Becoming a Shichibukai

Chapter 58: Becoming a Shichibukai

In the desert, a sand sled was speeding through the dunes. Rodney controlled the sand sled, and Robin sat behind him. Robin asked, "Captain, have we really left Alubarna?"

"Didn't you read the history? There's nothing left for us there. I am a pirate hunter, Robin, and the only path I follow is that of battle." He looked at Robin with a smile, "It will be quite an adventure."

Robin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, "Well, I've already decided to follow you, Captain. But since I'm following you, you have to protect me, right?"

Rodney sighed, "I suddenly feel so tired. I wish I could be a carefree person." He sighed like a carefree person who had lost their dreams.

Looking at this man, Robin found it hard to believe that he was the one who fought and defeated Crocodile. Can I really trust him?

"Captain, a man can't live without dreams. Do you have any dreams?"

"Yes, I want to become the Hokage!"

"Hokage?"

"Yes, I am a ninja. The Hokage is the pinnacle of ninja. There are seven generations of Hokage." Rodney explained, though in this world, he would be the first Hokage.

"I'm curious about these seven Hokage."

"The first was a gambler, the second was his younger brother, a genius master of Forbidden Techniques, the third was a prodigy but also a pervert, the fourth is a genius as well. The fifth was a gambler who always lost and liked to act cute. The sixth was a copycat, and the seventh was a talkative guy who kept a fox." 

That's how Konoha's seven Hokage were like, and Minato, being Jiraiya's disciple, probably inherited some traits as well.

"So..." Robin glanced at him and asked, "So, Captain, are you a gambler or a pervert?"

"Guess."

"Let's see, I guess you're... a guess."

"I..."

"Okay, okay, no more guessing games." 

Rodney interrupted the guessing, looked at the Sandora River in the distance, and said, "Let's go by water." 

"What do you mean? The sand sled can't travel on water for long periods. If something happens, the only one who can walk on water is you, Captain. Are you planning to carry me and walk on the water?"

"No, no, no. I won't carry you. By the way, Robin-chan, when you meet a kid named Momonosuke, don't let him hold your hand just because he's a child. Kill him immediately and twist his head off." 

"The Captain can say such things... What did this kid Momonosuke do?"

"Don't ask why. He has to die no matter what." What did Momonosuke do? He must die!

Under Rodney's control, the sand sled glided onto the surface of the Sandora River, and he said, "Let's go by water, buy a small boat, and keep an eye out on the river surface. Whenever I walk on the water, there are often things attacking from the bottom of the water. Trust my luck."

The sand sled's speed on the water surface was much faster than on the sand. Later, Rodney controlled a Sandora giant catfish to provide additional thrust. The speed increased even more, and they reached the mouth of the sea in a day.

"Wait, that's... the Marine Vice Admiral, Tsuru's ship," Robin exclaimed as she spotted a large ship approaching with the word "Crane" written on the sail.

"Let's ignore them and keep going," he said, putting on Robin's veil and passing by Tsuru's ship as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, a woman with a beauty spot on her chin and a long sword at her waist called out, "Are you Mr. Rodney?"

"To avenge Crocodile?" Rodney turned the sled around, folded the sail, and protected Robin behind him.

"No, you misunderstood. Please come aboard; we have other important matters to discuss," the woman clarified.

"Wait for me here; don't worry." 

Rodney patted Robin on the shoulder, instructed her to disguise herself, handed her a stack of detonating symbols, and said, "Detonate them if necessary." 

He did this to reassure Robin, as he was not an ordinary Vice Admiral; he was also a strategic thinker on par with Admirals.

This reassured Robin and she replied, "Okay, I will."

"Don't hold them too tightly; they might explode." With this advice, Rodney jumped onto the warship.

Granny Crane, a spirited old woman with her hands behind her back, greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Rodney."

"Hello, Vice Admiral Tsuru."

"Such strength at a young age, and now the sea belongs to your generation," Tsuru complimented.

"No, no, we juniors still have much to learn from our seniors. Vice Admiral Garp's fists are no joke." Thinking of Garp's fists, Rodney shivered.

Tsuru chuckled, "Haha, I already informed the Alabasta royal family, but it seems you left already. So, I took a chance and decided to meet you here. Lucky me! By the way, I heard you studied with Garp for a while?"

"Yes, I learned some of the Rokushiki."

"Oh? How well do you master them?"

"You'll find out." 

Well, he knew them, but whether he could use them effectively was another matter.

Tsuru nodded. As the greetings concluded, she explained her purpose, "I came specifically to find you. The World Government wants you to take over Crocodile's Shichibukai position."

"Me? A Shichibukai?" Rodney pointed to himself, surprised.

"Yes. You exposed Crocodile's conspiracy, defeated and killed him, proving your strength. So, Joestar J. Rodney, are you willing to become the Seventh Shichibukai?"

"Hmm, let me think about it." 

Rodney began weighing the pros and cons. While becoming a Shichibukai offered numerous benefits, there were also drawbacks, such as the compulsory summoning by the World Government and the required income tax payment.

Income tax was a concern; it meant parting with some earnings...

Seeing Rodney in a dilemma, Tsuru reassured him, "Your contract is special; you don't have to pay income tax to the World Government." 

The World Government had abundant resources, and they didn't need Rodney's money.

"Since your position is unique, the World Government has granted you approval. You only need to continue hunting pirates, and our Marines will fully support you." 

Unlike the younger generation, Rodney was a pirate hunter and aligned more with the side of justice. Defeating Crocodile and taking his position proved his strength, making him well-suited for this role.

"Well, I don't see a reason to refuse." He smiled and said, "What should I do?"

"I've brought the appointment order; all you need to do is sign it." 

Tsuru motioned to the woman who had just spoken, and she handed Rodney the appointment order and a pen.

The appointment order appointed Rodney as the new Shichibukai under the World Government's order. It detailed the responsibilities, obligations, and benefits he would receive upon signing it.

Rodney signed the appointment order without hesitation and said with a smile, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, now I am a member of the World Government. I'd like to request assistance from your Marines." 

Tsuru replied, "Please tell me. What do you need?" Rodney began to explain...