One Piece: Red Sword - Chapter 10

After discussing the specifications of her ship with the old craftsman Yuris, Luo Ze paid a deposit of 100 million Berries.

This time, she had more money, so she was willing to invest heavily in building the ship.

Luo Ze asked Yuris to install his best engine, use the finest materials, and even add a “magnetic navigation system” to the ship.

According to Yuris, this system was his latest invention.

As we all know, the Grand Line is a very strange sea.

The magnetic fields, weather, ocean currents, and airflows there are all chaotic.

Sailing through it, most people can’t even tell where they are, let alone find islands.

That’s why every pirate crew usually needs at least one Navigator.

The Navigator carries a log pose or eternal pose and uses their skills and the pointer to guide the crew to the next island step by step.

But Yuris’s “magnetic navigation system” was like a mechanical Navigator.

Once they arrived at an island, Luo Ze had to dock near it and let the system absorb the island’s magnetic field, just like an eternal pose.

After the magnetic energy was absorbed, the system would calculate the best route to the next island.

Then, with the engine, the ship could automatically follow the route given by the system.

If there was a sudden change in ocean currents ahead, the system would adjust the course and choose a better path for Luo Ze.

In short, with this system, Luo Ze didn’t even need a Navigator.

As long as she filled the fuel tank before setting off, she could sail the Grand Line alone.

…

Luo Ze was very satisfied with this invention.

She was sure she would go to the Grand Line one day.

Before, she had been troubled about how to find a Navigator, but now it seemed she didn’t need to worry anymore.

She chatted with Yuris a bit more and agreed to come back for the ship in half a month.

Then Luo Ze said goodbye.

Yuris didn’t bother to walk her out. He just nodded and said, “Take care.”

Luo Ze left the house and walked away in a relaxed mood.

Today, she was in a pretty good mood.

Not only had she received her bounty from the Marines, but her ship problem was also solved.

Next, she just needed to look into news about Kid.

Once the ship was done, she could start her journey.

However, when she reached the gate, something caught her eye.

On an open space to the left, a young girl with a wooden sword caught her attention.

The girl wore a white short outfit with a cloth tied around her head.

In front of her stood a yellow scarecrow planted in the ground.

She was swinging the wooden sword, practicing against the scarecrow.

Luo Ze was drawn in by her swordsmanship.

Though her form was a bit rough, some of the moves were surprisingly refined.

Luo Ze guessed that the girl’s teacher must be skilled with the sword.

Thinking of this, Luo Ze suddenly remembered Kuina and Zoro.

If she were to look for teammates in the future, Zoro might be a good choice.

But since she herself used a sword, convincing Zoro to follow her wouldn’t be easy.

She couldn’t help but glance toward the Marine base.

She wondered if her actions would be found out.

That new Rear Admiral gave her a vague but constant sense of pressure.

…

Seven days passed.

Luo Ze spent her time in various underground intelligence groups in Dog Town.

After her intense investigation, on the seventh day, she finally got a lead on Kid’s whereabouts from some info dealers.

According to them, Kid recently found some treasure and made a fortune.

Right now, he seemed to be staying in a small town called Lion Town.

Luo Ze compared the info from different dealers.

The details were nearly identical, so she felt more confident.

She made up her mind: as soon as her ship was ready, she would head for Lion Town to hunt Kid.

Another seven days passed.

During this time, Luo Ze hunted many pirates near Dog Town.

She robbed them of all their wealth and delivered their heads to the Marine base.

She met Luka again.

Luka was still very friendly.

She had asked Luo Ze more than once if she wanted to join the Marines, but Luo Ze refused every time.

Luka wasn’t upset though.

She handed over the bounty with a smile and even often invited Luo Ze for drinks, forming a solid friendship over the past week.

Now, it was the promised day—half a month later.

After lunch, Luo Ze walked out of the restaurant.

At the door, she unexpectedly heard something surprising.

“Did you hear? That famous old craftsman was seriously hurt by a pirate because he refused to build a ship for them.

Even his granddaughter was taken away by that pirate.”

“That’s awful! These pirates are terrible. Even old men get bullied.”

“Careful what you say! I heard this pirate is someone important—

a big name from the South Sea. Supposedly, he’s one of Kid’s subordinates. His name’s Killer.”

“That’s bad news.

Even the Marines might not be able to handle pirates like that!”

Luo Ze’s heart tightened when she heard this.

She quickly walked over and asked,

“Is what you said true? Something really happened to the old craftsman?”

She wasn’t too worried about Yuris’s safety,

but she was worried about her ship.

She had placed great hopes on it and didn’t want anything to go wrong.

“It’s true! It happened a few days ago.

Lots of people in town already know about it,” one of the townsfolk answered.

“Wait, you said the pirate is Kid’s subordinate? Called Killer?”

Luo Ze asked again.

She vaguely heard them mention Kid earlier.

“Yeah, that’s the one. That pirate is a total maniac,”

the local replied, looking nervous as he mentioned Killer.

“Thanks for the info.”

Luo Ze tossed a few gold coins into his hand and quickly ran toward Yuris’s place.

Killer, huh…

You better not hurt Yuris.

If I can’t get my ship, you’re finished.

Luo Ze muttered to herself as she rushed down the road.