Chapter 16: Roger Pirates
I find the sea calming. I like it. The fact that I can feel this way must mean Iâve grown accustomed to being a pirateâand that makes me like it even more.
That said⌠I never expected that just boarding a different ship could make me feel⌠this⌠unsettled.
"âŚâŚâŚâŚHmph."
"Wahahahaha!! Nue! Whatâs with the poutinâ? Câmon, drink with us!! And tell us more about that power of yours!!"
"âŚâŚWhy would I tell my enemies anything?"
"Wahahahaha!! Fair enough!! Got me there!! Then just drink!!"
The drunken old man shoves a bottle against my cheek, and the rowdy men around him cheer along. I puff out my cheeks in protest.
After all, this ship belongs to a crew that was supposed to be my enemyâand the men making all this noise are none other than the Roger Pirates.
And that old man causing a ruckus right next to me? Thatâs Gol D. Roger himself. Captain of the Roger Pirates. A man who looks ridiculously strong, infamous⌠and utterly impossible to reason with.
To put it simply⌠I ended up losing to Rogerâs sheer persistence and got dragged onto this ship. I mean, failing a mission from Captain Rocks⌠sure, Iâm a little scared of what heâll say, but more than that, I just hate the idea. This was my job. I wanted to prove myself as a pirate and earn his praise. Iâll have to contact him tonight⌠Ugh, what a pain, but it canât be helped. Early reports are crucial. And so is making sure the job gets done.
Thatâs why I trusted Roger when he said, "Just stick around for a bit," and got on board. Though, to be honest, thereâs another big reasonâ
"ââStill, Iâm surprised you actually came. You couldâve refused, yâknow?"
"âŚâŚWell, you did save my life. Figured Iâd repay the debt someday! Besides, your captainâs way too pushy!!"
"Well⌠Rogerâs just like that. Sorry, but youâre better off just accepting it."
"Hahaha! Like any of us could stop Roger! Just give in and drink up!"
Rayleighâs calm response and Gabbanâs laughter accompany another forced drink. I take a sip⌠fine, Iâll drink⌠but⌠ugh⌠I canât shake this feeling of being railroaded. If not for that, maybe Iâd be enjoying myself a little more.
"Wahaha, lighten up! I ainât askinâ ya to join the crew or nothinâ! Just hang around on the ship for a bit!!"
"âŚâŚDefine âa bit.â"
"ââDunno."
"What do you mean you donât know?! Thatâs your call, not mine!!"
"Wahaha, wonât be too long! Anyway, show me what you got! Heard youâve got a 74,000,000 bounty! Impressiveâbut are ya actually strong? Huh? Whatâs the deal?"
"Tch⌠You mocking me�!"
Roger keeps laughing, drinking right in front of me, treating me like a kid. It pisses me off. âŚFine. Maybe Iâll show him just a little of what I can do. Make him acknowledge me. Not like I can win, and he probably wonât take me seriously anywayâbut heâs strong enough that he wonât kill me even if I go all out. Plus, I am curious about how strong Roger really is. Sounds fun. Once that thought takes hold, itâs hard to resist. Before I know it, my trident is in my hand.
"âŚâŚThen Iâll show you!!"
"ââOh, for real?!"
Rogerâs eyes light up with excitement. Naturally, I smirk and nod.
"Yes⌠Experience it firsthand!! ââ"Blue UFO"!!"
"!! WHOOOA?! NO WAY!! SHE SUMMONED A UFO?!"
"Whoa?! Seriously?!"
"Wait, sheâs actually fightinââŚ?"
I direct my fighting spirit at Roger as the Blue UFO materializes. With a familiar, otherworldly buzz, the Blue UFO appearsâone of the abilities I gained over the past two years. Proof of my growth. Heh. Even the Roger Pirates are stunned. Tremble in fear! This Blue UFO is no joke.
When Whitebeard first saw it, he asked how it differed from the Red UFO. The answer? Its attack method.
The Red UFO fired ordinary red energy bulletsâbut the Blue UFO⌠fires blue⌠la¡sers.
"Hmm⌠Roger, incoming."
"Whoa?! That was close?!"
"Was that⌠a laser?!"
