Chapter 10 : Arriving on the island, Mostima anticipation

After a day and a night of solitary sailing at sea, Titch finally spotted the island. Before long, the small boat approached the island and docked at a tiny harbor.

There were dozens of ships here, including pirate and merchant vessels, but the majority were pirate ships. Titch's gaze shifted to the town, which appeared quite orderly. Despite some disputes, it was much better than the lawless places he had encountered. It seemed this territory had a ruler; in other words, the island had already been claimed by someone.

Titch found the person managing the island interesting. He believed that order was essential for a steady flow of profits. Wealth squeezed from chaos was the most foolish.

This insight was gained from Titch's experiences in two lifetimes. As he approached the harbor, his solo arrival attracted the attention of many pirate eyes. Most pirates paid little mind, but a few gleamed with intelligence. These were smart individuals who recognized that navigating the New World alone in such a small boat during harsh weather required a level of strength that excluded the weak.

"Hello, before you enter the island, please pay a fee of five hundred berries," a pirate guarding the harbor approached Titch and said with a decent attitude.

Titch had no complaints. Five hundred berries weren't a high price, easily affordable for any pirate. Smiling, he took out five hundred berries from his pocket and placed them in the pirate's hand. Looking at the pirate, Titch couldn't help but chuckle and glanced at his small boat behind him. "Do I also need to pay a protection fee for my ship?"

Besides pirates, even ships docked in the harbor had to pay protection fees. The harbor pirates ensured the safety of these ships to prevent theft. Judging by the island's orderliness, the pirates ruling this island had been in control for a while, managing it well with a good reputation and formidable strength. Titch quickly grasped these details.

"No, no need. I don't think anyone would steal your ship," the pirate in front of him twitched a bit, then added, "Rest assured, we, the White Bird Pirates, will take care of the ships in the harbor."

For some reason, he felt a subtle pressure from Titch, more concealed and more significant than the pressure from his captain.

"Haha, take these five hundred berries as payment, consider it the protection fee for my ship," Titch chuckled, handed over another five hundred berries, and walked into the town.

The conspicuous thing in the town was the high-flying pirate flag—a skull with a silver sword diagonally inserted, and a white bird positioned above the skull on the left.

The town's facilities were well-equipped, with few residents on the streets, most of them managing taverns and the like. This street was specifically reserved for pirates, indicating the White Bird Pirates' methods.

The street was clean with minimal garbage, mostly from that morning, and some fresh bloodstains, suggesting that the island did not prohibit pirate brawls. Every morning, someone cleaned the streets, reflecting the White Bird Pirates' control. Titch observed all this through his Observation Haki, and these thoughts flashed in his mind. Sometimes, he felt like he was possessed by a detective—analyzing with an artificial intelligence-like brain.

Titch entered a bar with a few people. Coming to the counter, he said, "A bottle of rum, three servings of fried rice, and two servings of sauced meat, please." Titch liked rum, rumored to be the pirates' drink of choice. It had a fascinating mellow aroma.

"Sure, wait a moment." The boss nodded, skillfully took out a bottle of rum, opened it, and placed it in front of Titch. Titch wasn't in a hurry. He picked up the bottle with one hand, lifted it to his lips, and poured the rum into his mouth.

"Haha, it's really good. The taste is unique. Boss, is this rum brewed in your tavern?" Titch's eyes lit up with the aromatic taste, and he turned to the bar's owner.

"Haha, yes." The bar's owner, Doal, a middle-aged man over two meters tall, nodded. Titch could sense his strength was not weak. Running a tavern on an island filled with pirates required a certain level of power, possibly from a pirate.

Titch could feel the scars on the tavern owner, especially the missing finger on his left hand. His left middle and index fingers were both cut off, and his face bore scars covering half of it. It indicated that he was once a ruthless individual. Having spent some time on the sea, he was undoubtedly a person with stories. The vast sea hid many powerful individuals. Titch could recall encountering several formidable figures in Whitebeard's territory alone.

"Then, another bottle. When I leave, prepare two more for me," Titch didn't want to delve into the owner's past, smiled, and added another five hundred berries, placing them in his hand as he walked into the town.

"Here you go. Your fried rice and sauced meat," the window behind him opened, revealing a green-haired girl holding large bowls of fried rice and sauced meat. Her tone was unpleasant as she glanced at Titch, and he noticed her eyes. He smiled at her, "Cut!" The girl ignored him, displaying a bit of arrogance. With a red rose tattoo on her neck and a purple teardrop under her left eye, she looked like a delinquent girl.

The window closed. Doal had already received the fried rice and grilled meat, placed them in front of Titch, and said, "This is my niece, Lola. Her temperament is a bit unpleasant. Her parents died at the hands of pirates, so she became like this, resenting pirates. Nevertheless, she has a good heart."

"Hmm, I find this little girl quite cute, haha." Titch chuckled, picked up a spoon, and prepared to eat the fried rice, taking a deep breath of the steam. "Wow, it's delicious. It's so appetizing."

