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One Piece: White Wolf's Second Dawn - 152
🕑 Added 2025-09-23 13:27:17 +0000 UTCChapter 152: New Members
Out with the old, in with the new.
Though that ungrateful little bastard Rocks had run off, the White Wolf Pirates' newcomer ranks gained three more.
Shiki, Tsuru, Zephyr!
These three names together looked awkward to Silas no matter how he viewed them.
But actually, the three's relationship was quite ordinary.
Needless to say about Shiki—originally a pirate with arrogant pride. Though Silas forcibly pulled him into the White Wolf Pirates, he definitely wasn't convinced internally, looking down on others.
Tsuru and Zephyr were interesting.
Both were Marines planted as spies in the White Wolf Pirates, but from Silas's observation, they seemed unaware of each other's identities.
So even occasional encounters were met with full vigilance.
Zephyr was fine. Current Zephyr was still a cheerful, sunny young man.
Though initially joining the guard army, Zephyr truly fulfilled duties as a police officer protecting civilians.
So despite his youth in the guard army, Zephyr was unexpectedly loved by neighbors and quite popular among local Sphinx residents.
So much so that Marines initially worried whether Zephyr could join the White Wolf Pirates.
The answer? Of course he could!
If he were truly vicious and heartless, they wouldn't want him anyway.
Only because Shiki was still young now. After a few years of training, if he proved unworthy, Silas wouldn't mind kicking him out.
No habit of casually dismissing crew members? If he couldn't even follow basic orders, he couldn't blame Silas.
As for Tsuru, compared to Shiki's arrogance and Zephyr's kind enthusiasm, Tsuru's actions were much more restrained—giving Silas the sense this was true spy quality.
Three people appeared before Silas.
A blonde youth with a wide stance, arms, acting like he owned the world.
A purple-haired boy standing straight, looking somewhat nervous.
A ponytailed girl with a gun, expressionless and seemingly taciturn.
Seeing them, Silas smiled.
"Know why I called you here?"
"Yes."
Tsuru answered first. Shiki, having his thunder stolen, curled his lips displeasedly.
"Should be testing whether we're qualified to join the White Wolf Pirates."
The guard army was the guard army. White Wolf Pirates was White Wolf Pirates.
Shiki had encountered Silas early this year, punished for helping kidnap mermaids by working at Fish-Man Island.
Until June, Dean brought him back from Fish-Man Island.
Silas naturally wouldn't say he'd forgotten to have someone bring Shiki along when returning, only saying he didn't think Shiki could master the Six Powers so quickly.
Actually, Shiki indeed took four full months to grasp the Six Powers basics. Only shortly before Dean arrived at Fish-Man Island had Shiki mastered one technique.
Moonwalk!
Even this Moonwalk was learned with his fruit ability's assistance.
Not that Shiki lacked talent. But Rocks had only demonstrated Six Powers once. Under self-teaching conditions, learning Moonwalk in under half a year showed excellent talent.
Remembering Dean saying if he hadn't learned Moonwalk, the next visit might be years later, Shiki couldn't help breaking into a cold sweat.
The White Wolf Pirates really weren't good people!
He'd only assisted others in kidnapping mermaids—not his own choice. If he hadn't learned Moonwalk, wouldn't that mean staying at Fish-Man Island for years as forced labor?
After reaching Sphinx, Shiki's progress accelerated. In half a year, he mastered four of the Six Powers—only failing to learn Iron Body and Finger Pistol.
Opposite him was Zephyr.
At fifteen, still in prime physical development. So Ed's assigned tasks weren't heavy.
Even so, Zephyr learned Iron Body and Finger Pistol among the Six Powers. Completely reversed from Shiki.
In this world, the Six Powers were special techniques for developing human potential—learning even one was enough to shed the newcomer label.
And Tsuru had mastered all Six Powers.
Not because her talent exceeded Zephyr and Shiki, but because Marines held greater expectations, providing extensive related knowledge during pre-mission training.
So Tsuru's actual learning time was double that of Zephyr and Shiki. Mastering Six Powers wasn't strange.
Actually, this should be the normal growth speed for Marine newcomers. With talent, Marine newcomers should easily reach Six Powers mastery.
But lacking achievements, without background or teaching, they could only waste time.
If Marines lowered learning barriers, predictably, Marines would soon produce many young powerhouses.
With over a hundred member nations as recruitment backing, Marine talent reserves exceeded ordinary imagination.
But Marines wouldn't do this. Accurately, the World Government dared not.
If subordinate forces expanded too much, how could they control them?
They'd rather establish the Seven Warlords system than lower Marine recruit learning barriers.
Especially after an Admiral's defection, the World Government would only be more vigilant toward Marines, never easily allowing Marine strength to grow.
But too weak certainly wouldn't work. Let alone with an already established pirate watching hungrily nearby.
"You're half right."
Silas sat on ship steps, smiling at the youths before him.
"You're not here for testing—you're already White Wolf Pirates members, just trainees for now."
Silas's words stunned Shiki, widened Zephyr's eyes, and made even Tsuru gasp and clench her fists.
"You should know the difference between White Wolf Pirates official members and the guard army. Some say the guard army are White Wolf Pirates reserves—this isn't entirely wrong."
"But d'you think I'd recruit tens of thousands of guards as members?"
"I want only elites!"
Though harsh truths hurt, in this might-makes-right world, ordinary soldiers were probably cheaper than cannon fodder.
For example, fishmen with ten times human physical ability—no matter the numbers, they're just statistics before bounty-breaking pirates.
Before the current Silas, bounty-breaking pirates were likewise.
