The Twilight Pirates  

The Twilight Pirates – a crew that had rapidly risen to prominence in recent years.

Their captain was Kanata, the "Dragon Slayer Witch," who was infamous for being the first person in history to kill a Celestial Dragon. Her bounty exceeded 2.2 billion berries, and even Garp, the Hero of the Marines, considered her a formidable opponent.

Based on Hachinosu in the New World, they engaged in pirate hunting and shipping, expanding their influence across various seas. They were, surprisingly, an orderly and disciplined pirate crew.

Both the World Government and the Marines would have preferred to deal with them before they became this powerful, but it was a problem that couldn't be easily solved.

And now – they had become an unstoppable force.

This is the story of how they became the fifth major power in the New World, alongside renowned figures like Shiki, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Roger. A tale of events that unfolded behind the scenes, leading up to Roger's rise to the title of Pirate King.

***

"This island is called Summer Island for a reason. It's scorching hot. Can I change the weather?" Kanata asked.

"Hah! That's a stupid idea, isn't it?"

A dull thud echoed as Scotch received a knock on the head. Kanata, who had been fanning herself with a hand fan, had created ice pillars throughout the room to cool it down.

Scotch, nursing a small bump on his head, grumbled. "I was just stating the obvious…"

"The obvious has never saved anyone. Can't we do something about this heat?" Kanata complained.

"Of course not! And what's with this idea of changing the weather just because it's hot?!"

Scotch sighed, exasperated, then glanced around the room, which was now excessively cool thanks to Kanata's ice pillars.

It was undeniably comfortable, but they could have simply chosen a different island as their base. Changing the weather now would be a hassle, even if it wasn't impossible.

But finding a suitable island, one that was already developed and uninhabited, wasn't easy.

"If we could find an island with better conditions… Well, aside from the heat, there are no problems here."

"There wouldn't be any problems if you weren't here."

Scotch ignored Kanata's complaints and moved on to the main topic.

"There are no problems with our shipping business. Some pirates refuse to use our services, but those who aren't affiliated with the World Government and have weak militaries don't have much choice. There's a decent demand."

"Have any of the existing trading companies complained?"

"Well, no one's brave enough to complain to us. The underworld bosses have started causing some trouble, though."

The Shipping King, the Warehouse King, the Loan Shark King, and the Funeral King – the underworld bosses were starting to get annoyed that Kanata and her crew were encroaching on their territories.

For now, the impact was minimal, but they would likely retaliate.

The problem was that they were too powerful for Kanata and her crew to deal with directly. Eliminating them would cause too much disruption.

"They're more troublesome than Shiki and Linlin. I wish they would just leave us alone," Kanata sighed.

"Well, they see us as newcomers who are threatening their businesses," Scotch shrugged.

It was a nuisance for Kanata, but few could stop the Twilight Pirates, a crew powerful enough to even hold back Shiki. The underworld bosses had likely realized this, which is why they were resorting to covert operations.

"Linlin and the World Government are relentless."

"They see us as a thorn in their side. We've dealt with most of the spies, but what are we going to do?"

"We need to weed out the spies regularly. I'm sorry to burden you, Feiyun, but…"

Feiyun, sensitive to malicious intent, could use her Observation Haki to identify spies trying to infiltrate their ranks. Kanata also monitored the situation, but it was impossible to catch them all.

They had to accept that some spies would inevitably slip through.

"If they become too aggressive, we'll have to retaliate. We can't let them think they can get away with anything."

"It seems high-quality weapons have been flowing into the black market recently. The government is also investing in strengthening the Marines. We need to focus on strengthening our forces as well."

The Twilight Pirates were relatively moderate, even for pirates. The underworld bosses likely saw this as a weakness, which is why they were targeting them.

They had a good sense for these things. Well, there was nothing to do but teach them a lesson.

"Feiyun is busy. Send Kuro with a few escorts and let him handle it."

"Aye aye, Captain."

If they needed to cause widespread destruction, Feiyun or Kuro were the best choices. Both could easily turn a building into rubble. It didn't really matter who went.

Scotch offered a silent prayer for their target.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing for now… Hmm?"

A knock on the door.

Kanata granted permission to enter, and Kaie peeked in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. You have a delivery," she said.

"A delivery?"

Scotch looked at Kanata, confused. She seemed to have realized something. "It's about time," she said.

"I'll be there soon. Thank you, Kaie."

"You're welcome," Kaie replied, then quickly left.

She's always in a hurry, Kanata thought, then headed for the harbor.

"What did you order?" Scotch asked, following her.

"I didn't order anything. I simply had someone searching for something. If we could find it, it would be a stroke of luck."

"What is it?"

"Lumber – the strongest tree in the world, the Treasure Tree Adam."

***

There was a tree called the Treasure Tree Adam.

