The Krieg Pirates reigned supreme in the East Blue. Among the countless pirate crews in the region, they boasted the largest scale, the most expansive territory, the most advanced organization, the wealthiest resources, and the strongest military power.
Since its founding, Captain Don Krieg had always adhered to his "miracle-through-overproduction" strategy, believing in sheer quantity and force to overwhelm all opposition. His ambitions had never waned, and he aggressively pushed this approach forward.
After years of expansion, his fleet now possessed more than fifty large warships, over five thousand professional combatants, well-maintained equipment, abundant supplies, and promising prospects.
Upon hearing Garen's target, Nami's first reaction was:
"Are you crazy?!"
"That's Admiral Don Krieg you're talking about—the ruler of the East Blue with five thousand men at his command!"
Don Krieg's vicious reputation was known throughout the East Blue, even among women and children.
Even though Nami had witnessed Garen's terrifying strength—capable of taking down Fishmen with a single slash—she still didn't want him risking his life by challenging someone of Don Krieg's infamy.
Because Krieg's forces were simply too massive.
"You heard me right," Garen said seriously. "He's exactly the Admiral I'm looking for."
To a true powerhouse, cannon fodder meant nothing.
In the original story, Don Krieg had suffered one of the worst cases of bad luck—his entire fleet wiped out just after entering the Grand Line, hunted down by Dracule Mihawk alone.
Garen might not be on Mihawk's level, but his abilities made him practically immune to swarm tactics.
In fact, the more people there were, the happier he became.
"Five thousand men. They have five thousand men!"
Nami stomped forward, grabbed Garen by the collar, and shouted furiously, "There are only three of us!"
"No. Not three," Garen calmly corrected her. "I'm the only one who can actually fight."
"Then why are you still going?!"
Nami tightened her grip in frustration, but she still couldn't budge Garen's tall, burly frame.
"Of course I'm going," Garen said, pausing before continuing solemnly,
"Arlong had only a few dozen men, and he was still able to terrorize twenty villages."
"With five thousand under his command, the damage Don Krieg could cause would be far worse. How could I sit back and do nothing?"
"You…"
Nami slowly let go of his collar, her expression turning strange. "There you go again… saying those righteous-sounding things."
"Whether or not it sounds righteous doesn't matter," Garen replied frankly. "What matters is whether or not I act on it."
"So," he said with a soft smile, "will you guide us?"
Nami was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Fine. If you want to die, go ahead."
"I'll guide you!"
Meanwhile, Wallace sat with a knowing smile as he read over his special column in the newspaper titled "The East Blue Knight Crushes the Arlong Pirates."
The story of the righteous knight had gained new material to inspire the masses.
Within ten days, Garen had taken down the Steel Blade Pirates, the Clown Pirates, and the Arlong Pirates, and even assisted a Marine captain in cleaning up the corrupt navy in Loguetown. He was now a household name in the East Blue, known as the Knight of Justice.
Outside the East Blue, however, Garen's name was only known thanks to riding the coattails of the much bigger headline—"Buggy the Clown Joins the Marines."
In those wider circles, Garen only received a short mention in the corner of the article.
After all, the newspapers in the Grand Line wouldn't blindly reprint the overly exaggerated puff pieces from their East Blue counterparts.
Even so, having been acknowledged by the Hero of the Marines, Garp, and rumored to be a prodigy of swordsmanship, Garen still managed to leave a faint impression in the minds of certain powerful figures.
The New World – The Red-Haired Pirates
Pffft—!
Red-Haired Shanks spat out the mouthful of liquor he hadn't yet swallowed after casually glancing at the newspaper.
Fortunately, the man standing in front of him wasn't some ordinary person who'd be bothered by a bit of spit.
With a simple sidestep, the man avoided the "surprise attack" from the Emperor of the Sea.
That man, with sharp amber eyes like a hawk, was Mihawk—Shanks' friend and occasional sparring partner.
"What did you see?" Mihawk asked curiously, waving away the alcohol mist lingering in the air.
Shanks stared at the paper for a long moment, then muttered in a daze,
"…An old friend of mine has become a Marine."
Intrigued, Mihawk took the paper and read it carefully. The article read like an official Marine press release, praising "Comrade Buggy," a former member of the Pirate King's crew, for turning away from darkness and dedicating himself to justice. It also conveniently highlighted the legitimacy and authority of the Marines and the World Government.
However, Mihawk noticed something strange between the lines.
