Chapter 5:

*Vote Plz....*

"What on earth is going on?"

"And Claw Horn? He still calls himself a noble..."

"How long are they going to keep us locked up? We are not the murderers!!"

In the lower deck of the ship, more than a dozen passengers were angrily protesting. Although it couldn't match the foul smell of the bilge where Rosinante and Doflamingo were, the middle and lower decks, originally used to transport ore, were not suitable for living conditions either.

Moreover, they had paid for their passage!

It was only the number of sailors that kept the passengers from losing their composure; otherwise, their weapons would have something to say.

The current year was 1494 in the Ocean Round calendar, eight years after the "God's Valley" incident. Although the "Rox Pirates" were defeated by Vice Admiral Karp, the strong members of the Rox Pirates were still around: Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Kaido, Big Mom, King Di, Captain John, Silver Axe, etc. There was also Bounty Bandit Bondi Wald, daring to hunt Celestial Dragons; the Mad Evil King, Alabasta Pizarro; the idle and carefree, yet insightful "Red Count" Balorik Laderfild; and the "Giant Warship" that roamed the sea like a mountain range, among others.

These middle-aged pirates had all established their own forces and were stirring up the sea, plunging the world into its most chaotic era!

Therefore, even the passengers were armed with swords and guns.

Otherwise, they might as well wear "fat lamb" on their foreheads.

Compared to the present, where powerful individuals were everywhere and battles were constant, the relatively peaceful seas in their twenties seemed so much better.

"Uncle, I'm scared..."

Apart from the adults, there were also their families, like the little girl behind the bearded swordsman.

The little girl was wearing a pink cloak and a pink hood, holding onto the bearded swordsman's pants tremblingly.

But her pitch-black eyes under the hood were full of curiosity and eagerness.

"Ai Zhiguan, if there really is a conflict, you must not intervene. Just stay behind me," the bearded man sighed inwardly. If he had known it would be so troublesome, he might as well have joined the Navy's warships. But based on his and Ai Zhiguan's identities, they didn't have the qualification to command a warship, so they had to follow a merchant ship to the North Sea.

He never expected to run into such a mess!

"Huh?!"

Hearing the bearded swordsman's words in front of her, Ai Zhiguan was shocked. She forgot about her "gentle" image she had trained so hard for.

"How can you say that? I've been practicing swordsmanship so hard for so long!"

"If I can't fight... If I can't uphold justice, wouldn't all my efforts be in vain? Besides..."

The little girl glanced at the bearded "uncle" beside her, her innocent words hurting more than swords.

"You couldn't defeat me anyway," she retorted.

*Cough cough*, the bearded swordsman coughed while clenching his fist. What a good little girl, but she talks too much!

"The sea... isn't just about combat power. Do you understand navigation?" The bearded man became smug when he saw the little girl fall silent.

"Do you know the four ways to seize the 'T' position?" He followed up with some incomprehensible terms like "tactical penetration" and "firepower coverage," making the little girl roll her eyes.

Aren't those tactics for naval warfare?

Now they were locked up like prisoners in the cabin. Besides their weapons, what were they even thinking about tactics for?

Cunning adults!

"Excuse me, I'm here to clean the room."

After the passengers had exhausted themselves with their protests, a child pushed open the door, holding a bucket and mop.

Most of the passengers averted their gaze after seeing the dirty clothes of the child. It was as if talking to such a person would lower their own status.

Only when the mop got close to them did they murmur warnings like "be careful" or "my shoes are expensive."

It seems it's not time yet.

As he cleaned the cabin, Rosinante's hidden gaze swept over the people:

There was restlessness, anxiety, anger... but they were all still enduring it. Even though they were forced to gather in this cabin, they were just complaining.

However, he believed they wouldn't be able to bear it for long.

Doflamingo had already started taking action. Chaos was imminent for this ship!

"That little boy is not simple."

After Rosinante left, the girl called "Zhiguan" seemed to be deep in thought.

"Did you notice? He is observing us. There is neither numbness nor fear on his face, but more like an evaluation—"

"Ai Zhiguan, don't you think with my height, I can't even see his expression?"

Uh...

The girl kicked the shin of the man who had always acted maturely. After a moment, the girl said indignantly, "I'm sorry for being so short, 'uncle'!"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

Although the girl behind her was only 8 years old, her strength was more than enough to overpower a Marine officer!

"I have a feeling that we will meet that little boy again."

That little girl is not simple.

After finishing cleaning the passengers' rooms, Rosinante lowered a wooden barrel through a gun port to fetch water while deep in thought.

Although the passengers were all armed, most of them had relatively low combat power, as shown by their wandering eyes and relaxed movements.

Day after day of hard training, walking on the edge of life and death, unwavering determination, and a little bit of luck—

These requirements are too high for ordinary people.

However, the little girl was different. Her posture, gaze, and even the elusive aura made her stand out among the crowd, giving Rosinante a sense of "extreme danger."

Perhaps that's why she needed to cover herself with a cloak and hood?

After raising the sea water with a wooden barrel, cleaning the mop, Rosinante continued to sweep the ship. Perhaps due to the Silence Fruit's ability, his hearing was noticeably enhanced:

"Did you hear? Old Yule is dead..."

"Yes, he died just as silently. It's terrifying."

"Is there something sinister hidden on this ship?"

Unlike the passengers who were gathered together, the sailors on the ship were discussing in low voices, gathering in rooms, corridors, and corners.

In a real fight with weapons, they might be able to summon courage.

But when facing an invisible, intangible enemy, people's minds often conjure up thoughts of "ghosts" and "vindictive spirits."

Faced with an enemy that is impervious to fists and swords, anyone would feel fear.

Just like in the future, on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hat Pirates faced Kizaru, who could transform into elements, and felt hopeless.

And indeed, such things exist in this world. So when Rosinante cleaned near them, the sailors stood up abruptly. Upon seeing Rosinante, they only moved their hands away from their weapons at their waists.

It seems the sailors are also under considerable pressure.

---

"Going out again?"

"Yeah, you rest."

When night fell, and most of the sailors began to rest, Doflamingo, wearing sunglasses, quietly pushed open the wooden board of the storage cabin.

"Be careful,"

Although Rosinante disagreed with his actions, he used his Silence Fruit power to help Doflamingo suppress the sound.

In this dangerous environment, they could only trust each other.

After Doflamingo left, Rosinante also quietly opened the bottom cabin with a small knife in his hand. He knew Doflamingo must be out to create chaos by killing. Although he didn't know how Doflamingo managed to kill the sailors without making any noise, since he had "joined" the navigator, it was certain that he received some help from him.

It seems human greed can easily be manipulated. If the "higher-ups" on this ship trust each other, then Doflamingo's plan would not only succeed but might even lead to them being thrown to the bottom of the sea to feed the sharks.

Rosinante's goal was the food on the ship.

Only by eating enough could they have strength, and with strength, they could fight. Only through fighting could they survive—whether it was on this ship or in this chaotic world.

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(End of this chapter)