"Bingo! And nice dodge!!"
Just as Gabban said, this is a laserâone of my most reliable attacks at the moment.
Itâs faster than the Red UFOâs bullets and packs a decent punch. Lasers pierce through things, so even if they donât take you down in one hit, theyâll still deal solid damage. âŚWell, Rayleigh either used Observation Haki or just sensed it normally, and Roger dodged it effortlessly, but Iâm not discouraged. Anyone past a certain level of strength can dodge these. The New World only has the toughest shooters, after all.
But this isnât the full extent of my power. Hovering in the air, I unleash my next move on Roger.
"ââ"Peaceful Dark Cloud"!!"
"WHOA?! Black clouds now?!"
"Wahaha! Sick!! Canât see a thing!!"
"This ainât the time to laugh⌠These clouds are trouble."
"If you canât see, anyone without Observation Hakiâs at a huge disadvantage⌠Seriously, what is this power? Canât figure it out."
"Exactly! Unfathomable!! The unknown terrifies people!!"
The black mist swirling around us stirs the Roger Piratesâthough Rogerâs still laughing, Rayleighâs calm, and Gabbanâs unfazed. Still, their slight surprise is satisfying. My blood stirsânot that I have any yĹkai blood, but still. They havenât figured out my ability, and that excitement fuels the fight.
"And the unknown holds the advantage in battle! Know the fear of facing something beyond comprehension!!"
"Oh? Whatâre youââWHOA! Another laser?!"
"This oneâs got weird bullets too."
"I see. The clouds fire both bullets and lasersâŚ"
"Heh! But thatâs not all!!"
Smugly, I dart straight through the dark mist. "Peaceful Dark Cloud," a technique I mastered about two years ago, lets me attack with bullets and lasers from within the obscuring darknessâbut I donât have to stay put.
Of course, if a technique exists, so do ways to expand on it. This isnât some scripted illusion. Itâs the real world. Thereâs no such thing as a fixed pattern.
Thatâs why I weave through the mist, trident at the ready, to strike my enemy down.
With UFO support and Kaidou usually wreaking havoc on the frontlines, I can close in mid-battle to disorient and wound my foes.
Itâs the golden strategy for victoryâa battle style I favor, effective in both group fights and one-on-ones. Combine it with Observation Haki to predict movements and Armament Haki to reinforce attacks, and I can take down decently strong opponents. Not Roger, obviously!! This is more like a scouting mission to gauge his strengthâbut if I donât go all out, I wonât even glimpse his true power!! Soâletâs fight!!
"O free-spirited fool! Dance in the storm of unknown flying objects and diââ"
"WAHAHAHAHA!! This is great!! My turn now!!"
"GhâââŚâŚ!!"
ââOh crap.
Roger effortlessly dodges my trident strike hidden within the dark mist and bullets. Huh, heâs got some slick evasionâWAIT, NOT THE TIME!
My Observation Haki screams danger. This is bad. Even if I see it coming, I canât dodge. The gapâs too wide. All I can do is brace my trident and pour Armament Haki into defense⌠H-heâs not serious, right? Heâs holding backâŚ? I can handle pain, but sudden attacks like this are kindaââ
"ââ'Divine Departure'!!!"
"!!?"
ââIn that instant, Roger swung his sword in a single, horizontal flash. The slash struck my trident with enough force to send a shockwave ripping through the airâand with it, my consciousness was severed. H-he wasnât⌠serious⌠rightâŚ?! That mustâve been nothing more than a light tap for Roger. Yet here I was, knocked out cold. A bitter laugh rose in my throat at my own weaknessâand Rogerâs overwhelming strengthâbefore darkness swallowed me whole.
"ââTch⌠You really went all out, Roger."
"Not something you do to a kidâŚ"
"Wahaha! Maybe I overdid it a little!!"
"A little?! You couldâve easily held back!"
"But damn, that was fun! Sheâs got potential!!"
"Yeah⌠Never thought a rookie her age could already use Haki. If sheâs really just an apprentice, we might need to take this seriously, Roger."
"Hell yeah! Now Iâm even more pumped to fight this âRocksâ guy!!"
ââFaintly, those voices reached me through the haze.
