- The Reincarnation World Where Only I Know the Storyline
- RWWOKS Chapter 40
Chapter 40: Against the Current, Ride the Waves!
As a pirate with at least a 5 million bounty on his head, Fang Bo had put a lot of effort into perfecting his appearance. The chefs at the Baratie weren’t lacking in combat ability, and Red-Leg Zeff had even ventured into the Grand Line as a pirate.
But so what? Zeff was already in his sixties, missing a leg, and likely not even at a third of his prime strength. Behind Fang Bo stood the Black Cat Pirates, a rising force, and a mere floating restaurant wasn’t even worth their notice.
Fang Bo’s sharp gaze swept around the room. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough weight to send shivers down the spines of the diners.
“Leave.”
With that single word, the customers quickly fled. Many had recognized the Black Cat Pirates’ flag, and in the East Blue, not many dared to cross this notorious crew.
Within moments, the once bustling dining hall emptied out, leaving just a few scattered patrons behind. With most gone, those who remained stood out more. Fang Bo finally took notice of one member of the Silver Fox Squad.
When he first entered this storyline world, the Silver Fox Squad had fought against Olsson, and their sharp swordsmanship had left a lasting impression on him. He hadn’t expected to encounter them here at Baratie.
Fang Bo had a hunch that they were here for a specific reason. Even if they didn’t know the storyline in detail, reincarnators often stumbled upon important events or triggered missions. It wasn’t like they had come here just for the food.
“Wait for me here,” Fang Bo said to his crew before walking toward the Silver Fox Squad’s table.
The *Black Cat* ship was docked nearby, with a group of pirates standing guard. At that moment, no one in the Baratie had the guts to challenge him.
Fang Bo pulled up a chair and sat in front of the two men, his gaze fixed on the calm and composed Jushan before shifting to his weapon. “Your swordsmanship is sharp. Why haven’t you visited the dojos on the nearby islands for training?”
Both Jushan and his companion blinked in surprise. Of all the things they had expected Fang Bo to say, they hadn’t imagined he’d suggest they go apprentice at a dojo.
With a hand resting on his holstered gun, Vincenzo spoke up in a low voice, “Our captain is incredibly skilled; he doesn’t need to learn from those places.”
“Doesn’t need to?” Fang Bo chuckled but didn’t say more. These guys clearly underestimated the true power ceiling of the pirate world and had no idea how dangerous the East Blue could be.
Fang Bo turned his attention to the younger man. His brow raised as he quickly assessed Vincenzo’s identity as a gunner, and not just any gunner—a rare dual-pistol wielder.
Typically, gunners carried something for defense in their secondary slot, like Fang Bo’s maneuver gear or perhaps a small shield or smoke bombs for evasion. Dual-pistol wielders were either foolish or extremely confident in their skills.
“Too bad,” Fang Bo said coldly. “Overconfidence is often what gets people killed early.”
He didn’t care if they went to a dojo or not, but they couldn’t interfere with his plans. If they weren’t on the same team, he would’ve already attacked them when he recognized them.
Vincenzo was about to snap back at him, but Jushan raised a hand, stopping him.
“Don’t be hasty,” Jushan said calmly. “He’s not our enemy yet.” He turned to Fang Bo and continued, “I know you fought off the NESTS Squad. I’m not sure how it went down, but I assume you understand how powerful they are.”
Of course Fang Bo knew. In his battle against them, he and Captain Kuro had meticulously planned everything. They had the advantage of strategy, terrain, and timing, and yet they had still almost lost to the enemy’s sniper, whose power was off the charts. Had it been a fair fight, that sniper could have easily taken out all their key fighters.
Fang Bo nodded slightly, curious about where Jushan was leading the conversation.
“Regardless of how it happened, you’ll be a primary target for NESTS from now on,” Jushan said. “Are you sure the pirates behind you can handle a full naval fleet?”
Fang Bo realized Jushan didn’t fully understand the current state of the Black Cat Pirates, at least not enough to see how much they had changed. The addition of Alvida’s crew had significantly boosted their numbers and strength. With Ryuno, an onmyoji, filling the gap in their high-end combat power, Fang Bo no longer had to face enemies alone.
When they were weaker, he’d already dared to take risks against powerful foes. Now, with greater strength, there was no reason to shy away from a fight.
“If they dare, let them come,” Fang Bo said, glancing toward the silent chefs nearby. “Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should be thinking about your own survival.”
