Chapter 63 - [55] A Storm Is Coming To The West Blue
[2143 words]
I have decided on his weapon!
I have decided to give him a 9h/L!@m$^
Hmm?
What's this? A spoiler wall? Nani?
I guess you'll just have to wait.
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'An update for my World-Level quest?' I wondered.
'Pull it up.'
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
['Operation Nexus' has been updated.]
[ Find the World News Agency Main Base - ✔ ]
[ Find Replacement President - ✔ ]
[ Bring the replacement under your control - ✔]
[ Have the Agency exit the World Government's Grasp - ❌ ]
[Time Limit - 1486]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
Then a mechanical voice ensued.
[The quest 'Path to Power' has been updated.]
[A/N: Sibyl is the AI of the System but the notifications still ring with an automatic voice.]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[Path to Power - Quest given by the Supreme Lord, Nanabane-sama, specifically for you. You are to overthrow the powers of this world and reach the apex of all beings belonging to this realm.]
[This cannot be done alone, you are to gather a total of 7 to stand beside you.]
[7 there shall be, no more, no less.]
[Upon completion, you shall be granted a Grand Reward.]
.
⚠ Main Crew Template is now available.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
A template?
'Expand on this, Sibyl.' I ask of her.
[Bop.]
.
[A {Crew Template} is now available as you have officially gained an associate-level personnel. Congratulations.]
.
'What is all this...?' I hummed as it opened further.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[{Unnamed Crew}]
[Crew Strength: ---]
[Crew Potential: ∞] (Due to having a System Wielder)
[Core Index] ?
[Associate Index] ?
[Subordinate Index] ?
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
.
I was a bit stumped with this so I just expanded each option further.
.
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[{Unamed Crew}]
[Core Index] ⏬
Description:
- This displays the main members of your crew.
- Adhering to the Supreme One's wishes, 7 spots are available.
- All members gain blessings from the Supreme One
*Follows: [name // position]
.
1. Einar D. Damien // Captain
2. VACANT
3. VACANT
4. VACANT
5. VACANT
6. VACANT
7. VACANT
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[Associate Index] ⏬
Description:
- Beyond the scale of core members are the 'associates' who may work for you, work with you, or support you in a specific way.
- Anyone 'associated' with you will gain varying blessings
.
1. Morgans // ⚠
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[Subordinate Index] ⏬
Description:
- The following quantifies your true strength in terms of subordinate power.
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[Yonko Level Pirates: 0]
[Yonko Commander Level Pirates: 1]
[Yonko Crew Level Pirates: 0]
[Fodders: 1]
[Total Pirate Count: 2]
--
[Fleets: 0]
[Divisions: 0]
--
[Crew Strength: ---]
[Crew Potential: ∞]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
'Well damn.' I exclaim as I read over all the text.
So it was like a full-on summary of my crew and whatnot.
I guess 'recruiting' Morgans caused a chain of reactions.
[Indeed, as he has joined under your words, he has officially been listed as an 'associate', unlocking this menu.] Sibyl explained.
[You needn't think too much, it will just help you better understand your crew more.]
I nodded, then asked, 'Tell me about the difference between 'Core members' and 'Associates'.'
.
[Hmm, 'core' members are those who will stand side-by-side with you and fully accompany you to wherever you so desire.]
[The 'associates' are under you, but won't necessarily always be present on your ship. That does not mean that they CAN'T be with you, but instead they may have responsibilities outside that of the ship.]
[But again, they could be your partners, your allies or your subordinates. They are in your crew but below the status of a 'main' member.]
[The real difference comes with the blessings from the Supreme One.]
.
[Core Members gain increased mental endurance, increased thinking speed, increased fortune, decreased karmic backlash, increased talent, etc.]
[Associates will only gain minor blessings, perhaps preventing minor accidents or limiting losses from them.] She concludes.
-
From what I could understand, the 'core members' are like Luffy's crew and the associates can be like his Grand Fleet or allies such as Kuja Pirates, Revolutionary Army, Fishman Island and whatnot.
.
'So, what's up with the alert beside Morgans' name?' I asked.
[You can choose a tag for your associate based on how you interpret them to be. Each affects the blessings bestowed upon them.] She said.
.
'Hmm, show me all tags then.' I ask.
-------
[Available Tags]
- Ally
- Informant
- Lover
- Business Partner
- Worker (Cooks, cleaners, etc)
- Division Commander
- Torturer
- Slave
- Secretary
- Sex Toy
...