I felt my consciousness stirâbut before I could fully wake, my body jolted upright, trident already in hand.
"âŚâŚ!!"
"Whoa! Sheâs up?!"
"The hell?! Grabbing her weapon right away?!"
"You planning to fight again the second you wake up?"
"Damn, tough kid⌠She was out for less than ten minutes."
"Hey, hey, relax! Even if you fight, you wonât win! And we ainât looking to brawl anyway!!"
The piratesâ voices snapped me back to reality. Iâd reflexively gripped my weapon, but the faces around me⌠werenât my crewâs.
"âŚâŚOh. Right. Iâm not⌠on our ship right now."
"? Whatâs that supposed to mean?"
"Ah⌠never mind. Just a habit. Donât worry about it. Iâm not looking to fight anymore."
I lowered my stance and exhaled. Roger, the man whoâd knocked me out, grinned and leaned in.
"Wahaha! Jumping straight up and grabbing your weapon after gettinâ KOâd? Badass! But we donât attack people while theyâre sleepinâ! Fightinâ someone who ainât readyâs just boring!!"
"âŚâŚWell, thatâs normal, at least."
"Huh? âNormalââŚ?"
Gabban and the others tilted their heads, confused. After a brief hesitation, I smirked and decided to explain. It wasnât like it was a secret.
"On our ship, you canât let your guard downâeven when sleeping. Not like attacks from crewmates are common, but theyâre not zero either. Most try to kill you when youâre awake, though."
"âŚâŚThe hell? You got wild animals on board or somethinâ?"
"Wild animals? Not a bad idea. Hey, Rayleigh! Letâs get one! Bear or lionâwhichâs better?"
"We ainât gettinâ shit, dumbass. Whereâd those options evenâ"
The exchange between Roger and Rayleighâno, any conversation involving Rogerâwas so absurdly carefree that I couldnât help but stare. These guys had zero tension⌠Nothing like my crew. Ignoring their antics, I answered Gabbanâs question plainly.
"The ones attacking us are our âcrewmates.â Not wild animals."
"ââHuh?"
The moment those words left my mouth, the air froze. Ah, the exact reaction I expected. Shock. Amusing. I grinned, ready to enjoy their responses.
"Wait, wait, waitâwhy the hell would crewmates attack each other? Youâre supposed to be allies!"
"Drunk brawls, maybe? I mean, if itâs just thatâ"
"ââNope. Straight-up murder attempts. On our ship⌠killing each otherâs just part of daily life."
"âŚâŚ!!?"
Their stunned silence was priceless. Yeah, I figured. Not many crews operate like ours. Even among pirates, this level of infightingâs rare.
As the crew struggled to process my words, Rayleighâever the calm oneâspoke up, his expression deadly serious.
"âŚâŚYouâre saying your crew kills each other?"
"Yep. Itâs normal for us. Weâre all monsters, and most of us hate each other anyway. The weak or dumb ones die fast⌠Well, lately, the rosterâs stabilized. The ones left are strong enough to survive, so itâs gotten less frequent. Way more livable now. Back when we first set sail, dozens died daily."
"What kinda⌠goddamn crew is this�"
Gabbanâs disbelief was justified. Even I could admit it sounded insane. Not that I minded, but if I were building a crew from scratch, I probably wouldnât go this far. âŚWait, now that I think about it, this makes our crew sound terrible. No wonder recruitmentâs tough. Only the power-hungry or the truly confident would join. Then again, most pirates are like that. Some even see the chaos as a perk.
ââBut of course, a man like Roger would hate that philosophy.
"The hellâs wrong with you?! Youâre crewmates! Kill each other?! Thatâs sick!!"
Rogerâs roar was expected, but his fury was palpable. âŚSure, his stance was reasonable, butâ
"Mmm⌠Weâre the type who donât give a damn about anyone except the few we actually like. Captain Rocks doesnât stop it, and I donât mindâdaily battles make me stronger."
"That ainât how crewmates should be!!! Iâll crush this âRocksâ bastard myself!! Hey, Nue!! Join our crew instead!!"
"I told you, Iâm fine where I am! And⌠I mean, donât get me wrongâCaptain Rocks is weirdly lenient with his crew. Just not his enemies."
