Chapter 183 – The Target is Set, Arrival at Fishman Island!
Shortly after Ryuunosuke and the Dragon Hunter Pirates set out to sea, a small boat silently followed in their wake.
As their warship submerged, the surrounding waters darkened quickly, visibility reduced to near zero.
Fortunately, most of the crew possessed Observation Haki. Combined with the ship's own illumination system, they had no trouble navigating the deep sea.
At that moment, the core members of the crew gathered on the deck.
"Captain, you suddenly called a
meeting—what's going on?"
"I heard Fishman Island is full of Fishmen and Merfolk. Can I catch a few for my collection?"
"Are there any rare dishes there?"
As the questions flew, all eyes turned toward Ryuunosuke.
"Uh… today's meeting is for all official crew members," Ryuunosuke began.
"I want to ask everyone something important—what do you think is the ultimate goal of the Dragon Hunter Pirates?"
The crew blinked in surprise.
Didn't their captain already declare his ambition to stand at the top of the sea?
Why ask this now?
"Isn't it freedom?" Akame tilted her head.
"I remember Brother Ryuunosuke once said the essence of piracy is freedom—sailing the world, exploring new places, and seeing all kinds of scenery."
"Adventure, treasure hunting, living free… that's what being a pirate means, right?"
"Akame's not wrong," Najenda followed.
"But to me, being a pirate means following your own heart."
"Justice is just a matter of who's strong enough to define the rules."
"So, in my opinion, the foundation of piracy is power. Everything else comes after that."
Yahiko chimed in seriously, "Only when the world truly feels pain will it understand the value of peace."
"If we make them feel pain, peace will follow. That's how we fulfill our ideals."
(Well, it wouldn't be Yahiko if he didn't go full anti-imperialist.)
"I think our goal should be to seize all the rare treasures of the sea," Chrollo added.
"We're pirates, after all. Plundering is part of the job."
One by one, everyone shared their views—freedom, strength, adventure, resistance, and treasure.
Each answer varied, but they all pointed to a common theme: will and ambition.
Yahiko's was just... more intense than most.
"You're all right, in a way," Ryuunosuke said with a nod.
"But let's be real—you've all noticed the uniqueness of the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"With each new crew member, everyone grows faster. It doesn't matter if you're combat personnel, logistics, or even the one cleaning the deck."
"Compared to when you first joined, your power has skyrocketed."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The speed of their growth was something they had come to accept. It was no longer surprising—just a part of daily life.
"Captain, what are you trying to say?" Najenda asked, a hint of confusion in her tone.
Despite being one of the earliest members, even she couldn't fully predict what Ryuunosuke had on his mind today.
"We need to set clear goals," Ryuunosuke said, his tone firm.
"That's what this meeting is about."
"For example—Kuina, Akame, I want the swords in your hands forged into black blades within two years."
"Chrollo—set a number. How many Devil Fruits are you going to collect in the next year? How much treasure will you amass?"
"Yahiko—how much pain can you inflict upon this world?"
(He said that one with a smirk.)
"Goals, huh?"
"Now that you mention it, we haven't really had any defined targets since we came to this world…"
"I'm going to collect twenty Devil Fruits in one year," Chrollo said immediately.
"My Murasame is already a black blade," Akame added, emotionless as usual.
"If you mean Armament Haki refinement, I can probably manage it in two years."
"Good," Ryuunosuke nodded.
"Now that you all have a goal in mind, let's move on."
"Time to go over what you need to know about the New World."
With that, Najenda took out a sea chart she'd bought back on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Though many areas remained blank, key locations and notable territories were marked.
While the internal meeting wrapped up, the ship finally reached Fishman Island.
From a distance, the place looked like a fantasy straight out of a dream.
A whole island, encased in a massive bubble, sitting at the bottom of the sea.
"Captain, there's gotta be a treasure trove here!" Chrollo grinned.
"Maybe I can just—"
"You can't kill. You can't rob," Ryuunosuke cut him off coldly.
"We're not so low that we need to steal to survive."
"If they voluntarily come with me, it's not robbery… right?" Chrollo chuckled, then vanished with Machi at his side.
"Tatsumi," Ryuunosuke called out, "You and Mine are the only couple on board. This is the perfect place for a little getaway."
"Spend the day together. The pirate group will cover all expenses."
Mine immediately turned red.
Despite her usual proud and tsundere attitude, she became shy the moment anything involved Tatsumi.
In their world, they were already at the age of marriage and starting a family.
And now, with their relationship confirmed, things were bound to move fast.
"Thank you, Captain," Tatsumi said earnestly, taking Mine's hand as they went off to explore.
"The rest of you, feel free to move around," Ryuunosuke instructed.
"Try not to stir up any trouble with the locals."
"I'll be heading to meet the king."
And with that, he disappeared into the crowd.
Just moments after Ryuunosuke left, a group of armed guards arrived.
"Are you part of the Dragon Hunter Pirates?" the lead guard asked.
Najenda sighed, "Looks like avoiding conflict might be harder than expected."
"We're not here to fight," the guard captain said with a friendly smile.
"You're friends of the Whitebeard Pirates, and by extension, friends of Fishman Island."
"If you need anything, we'll be happy to guide you."
"We hope to build a strong friendship with the Dragon Hunter Pirates!"
Najenda let out a breath of relief.
Right, Fishman Island was under Whitebeard's protection.
With their status as Whitebeard's allies, they were welcomed as guests.
With that, the guards led the crew into the island.
While they'd already stocked up on supplies before, Fishman Island had its own unique goods.
So the general crew, led by Rocky, went off to purchase food and essentials.
Meanwhile, Chrollo found himself at Madame Shyarly's fortune-telling shop.
He'd sensed something strange there—a pulse of spiritual resonance.
In this world, it was extremely rare to sense telepathy.
"You… came to see me, didn't you?" Shyarly said as soon as she saw him.
"Yes," Chrollo replied, calm as ever.
"Divination, huh? How about a little friendly competition?"
As he spoke, a pen appeared in his hand, and he began to draw symbols on a scroll.
And as for Ryuunosuke—he had already arrived at the Ryugu Palace, ready for a meeting of far greater importance.
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