First Mate!

Orange Town!

Jhin just reached here a day ago. He sailed from Dawn Island to here without stop and it took him over 3 weeks. 3 weeks! If any pirate knew that he took three weeks just to travel from dawn Island to Orange Town, they would surely laugh their ass off. It is because it a normal pirate ship would be able to do it in 2 weeks and a half, the fastest would be 2 weeks or lesser.

Regarding this matter, Jhin was also helpless, he needed more time to finally master sailing. It was a good thing that the system had generated the map when he was traveling with Buggy. Or else he would probably have been lost.

He deviated many times because of his poor control over the Pearl. It was easy mastering sailing with the wind, but against the wind was hard. He panicked many times causing the Pearl to run around in circles. Just like someone experiencing his first time riding a rowing boat, not knowing what to do. But also thanks to that, his map widened it's range.

"Crooo!" Jhin's stomach complained. Ever since he started sailing, all he have been eating was fishes. Everyday, with only fish to eat. He entered the town clutching and rubbing his stomach. But ever since he walked in this Island, he was met with death stares from anyone he locked eye to eye with.

After walking for about 3 minutes, he found a restaurant and was planning to enter it when a middle aged woman suddenly held his shoulder back.

"Young man, you should not enter." said the middle aged lady while shaking her head. There was fear in her voice.

"Why would I not enter?" Jhin probed.

"Just don't. You're only looking for a beating if you enter..." explained the lady.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay." said Jhin.

"Don't say I did not warn you." The middle age lady left hurriedly after she said those words.

Suddenly, Jhin felt many aggressive stares from the men behind him. He looked around and saw that there were many men staring at his direction. Some were leaning on posts, some were also smirking at him. But he still entered, why would he be afraid of some local thugs.

The restaurant was silent, only clanging of some metal could be heard. Jhin looked raised his head and saw a man eating on the middle of the room. He had his back on Jhin.

Although the young man was sitting, Jhin could tell that they are of the same height. The man also had green hair and was wearing an orange coat with diagonal stripes of red-orange with a plumed collar. It seems that he was concentrated on eating that he did not notice when Jhin entered.

There was also another middle aged man standing on the corner. Anybody would notice that he was sweating and looked very nervous. Jhin could only assume that it is the shop owner.

'This style... Who was it again?' Jhin knew that he knew this man. He felt that the man was familiar. So he quickly went to see his face.

And what he saw brought a huge man on his face, even forgetting his hunger.

"Bartolomeo!" Jhin shout echoed in the room.

"What? Who has the guts to interrupt me eating?!" Asked Bartolomeo, his tone was nasty. He looked up and met Jhin's eyes. "Who are you?! You actually dared to interrupt me, are you looking to die?!" He added.

Ordinary men would be intimidated with it but not Jhin.

"Nyahaha! I am Jhin! Nice to meet you Bartolomeo. Haha!" Jhin just laughed and introduced himself.

"Jhin? I don't know any Jhin! Hurry up and scram, or I might beat you to death!" Spat Bartolomeo. Adding his face that looked vicious with those sharp fangs, ring piercing on his nasal septum and those two lines tattooed under his right eye that curve towards his ear and his angry face, it totaled to a demonic appearance. But Jhin was still not bothered at all.

"That's why I am introducing myself, aren't I? How about you join my crew?" asked Jhin excitedly. Bartolomeo was one on the list of the must-recruit people he wrote. If he joined Jhin's crew, it would be good. His Bari Bari no Mi was good in defending and also attacking, it was the ability to create force fields.

Bartolomeo could use it to protect himself or anyone that is in his barriers range. Jhin was sure that with some training, Barto could awaken it. All that was shown in the anime was that he could not create more than one barrier and could only create some of the basic shape in a form of barrier. But with training...

"Nani? Crew, you say? So you're saying that you're a pirate and that you want me to join your crew? Ok right... Screw you!" Barto shouted in the end and took the knife stuck on his pants. He swung his knife towards Jhin.

"So were fighting? How about you join my crew if I win? What do you say?" Jhin said.

"Hmph!" Barto snorted, but did not answer.

