Chapter 111: You’re Worse Than a Pirate

“This way, through this door, and you’ll reach Dressrosa.”

“There will be someone waiting for you there, so don’t worry too much.”

“Everyone, please line up in order.”

Shiranui Genma opened the air door, constantly calling out to the children and young people to enter the portal.

Even though the distance was quite far, Shiranui Genma’s body could still handle it.

Before setting out, he had already prepared himself to use his abilities to cross an entire sea.

But…

He didn’t expect to do it so frequently.

He had opened the portal several times in just one day.

The young people from Windmill Village had long been given mental counseling by the village chief.

There was an unprecedented light in their eyes!

From a distance, Garp’s face twitched.

Dadan’s entire family had also been taken down by Raijin, and not a single bandit escaped.

Now, Luffy and Ace had also been tricked into going to Dressrosa.

And now, it was no surprise that the villagers of Windmill Village were going as well.

This series of events…

Made Garp sigh constantly in his heart.

He had only planned to bring this guy to visit Windmill Village.

But unexpectedly, this bastard ended up taking everyone from Windmill Village along.

Now, nothing was left—well, except for some of the older folks and the strong adults.

Those who were over thirty were left behind in the village to continue their lives.

At this moment, Garp really wanted to return to the Navy!

He feared that if he stayed any longer in the East Blue, he would only bring disaster to it.

This guy has a habit of biting into everything he sees, just to taste it.

“Village chief, you’ve really done me a huge favor! Don’t worry, we’ll send a batch of resources to Windmill Village every year.”

“I’m also leaving you a Transponder Snail. If any more kids want to come to Dressrosa, just give us a call.”

Raijin handed a Transponder Snail to the village chief with a smile.

“Of course! You’re a good king! I’ve never seen someone like you before!”

“If you ever have any trouble, just ask Garp for help—he’s the pride of our village.”

The village chief also smiled broadly, nodding his head earnestly.

Before, the village chief had no idea who Raijin really was.

He never expected a king would personally come to recruit them.

He always thought kings were high and mighty, aloof and indifferent.

But this time, they had their eyes opened—they witnessed what it means to be a king who cares for his people.

At least, he had never seen the king of Goa Kingdom come here to do anything for them.

But Uchiha Raijin seemed genuinely concerned about the children.

With Garp as a guarantee, the village chief felt completely reassured.

After all, this might be the only chance in their lifetime for someone to take notice of them.

Next time, the record of children leaving their village would probably be zero.

“Village chief, we’re heading out now!”

Raijin, seeing that everyone had been transported to Dressrosa, shook hands with the village chief.

This deal was very worthwhile—people were what Raijin needed most.

There were no schools on the sea; he had to train people himself.

The only downside…

Windmill Village was too small!

But it’s only so big.

In total, only about twenty kids were sent to Dressrosa.

That number was far from enough.

For the first batch of students, Raijin planned to organize at least two hundred.

Divided into four classes, they could compete with each other.

Raijin boarded the warship along with Garp and the others.

The village chief waved continuously, watching the warship disappear on the horizon before finally heading back.

On the warship, Garp had a question.

“Even though you can open a portal directly to Dressrosa, why are you taking a ship?”

Garp looked at Raijin, puzzled about what this troublemaker was thinking.

Was he planning to take a leisurely cruise on the sea?

Big Mom’s forces were almost at their doorstep.

Didn’t this guy have any sense of urgency?

“The East Blue is a land of outstanding people, so why rush to leave?”

“Come on, come on, Vice Admiral Garp, take a look at my plan!”

Raijin chuckled and pulled out a map of the East Blue.

Some islands were circled in red.

These islands were Raijin’s next targets.

He planned to visit each one and recruit some students.

To supplement their school.

“Shimotsuki Village? Cocoyasi Village? Syrup Village?”

Garp stared at the marked villages in shock, occasionally furrowing his brow.

Garp looked carefully at Raijin, suddenly feeling a sense of dread.

Could it be!

This guy had set his sights on other villages too?

Windmill Village wasn’t enough?

