One Piece : Strongest Vice-Captain Mr. 3!

Boom!

As the enormous pirate ship was sent crashing into the sea by Hancock's powerful kick, shattering it into fragments, the badly beaten captain, Jared, along with a horde of fleeing pirates, met their demise in this unknown ocean.

"Utterly useless trash."

Hancock leapt back onto the deck of the small merchant ship, brushing off the dust that had clung to her hands. Despite the bloody battle, not a single drop of pirate blood stained her body; she remained remarkably clean.

"Don't worry, when we reach Karai Bari Island Island, you'll have some formidable opponents waiting for you."

Mr. 3 glanced at the bloodstains on the deck. Although he had the original Mr. 3's memories as a buffer, he still felt a twinge of discomfort. 

Strictly speaking, this was his first firsthand experience of the brutality and bloodshed in the pirate world.

Considering the impact of reality, anime often refrains from showing this cruel side to the audience.

However, conflict and death are the most basic and common elements of the pirate world!

Especially in this real world, pirates are far more vicious and unruly than their animated counterparts; they are not the hot-blooded, kind-hearted adventurers one might expect!

Of course, the Marines are not symbols of absolute justice either; they often exist in the gray area between black and white.

One thing is certain: the world before them is complex and twisted, cold and chaotic:

Good is not always good, evil is not always evil; good can be evil, and evil can also be good!

Just as Donquixote Doflamingo said, justice doesn't always prevail, but the victors definitely represent justice.

Fists are the only standard that define good and evil in this world!

"I need to improve my strength quickly..."

Mr. 3 couldn't help but sigh inwardly. With his understanding of the overarching view of the pirate world, he knew that a great upheaval was imminent.

The so-called unprecedented war, far surpassing the Summit War, was already taking shape. If he didn't elevate his strength to the level of an Admiral or a Yonko, all his plans would be futile!

"Let's hope so."

Hancock tilted her head back, her gaze lingering ambiguously on Mr. 3 for several seconds.

In the end, she suppressed the sudden impulse that surged within her, flicked her cape behind her, and strode directly toward her private cabin on the merchant ship.

Mr. 3 stood silently in place, tensing his body and not uttering a single word.

What a joke! Hancock's look just now clearly indicated that she hadn't had enough of the fight and wanted to use him for practice. In such a situation, even saying a single word could provide an excuse for him to get beaten up!

After witnessing Hancock's brutal kicking, the pain-averse Mr. 3 was very self-aware.

At least in this current precarious situation, this woman was not to be provoked!

Hancock deliberately slowed her pace as she walked ahead, waiting to find an opportunity to turn around and kick Mr. 3.

Unfortunately for her, even as she dawdled to the doorway, silence reigned behind her.

With a silent sigh at Mr. 3's cleverness, Hancock could only step into the cabin quietly.

The remaining elite female warriors of the Kuja Pirates, after greeting Mr. 3, also left the deck with a lack of enthusiasm.

Hancock was fine; she could move her limbs to some extent, but the others, who were equally eager for an exhilarating battle, could only watch anxiously, unable to join in.

As for practicing with Mr. 3, they decided against it…

They were afraid that if their anger went unresolved, they'd end up taking an unnecessary beating!

That powerful Grand Candle Eruption had been too much for even the likes of Sandersonia and Marigold to handle!

Soon, the lively deck fell back into silence.

This sudden pirate robbery farce had come to a complete end.

Mr. 3 stood on the deck, letting the sea breeze wash over him, trying to calm the cold and bloody thoughts swirling in his mind.

Then, he returned to his room and sat on the edge of his bed.

He wasn't planning to rest just yet; there were still many things to research and ponder.

First was the sudden insight he had while consuming the Fruit Development Capsule: the feasibility of using the Wax-Wax Fruit to create Candle Soldiers, similar to the Cookie Soldiers of Cracker.

Second, of course, was the system rewards received after achieving his goals, aside from the "original Marine Admiral Aokiji-style sea bicycle," which was only useful for show and travel.

"Rayleigh-sensei's Haki lecture" clearly had the potential to significantly enhance his understanding and training of the three types of Haki!

And both the Fruit abilities and the three types of Haki were precisely what he needed to improve the most at this moment!

With that thought, Mr. 3 stopped wasting time and immediately began his research on the Candle Soldiers.

"From the manga's portrayal, both the flexibility of the Cookie Soldiers and their ability to act independently lean more toward the fruit itself rather than relying solely on the user's development."

"By contrast, creating Candle Soldiers capable of independent combat will be much more challenging, requiring a higher level of precision and proficiency in manipulating the fruit…"

Mr. 3 raised his arm and activated his ability.

A milky-white stream of wax began to materialize out of thin air, flowing from his arm to the floor, gathering into a large mass about a meter away.

Swish, swish, swish.

The wax mass twisted and rolled, gradually forming solid, sturdy limbs. Following that were eight neatly arranged wax abs, a perfectly sculpted chest, broad shoulders, and a straight back.

Finally, the fluid wax collected at the head, weaving and flowing to evolve into a candle helmet reminiscent of medieval knights.

Bang!

A nearly three-meter tall, impressively muscular, and strikingly handsome Candle Soldier was completed, standing firm before Mr. 3.

"Not bad, not bad!"

Looking up at the formidable soldier he had "crafted," Mr. 3 smiled with satisfaction.

Of course, appearance was just the simplest and most basic step, easily adjustable according to his preferences.

Now came the most challenging part: getting the Candle Soldier to move!

Mr. 3 slowly closed his eyes, focusing intently as the dim surroundings began to reveal the figures of candle soldiers.

This dashing figure seemed to be surrounded by countless invisible candle threads, connecting him to his own abilities as a Devil Fruit user.

Mr. 3 attempted to use his will to manipulate these threads, which were somewhat reminiscent of puppet strings.

To his surprise, it was astonishingly simple.

With the precision of his Devil Fruit ability operating at an impressive 86%, the eyes of the candle soldier hidden beneath its knight's helmet lit up as if it had gained consciousness.

Thud.

Though its movements were stiff and awkward, under Mr. 3's control, the massive figure managed to kneel on one knee!

It really worked!

Mr. 3 suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at the candle soldier now kneeling at his feet, his eyes bulging out, resembling sparkling stars.

No man in the world could resist a super toy that moved according to his will!

Even though there was still a significant gap in freedom and mobility compared to the cookie soldiers, it was clear that if the Devil Fruit abilities were developed properly, the idea of candle soldiers was completely feasible!

If combined with sufficiently strong Observation Haki and Armament Haki, these candle soldiers would undoubtedly become a decisive weapon that could influence the course of battle!

Mr. 3 was exceptionally delighted. To test the limits of his abilities, he decided to move directly to the next stage.

He took out the system reward: Rayleigh-sensei's Haki Lecture, and activated it!

Buzz!

A blinding white light flashed, forcing Mr. 3 to shut his eyes against the glare.

A faint mist appeared out of nowhere, swirling around the entire room, while the surrounding environment sped by like a revolving lantern.

When the refreshing breeze of the forest brushed against his cheek and the crisp sound of birds chirping filled his ears, Mr. 3 slowly opened his eyes.

In the drastically transformed environment, an old man in a white cloak and flip-flops was stepping through the dense underbrush of the forest, walking toward him at a leisurely pace.

With a tall and robust figure, wild white hair flowing freely, and a carefree smile that radiated both confidence and charisma…

Mr. 3's pupils suddenly contracted.

Indeed, the person before him was none other than the former vice-captain of the Pirate King, one of the world's top three Haki masters…

Dark King Rayleigh!!

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