the wind, his voice a mixture of pride and anticipation.

The waves continued their eternal dance against the reef, marking time as they had for countless years, but now they seemed to herald the beginning of something momentous.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the New World, the massive whale-shaped ship known as Moby Dick cut through the waves with majestic ease. On its deck, a young man with distinctive freckles and an orange cowboy hat sprinted among the various crew members with infectious enthusiasm.

"Hey, everybody! Did you see it? Did you see it?!" Ace shouted as he bounded toward the gathering of Whitebeard's divisional commanders.

He clutched a bounty poster in his hands like a precious treasure, his excitement barely contained as he skidded to a stop in front of the assembled officers.

"Look at this!" He pushed the poster forward with obvious pride. "This guy is my little brother, and the World Government just put a bounty on his head!"

Marco, the First Division Commander with his distinctive pineapple hair, leaned forward to examine the poster. His eyebrows raised in genuine surprise as he read the details.

"Your brother, huh?" He let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Fifty million berries for his first bounty, that's even higher than yours, Ace. Looks like your little brother is even more dangerous than you."

Diamond Jozu, the hulking commander of the Third Division, chuckled deeply as he studied the image. "Why don't you invite him to join the Whitebeard Pirates? Then we'd all be family!"

"Haha, forget it, Jozu," Ace laughed and shook his head with loving annoyance. "Luffy would never join someone else's crew. He was always obsessed with becoming the pirate king himself!"

"Oh? Just like someone else I remember," Marco said with a teasing grin, clearly enjoying the opportunity to needle his fellow commander. "Didn't you show up here not too long ago yelling the exact same thing before challenging Pops?"

"Bastard! We agreed never to mention that again!" Ace lunged forward in mock indignation, tackling the unprepared Marco to the deck.

As they wrestled playfully, the bounty poster slipped from Ace's grasp, caught by a sudden sea breeze that carried it across the deck. It fluttered through the air before landing in the massive hands of a towering figure seated nearby.

Edward Newgate, Whitebeard himself, the man known as the World's Strongest, studied the poster with keen interest. When his eyes fell on the familiar straw hat that adorned the young pirate's head, something changed in his expression.

"Ace's brother..." he rumbled, his voice like distant thunder.

For a moment, his weathered features grew distant, as if he saw ghosts from the past. Then his famous crescent-shaped moustache lifted in a broad, genuine smile.

"Interesting... Gurararara!"

Despite the various IV tubes and medical equipment attached to his massive frame, Whitebeard slowly rose to his feet. His laughter rippled through the ship with such force that it seemed to shake the clouds above.

"Sons!" he roared, his voice carrying to every corner of the Moby Dick. "To celebrate Ace's brother earning his first bounty..."

"Let's have a party!"

"YEAH!" The response was immediate and thunderous as hundreds of voices joined in enthusiastic agreement.

Within moments, the entire ship was transformed into a festival ground. Barrels of sake appeared as if by magic, music filled the air, and the crew threw themselves into the celebration with the infectious joy that defined the Whitebeard Pirates.

Whether anyone actually cared about the identity of Ace's brother was irrelevant, they just needed an excuse to party, and this was as good as any.

However, in a shadowy corner away from the festivities, one figure remained focused on more serious matters. Marshal D. Teach sat hunched over his meal, tearing into a piece of meat while his dark eyes focused on a particular detail of the bounty poster.

The letter 'D' in the name 'Monkey D. Luffy' seemed to burn into his vision as he studied it with predatory intensity.

"Zehahahaha..." His distinctive laugh rumbled softly as chunks of meat fell from his mouth. "Looks like another interesting D has turned up. This could be... useful."

Back in East Blue, Orange Town buzzed with activity as the Buggy Pirates gathered in their makeshift headquarters. Their captain was in the midst of planning their next operation when a frantic subordinate burst through the doors.

"Captain Buggy! Captain Buggy!" the pirate gasped, waving a newspaper frantically as he stumbled forward. "You must see this at once!"

"What's all the fuss about?" Buggy demanded, his painted face twisting into an angry scowl as he snatched the paper from his subordinate's trembling hands.

The moment his eyes fell on the bounty poster, however, his expression changed dramatically. His pupils dilated as he stared at the grinning face under the unmistakable straw hat.

"Captain Luffy has a bounty of fifty million berries!" the messenger pirate announced proudly. "Just as you predicted, Captain Buggy! Anyone you ally yourself with is bound to be extraordinary!"

The pirate's shameless flattery barely registered in Buggy's mind. His attention was consumed by memories of red hair and promises made long ago.

"Yes..." he replied absently, his voice distant. "Extraordinary indeed."

Of course, he thought bitterly. Of course Shanks' chosen successor would accomplish something like this so quickly. The red-haired bastard always had an eye for potential.