"He was defeated by some no-name swordsman from the East Blue?" Mihawk raised an eyebrow. "That's your friend?"
"Hahaha…"
Shanks laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, he's a close friend of mine. We were both apprentices under Captain Roger back in the day."
"But ever since he ate his Devil Fruit, his strength kinda stagnated."
He scratched his head sheepishly.
"In a way… I suppose that's my fault too."
Mihawk didn't press further, instead focusing on the corner of the article.
"You're interested in this so-called 'Swordmaster'?"
Shanks followed his gaze and asked curiously, "A swordsman like you wouldn't actually believe in such fantastical tales, would you?"
"I don't believe in that mystical nonsense," Mihawk replied with a small smile, putting the paper down. "But if this young man managed to catch Garp's attention with his swordsmanship, and has gained the nickname 'Swordmaster'... then he might be more than he seems."
His fingers brushed lightly against the cross pendant around his neck.
"One of these days, if I'm ever bored, maybe I'll pay him a visit."
East Blue – A Medium-Sized Ship Flying No Flags
"A knight of justice in the East Blue?"
A beautiful girl with long blue hair tied in a simple ponytail sat at a small table on the deck, eyes glued to the article about Garen.
"Do powerful, selfless knights like that really exist?"
Burdened by the weight of her homeland, the girl was visibly moved by such an inspiring tale. Her eyes filled with hope and wonder.
For anyone trapped in darkness, such a knight was a beacon of hope.
"Why are you so excited?"
Beside her, a woman with wild blue afro hair scoffed, "You actually believe in that nonsense about 'knights of justice'?"
"S-sorry, Miss Doublefinger!" the girl hurriedly set the paper down and forced a harsh expression.
"I was just shocked that someone so stupid actually exists in the East Blue, that's all!"
This blue-haired girl was no ordinary person—she was Nefertari Vivi, princess of the Alabasta Kingdom.
At this point in time, however, she was merely a trainee agent who had just infiltrated the Baroque Works criminal organization.
And the woman beside her with the blue afro was her current superior, the second-highest-ranking female agent in Baroque Works and a user of the Thorn-Thorn Fruit: Miss Doublefinger.
To play the role of a villainous agent, Vivi had to suppress her true personality and put on an entirely opposite front.
Trying to appear cold and ruthless, she quickly explained her earlier reaction: "I was just worried. What if that foolish knight interferes with our mission in the East Blue?"
"Don't worry."
A cold, flat voice sounded from behind her.
It was a bald man—Miss Doublefinger's partner and one of the top assassins in the organization. A user of the Dice-Dice Fruit: Mr. 1.
Expressionless, Mr. 1 said, "Our organization has already investigated this newspaper character."
"He's not as strong as the article makes him out to be. Just a decent swordsman at best."
"Plenty of people have seen his skills firsthand. It's not hard to verify."
Vivi quickly smiled and said, "Of course! With someone like you, Mr. 1, no swordsman could pose a threat."
"Hahaha…"
Miss Doublefinger let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"Sure, we don't have to worry about him. But if you run into that knight alone…"
"Alone?"
Vivi's smile froze. Her expression darkened. "Aren't you and Mr. 1 helping me with this mission?"
"Of course not."
Miss Doublefinger glanced at her with disdain. "It's just a deal with a third-rate East Blue pirate crew. You think it needs both me and Mr. 1?"
"We're here for something much more profitable."
"Then… then…"
Panic flashed across Vivi's face.
She was just a trainee agent who had only just infiltrated Baroque Works by relying on her passable combat skills. She had no experience conducting real criminal missions alone.
"After a bit more sailing, Mr. 1 and I will part ways with you. The rest of the mission will be yours alone," Miss Doublefinger said with a cruel smile.
"Don't worry, though. You've got Baroque Works backing you up!"
"If you fail and die, we'll come clean up the mess afterward."
Vivi's expression darkened considerably.
Miss Doublefinger simply chuckled, sipped her tea, and walked away—leaving Vivi at the table, silently wrestling with her nerves.
"Don't overthink it."
Surprisingly, the ever-silent Mr. 1 actually spoke.
"To earn your official agent codename, you need to prove you can complete missions solo."
"Don't fail, trainee."
"Yes, sir!" Vivi responded with a firm nod, her anxiety easing slightly.
Her gaze drifted back to the article about the Knight of the East Blue, and a strange thought crossed her mind:
What would happen if I really ran into that so-called Knight of Justice…?
(End of Chapter)