OP: Lord of Mischief C19

Augustus now had full control of the pirate ship—complete with Krieg’s flag fluttering proudly in the wind. From what he’d learned so far, Don Krieg, the self-proclaimed admiral of the Krieg Pirates, carried a bounty of 17 million beli.

It was intimidating, no doubt. A pirate of that caliber had to be leagues stronger than someone like Vargo, who barely scratched 7.8 million.

Still, Augustus wasn’t too shaken. Sure, he was a little worried, but not scared.

He had one trump card: ‹The Mask.›

As long as he could activate that ability, he could overwhelm enemies several times stronger than Vargo. And every time he used it, his proficiency level increased. He figured it wouldn’t take long to reach Level 1, and once it did, the true power of The Mask would begin to shine.

And with the Trickster System granting him TP and access to absurd abilities, it was only a matter of time before he could go from being just a lucky kid to utterly unstoppable.

Augustus grinned to himself.
“I may not know much about this world… but with this system, I can live however I want—free and unstoppable.”

Feeling satisfied with his thoughts, he walked over and kicked the unconscious pirate captain awake.

“Argh!” The man jolted upright, eyes blurry.

Augustus loomed over him.
“Get up and steer this ship. I have no idea how to pilot it.”

The captain groaned and clenched his jaw. “Tch. You really think you can order me around, brat? I’ve got men onboard—”

“They’re gone.” Augustus interrupted coldly, arms crossed.

The captain’s eyes widened as he looked around. Most of the deck was empty. A few trembling pirates lingered—none daring to act.

“I—I’m part of the Krieg Pirates,” the captain stammered. “One of the largest fleets in East Blue!”

Augustus shrugged and gave him a light kick again.
“And I still don’t care.”

Reluctantly, the captain stood up and began steering the ship, just as ordered.


---

Three days passed since Augustus took control of the ship. But an event like this wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Far away, in a gathering of surviving Krieg Pirates—Don Krieg, recently returned from the Grand Line in shame, was sitting on his throne. His fifty-ship fleet had been decimated by Dracule Mihawk, and now only a handful of vessels remained.

One of his lieutenants ran up with a worried look.

“Don Krieg! One of our ships is missing!”

Krieg’s eyes narrowed. “Missing?”

“Yes, sir. We’ve tried contacting them—no response.”

The tension in the room spiked. The crew shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Krieg’s reaction.

His cold eyes scanned them. “Find them. Now. If that captain ran off with my ship, I’ll rip his spine out myself.”

He stood up, his large frame casting a long shadow.

“We may not be the massive force we once were… but I’m still Don Krieg. No one steals from me and lives to tell the tale.”

A nervous voice spoke up, “W-what if it was an accident? Maybe they were attacked by another pirate crew or a marine patrol?”

Krieg gripped the arms of his chair, eyes burning with fury. “I don’t care who it was. Pirate or marine—if someone’s trying to challenge me, they’ll be crushed like insects.”

He raised his arm dramatically.
“Prepare the ships! We’re setting sail. I’ll make sure the whole East Blue remembers who rules these waters!”

“YEAH!!!” The crew erupted in a thunderous roar, their voices echoing as they rallied behind their captain once more.

***

For the past three days, Augustus had been living like a king aboard the pirate ship. He made full use of the ship’s food stores, barked orders like royalty, and treated the pirates—especially their captain, Rudolf—with zero mercy.

The pirates, of course, hadn’t taken it lying down. They plotted behind his back, schemed to retake the ship, and even tried to assassinate him in his sleep.

But every attempt failed… miserably.

Each failure came with punishment—salt kneeling, prank traps during their own sleep, or getting doused with cold seawater at dawn. The crew eventually gave up. Their morale was crushed, and their spirit to rebel evaporated like steam in the sun.

By the fifth day, they were completely subdued.

That morning, as the sun peeked over the horizon, the ship finally approached an island. It was uninhabited, lush with greenery, and perfect for a brief stopover.

Augustus made the decision.
“We’ll restock here. Gather fruits, hunt, dry some meat—we’ll resupply before heading to the next village. I want cheese, bread, rice… all of it.”

Though he had the 8 million beli reward in his storage, he hadn’t touched a single coin yet. He was saving it, his mind spinning with ideas—perhaps a business, a trading company, or maybe something more ambitious.

“If I’m gonna live like a king, I might as well build my own empire,” he muttered with a grin.

Two days later, after resupplying, the pirates were back at sea. Then, from the crow’s nest, Captain Rudolf shouted,
“Land ahead! I see a village in the distance!”

Augustus walked up to the railing, squinting toward the shoreline. Sure enough, there it was—a small village nestled by the sea.

On land, the villagers were going about their day when one of them noticed the distant ship on the horizon.

“That flag…!” a man cried, voice breaking. “It’s the Krieg Pirates!”

Panic swept the village like wildfire. People ran, doors slammed shut, and the village chief grabbed the den den mushi with trembling hands to call the nearest marine base.

“Hello? We’re under threat! It’s the Krieg Pirates—please send help immediately!”

But the response wasn’t what he hoped for.
“Krieg Pirates? …You’re on your own. Good luck.” Click.

The village chief stared at the receiver, speechless.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Realizing no help was coming, he quickly gathered the villagers. “Prepare whatever you can… but don’t provoke them. We can’t win a fight.”

The villagers braced themselves, weapons in hand, hearts pounding, as the pirate ship slowly docked by the shore.

They waited for a flood of ruthless pirates to storm their homes.

But to their shock… only a few men stepped off the ship. And among them, walking in front, was a young man—smiling gently, looking more like a friendly traveler than a threat.

The villagers blinked.

“Eh?” one of them muttered.

“That doesn’t look like a pirate raid…”

Augustus stepped off the ship with a bright, friendly smile, noting the fear etched on the villagers' faces. He couldn’t blame them. He would’ve reacted the same way—before the Trickster System changed everything.

He raised both hands in a disarming gesture and called out clearly, his tone light and cheerful:

“No need to panic, good people! We’re not here to cause trouble, and we’re certainly not part of the Krieg Pirates. We’re just humble merchants passing through!”

Behind him, Rudolf and the remaining crew twitched visibly. The corners of their mouths curled awkwardly. ‘Humble merchants?’ That was a stretch even for them—but they didn’t dare contradict Augustus.

The villagers, however, were clearly unconvinced.

“Merchants…? With a Krieg pirate flag on the ship?” one muttered skeptically.

“Is that supposed to be a joke?” another whispered.

Augustus kept smiling, pretending not to hear the doubts.

“Yes, yes, the flag’s misleading, I admit!” he said with a chuckle. “But don’t judge a ship by its flag! You know how hard it is to find good sails these days.”

Still hesitant, the villagers exchanged wary glances.