"Don't tell me... You're scared?" He taunted even more. Jhin already knew that this guy has a very bad temper. He mocks and insult other, but he does not want it.

"What did you just say?! I have never been scared. Alright, I'll join your crew. But if you lose, I'll make sure to beat you up until I want to!" said Bartolomeo viciously. He was still very young and was quite impulsive and easy to provoke.

'Took the bait, haha.' but right now, Jhin was laughing in his mind.

Jhin already knew how to deal with this guys barrier. He estimated that they were about the same age.

"Come on, bastard!" Barto taunted. But Jhin already noticed his crossed finger which indicates that he already activated his Devil Fruit ability. There was probably a force field in front of him.

"Then..." Jhin turned serious. Slowly, he released his Conqueror's Haki. level 1... It seemed that it did nothing. It only startled him, but still, nothing major happened. For a young man like Barto, withstanding the attack of Conqueror's haki was already amazing.

Level 2... Jhin could see that Bartolomeo's legs were shaking. Barely managing to stand. His eyes were also going blank. Jhin immediately stopped releasing his Haki. If he did not, it would probably take some time for Bartolomeo to wake up.

"You're barrier is useless against me. Still want to continue?" Asked Jhin coolly.

Bartolomeo only shook his head. His breathing was heavy and sweat covered his entire face. He knew that if it continued, he would have passed out.

"You lose, now as we agreed, you are now part of my crew. I know pronounce you, the First mate of I, Jhin. The one who will stand at the peak! Welcome to the welcome, Bartolomeo! Nyahaha!" Jhin laughed happily. He did not expect that all of his sufferings for an entire months was pain so soon.

"What?! I am the second member?!" when he heard Jhin, Bartolomeo nearly fainted.

"Of course. I only just sailed a month ago. Boss! Give me everything you've got. I have not eaten any meat since last last week." Jhin shouted to the man who was obediently still standing on his original spot. Jhin learned to control his Conqueror's Haki, so the owner was not affected from the earlier match.

"C-c-coming right up!" the owner shouted and dashed towards the kitchen. He did not know what happened, but seeing that Bartolomeo, the man the town feared was beaten by the man who ordered him without even doing anything, he could only comply. He did not even care if they paid or not anymore. The owner just wanted them to leave.

"Nom, nom, nom... Gulp.... So? Why were you here, Bartolomeo?" asked Jhin while devouring all the food that the owner would deliver.

"I came here to recruit gang members and take them to Loguetown." answered Barto.

"Mmm... Nom, nom, nom... Gulp! How did you come here?"

"I met some self proclaimed pirates and they were trying to rob me, Of course, I beat them and took their ship. That was when I had a great idea. Why not use the ship to recruit some gang members. So I eventually reached here. Aren't I amazing." Barto bragged and even self praised himself.

"Heh?" is the only response Jhin could give.

"What's with that reaction?! Right... I have been meaning to ask you this, how do you know my name?" asked Barto seriously. He was only a small local punk who happened to have beaten down pirates and took their ship. And he know he was not famous, not yet.

"I know everything. Hahaha." of course Jhin would not tell him the truth. That was his number 1 secret that he would take to his grave. The second one would be the system.

"Tche! Trying to act mysterious..." Barto could only grumbled.

...

Loguetown, Marine Base!

Inside a room, smoke could be seen floating in the air. A man sat on a chair facing a large table. He has light blue-green hair, he is also wearing large thick white and blue specialist marine jacket which he keeps open, with greenish fur lining the neck, wrists, and hem. And there is also the two cigars on his mouth that emitting thick smoke that filled the room.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

"Enter!" said the man. He stood up and crossed his arms across his chest.

The door opened and a young navy soldier walked in. He saluted the man respectfully and reported.

"Smoker- taichou! A pirate ship has been spotted on Orange Island!" said the young navy soldier loudly.

"I see.. Prepare for battle! We're gonna wait for them here!" Said Smoker.

"Yes, Sir!" The young navy soldier saluted again and left the room.

"Damn, pirates..." Smoker puffed out a smoke before returning to his seat.