"Haha, of course. Lola has great culinary talent. She's already more famous than me locally." Doal was pleased to hear Titch's praise and smiled.

"Mmm, it's so delicious, truly a delicacy." Titch scooped a spoonful of fried rice into his mouth, his eyes gleaming. While eating, he spoke, "That day, when I established my pirate crew, I invited her onto my ship to become the chef."

"Haha, I have no objections. It depends on her own thoughts. Girls will grow up eventually," Doal laughed.

As Titch and Doal chatted, their voices were loud. In the kitchen, Lola, the niece, heard the conversation and laughter. Her actions became more forceful, making a "thud, thud, thud!" sound. Titch and Doal shared a smile, "Still a little girl!"

Titch got along well with Doal, and Doal felt the same. He sensed a significant difference between Titch and other pirates, and most importantly, he felt a threat from Titch.

It had been a long time since he felt such a thing, even the young juniors in the town only caught his eye, based on their qualifications.

Lola frowned, her expression vivid, hearing T

Titch and Doal's conversation. Her annoyance was evident on her face as she listened to the dialogue between Titch and her uncle. Unconsciously, thoughts of Titch's face crept into her mind, and an inexplicable sense of displeasure arose within her. She felt an urge to throw a couple of punches at Titch's face.

Meanwhile, at the White Bird Pirates' headquarters on the island, the central open space hosted several figures engaged in combat. Other crew members surrounded the area, watching intently.

"White Bird Sword Style: Sky Slash." A soaring, slashing strike cut through the air. One of the white-clad swordsmen who was fending off two opponents suddenly smiled. His aura surged dramatically, becoming terrifying. The sword strike, like a giant eagle, unfolded its wings, shining with a chilling silver light.

The sharpness and speed of this sword technique displayed the pinnacle of mastery. Realizing the danger, the other two swordsmen who were attacking him joined forces to defend. The white-clad swordsman, however, exuded an air of terror as his sword strike, resembling a giant eagle, traversed the battlefield, its wings glittering ominously.

"Uh-oh, brother, let's team up to block this," unable to avoid the strike, the older brother, Hadno, said. The younger brother, Hadman, agreed. Armed with large cleavers, they prepared for their combined attack.

"Armament: Earth Split Slash." Instead of the soaring eagle, the massive cleavers embodied simple yet overwhelming strength. The blades, covered in Armament Haki, seemed to contain the power of the earth. The technique was straightforward, striking the enemy at the right moment while simultaneously slamming the cleavers into the ground. The impact sent tremors through the ground, and the precise slashes hit the head of the giant eagle that descended from the sky.

The combined strength of the two brothers was formidable. Sometimes, even the captain found it challenging to deal with them. As the airborne eagle's head was struck, Hadman and Hadno fell to the ground, panting heavily. Despite their exhaustion, their bodies bore several sword wounds.

"Haha, Captain's strength seems to have improved. I feel like we can conquer a few more islands. What do you say we attack a couple of other islands?" Hadman, the more reckless of the two, suggested with excitement.

Hearing this, Captain Mostima shook his head. "Hadman, don't forget the battle between the Sky Pirates and Roger Pirates all those years ago." A trace of horror flashed in his eyes, reminiscing about the colossal clash where the sky and earth changed colors, lightning danced, and fierce winds howled for seven days and nights.

At the tender age of seventeen, Mostima had broken through to become a swordsman during that battle. Together with his brothers, they set sail and eventually landed in a small country in the New World. Near that island was a deserted one, and on that fateful day, the Roger Pirates and the Golden Lion Pirates encountered each other at sea, engaging in a massive battle.

However, he did not lose heart; instead, he gained significant insights. Witnessing battles among the world's top-tier powerhouses and even the fights of world-class swordsmen, Mostima and his crew began to adopt a low-profile approach.

He remained remarkably calm, not swayed by minor breakthroughs. Recognizing the need to lie low, even though he stayed on the island, Mostima did not abandon his strength training. He constantly kept an eye on the happenings at sea and keenly sensed that the dynamics of the sea were gradually taking shape. If his White Bird Pirates dared to venture out, he was sure they would face a bone-shattering impact.

"Ugh!" Hearing Mostima's words, Hadno and Hadman's faces revealed expressions of fear. "How could we deal with such monsters! The gap between us and those real monsters is too vast," Hadno said solemnly. Mostima's words acted like a bucket of cold water, awakening the brothers from their inflated sense of power.

"But we're still young. With the boss's talent, we won't be inferior to those monsters in the future," Hadman said with some reluctance. Mostima smiled, knowing his own limits. It would be challenging to reach that level, but he had confidence in becoming one of the top contenders in the New World, even if he couldn't match those monsters.

Moreover, he lacked that kind of talent.

"Let's continue to wait. Wait for a young talent with monster-like potential to emerge. When that happens, we'll follow him and reach the pinnacle together. If that doesn't work, we can join the fleet of the 'Golden Lion.' In the New World, the Sky Pirates are constantly recruiting, expanding their influence with formidable strength and ambitions. It's also an object worth following," Mostima said.