-------
Well, the list went on and on as it went broader and broader. The only reason to list any more would be for word count, but we don't do that here.
'Alright Sibyl, though you have some questionable tags here, I want to list Morgans as {Business Partner} and {Informant}.' I order.
[...Done.]
['Associate' Morgans is now tagged as a Business Partner and an Informant.]
[Morgans' fortune has been raised by 20%. Overall talent has been raised by 10%. Karmic backlash has been reduced by 6%. Task efficiency has been increased by 35%]
.
Well, she did say at the start that being in my crew and continuing with the quest would bring certain perks and privileges.
I viewed the updated template and nodded in satisfaction.
'Tell me about the [Crew Strength] and [Crew Potential].'
.
[The strength of the crew is based on many factors of the Core Index. Some being:
- Total Strength
- Crew Chemistry
- Coefficient of Synergy
- Broadness of Ability
- Weaknesses or Flaws
- Coefficient of Talent
- Mental Capabilities
- Coefficient of Haki Usage]
...
[These factors are then compared to the strength of the World Government, scaled out of 100.]
She concludes.
[A/N: Remember that the Navy is UNDER the WG. Which is why the Fleet Admiral has to obey the Gorosei]
.
I guess it's like those Fifa games where your team is rated on some algorithm and whatnot, cool.
.
[As for the potential of the crew, it factors in what height your core members can reach. It is also the value out of 100 that your strength can reach. Since you are a System user, you have infinite potential, making you an outlier.]
.
'Can you apply these to the current Rocks Crew?'
[Sure.]
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
[ROCKS PIRATES]
[Crew Strength: 84/100]
[Crew Potential: 110/100]
[Core Index] ?
[Associate Index] ?
[Subordinate Index] ?
>=-=----[]---<>---[]---=-=<
I subconsciously raised an eyebrow as I felt something afoot.
Sibyl spoke up before I could voice anything though.
.
[Your current crew's strength is 84/100. It may have a handful of Yonko-Level pirates but that's about it. The few thousand under the crew are weak and lacking in trust for each other. Of course, from your memories, I can estimate that this number will increase soon.]
[Again, these are compared to what the Navy and World Government are capable of. So if your captain were to wage war against Marineford, your crew could hold off 84% of them, in a numerical sense.]
.
[A/N: The strength is a ratio of the | Crew in Question : World Gov't |. Potential is the max ratio they can reach if all members were at their Prime strength.]
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'So, if the ROCKS crew reaches its absolute max level based on my memories, it can go even beyond the entire Marine Force!' I exclaimed, but then understood why.
If Whitebeard and Shiki can single-handedly wreak havoc over Marineford, then the Rocks Crew can surely go beyond them if they were allowed to reach PRIME strength.
.
[Another A/N: WB Pirates held back Marineford. That includes the 3 Admirals, Fleet Admiral, 100k marines and all but that isn't all they have. Kong wasn't there, CP-0 wasn't there, the hidden powers under the Gorosei, the Elders themselves, etc. The numbers are scaled against the entire World Government, not just the Navy.]
---
'This entire crew menu is quite useful but I don't need it now.' I thought as I collapsed the screen in my mind.
.
I now have Morgans under me, it's time to continue.
I need to 'corrupt' the 4 directors asap.
Hmm, I could go straight there but there is one thing I want to get before that.
I should go get 'that' before heading to the agency HQ...
.
{{Bring me, Toby.}} I command a nearby bird.
---
[2 minutes later]
*Shrill Cry*
*Flapping feather*
"Kak-Kak!"
(You called, Great One?) he asked.
This was Toby, the leader of the Falcon Division, the fastest squad I have for surveillance.
Toby had pristine black feathers with red streaks that looked like clouds. One of his eyes was red due to an injury that causes blood to leak behind his retina, forever dyeing it crimson.
.
{{Where is the one who ate the fruit I told you about?}}
(He is travelling in the West Blue, 3 days away.) he informed.
{{Very good. Lead me there.}}
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[Wailles, an Island in the West Blue]
.
Wailles was a unique island.
It used to be a flourishing forested area with joyful residents.
They were originally doing great, they paid the 'Heavenly Tribute', they attended the Reverie, they even had a marine branch stationed here.
But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
.
A man named Bobbias Zuko, the user of the Flint-Flint Fruit and captain of the Fire Nation Pirates came.
The man covertly attacked and took over the kingdom, expelling all the joy and happiness away.