He actually expanded his target, aiming to snatch students from other villages?

Can’t you act like a human?

Are you really planning to empty out the East Blue?

Garp felt a growing sense of unease.

He wanted Shiranui Genma to open a portal right away.

To throw Raijin into Dressrosa.

So he wouldn’t stay in the East Blue causing more trouble for others.

“The other villages? I can't act as your pass for them!” Garp scratched his nose, momentarily distracted. It seemed like the situation was already set in stone, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. But at the very least, he hoped they wouldn’t use his name.

“There’s no need for that! Just getting the warship to take us to those places is enough,” Raijin said with a smile. “Vice Admiral Garp, even though there aren’t any powerful pirates in the East Blue, these people are still living in constant fear.”

“To prevent pirate invasions, they must have weapons in their hands!”

“I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to leave the East Blue with me.”

Raijin’s gaze first fell on Shimotsuki Village, a place where some of the residents were samurai from Wano Country. His school just happened to be lacking a swordsmanship instructor.

“You’re worse than a pirate. Pirates loot; you’re digging up the roots,” Garp thought silently, nodding slightly without stopping Raijin. It was too late to stop him now, and besides, Zephyr was keeping an eye on things.

In Shimotsuki Village, deep in the forest, a green-haired boy was lifting a stone weight that looked like a barbell. The wooden stick was already bending under the pressure and could break at any moment. The boy’s forehead was covered in sweat, and his arms trembled constantly. The stone barbell seemed like it could fly out of his hands at any moment, but he continued his practice methodically.

Finally, after a thousand repetitions, the boy released his grip. The stone hit the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. Underneath was a pit that had been formed by years of similar practice.

“Zoro-senpai! Sensei is calling for you,” a bespectacled boy called out from behind a bush, looking at Zoro with a mix of fear and awe. To him, Zoro didn’t seem human—more like a beast. A monster, really. Zoro’s training regimen was ten, twenty, even fifty times more intense than anyone else’s, and yet, he always completed it.

How could a human be capable of such a feat? He was, without a doubt, a monster.

“Sensei? I’ll be right there!” Zoro said, ending his training and heading toward the dojo. His teacher never interrupted his training, so this must be something important.

On his way, Zoro unconsciously walked toward the port and was surprised to see a warship. Though he didn’t know why he had ended up there, he wondered, The Navy? Are there pirates on our island?

“Zoro-senpai, why did you come here?” another student from the Shimotsuki Dojo asked, surprised to see him at the port. Without waiting for an answer, the student grabbed Zoro and pulled him toward the dojo.

“What’s going on?” Zoro asked curiously.

“It seems the Navy wants to recruit our teacher! Zoro-senpai, could Sensei be joining the Navy as an admiral?”

The student’s face was full of excitement. After all, their teacher was always so gentle and kind. They had always thought he was weak, but now it seemed the Navy had come to recruit him.

“That’s impossible!” Zoro muttered under his breath. He knew exactly how strong his teacher was—he couldn’t even cut through a piece of paper. Would the Navy really want someone like that?

Zoro stopped asking questions and followed the student to the dojo. At the entrance, rows of Navy soldiers stood guard, and onlookers didn’t dare approach. But Zoro and the student, dressed in their dojo uniforms, walked right past them.

Inside, Zoro saw his teacher sitting in the center, with a young man and two burly middle-aged men standing beside him.

“Ahem, this is the student I’m most proud of. If he’s willing, he can go with you to Dressrosa,” Koushirou said, a hint of helplessness in his voice. These people had thoroughly investigated Shimotsuki Village before coming here. Even Zoro was aware of it, but there was nothing he could do now. It was up to Zoro to decide.

If Zoro didn’t want to go, Koushirou believed the Navy wouldn’t force him.

“This kid? Not bad,” Zephyr said from behind, nodding as he looked at Zoro. He had the same spirit as Garp’s grandson—he had been well-trained from a young age and had a solid foundation. At the very least, he could become a Vice Admiral in the future. Zephyr felt excited. The East Blue truly was a place full of hidden talents. Besides Garp’s grandsons, he had made this unexpected discovery.

