One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

To seize even the slimmest chance of survival, Turkey Dada's booming voice echoed throughout the town.

The pirates, already mentally prepared for the arrival of Bacardi Maude, turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.

"Bacardi Maude..."

Hearing the name, most of the pirates murmured it silently to themselves.

It wasn't exactly the awe-inspiring name Turkey had described—it was an exaggeration, to say the least.

Still, seeing was believing.

The pirates had heard plenty about Maude in recent times. Their curiosity about this rookie pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million berries spurred them to witness his presence firsthand.

Among them, however, malice began to brew.

A bounty worth 100 million berries.

No one could easily ignore that.

This wasn't the Four Seas—this was the chaotic and lawless Grand Line.

The so-called Pirate Code, a set of unspoken rules among pirates that held some sway in the Four Seas, was entirely ineffective here.

For instance, one of the unwritten rules was that pirates would not turn in another pirate's head for bounty money.

But in the Grand Line, where bloodthirsty and greedy pirates thrived, who cared about such rules?

The promise of money was enough to risk one's life.

This pure and primal motivation was their path to survival.

Once the malice stirred by Maude's high bounty began to ferment, it grew uncontrollable.

The pirates, tempted by his bounty, started mobilizing.

To increase their chances of success, teaming up became inevitable.

...

Completely unaware of the brewing storm in the town, Turkey Dada, the instigator, remained oblivious.

Even if he knew, he would have distanced himself at lightning speed, leaving no trace of involvement.

Honestly, what did those idiots seeking death have to do with him?

Standing slightly behind Maude, Dada craned his neck to look at the approaching mast ship heading for the shore.

Internally, he scoffed at the ship's dilapidated condition, then focused on the figures aboard it.

A veteran of the seas, Dada had memorized the faces of well-known pirates. With just one glance, he recognized Lafitte.

The "Demon Sheriff"!

A reputed sadist known for abusing power and taking lives without reason.

That said, Lafitte's victims were typically pirates with significant bounties.

As for the two others aboard the ship, Dada had no recollection.

Anyone who sailed alongside Maude couldn't possibly be an unknown, could they?

Though puzzled, Dada kept his confusion to himself.

Who cared whether they were famous? His survival strategy was simple: flatter them thoroughly.

"Boss, these are your crewmates? They don't look ordinary at all—wow, isn't that the legendary Demon Sheriff, Lafitte? What a commanding presence!"

"And look at that burly man—he's the strongest guy I've ever seen!"

"And heavens! That woman—she's stunning! Those eyes... cough, cough, she's every bit as gorgeous as the Empress of the Seven Warlords!"

Dada poured out compliments without hesitation, silently relieved that he had noticed the woman's half-closed eyes in time to avoid making a fool of himself.

Listening to Dada, Maude glanced at him with newfound appreciation.

He wasn't stupid—he could tell that Dada's bootlicking was fueled by pure survival instinct.

But to reach this level of flattery? That took talent.

Still, Dada's sycophantic attitude didn't come across as grating. On the contrary, it made interactions surprisingly pleasant.

So, this was what they called a "lackey"?

No wonder nobles often kept a few alongside their bodyguards.

The mast ship was still some distance from the shore, but Lafitte, Gaya, and the others—blessed with sharp hearing—caught every word of Dada's praise.

This guy...

Gaya and the others were at a loss for words, unsure how to describe their feelings at that moment.

It was... eye-opening.

"That turkey-headed fool dares ignore me? Unforgivable!" growled Bailey, his voice brimming with indignation.

As Bailey muttered curses under his breath, the mast ship finally reached the shore.

The Turkey Pirates quickly threw ropes, securing the ship with Lafitte's assistance.

In this narrow canal cutting through two islands, a ship couldn't simply anchor. External aids like ropes were necessary to prevent it from being swept out to sea by the currents.

Once the mast ship was secured, Lafitte and the others disembarked.

