One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

Renetia, now ten years old, was adopted by her master at a young age and taught the art of shipbuilding.

Like her master, she dreamed of making the whole world safe for navigation by building ships that could safely sail the seas.

After the king's death, she naturally couldn't stay in the Natia Kingdom and voluntarily boarded a ship.

Under the cover of night, on the ship's deck, Renetia said to Sage, "I helped you escape, which repays the favor for helping me defeat Murdock. This ship is also yours now. Let me off at the next town."

"Once you're on a pirate ship, there's no getting off."

Sage chuckled and said, "Forget it. The navy is here, and their surveillance technology is formidable. They'll find you sooner or later. Why not join my pirate crew?"

"No way!"

Renetia shook her head, "I can't build ships as a pirate. I need to continue shipbuilding."

"Without materials, you can't build anything. How long will it take you to find materials in the East Blue? And once you find them, how many years will you have to wait?"

Sage said, "Why not think about it differently? You want your ships to gain fame, right? So why not follow this ship? I'm a pirate, and sooner or later we'll go to the Grand Line. If a ship can safely navigate the Grand Line, won't that bring fame?"

"Instead of waiting years or even decades for materials, then finding someone to support your continued shipbuilding, why not join me? In the time you'd spend waiting, I'll have reached the New World."

"After all, you steal the materials for shipbuilding anyway, so being a pirate shouldn't be an issue for you, right? When fame comes, and materials are plentiful, won't you be able to build ships that make a name for themselves?"

"Well... that makes some sense." Renetia rubbed her chin with her small hand, pretending to think like an adult.

"Have you been to the Grand Line?" Sage continued to ask.

"No."

"Neither have I."

Sage said, "But you've heard of it, right? The unique climate and sea routes of the Grand Line are incomparable to ordinary seas. This ship of yours might sail smoothly in the East Blue, but can it really handle the Grand Line? If the ship is destroyed, you won't even be able to repair it. If you build a ship, shouldn't you also consider after-sales service? Or are you just not confident?"

"Bullshit! My shipbuilding skills are the best!"

Renetia rolled her eyes, "I don't need you spouting nonsense. I originally planned to make a name for myself before going to the Grand Line to compete with shipwrights from all over the world. Fine! Let's go then! From now on, I'm your employee, boss!"

She may be a little girl, but her vision and intelligence were not low. She certainly wouldn't limit herself to the East Blue.

"Hahaha, call me captain!"

Sage shouted to the others, "Men, bring out the good wine! Let's celebrate our new shipwright!"

"Oh!!" The pirates cheered.

Why wouldn't they want a shipwright, especially a high-tech one? Ships need maintenance and repairs; no ship is a perpetual motion machine.

Renetia could build such a large ship, so why wouldn't Sage want such a talented person? Should he look for ordinary mediocre talents instead? She's young? They can nurture her over time.

Even if Renetia had no combat ability, Sage could make her an executive based on her skills alone. Moreover, she was a Devil Fruit user with considerable strength.

"Um..."

Amidst the cheers, Paru raised his hand and asked hopefully, "So can you make another iron man? I really want one!"

"Get lost, turtle shell!"

Renetia furrowed her brows, "Can't you see? The iron man is controlled by my ability. Without the ability, it's just a pile of barely moving iron junk. Have you been a turtle for so long that you want to live in a snail shell? You might as well go into the sea and be eaten by a sea beast. Their huge bodies can also give you shelter!"

"I have a question!"

Akin stepped forward, his gaze determined, "I'm Akin, not a monkey!"

"A monkey can be called Akin too! If you're not satisfied, go kill all the monkeys. But then you'd be the only monkey in the world, and you wouldn't even be able to find your own kind, you black-skinned monkey!" Renetia shouted.

Well... she's still quite hot-tempered.

"Sage, we need to recruit people," Lily said, looking at the empty deck. "This few people is far from enough."

She realized that the ship's current smooth sailing relied on Renetia's ability, as thirty-odd people couldn't operate such a large vessel.

"Indeed, it's not enough."

Renetia replied, "This ship is even larger than the Grand Line's naval battleships. The standard capacity is 1,000 people, with a maximum capacity of 1,500. It has 380 large cannons, 300 on the left and right sides of the hull, and 80 in total at the bow and stern, including a main cannon at the bow. The masts alone require over 100 people to maintain. With just thirty-odd people, we wouldn't be able to adjust in time if we encounter rough seas."

"No rush, I don't plan to enter the Grand Line now."

Sage waved his hand, "We'll see if there are suitable pirates along the way and invite them aboard. But for now..."

He looked at the pirates who were already having a drinking contest and narrowed his eyes, saying, "Tomorrow, we start training."

Recruiting pirates was necessary, but improving his subordinates' strength was also important.

With their current abilities, going to the Grand Line would be impossible.

Being a leader means exploiting subordinates, not being exploited by them. Why should he do things himself if his subordinates can handle it? Let's start by training those who have potential...

The next day.

"Captain, do we really have to do this? I'm afraid of pain, I'll go berserk, really, I'll go berserk!"

Paru was now held by several pirates, while the remaining pirates weighed the iron rods in their hands, waiting for Sage's order.

The bejeweled throne had been moved to the deck by the subordinates. Sage sat on it, expressionless, and said, "Hit him."

Bang bang bang! Several iron rods mercilessly struck Paru's body.

The intense pain made Paru's eyes roll wildly as he howled in agony.

This 'Iron Wall' Paru wasn't weak in strength. He could block cannon fire with just an iron shield, and his physique and power were considerable. But he had one problem: he was very afraid of pain.

"How can you learn Iron Body if you're afraid of pain? First, let's change this pain-fearing nature of yours. Isn't it better to use your body as a shield instead of relying on external objects like an iron shield? It hurts now, but it won't hurt in the future."

Sage was now having Paru practice Iron Body, one of the Six Powers techniques.

By controlling the acceleration of blood flow, the body hardens. The principle... well, men understand.

"But I see Lady Lily doing it so easily!" Paru cried out in panic.

On the other side of the deck, Lily was pacing back and forth, each time her feet touched the deck, she would tap it several times in quick succession.

"She's not practicing Iron Body. She's practicing Shave. Once you've mastered Iron Body, we'll look at the others," Sage waved his hand and said, "Hit faster, this is too slow."

Bang bang bang! On the deck, only the sound of iron rods striking and Paru's miserable screams remained.