Chapter 5

"What's going on here?"

"Where's Clahorne? He calls himself a nobleman, yet..."

"How long are you going to keep us locked up? We're not the murderers!!"

In the lower mid-deck of the ship, a dozen passengers were angrily shouting.

Although it wasn't as foul-smelling as the bottom hold where Rossi and Doflamingo were, the lower mid-deck, originally used for transporting ore, was far from a comfortable living environment. Moreover,

They had paid for their passage!

The only thing keeping the passengers from losing their minds was the number of sailors. Otherwise, the weapons they carried would have had something to say.

It was now the year 1494 of the Sea Calendar, eight years after the "Valley of the Gods" incident. Although the "Rocks Pirates" were defeated by the Marine hero Vice Admiral Garp, the strong members of the Rocks Pirates were still around:

Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Kaido, BIG·MOM, Wang Zhi, Captain John, Silver Axe...

And the "World Destroyer" Buggy, who dared to hunt the Celestial Dragons;

The "Tyrant King" Alabaster Pizarro, who rampaged across other countries;

The "Red Earl" Barollick Redfield, who roamed freely and read people's hearts;

The "Giant Warship," towering hundreds of meters tall, wreaking havoc on the seas like a mountain.

These powerful pirates in their prime established their own forces, stirring up the entire ocean, plunging the world into its most chaotic era!

So even the passengers carried weapons.

Otherwise, they would be writing "fat sheep" on their foreheads.

Compared to the current era, where strong people were everywhere and battles were constant, the sea that would become peaceful in over twenty years was simply too beautiful.

"Uncle, I'm scared..."

Besides the adults, there were also their families: for example, a little girl behind a bearded swordsman.

The little girl was wrapped in a pink cloak, with a pink hood, clutching the bearded swordsman's trouser leg, trembling.

But under the hood, her pitch-black eyes were full of curiosity and eagerness to try.

"Kiyoen, if there really is a conflict, don't get involved. Just hide behind me."

The bearded man sighed inwardly. If he had known it would be so troublesome, he would have taken a Marine warship. However, with his and Kiyoen's status, they didn't have the qualifications to command a warship, so they had to follow a merchant ship to the North Sea.

He never expected to encounter such a mess!

"Ah?!"

Hearing the bearded swordsman's words, the little girl was shocked, forgetting her "weak" persona.

"How can you say that? I've been practicing swordsmanship for so long!"

"If I can't fight... can't uphold justice, isn't it all for nothing? And—"

The little girl looked up at the bearded "uncle" beside her, her innocent words more hurtful than a sword.

"You can't even beat me,"

...

"Cough, cough,"

The bearded swordsman coughed, clenching his fist. What a good little girl, but what a mouth she has!

"The sea... isn't just about fighting power. Do you understand navigation?"

Seeing the little girl fall silent, the bearded man felt a sense of victory.

"Do you know the four ways to secure the 'T' position?"

Then came incomprehensible terms like "tactical insertion" and "fire coverage," making the little girl roll her eyes.

Those are the tactics of warships,

Now, being locked up like prisoners in the ship's hold, what tactics are they considering besides the weapons in their hands?

Cunning adults!

"Please step aside, I'm here to clean the room."

After the passengers had exhausted their complaints, a child pushed open the door, holding a bucket and a mop.

Just a glance at the child's dirty clothes made most passengers look away, as if speaking to such a person would lower their status.

Only when the mop approached them did they mutter warnings like "be careful" or "my shoes are expensive."

It seems the time hasn't come yet.

While cleaning the hold, Rossi's gaze discreetly swept over the crowd:

There was frustration, unease, anger... but they could still endure. Even being forcibly gathered in this hold, they only complained verbally.

But soon, they wouldn't be able to bear it anymore.

Doflamingo had already started his plan, and this ship would soon be in chaos!

...

"That little boy, he's not simple."

After Rossi left, the pink-cheeked little girl, called "Kiyoen" by the bearded swordsman, pondered thoughtfully.

"Did you notice? He was observing us. His face showed neither numbness nor fear, but more like an inspection—"

"Kiyoen, do you realize that with my height, I can't even see his face?"

Uh,

The little girl, who had been acting mature, was stunned by the older man's response. After a moment, she kicked his calf in a huff.

"I'm so short, I'm sorry, 'uncle'!"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

Although the little girl behind him was only 8 years old, in terms of strength, even the Marine officers in the branch couldn't match her!

"I have a feeling we'll meet that little boy again."

————

That little girl, she's not simple.

After cleaning the passengers' room, Rossi thought to himself while lowering the bucket through the gunport to fetch water.

Although the passengers carried weapons, most of them had low combat power, evident from their wandering eyes and loose steps.

Years of hard training, walking the line between life and death, unwavering willpower, and a bit of luck—

These requirements were too high for ordinary people.

But that little girl was different. Her posture, eyes, and even her elusive aura made her stand out, giving Rossi a "very dangerous" feeling.

That's why she needed the hood to cover herself, right?

Lifting the bucket of seawater to clean the mop, Rossi continued cleaning the ship. Perhaps due to the Silent Fruit, his hearing was noticeably enhanced:

"Did you hear? Old Yule is dead..."

"Yes, he died silently, it's terrifying."

"Could there be something unclean on this ship?"

Unlike the passengers who were locked up together, the sailors gathered in rooms, corridors, and corners, whispering in small groups.

If it were a real battle, they might have the courage to fight.

But an invisible, intangible enemy would make anyone think of "ghosts" or "vengeful spirits."

Facing an enemy that even fists and swords couldn't defeat, anyone would be afraid.

Just like in the future, on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Straw Hat crew would feel despair when facing the elementized Buggy.

And this world indeed had such things, so when Rossi approached them, the sailors suddenly stood up, only relaxing when they saw it was Rossi, moving their hands from their weapons.

It seems the sailors were also under a lot of pressure.

————

"Going out again?"

"Yep, you rest well."

As night fell and most of the sailors began to rest, Doflamingo, wearing sunglasses, quietly pushed open the wooden hatch of the bottom hold.

"Be careful,"

Although Rossi didn't agree with his actions, he used the Silent Fruit to eliminate Doflamingo's sound.

In this dangerous environment, they could only trust each other.

After Doflamingo left, Rossi also took out a small knife and quietly pushed open the bottom hold.

It was clear that Doflamingo was going to kill and create chaos. Although Rossi didn't know how Doflamingo could kill the sailors "silently," since he "joined" the navigator, he must have received help from them.

It seems human greed is easily exploited. If the "upper echelons" of this ship trusted each other, Doflamingo's plan wouldn't have succeeded, and he would have already been fed to the sharks at the bottom of the sea.

Rossi's goal was the ship's food.

Only with a full stomach could one have strength, and with strength, one could fight, and only by fighting could one survive—

Whether on this ship or in this chaotic world.