After all, it didn’t matter how famous you were—being cornered by his pirate crew left one primary concern: how to stay alive.
Paul had already drawn his sword, ready to strike at Fang Bo’s command. The eerie glint on the sword caught Jushan’s attention.
“That’s a fine sword,” Jushan murmured as he slowly drew his own sword. “But it’s nothing compared to mine.”
Seeing his captain lost in admiration for his sword again, Vincenzo sighed before turning to Fang Bo with a faint smile. “Aren’t you curious how we got here in the first place?”
As they spoke, the remaining customers had all taken boats and left the Baratie. The only vessels remaining were the massive floating restaurant and the *Black Cat* ship anchored nearby.
Fang Bo hadn’t paid much attention before, but now that Vincenzo mentioned it, he realized the Silver Fox Squad hadn’t arrived by ship. This meant they could leave the Baratie whenever they wanted.
Gripping the handle of the *Dragoon*, Fang Bo quickly weighed his options. He’d love to take them down here and now but was wary of disrupting his plans.
If a fight broke out, there was no telling how it would unfold. And he remembered the Silver Fox Squad had three members. With only two present, the third might be lying in wait somewhere.
Fang Bo raised a hand to stop Paul from acting. “You’ve got ten seconds to disappear from my sight. If you’re still here after that, I’ll kill you.”
His gaze locked on Vincenzo, confident that summoning his giants could catch the gunner off guard at such close range.
Jushan glanced at Fang Bo before speaking calmly, “We’ll leave, but don’t get the wrong idea. This is a compromise to avoid hindering our main storyline quest.”
In other words, they weren’t afraid of him—they just didn’t want to jeopardize their mission over a minor confrontation.
Jushan stood and made his way to the Baratie’s entrance, facing the calm sea. Every eye in the room was on him, curious to see how he would leave without a boat.
“Is he planning to swim back?” a chef scoffed, mocking the two men for seemingly backing down.
Most of the Baratie’s chefs had once been pirates, so they were used to brawls and were hoping for an exciting fight. But instead, the situation seemed to be fizzling out.
Unfazed by the comments, Jushan raised his sword and softly chanted, “Against the current, ride the waves!”
As his sword hummed, the surrounding waters began to churn violently. When the sea calmed once again, Jushan and Vincenzo had vanished from the deck.
“What the…?” Jango, one of the Black Cat crew, was stunned. For a brief moment, he had sensed a strange power from Jushan’s sword.
It was as if the blade had its own soul, and Jushan’s chant had been the key to awakening it.
Even Fang Bo, who had seen plenty, was surprised.
“If I’m not mistaken, that was the release of a *Zanpakuto*, and a water-type at that. It’s a deadly weapon for any Devil Fruit user.”
Fang Bo had previously asked Ryuno to help track the Silver Fox Squad, concerned they might appear aboard the Krieg Pirates’ flagship. But no one, not even the Marines, had any leads on their whereabouts.
Ryuno speculated that the Silver Fox Squad had their own agenda, unlike other reincarnators who simply followed the main storyline.
Having seen Jushan’s abilities, a bold theory crossed Fang Bo’s mind. Could the Silver Fox Squad be planning to ambush a Devil Fruit user? With the right terrain, even a powerful Devil Fruit user could be defeated.
“Everyone’s got their own strategies, huh?” Fang Bo mused, deciding to stop worrying about the Silver Fox Squad. As long as they didn’t interfere with him, he didn’t care what they were up to.
Besides, did they know the pirate world better than him? After all, who would suspect that the smoking boy in the corner was actually Sanji, the third son of the Vinsmoke family?
For years, the Vinsmokes had been searching for Sanji, offering a substantial reward for his return. If Fang Bo could capture Sanji, he’d have valuable leverage to negotiate with Germa 66.
Even though Judge, the Vinsmoke patriarch, might not like Sanji, he wouldn’t allow his son to roam freely as he pleased. Even marrying him off to a political ally would be better than letting him work as a simple chef. At the very least, it could secure the support of one of the Four Emperors.
Understanding this, Fang Bo had come to the Baratie, hoping to use Sanji to establish contact with the Vinsmoke family.
For one thing, his broken goggles needed fixing. For a technologically advanced family like the Vinsmokes, who could build exoskeletons, repairing a pair of goggles would be a trivial task.
Now, the only question was how to invite the infamous Black Leg to join him.
(End of Chapter)