“Alright, we’ll take this kid,” Raijin said casually.

Zoro had been accepted, but Raijin was far from satisfied.

“Wait! Hold on!” Koushirou was stunned. Weren’t they going to ask Zoro if he wanted to go? They hadn’t even discussed it with him, and they were already making decisions. Since when did the Navy become so overbearing?

“By the way, it's not just this kid—I want the entire Shimotsuki Dojo to come with me,” Raijin declared, his smile widening as he propped his head on his hand, looking at Koushirou. “My country just happens to need a swordsmanship teacher, and I believe that you, as people who came from Wano, are more than qualified.”

“Your swordsmanship shouldn’t be lacking, right? Oh, and your father, too. I recall he’s a skilled swordsmith. Why not bring him along? In Dressrosa, there are plenty who’d love to learn from a master swordsmith.”

Raijin’s smile deepened. While Zoro was certainly impressive, Raijin’s true interest lay in the other residents of Shimotsuki Village—especially Koushirou’s father, Kozaburo, the swordsmith. With Kozaburo’s skills, Dressrosa would never again worry about forging quality swords.

“Are you really with the Navy?” Koushirou’s face darkened as he turned a stern gaze toward Garp. Koushirou knew Garp’s reputation well enough—the man was a legendary hero of the sea. Anyone who read the newspapers would recognize him. But was the Navy now stooping to such underhanded methods, planning to abduct the entire Shimotsuki Village?

“Who said I was with the Navy?” Raijin chuckled. “Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself properly. I am the new Warlord, and King of Dressrosa, Uchiha Raijin. And behind me is Zephyr, the former Navy Admiral, who is now the instructor in Dressrosa. We’re here to find talented children and capable teachers to bring to Dressrosa for training.”

Raijin paused, smiling brightly. “And as it happens, you samurai who escaped from Wano caught my eye.”

Koushirou’s face remained calm, but his heart sank. He knew the significance of being a Warlord, but as long as he refused, nothing could proceed. Surely, with the Navy hero Garp present, these men wouldn’t force them… right?

“You think I’m negotiating with you?” Raijin’s smile faded, replaced by an icy gaze. “You don’t have the right to refuse. You can either agree, or I’ll destroy your village.”

The air grew cold as Raijin’s intimidating aura spread throughout the room. Everyone around him instinctively recoiled, and Zoro trembled in fear. He was utterly stunned. The sheer pressure emanating from Raijin was enough to quash any thoughts of resistance. How powerful was this man?

“It seems we have no choice but to fight,” Koushirou said, his expression serene as he reached for the sword beside him. He glanced at Garp, who had yet to make a move. Without knowing Garp’s stance, Koushirou couldn’t be sure of anything.

“Oh? Aren’t you concerned about your students? A battle like this could easily put them in danger,” Raijin taunted, his gaze shifting to Zoro. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk.

Koushirou’s spirit deflated at that moment. He couldn’t believe that this powerful man would stoop to threatening his students. Did he have no sense of honor?

“Of course, I’ll give you a chance—to understand that the weak have no right to refuse the strong,” Raijin said, chuckling as he observed Koushirou’s reaction. This method of coercion, while effective, was starting to bore him. He was more interested in testing Koushirou’s strength. If Koushirou wasn’t at least of a swordsman’s caliber, he wouldn’t be worthy of teaching in Dressrosa. If Koushirou failed, Raijin would take his father and students instead. Only those with value were worth keeping.

“Very well,” Koushirou agreed with a nod, though he didn’t immediately step forward. Instead, he looked at Zoro with a sigh. These men were too strong, and he had a terrible premonition. The pressure Raijin had unleashed made Koushirou feel as if he were facing a truly dangerous beast, someone on par with even Dragon. It seemed the Shimotsuki Dojo was about to face a great calamity.

“Zoro, come with me. You want to become the world’s greatest swordsman, don’t you? This battle could do you a lot of good,” Koushirou said gently to Zoro.