2 Chapter 1: Great Age of Pirates

Age of Kaien. Year 1522

***

It has been 22 years since the start of the Great Pirates Age, and the world has undergone tremendous change with the exponential increase in the number of Pirates, the change of Fleet Admiral, and the formation of Shichibukai.

All of these, however, failed to attract any reaction from Edgar, who was currently taking a short walk around the town with both hands on his back and a soft smile on his face.

"Oh? Little Chief! It's rare to see you around town!"

A young voice, full of cheer, came up, accompanied by the hurried footsteps of the owner. It was a voice Edger is familiar with, so he gave a welcoming smile and replied with an equally cheerful tone.

"What is it, Ryan? Am I not allowed to have some walk?" Edgar teased. A smile on his face.

"Ei~ That's not what I meant"

Ryan, a young boy around 12, scratched his head in bewilderment as he tried to justify his words. He was about to open his mouth when someone hit him on the back of his head.

"You damn brat! It is not 'Little Chief'! Call him 'Village' or 'Chief' at least."

The newcomer was an old man with looks roughly 70% similar to the young Ryan. He gave a light bow to Edgar as he finished his scolding.

"I'm sorry, Chief. I've told him countless times, but this little brat can't seem to learn."

"Haha… don't worry, Grandpa Joshua. I am actually quite fond of the nickname. It sounds nice to the ear as well."

"Right! That was what I thought too!" Ryan added from the side.

"You brat! Can't you shut up when the adults are talking?"

"O-okay…"

After another round of scolding, Joshua finally calmed himself down and turned back to the smiling Edgar. Despite his old age, he could be seen to be visibly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for seeing that embarrassing scene, Little Chief."

Ryan's face twitched at his grandpa's mistake, but he decided not to say anything. He wasn't that much of a fool or eager to have another scolding.

Edgar naturally noticed this slight contradiction but only smiled, not minding the address.

"It's not a problem. On the contrary, I'm pleased to see you getting along so well."

"We're not!" Ryan and Joshua yelled out simultaneously, noticed this, and glared at each other.

'Fruit won't fall too far from its tree, huh?' Edgar thought to himself.

"Anyway, where are you two going?"

Joshua looked fiercely at Ryan before replying, "We're going to the port to fish while waiting for the cargo ship to arrive. Maybe we can catch a few more fish to be traded in this month's market."

"I see. Should we go together then? I was also in the middle of killing some time to wait for the others."

"It would be our pleasure! Maybe this brat can also learn to conduct himself better from you."

"Haha, you're exaggerating things."

The three then started to walk towards the port, passing through numerous buildings as they chatted in leisure.

"Every time I remember how our village used to be back then, I couldn't help but feel emotional… I can't believe how much better our lives could be just in a few years. This is also thanks to you, Chief," Joshua sighed.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything. It is all thanks to everyone that we could go this far."

"But it's your presence that started it all. Don't you remember what it was like 5 years ago? We couldn't even eat or sleep well due to our conditions. But now, we not only can eat to our fill, but we also can relax and live comfortably. This is all thanks to you and your ideas."

"It was nothing worth mentioning. If you say it like that, it was me who should be grateful to everyone. Everyone accepted me and treated me like a family even though I was an outsider with nothing but my torn-up clothes."

"That was the only natural thing to do. Everyone living on this island is an outsider at first. We all drifted here by chance and met each other. We helped each other to stay alive, and gradually, everyone seemed to feel like a big family. You are not the first one who drifted here; no one was cruel enough to let you die when some of them were once in your position. So, there's nothing to be grateful about."

Edgar smiled hearing it.

He could feel that Joshua wasn't lying and meant it from the bottom of his heart.

This also made him want to help the villagers and raise their living conditions. Especially since he had the means to do so.

"It's because everyone here is too kind… No one will have that same mindset if I end up somewhere else. I would have died a long time ago."

"Is the outside world really that scary nowadays? I've heard you tell stories about it, but I can't even begin to imagine it."

Joshua showed his doubts, but Ryan was interested in the story.

Ryan was born and raised on the island without any knowledge of other places.

He was young and naturally curious about new things, so he was especially interested in this topic.

"That's right. Do you remember what I said about what the current age is called?

"I do! I do! It's called the Great Pirates Age, right?" Ryan added from the side.

"That's right. It is literally a dog-eat-dog kind of world. Bad pirates are everywhere to bring destruction to whatever is on their path. You must watch your own back since even those you consider best friends can press a knife unto your back without feeling remorse."

It was only for a brief moment, but Edgar could tell that Joshua and Ryan flinched at his words.

"B-but… Li— Chief! What about the Marines? They must have been able to help!" Ryan stuttered.

"Marines? *Scoff* Those dogs of the World Government? They don't care less about people like us. What they care about are the benefits they can get through their title, position, and power over normal civilians. Hell, I have even met a cor—"

Edgar came to a pause when he no longer heard their footsteps. 'Oops, I may have overshared', he thought.