I shrugged off Rogerâs anger. Honestly, I donât care. Sure, Iâd hate it if the few I do like died, but the rest? Whatever. Weâre pirates. If you wanna kill someone, thatâs your right. If you lose? Thatâs on you for being weak. Strength lets you survive.
Thatâs why Kaidou and I keep getting stronger. Freedom as a pirate demands power⌠And honestly? Captain Rocks is good to us. He treats me and Kaidou well. No reason to dislike himâI even respect him. ââNot that decent people would ever understand. So Rogerâs outrage, their baffled facesâitâs all predictable.
"Shut up!! Iâm takinâ Rocks down!!!"
"âŚâŚMmm~⌠I mean⌠I wonât say itâs impossible, butâŚ"
"ââAnd you! Join us!!!"
"I said no!!! Besides!! Kaidou and I are gonna go independent someday!!"
"âŚâŚHm? âKaidouâ?"
At that, Rayleigh perked up. Oh, curious? I hadnât planned to elaborate, but if itâd get Roger off my back⌠Fine! I pulled out a bounty posterânot mineâand flashed it.
"Yep! My sibling-in-arms, Kaidou!! Another apprentice on the Rocks Piratesâbounty: 111,100,000 Berries!!"
"Huh⌠Lemme see⌠Wait, this kidâs an apprentice?! He looks way too hardened forâ"
"An apprentice with a 100-million bounty. Impressive, butâŚ"
"! Right?! Heh, Kaidouâs strong! One day, heâll be captain, Iâll be vice-captain, and weâll build the strongest pirate crew ever!!"
I puffed out my chest, proud. They recognized Kaidouâs talent tooâas they should. But then Rayleigh stroked his chin, thoughtful.
"âŚâŚI see. So the two of you are biding your time on Rocksâ ship, training until youâre ready to strike out on your own."
"Exactly! Captain Rocks is the strongest in the world, and the crewâs full of beasts! Battles every day, endless thrillsâitâs the perfect place to grow stronger!!"
"Hmm⌠Dangerous, but forcing yourself into desperation does breed strength⌠I can see the logic, butâŚ"
"Hell yeah!! Then Iâll beat Rocks, and you two can go independent now!! After that, come at me with everything youâve got!!"
"!"
Rayleigh nodded, but Rogerâs declaration stunned me. A question spilled out before I could stop it.
"âŚâŚPutting aside whether you can beat Captain Rocks⌠Are you sure about that? I might be one thing, but if Kaidou hears this, heâll actually try to kill you. Youâre reckless, but Kaidouâs worse."
"Bring it on! I ainât dyinâ that easy!! So come at me, full power!! Wahahaha!!"
"âŚâŚI might become a real monster too, you know? Hurt your crew. And youâre cheering for that?"
"Wahaha⌠Weâre pirates livinâ free. If our freedoms clash, we fight. I got no rightâno, nobodyâs got the right to crush someone elseâs dreams!!!"
"âŚâŚ!"
Rogerâs words left me speechless. Becauseâfor a momentâthe way he spoke of his dreams⌠overlapped with the way Captain Rocks spoke of his ambitions.
They werenât alike in appearance. But their way of life⌠their idealsâŚ
The sheer, overwhelming willpower that left me at a loss for wordsâit was the same as when I faced Captain Rocks. And thatâs exactly why⌠I knew theyâd never see eye to eye.
"âŚâŚWell, if you say so⌠So, we heading to Captain Rocks now?"
"Hell yeah!! Letâs go!!"
"CAPTAIN, STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"
âŚAh. No dice. I figured if I pushed, heâd actually turn the ship toward Rocksâand I was rightâbut his crew immediately dogpiled him.
"Weâre almost at the next island, damn it!! We need supplies!!"
"Quit changinâ course on a whim!! You tryinâ to piss off the navigator?!"
"We burned through most of our food during the feast⌠No clue where Rocks is, but if we donât restock, weâll starve, Roger."
"Ugh⌠That is bad. Alright, menâset sail for the next island!"
"Mmm~⌠We were so closeâŚ"
After a barrage of protestsâand the very real threat of starvationâthe course change was vetoed. Ugh⌠When am I gonna get backâŚ?
