Chapter 13: The Celestial Dragons

The next day, aboard the One-Eyed Pirate crew's ship, several of the officers were waiting anxiously. These included the first mate, the combat division commander, and the plunder division commander.

"Why isn't the captain back yet? If he doesn't return soon, we'll miss Ponte's auction."

"Do you think something might've happened to the captain? After all, this isn't the first time he's stayed out all night and then disappeared."

"Don't talk nonsense! The captain's too strong for anything bad to happen."

"Then why isn't he back yet? He couldn't have just decided to skip Ponte's auction, right? Without a navigator, we can't get to the New World."

"How should I know? Don't ask me. Who do you think I should ask?"

As the group was about to continue their argument, hurried footsteps approached from afar.

"Bad news! The captain... the captain made the front page of the newspaper!"

A crewmember rushed over, waving a newspaper and shouting loudly.

"What?!"

They snatched the newspaper, quickly scanning it. In a small section on the corner, the headline read:

"After tireless efforts by the Navy, the One-Eyed Pirate crew's captain, Worley, was surrounded on the Sabaody Archipelago. In a fierce clash with the Navy, he refused to surrender and was ultimately killed in battle."

The officers exchanged looks, stunned by the news. Just like that, the captain was gone.

"Since Worley is dead, I'll be taking over as captain. Who's with me, and who's against me?" one of the officers declared, breaking the silence.

"What makes you think you should be captain?"

"Yeah, why you?"

"…"

Thus, a battle for the position of captain began.

---

Time moved forward silently, and with the New Year approaching, Bardock decided to go on a big shopping spree to properly celebrate his first New Year in this new world.

His goal of secretly learning the Navy's Six Powers on the Sabaody Archipelago had already been accomplished. Although he hadn't mastered all the techniques, he understood the principles behind them. He had made up his mind—once the New Year celebrations were over, he would set off on an impromptu journey.

Island 30's shopping center was packed with people. The area was always bustling, much like the Sabaody Amusement Park, and was a must-visit spot for tourists. Pushing a bubble shopping cart, Bardock followed the crowd, picking up various items from the shops as he went.

New Year's outfits? Buy. Limited edition sunglasses? Buy. Ham from Wano Country? Is it real? Buy. Fine wine from Flower Country in the West Sea? Now this, I'll definitely buy…

After a spree of purchasing, Bardock was fully satisfied. Shopping turned out to be so enjoyable—it suddenly made sense why women loved it so much.

By the time Bardock left the shopping center, it was getting late. He had left right after breakfast, eaten lunch at the center, and was now ready for dinner.

---

Shopping wasn't just fun—it also made the day fly by.

Pulling several bubble-wrapped bags filled with his purchases, Bardock leisurely strolled forward.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead, and the crowd instinctively parted, kneeling on either side of the road. Bardock focused his gaze and cursed silently—Celestial Dragons were here.

Though Bardock had already spent a month on the Sabaody Archipelago, this was the first time he had encountered a Celestial Dragon. They were frequent visitors to the island, but Bardock spent most of his time training, usually at night, so he had managed to avoid running into them until now.

The Celestial Dragon that appeared today was someone Bardock recognized: Rosward, the same man who was famously knocked down by God Usopp in the original story. Rosward was wearing the signature bubble helmet of the Celestial Dragons and was seated on a slave's back. He had quite an entourage with him: the slave beneath him was a tall man, crawling on all fours; to his left were several scantily clad women, all wearing collars that clearly marked them as slaves; to his right was a man in a suit and sunglasses, likely from the CP (Cipher Pol) organization, though Bardock wasn't sure which division. Several other CP members followed behind him, along with guards and other personnel.

"So, Rosward's taste isn't that bad after all. But how did his son, Charloss, end up looking like that?"

Shifting his gaze from the women, Bardock didn't stick around. He quickly decided to slip away before the Celestial Dragon got too close. After all, there was nothing he could do for those women right now, and staying far away from a Celestial Dragon was the safest choice.

Celestial Dragons were like the ancient royal family members of certain dynasties, but even royalty had to follow laws, like "the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners." The Celestial Dragons, on the other hand, faced no such restrictions—they did whatever they wanted. Slave trading, which was forbidden by the World Government, was openly conducted by them. They could take any woman they fancied off the street as a wife, and killing innocent civilians in broad daylight was a common occurrence. They even had the audacity to capture princesses from member nations of the World Government and turn them into slaves…

If the Celestial Dragons didn't exist, even with all the terrible things the World Government did—like the Demon-Slaying Order on Ohara or abandoning the people of Flevance—Bardock might have been able to convince himself to join the Navy. After all, the Navy did fight pirates and protect the people.

What a shame…

Shaking off the unpleasant thoughts, Bardock quickly adjusted his mood. He wasn't going to let such nonsense ruin his New Year's celebration.

---

Night fell, cool and lively.

After finishing his routine training, Bardock set up a table outside, placing various dishes on it as he quietly watched the distant fireworks. He opened the fine wine he had bought from Flower Country in the West Sea, poured it into a glass, and gave it a gentle swirl, inhaling its aroma.

"Who am I kidding? I'm not cut out for this classy stuff."

He downed the wine in one gulp and tried the ham from Wano Country—it was excellent, with a rich flavor that perfectly complemented Bardock's own culinary skills. He ate with great satisfaction.

"So, Kaido has already taken control of Wano Country? Momo traveled twenty years into the future, and it's still about thirteen and a half years before Luffy sets sail. After Luffy sailed for a while, he trained for two years before encountering Momo. No wonder goods from Wano are starting to spread out."

Bardock picked up another dish from the table—everything on the table had been prepared by him. Some were dishes he had loved before his transmigration, while others were new recipes he had learned in this world. The large bone-in meat, in particular, was something he had always wanted to try after seeing it in manga. However, he discovered just how challenging it was to cook—often the outside would be fully cooked, while the inside remained raw. Despite the difficulty, it was all worth it. Who could resist a huge, delicious chunk of meat like this?

As fireworks lit up the mangrove forest, vibrant colors reflected off Bardock's face.

The festivities belonged to everyone, but Bardock savored his solitude, occasionally reminiscing about his ordinary life before transmigrating.

"This must be what they meant by, 'A lonely stranger in a strange land, every festive occasion doubles the longing for loved ones.'"

The original Bardock only had his parents. When the shipwreck happened, they had tried to save him, but a giant wave overturned their boat, casting all three of them into the sea.

"I hope fortune is smiling on you two as well."

With a sigh, Bardock went back inside. It was time to rest.