Sure enough, he saw the pair's terrified expression as they stared at him in disbelief. It may have come as a surprise to them to hear that the so-called 'Ally of Justice' is actually just a bunch of profiteers.

"There's no need to be that scared. Although I say that, there are still some kind and good people out there, even the pirates!"

Edgar tried his best to come up with the brightest smile, trying to lighten up the mood while hiding the fact that those 'kind and good people' are the minority and are often the ones on the receiving end of an unwell treatment.

Fortunately, it worked as Grandpa Joshua and Ryan seemed to have calmed down after taking a deep breath. It was a bit awkward after that but they decided to continue their journey when suddenly, Ryan asked another question.

"Li— Chief! Can you tell me more about the outside world?"

"Oh? Ryan? Are you curious about it?"

Ryan didn't answer directly but glanced at his grandpa. He took a deep breath before voicing his honest thoughts.

"Yes! My dream is someday to explore this world!"

"You brat!"

Joshua was immediately enraged by Ryan's words.

He was mad at him for having such thoughts. In his opinion, life on the island was comfortable, especially so since Edgar came. There was no need to risk going to the sea to live a good life.

"Why would you want to go out there!? Don't you remember that before Edgar came, no one could return after going to the sea? The mist surrounding our island is too dangerous. There's no way a brat like you could survive."

"Why can't I do it? Big Brother Sansui and the others can return just fine!"

"That's different! They are strong people that can protect themselves. Unlike you, who can't even hunt a boar!"

"Then, I will ask Big Brother to help me get stronger!"

"You brat! Don't trouble others with your selfishness!"

Seeing the worsening situation, Edgar decided to step in.

"Now, now… let's all calm down first, shall we?"

Edgar's words brought Joshua back from his rage, but it still wasn't enough to calm him.

"Chief! You have to say something to this brat! Tell him that he just wouldn't cut it!"

Ryan turned towards Edgar with expectant eyes. He hoped for him to be able to support his decision and persuade his grandpa.

"Let's calm down first, grandpa. I'll naturally try to talk to him if you'd like."

Joshua tried to regulate his breath as it became more stable with time. When he could feel himself calm down, only then did he start to speak again.

"Chief… please do try to speak some sense to this senseless grandson of mine."

"Alright!"

Edgar turned to face Ryan, who had a sour face. The latter wasn't expecting Edgar to take his grandpa's side, but Edgar's next sentence surprised him.

"Do you really want to go out to the sea?"

"… Yes! I want to go see the world!"

"But you understand that you need strength to do that, right? You must have heard about my stories from the others and what I said was by no means exaggerated. Hell… it may even be an underestimation. It's been 5 years since then, after all."

Ryan gulped hard.

Edgar's stories were famous among the children, and he naturally heard about them.

Pirates taking over an entire island.

Pirates manipulating the government.

A marine soldier taking bribes… even to slavery done by the world government.

Every single one of the stories was terrifying, but he nor his friends believed it. They thought it was simply a tale to dissuade them from going out of the island.

As a result, It only made them eager to see the world and satisfy their curiosity. However, from Edgar's tone and his heavy pressure, Ryan instinctively felt that Edgar wasn't joking.

Fear overwhelmed him as he took a step back, gritting his teeth as he tried to resist the fear in his heart.

"I--I… want to! I know the outside world is extremely dangerous, and I will need enough strength to protect myself! So, I will work hard and train enough to fight against all the danger and achieve my dream!"

Ryan's roar took Joshua by surprise. He never saw his grandson this determined, especially since he could also feel the pressure released by Edgar.

At this time, Joshua was very emotional… but didn't dare to say anything, afraid of losing himself and making a promise he couldn't afford to handle. So, he decided to stay silent and leave it up to Edgar.

"That's good enough." Edgar smiled as he released his pressure.

As soon as the pressure was released, Ryan fell on his butt with sweat all over his body. His breathing became ragged and uneven, but even then, he tried to look up and asked in a firm voice.

"C-chief… does that mean?"

"En! I can help you with your dream and ask Sansui and the others to train you. However, you must promise us that before you receive our acknowledgment, you won't be doing anything reckless such as going out to the sea by yourself."

"Really!? You said it yourself! Don't go back on your words, Chief!"

"Of course, I'm a man of my word."

"Yahoo! Thank you so much! I will definitely be strong enough to roam around the world."

Ryan felt all his pain disappear at that moment. He stood up excitedly and danced around as if he had just won something great. Then, he finally remembered his grandpa and felt like a cold bucket was pouring over his head.

"G—grandpa… I'll run first to the port to secure a spot and prepare. I—I'll see you later!" With that, Ryan turned to smoke and disappeared in almost an instant.