So to earn Silas's regard, either possess special talents or at least reach Dorry and Brogy's future level, capable of contributing in Admiral-level battles.
Why did Rocks leave? Because he realized the battlefields Silas engaged in exceeded his current limits. Not wanting to become a burden and wanting to grow stronger, he decided to leave.
So too much personality had this downside.
Silas had decided not to cause trouble easily for at least several years.
Originally planning to bring Rocks and Ripley to Wano Country for training—the samurai there had sufficient strength for their tempering.
Who knew before speaking, Rocks fled.
Silas looked at the three. "But I'll state upfront—joining my White Wolf Pirates, leaving won't be so easy."
"You still have a chance to quit now."
Silas's words made Shiki's eyes move. He didn't want to join any White Wolf Pirates. Though learning the Six Powers in the guard army these six months had made him countless times stronger than before, if he could captain his own ship, who'd want to be someone's subordinate?
A trainee at that!
So Shiki immediately wanted to quit.
"I—"
"Hmm?"
Silas looked over with a smile. Though smiling, just being stared at by Silas made cold sweat break out on Shiki's back.
Didn't you say we could quit!?
Shiki roared inwardly, suspecting if he refused, tomorrow he'd become fish food for White Wolf Pirates' giant lantern fish.
"Shiki, are you quitting?"
"Of—of course not!"
Shiki forced a smile.
"Being able to join the sea's strongest pirate crew, I'm too happy—why would I quit?"
Though cursing Silas countless times internally, circumstances demanded submission.
As one of the future pirates standing at the pinnacle, Shiki wasn't someone who embodied absolute dominance—if forced to describe him, hero!
For revenge, Shiki wouldn't mind enduring twenty years. How could he defy Silas now?
Endurance! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't underestimate the poor youth!
Shiki was willing to join. Tsuru and Zephyr were simple.
Both were Marine-planted spies—when Silas invited them to join the White Wolf Pirates, they were too happy to refuse.
"That's considered joining?"
After gaining Silas's recognition and successfully joining the White Wolf Pirates, Tsuru felt somewhat dazed.
From Sabaody Archipelago to Sphinx, though seemingly brief, only she knew the initial hardships.
From slave to army guard. From guard army to White Wolf Pirates trainee.
Tsuru's deepest memory was just after leaving Sabaody Archipelago as a slave.
The White Wolf Pirates became famous in one battle, shocking the world.
If previous Sphinx and Elbaf battles only showed the White Wolf Pirates threatening Marines, then Sabaody Archipelago and Mariejois battles pushed the White Wolf Pirates' reputation to its peak.
Killing Celestial Dragons. Invading the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Directly facing countless World Government powerhouses, then escaping unharmed.
Who could achieve this? Searching eight hundred years of World Government history—who could do it?
This battle by Silas directly pushed the World Government into precarious straits.
Many member nations were questioning whether the World Government truly had power to protect them.
Because annual Heavenly Tribute was truly substantial!
Economically developed nations were fine, but some barren nations even scraped people's livelihoods to offer Heavenly Tribute.
Like drinking poison to quench thirst.
If this Heavenly Tribute were retained, forget building their own armies—just civilian development would improve greatly.
So Silas's kick not only stepped on the World Government's face but ground it into the dirt.
Yet Tsuru discovered she felt nothing! Because of the slaves.
Too many slaves were rescued by the White Wolf Pirates.
Former Tsuru couldn't have imagined so many slaves all came from that Celestial Dragon holy land.
Were these slaves all criminals? All unforgivable villains who'd committed wrongs?
Then why could Tsuru see children of just a few years among them?
What impacted Tsuru most was Rona's betrayal.
Without Rona, though Silas could've rescued many slaves from Sabaody Archipelago, he absolutely couldn't have targeted Mariejois.
Without Rona as an inside agent triggering Mariejois chaos and keeping Holy Knights members occupied, just those three immortal Admiral-level Holy Knights would've given Silas plenty of trouble.
Let alone defeating them individually.
So Tsuru's heart was extremely confused.
Why should righteous Marines help Celestial Dragons enslave innocent people, while evil pirates helped these slaves?
Tsuru didn't know, didn't understand.
When confused and wanting someone to confide in, she discovered Marines had cut contact. White Wolf Pirates suddenly swept Sphinx for intelligence agents, completely cutting Marine intelligence on Sphinx.
So during this period she could only train hard and work to grow stronger.
Until today, Silas suddenly found them, saying she was already a White Wolf Pirates member.
After brief excitement came deeper confusion.
Joining the White Wolf Pirates had been her goal. What after joining?
In a daze, Tsuru came to her usual eating and resting place. Seeing a familiar figure.
She unconsciously walked over.
"May I sit here?"
"Yo, isn't this the White Wolf Pirates' new crew member? What, need something from this former Marine old lady?"
More unkempt than during her Admiral days—wearing a casual shirt and pants with slippers, legs crossed, her fiery red hair disheveled and messy.
Though more slovenly, Tsuru felt this person's condition was surprisingly good.
Rona familiarly put her arm around Tsuru, laughing. "Don't tell me that bastard Silas is already harassing you after just boarding? That's troublesome—though I have some friendship with Silas, he might not necessarily listen."
"How about this?"
Rona said with a grin. "Just quit the White Wolf Pirates and join us instead. We're planning to establish a New Marines."
New Marines?
Hearing Rona's words, Tsuru's heart stirred, then she heard Rona say, 'But before that, let me hear your thoughts on the White Wolf Pirates.
Rona propped her head, looking at Tsuru.
"Do you really understand what kind of pirate crew you've joined?"