Though he'd sworn allegiance to the Straw Hat Pirates and would honor that oath to the death, Buggy knew where his true allegiance lay. It wasn't with the naive rubber boy who dreamed of becoming pirate king, but with Akira, the vice captain whose strategic brilliance had clearly orchestrated this meteoric rise to infamy.

Factions were inevitable in any large organization. And Buggy had placed himself firmly in Akira's camp from the moment they'd shared that ceremonial sake.

The news of Luffy's bounty spread across the seas like wildfire, though its impact varied dramatically depending on the location. In the Grand Line, where fifty million berry bounties were commonplace, the announcement barely made a ripple. Pirates of that caliber were as numerous as the stars in the sky once you entered those treacherous waters.

But in the relatively peaceful East Blue, Luffy's astronomical bounty sent shockwaves through every island and settlement. In a sea where the average pirate bounty rarely exceeded five million berries, fifty million was an almost incomprehensible sum.

The remote village of Syrup Village had always prided itself on being too insignificant to attract unwanted attention. With no valuable resources, strategic location, or notable inhabitants, it was the kind of place pirates tended to ignore entirely.

The settlement's daily routine was as predictable as clockwork. The villagers rose with the sun, tended to their modest farms and businesses, and retired early to prepare for another identical day. Their only source of excitement came from a certain long-nosed young man who made it his business to announce the arrival of pirates each morning, false alarms that had become as routine as the sunrise itself.

On this particular afternoon, that same young man, Usopp, was sprawled under a shady tree in the forest outside the village. His dark skin bore the healthy tan of someone who spent most of his time outdoors, and his distinctive overalls marked him as the settlement's self-appointed captain of his own imaginary pirate crew.

"What perfect weather," he murmured contentedly, stretching as he awoke from his afternoon nap. "Alright, break time is over! I have to tell Kaya about my latest adventure in the underwater kingdom."

He paused and considered his priorities. "But first... some target practice!"

Usopp was just beginning to set up makeshift targets when the sound of running footsteps interrupted his preparations. Three young boys, none older than nine, came sprinting down the country road with expressions of absolute panic.

"Captain Usopp! This is terrible! Something terrible has happened!" the lead boy shouted as they came to a halt in front of him.

"Huh? Oh, it's just the three of you," Usopp replied, immediately striking what he considered a dignified pose with his arms crossed. "How many times have I told you? A true pirate never panics! Where is your composure?"

"Yes, Captain Usopp!" all three boys chanted automatically.

But Onion, the boy with the distinctive vegetable-shaped hair, stepped forward with obvious urgency. "Captain, you really need to see this! The situation is really bad this time!"

With shaking hands, he pushed a newspaper and a bounty poster in Usopp's direction. "This isn't one of our usual false alarms!"

"All right, all right, let's see what's got you all so worked up," Usopp said with exaggerated calm as he accepted the documents.

He unfolded the bounty poster with deliberate slowness, maintaining his casual demeanor until the moment his eyes focused on the contents.

Then silence fell like a blanket of lead.

For a full minute, Usopp stood frozen, the poster trembling in his white-knuckled grip. Sweat began to trickle down his forehead as the implications washed over him like a tidal wave.

"Captain Usopp?" Carrot, the most level-headed of the three boys, ventured cautiously.

When their self-proclaimed captain failed to respond, all three children approached to check on him. What they found was their usually boastful leader reduced to a quivering mess, his pupils dilated with unmistakable terror.

The boys exchanged knowing glances and shrugged with practiced resignation. This reaction was exactly what they had expected.

"Ahem... Captain Usopp," Carrot continued with the patience of someone far older than his years, "a large pirate crew has appeared in the East Blue. According to the newspaper, they attacked Naval Base 153 just two days ago."

"That base isn't very far from Syrup Village..." Pepper, the third boy, added ominously.

The words seemed to penetrate Usopp's shocked paralysis. His head snapped up, eyes wide with the dawning realization of how much danger their peaceful village might be in.

"Fifty... fifty million berries..." he whispered hoarsely, staring at the astronomical number beneath Luffy's grinning face.

For someone who had spent his entire life in the safest waters of the East Blue, such a bounty was beyond comprehension. It represented a level of danger that belonged in the nightmarish Grand Line, not in their quiet corner of the world.

"Captain," Onion said quietly, "what do we do if such pirates actually show up here?"

The question hung in the air like a death sentence. For all his tall tales and boastful claims, Usopp knew he was nothing more than a talented marksman with an overactive imagination. Against real pirates, especially those dangerous enough to warrant fifty million berry bounties, he would be utterly helpless.

But as he looked down at the three boys who truly believed in his strength, Usopp felt something stir deep in his chest. These children were counting on him, just as the village had always counted on his daily warnings, even when they thought they were wrong.

Perhaps it was time for the coward of Syrup Village to find some real courage.


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