The marines did not send any support as the Heavenly Tribute was still being still paid in full by the usurper.
.
That happened 69 years ago, now the Wailles Kingdom has utterly collapsed, the Tribute was lost and officially abandoned by the World Government.
Leaving behind an island rip for piracy.
For 7 decades, the main population is gone and now is ruled by the Mafia Families of the North Blue.
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Recently a new pirate has arrived who is working under one of the 5 Families of the West, he has made quite the name for himself in this sea.
.
He is Geminae Franz of the Gabino Mafia Family.
Why is he special?
He ate a devil fruit!
.
The occurrence of devil fruits was quite rare in the exterior seas, they were so rare that they were thought to be from folklore and tales.
An ability granted by eating a devil fruit was an easy way to rule the outer seas.
.
Geminae Franz ate a fruit that allowed him to literally split apart into copies of himself.
They called him, 'Franz the Divider' as he on he own was able to destroy an opposing family with this exact power.
.
He is now feared with an enormous and fear-inducing bounty of 17 million berries!
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[Wailles - Outer Port]
.
"Franz-sama! We have gathered 3000 soldiers to take over this island, the Gambino Family will soon overtake the others and rule the West Blue all alone!" A man said.
"Frazazaza! That's right Foddér! Once we take over this island we can recruit the other thousands here and finally defeat that old hoot Capone Gebe." Franz laughed.
.
Franz was a 7 foot tall, 38-year-old man with spiky red hair and brown skin.
With the help of his advisor, Foddér, his right-hand man, he arrives with 3000 men to further the rule of his family.
.
Though unknown to them, they were already in the eyes of a coming storm, one that would be their undoing.
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[3 Days Later]
.
"FRAZAZAZAZA!"
Franz the Divider now stood on top of a large platform before a large bay of sea before him.
Floating before him were over 40 ships filled with pirates, Mafia executives and their soldiers, and hundreds of contracted criminals.
.
With his supreme ability, Franz was able to bring the thousands of fiends on Wailles under him.
He now reigned over 8000 men of the West Blue.
.
If it weren't for his terrible luck, he would certainly have the largest Fleet in the Western Waters!
.
[A/N: Wailles Island and the Current Situation Image]
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"My brothers! The time has come! We shall take over the entire West Blue soon enough!"
"After that, we shall sail on to the Grand Line and reap all their treasures too!"
"And soon enough... to conquer the entire Grand Line!" He declared with great vigour.
"OOOUUGH!"
"YEAAAAAAH!"
"OUUGHHHH!"
"REEEEEEEEEEE!"
"YOOOSH!"
The 8000 men roared as their sheer excitement shook the island itself.
.
"FRAZAZAZAZA! GOOD! VERY GOO-" His words were cut off.
"Hmm?" He looked to the far, far east of the bay, beyond the fleet of ships and saw a silhouette.
.
"Foddér, pass me the telescope." He said.
The 8000 pirates were still in a frenzy, thinking about the great treasures and their great crusade, caring little for such small activities.
.
'Hmm, what is that?' Franz thought as he zoomed in to the black dot far beyond.
He saw a weirdly shaped craft... moving towards the Wailles Bay.
The image was getting clearer and clearer.
It was moving fast.
Very fast!
.
'A... ship?' He wondered as he finally saw its full shape.
It was a brown-coloured boat with a rectangle body and a triangular head.
It was odd yet beautiful on its own.
The odd thing was the lack of sails.
'How can it go so fast without any sails?' Franz questioned as he saw the only passenger.
.
'Hmm, a youth? FRAZAZAZA! This ship will make a great addition to my fleet!' He cackled away.
.
The oncoming craft showed no signs of stopping as it was around 2 km from the Bay of Wailles.
The 'Divider' just grinned as he continued to envision himself riding the Sea Skimmer, leading his thunderous fleet through the chaotic seas beyond!
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[The following is excluded from word count]
Author's Corner:
!gnihton yletulosba uoy dedleiy evah yeht hguoht ,stroffe ruoy dnemmoc I !ahahahaR ?detats ti tahw ees ot dnuora txet siht denrut yllautca syug uoY.
*Cough*
The Split Split fruit that he was going for has been eaten by some dude. The ability itself practically splits the body into clones, an ability which will be very useful to MC soon enough.
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Random Trivia:
Would you rather talk like Yoda or breathe like Darth Vader?
Thanks for Reading!