âŚThen again, sticking with Roger⌠might not be so bad.
Observing a pirate as endlessly fascinating as him could be fun. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. With that in mind, I reached for the nearest bottle of booze and dug into the food.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the New WorldâŚ
In a dimly lit room, a man sat alone, absorbed in a book.
A man who aimed to become⌠the King of the World.
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
With wild, devilish hair and a face carved from malice itselfâthis was the captain of the Rocks Pirates: Rocks D. Xebec.
The most feared pirate in the world, leading the strongest crew under his name⌠and plotting the downfall of the World Government.
As he absorbed knowledge, biding his time⌠he waited for word from two operativesâand one messenger heâd sent ahead.
The messenger wouldnât report for a while yet. But the other two⌠they shouldâve checked in by now.
His Observation Haki, honed to perfection, could sense presences from vast distances. And right now, it told himâthey were close.
A grin split his face.
Minutes later, as predicted, knuckles rapped against his door.
"âCaptain. Weâve returnedâŚ!"
"Weâve returnedâŚ"
"Heh⌠Took you long enough. Enter."
Two voicesâraspy, aged. The figures who stepped in matched: an old woman and an old man, both dressed in attire rarely seen at sea.
One, a hag-like crone with twin candles coiled atop her head.
The other, a stooped elder clutching a biwa, clad in traditional robes.
Two of Rocksâ most trusted operatives⌠finally home.
"Gihaha⌠So? You better have good news for me⌠Right? Well? Spit it outâHigurashi, Semimaru."
"Yes⌠IndeedâŚ"
"KyokokyokyoâŚ!! Of course, Lord XebecâŚ!! All to further your ambition of becoming King of the WorldâŚ! Weâve laid the groundwork for a coup in our homelandâŚ!!"
Higurashi and Semimaru. The crone and the elder knelt deeply, pressing their foreheads to the floor in a bow unseen in most of the worldâa custom of their isolated homeland.
Rocks, familiar with their ways, paid the gesture no mind. Only their words mattered. His laugh was a predatorâs growl.
"GihahahahaâŚ! A coup? Now thatâs entertaininâ⌠You sure itâll work?"
"Kyokokyo⌠Yes. Weâve identified a âseed of vengeanceââone with a grudge against the nation. Weâve nurtured their strength and methods⌠It will take time, but once it blooms, weâll secure weapons for you, my lordâŚ!!"
"Our homeland is a natural fortress, shielded by raging currents and waterfalls⌠When the time comes to wage war upon the World Government, it shall serve as your strongholdâŚ"
"Gihaha⌠Fine. Take ten, twenty years if you need. But deliverâŚ!! Iâve got patience, but I hate waitingâŚ! Understood?"
"Yes, of courseâŚ"
"Indeed⌠And when you ascend as King of the Worldâ"
Higurashi began, but Rocks cut her off with a wave.
"Yeah, yeah⌠Youâll get your damn country. I donât break promises. Once Iâm king, my crew gets whatever they wantâhell, Iâll hand out entire nations like candyâŚ!! GihahahahaâŚ!!"
The two bowed again, their faces pressed to the floor.
"Hah⌠Your generosity humbles us⌠Howeverâ"
"KyokokyokyoâŚ! The Kurozumi Clan desires but one thingâŚ! The land of WanoâŚ! Grant us that, and we ask for nothing moreâŚ! Captain RocksâŚ!!"
"âŚâŚGihaha. That all? Cheap bastards⌠Fine. Keep at it. Iâve got my own moves to makeâŚ!!"
"Oh? What might those be?"
Higurashiâs voice was polite, but her eyes gleamed with malice. Rocksâ grin widened.
He didnât need to say a word. His Haki alone screamed ambition.
And yet, he answered. His finger tapped a map littered with red Xâsâeach marking a target.
"Nothinâ special⌠Same as always⌠Just gonna remind those fools who think the flames wonât reach âem⌠that no oneâs safeâŚ!! GihahahahaâŚ!!!"
"âŚ!"
Higurashiâs gaze snagged on one name among the marked locationsâa place sheâd never heard before.
A land branded with a crimson X.
Its name read:
"GOD VALLEY."
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