It was said to possess the strongest life force in the world.

A giant tree that stood on an island ravaged by war, enduring endless bombardments. Even when the island was reduced to rubble and its people perished, the tree remained standing, a symbol of resilience.

There were only a few in the world, and even a small piece could fetch a price exceeding hundreds of millions on the black market.

And now, it was right before Kanata's eyes.

"So this is the Treasure Tree Adam… It certainly looks sturdy."

"The main tree was too large to transport. We have some of our crew stationed there for now."

"That's fine. We wouldn't have anywhere to put it anyway."

George, looking exhausted, lit a cigarette. Even trees needed a suitable environment. While the Treasure Tree Adam might be resilient enough to survive anywhere, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

Regardless, they had secured one of the rarest trees in the world.

Even a few branches, considering the tree's immense size, would provide enough lumber for various purposes. It would be a significant source of income.

"How did you even find it? Where was it?"

"Galtzburg. It was recently destroyed."

They had heard rumors of the tree being located on an island ravaged by war. Kanata had sent some of her crew to investigate, hoping to confirm the rumors.

"Galtzburg? You mean the island where the Galtzburg Tragedy occurred?"

"Yes. Apparently, the war between the two countries was partly due to the Treasure Tree Adam. If I control it, there won't be any more wars."

The Treasure Tree Adam was a source of immense wealth. Those blinded by greed would be consumed by its allure, seeking to hoard its riches.

If several individuals sought to control it, conflict was inevitable. And when the scale escalated, it would inevitably lead to war.

The two countries that had been fighting over it had been destroyed recently, which was why it was so easy to obtain, but Kanata was considering taking control of the surviving citizens.

"It's not my place to say this, but people blinded by greed rarely think rationally," she remarked.

"Wahahaha! Well, it's the difference between a nation and a pirate crew! We were lucky to get our hands on it!"

"We need to station a sizable force there. We also need to accelerate the training of our new recruits."

"That's important, but do we even have a way to sell this?"

"There are plenty of buyers. Shipbuilders, for example, but its strength is also valuable for constructing buildings."

And if they couldn't sell it, they could use it themselves. Buildings constructed with the Treasure Tree Adam would be practically indestructible.

She wanted to use it to reinforce the buildings on Hachinosu. It would significantly increase the island's defenses.

She could even use it as bait for the underworld bosses. If they saw it as beneficial, they would be less likely to cause trouble.

If it became a liability, she would simply eliminate them. That was the way of the world.

"We're heading for the Rommel Kingdom soon. Be prepared."

She had already established trade routes with the nearby Rommel Kingdom. Considering they were also involved in shipbuilding, there would be a demand for the lumber.

…However, there had been some troubling developments recently. She would have to be cautious.

"Aye aye, Captain! Teach!"

"Yes! What is it?!"

"It's time for a break! We'll prepare for departure afterward. Inform the others."

"Yes, sir!"

A chubby boy, responding to George's call, rushed over, then ran towards the ship to relay the message.

He was one of the orphans they had picked up in the Grand Line. He was stronger than the other children, so they often had him carry heavy objects, but he was still about the same age as Kaie.

Kanata tried to avoid giving him any strenuous tasks. However, she had a different opinion about the boy.

(Teach…)

He was still young, but there was something unsettling about him. She wasn't sure what it was, but she decided to keep an eye on him for now.

He was a diligent worker. And stronger than most children his age. There was no reason to treat him differently.

"Scotch, you're staying behind this time. We're making progress on the repairs in the next sector. Have the others handle it when they're free."

"Aye, Captain. And when you get back, build a tavern with beautiful women serving drinks," Scotch requested.

"After we finish the essential buildings."

They needed to build an entertainment district eventually. But Kanata wasn't sure how to go about it, so she planned to leave it to those who were interested.

Even though it was an island of pirates, their discipline was as strict as a national army.

There had been instances where pirates who had joined their crew had fled during the night, overwhelmed by the strict rules. Considering they were already this disciplined after a bit of training, the remaining members were all strong individuals who had chosen to stay despite the strict regulations.

At least they had a stable job and wouldn't starve.

It was debatable whether they could even be called pirates anymore.

"I want a tavern with beautiful women serving drinks," Scotch said wistfully.

"Find some on a suitable island and recruit them. There are those who want to do business with pirates. They'll be happy to work for us as long as we pay well."

"Money, huh? Well, we have plenty of that."

Their financial situation was stable. Pirate hunting and shipping were profitable businesses in the New World.

They would have to visit the Rommel Kingdom and find suitable candidates there.

There hadn't been any major incidents recently. Shiki and Linlin hadn't made any significant moves, so she hoped they would stay quiet for a while longer.

They had different levels of power. Kanata couldn't match them yet. For now, she hoped they would leave her alone.