Chapter 17: The Price of Power
The Merchant King of the Grand Line
Chapter 17: The Price of Power
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A Dangerous Treasure
The dim lanterns flickered aboard my ship as I studied the device in my hands.
A small, metallic contraption no bigger than my palm, its surface engraved with ancient symbols and embedded with a single glowing button.
A key to controlling Sea Kings.
I turned it over, feeling the weight of my newest treasure.
King stood beside me, arms crossed. "Are we even sure that thing works?"
Marcus, my head engineer, nodded as he flipped through the stolen research papers. "According to these blueprints, it's an experimental Neptunian Frequency Emitter. Supposedly, it can send out signals that mimic commands from the ancient rulers of the sea."
King scoffed. "And if it's a trap?"
I smirked. "Then we'll find out in the most spectacular way possible."
King sighed. "You're insane."
"I'm a businessman," I corrected. "And this is the most valuable weapon I've ever laid my hands on."
And that's what worried me.
Because power like this never stays hidden for long.
---
The Government's Retaliation
I didn't need to wait long for the consequences.
Less than a day after our escape, the first signs of the World Government's wrath arrived.
It started with bounties.
One of my crew members rushed onto the deck, waving a fresh bounty poster. "Boss! Your bounty—!"
I grabbed it, eyes narrowing at the new figures.
LANCASTER VOSS
"The Merchant King"
Bounty: 690,000,000 Berries
I whistled. "That's a jump."
King glanced over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you finally broke past the half-billion mark."
But it wasn't just me.
King's bounty had risen to 720,000,000 Berries.
Marcus, despite being a non-combatant, now had a 280,000,000 Berry bounty.
And it wasn't just numbers.
The reasoning behind my bounty had changed.
It no longer called me a mere "pirate" or "smuggler."
Instead, it labeled me as:
"A World Threat. Capable of destabilizing the balance of the seas."
I let out a low chuckle. "They're scared."
"They should be," King muttered.
And then—the real threat arrived.
---
A Warning from the Underworld
The sun was barely over the horizon when a messenger ship approached our fleet.
Not Marines.
Not bounty hunters.
Underworld brokers.
The moment their envoy stepped onto my deck, I knew this wasn't a social call.
A masked figure, clad in dark robes, bowed slightly. "The Bosses send their regards."
I leaned back against the railing. "Which bosses?"
The envoy's voice was flat. "All of them."
That got my attention.
The Underworld was a vast network of arms dealers, smugglers, assassins, and information brokers.
For all of them to send a message together?
That meant trouble.
I gestured for him to continue.
"The World Government has officially blacklisted you," the envoy said. "No Underworld broker is to conduct business with you under penalty of death."
I felt my crew tense.
That was a problem.
The Underworld was my primary supply chain. Without access to them, I'd be cut off from weapons, ships, mercenaries, and crucial intelligence.
"And if I ignore this little 'blacklist'?" I asked.
The envoy's tone turned sharp. "Then expect more than just the Marines coming after you. The Underworld has its own enforcers."
I exhaled, rubbing my temple. "Let me guess. You were also sent to warn me that some of those 'enforcers' are already on their way?"
The envoy didn't answer.
Which meant yes.
King's hand hovered over his sword. "We should kill him."
The envoy didn't even flinch. "It wouldn't change anything. The wheels are already in motion."
I let out a short laugh. "Well, this day just keeps getting better."
---
A Reckless Proposal
After the envoy left, I gathered my top crew members for a meeting in my cabin.
King sat across from me, arms crossed. "So, we're cut off from the Underworld. That means our supply chains are screwed. What's the plan?"
Marcus tapped the research papers. "If we can replicate this technology, we might not even need the Underworld. We'd have a power no one else can match."
I considered that.
Controlling Sea Kings…
That was a game-changer.
But it wasn't enough.
We needed more than just a weapon.
We needed a new industry.
A monopoly.
And then, an idea struck me.
I leaned forward, grinning. "Then we don't just control the Sea Kings."
King frowned. "What are you thinking?"
I spread my arms.
"We start a revolution in naval warfare."
Marcus blinked. "What?"
"We take this research and develop new ships—ones that don't need the Underworld's weapons or shipwrights. Imagine it: an entire fleet designed to move through the Grand Line without fear of Sea Kings."
King's eyes widened as he realized what I meant.
"You're talking about creating a new navy," he said slowly.
I grinned. "Not just any navy. A private navy. One that can challenge even the Marines if necessary."
Marcus paled. "That's… that's insane. That would mean declaring war against the entire world."
I leaned back.
"Not war," I corrected. "A business venture."
King laughed. "You're crazy."
I smirked. "And that's why it'll work."
---
The Dawn of a New Empire
The world was changing.
I had just stolen a forbidden technology.
The World Government wanted me dead.
The Underworld had turned against me.
And the greatest bounty hunters in the world would soon come knocking.
But they were too late.
Because I had already taken the first step toward something far bigger than piracy.
I wasn't just building a crew.
I was building a kingdom.
And soon…
Even the World Government would have to negotiate with me.
Or they would fall.
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Next Chapter: The First Challenger
(The Underworld has sent an assassin after Victor. But it's not just any assassin—it's a former Warlord of the Sea. The first battle for survival begins.)