Dada and his crew stood ready, their faces full of flattery and servility.

Bailey, still fuming, approached Dada directly.

Dada looked down in confusion at the creature in front of him.

Oh, this must be Maude's pet.

The man and the weasel locked eyes for several seconds.

Bailey glared, thinking, I'm standing right here—why aren't you showering me with praise?

"What's with this pet?"

Faced with Bailey's intense gaze, Dada grew more perplexed.

Determined not to offend, he quickly shifted his attention to Gaya and the others, showering them with flattery as well. In no time, he had learned their names.

Bailey, seeing himself ignored once again, bared his teeth in frustration.

"Rocket Headbutt!"

Bailey lunged forward, slamming into Dada's lower back.

Thud!

With a cry of pain, Dada flew several meters.

"Boss!"

The Turkey Pirates cried out in alarm.

Bailey snorted, "What are you screaming about? I only used a fraction of my strength. At most, that turkey-headed fool will feel a little sore."

He wasn't lying.

Had he used his full strength, this sneak attack would've been enough to end Dada's life.

"Wait, did that raccoon just talk?"

The Turkey Pirates stared at Bailey, dumbfounded.

Bailey's face twitched.

"Rocket Headbutt!" x10

Thud! x10

In no time, the entire Turkey Pirates lay groaning on the ground.

A few seconds later...

"We're fine, really!"

Despite the pain, Dada and his crew staggered to their feet.

Bailey ignored them, his attention caught by a book lying on the ground—the very item Dada had dropped when he was headbutted.

Gaya was quicker, picking it up first.

Having lived on Monmon Island for years with little to do, she had developed a keen interest in books to learn about the outside world.

"The Path to Survival?"

Gaya read the wobbly handwriting on the book's cover, intrigued. It was clearly handwritten.

Seeing Gaya holding his book, Dada's face turned pale. He hurried over, stammering, "Lady Gaya, um, could I please have that back?"

Before he could finish, Gaya had already opened it.

After a quick glance, she froze. Turning a few more pages deepened her astonishment.

"..."

She looked at Dada with an indescribable expression.

The book's content was handwritten—full of cringe-worthy praise and detailed notes on the proper expressions, tones, and body language to adopt when interacting with various groups of people.

So, this was... the "path to survival"?

Caught under Gaya's gaze, Dada looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"What's the matter with the book?"

Curious, Maude leaned closer. He had caught a glimpse of the book's title: The Path to Survival.

Just the title alone sounded impressive.

Gaya silently handed the book to Maude.

After skimming through a few pages, Maude raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive."

He glanced at Dada in genuine surprise.

"R-Really?"

"Of course. Did you write this yourself?"

"Yes!"

Dada nodded furiously, his gaze at Maude tinged with a hint of awe.

It was clear Maude wasn't mocking him.

"Dada, a masterpiece like this cannot go unpublished. Promise me—you'll get this book printed."

"Wha—?"

Dada was stunned.

Publish a book?

He'd never even considered it.

Flipping through the book again, Maude nodded in admiration.

Though it had its flaws, the content's strengths far outweighed them.

"Dada, this is an excellent book. Please, make sure it gets published."

"Boss...!"

Overwhelmed by Maude's praise, Dada looked as though he'd found his soulmate.

Gaya, on the other hand, was left utterly baffled.

She just couldn't understand.

On a distant rooftop, a man with a camera held up a telescope with one hand, observing Maude and the others by the shore. In his other hand, he jotted notes on a pad.

"'The Path to Survival?'"

"'An excellent book?'"

"'Publish it?'"

Reading their lips, the man wrote down keywords, his eyes gleaming.

The word "publish" particularly caught his attention.

If it could earn such high praise from Bacardi Maude, it couldn't be bad.

And the newspaper's serialized section just happened to have an opening...

Should he take the risk and approach Turkey Dada?

If the book really was good, the editor-in-chief would be thrilled!

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