Chapter 3: Please Give Me Your Advice, Captain

Author: Xiao Yifeng

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

In his previous life, Bai Ye had been deeply moved by the scene where Luffy invited his companions to join his crew in the One Piece anime. He had even thought to himself that it must be incredible to be Luffy's partner. But now, standing in front of Luffy and receiving his invitation, Bai Ye found himself momentarily stunned.

"My name is Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the Pirate King!!" Luffy declared after extending the invitation, echoing his famous lines from the series. While it may have sounded somewhat childish, it had a profound impact on both Bai Ye and Koby, who was standing nearby.

In that moment, both of them realized that this man could indeed become the Pirate King. Bai Ye didn't hesitate for a moment. Since the opportunity had presented itself, there was no reason to hold back.

"Okay!" Bai Ye replied enthusiastically. "I don't have any family or friends in this world, and since you want to become the Pirate King and have invited me to be your partner..."

This time, Bai Ye didn't offer a traditional salute. Instead, he stood tall, looking directly at Luffy with confidence and anticipation.

"Then, let's set sail together, Captain!"

"Yo-ho-ho!" Luffy cheered, clenching his right fist and lightly tapping his left palm. "I didn't expect to find a partner so quickly after setting out to sea. Now I just need to find some more crew members. We'll need a musician for sure..."

"As pirates, we can't have a party without music!"

"Hahaha, Bai Ye, you're amazing!"

Luffy's whimsical thoughts didn't faze Bai Ye at all. He looked at Luffy with admiration and a warm smile. As for Koby, he was still trying to process the rapid turn of events.

If there were a narrator present at that moment, they might have said something like this:

"In Koby's eyes, the two individuals before him appeared to be lunatics. One was proclaiming his ambition to become the Pirate King and inviting a stranger to join him, while the other accepted the invitation with enthusiasm. Koby felt that his worldviews were on the brink of collapse."

However, neither Bai Ye nor Luffy paid any attention to the perplexed Koby. They were focused on their own goals and ambitions.

For Bai Ye, joining the Straw Hat Pirates made perfect sense when considering the major factions in the world of One Piece.

Being a regular pirate was out of the question in a world where the seas reigned supreme.

Bounty hunters were self-sufficient, but they also made many enemies, which could be problematic.

The Revolutionary Army and the Navy had their merits, but Bai Ye had reservations about both. The former didn't pique his interest, and the latter would eventually require him to protect the Celestial Dragons, which he found distasteful.

That left Bai Ye with one logical choice: joining the Straw Hat Pirates. This group of adventurers bore the name of pirates but were driven by a different spirit.

Moreover, there were several undeniable benefits to joining Luffy's crew:

Luffy's unwavering protection and love for his companions meant Bai Ye didn't have to worry about being sacrificed needlessly.

The entire story of One Piece was narrated from Luffy's perspective, essentially providing Bai Ye with foreknowledge.

Luffy was destined for greatness, given his family background. With the support of Garp, Dragon, and the entire Straw Hat crew, Bai Ye believed that Luffy was destined for a bright future.

So, what reason was there for Bai Ye to decline Luffy's invitation? Now that he had made up his mind, Bai Ye's focus shifted to the "Taomen Jilu" in his mind.

After some time, Bai Ye opened his eyes with excitement. According to the information in the "Taomen Jilu," it contained a comprehensive collection of Daoist techniques from ancient times to the present.

These techniques included the Land Gossip technique, the Five Elements' Fenghou Qimen, Longhushan's Golden Light Curse and Thunder Method, and Maoshan's Fulu technique for talisman-making, among others. It covered alchemy and weapon refinement methods as well.

Bai Ye couldn't directly understand the spells from the book but needed to practice and comprehend them. Fortunately, he could enter the book's inner world, where the flow of time could be adjusted.

This advantage bought Bai Ye valuable time because Luffy's journey would soon encounter formidable foes. Learning these techniques would provide him with a range of options.

Additionally, the "Taomen Jilu" offered Bai Ye a "novice gift package"—innate energy. Although he had already noticed his increased physical strength since arriving in this world, he also possessed internal force or qi.

This qi was nothing compared to the innate energy he could cultivate. In essence, it was the difference between martial arts and cultivating immortality.

The "Taomen Jilu" provided Bai Ye with a seed, which he could catalyze with his internal force to transform his entire body's internal force into a higher-level qi. This process would greatly increase his strength in a short amount of time.

With these newfound abilities and knowledge, Bai Ye looked at Luffy and said, "Luffy, I need your help with something."